With Instagram being one of the most visual platforms on social media, the ability to capture eye-catching photos is hugely important, especially if your main goal as a business owner is to boost your engagement.

Lucky for you, whether you are a budding influencer or small business, taking good Instagram photos does not require expensive equipment — just some creativity, patience, a few simple tips, and of course, your phone camera in hand!

If you need a little guidance to get you started, we’re sharing our super easy step-by-step guide on capturing Instagram photos that stand out from the crowd and increase audience engagement! Read on —

How To Take Good Instagram Photos - Our Top Eight Tips!

Focus On Good Lighting

As you may already know, lighting is the most significant element of photography. Natural light usually works best because it provides a soft, even look to photos.

Our advice? If you can, shoot your photos during “golden hour” (just after sunrise or before sunset) when the light is warm and complimentary. Here are some of our ‘go-to’ lighting tips —

Outdoor Pics — If you are taking photos outside, avoid direct sunlight and harsh shadows. Instead, opt for shady areas or cloudy, overcast days for diffused light.
Indoor Pics — For indoor shots, use a window as your main light source. To avoid backlighting, position yourself or your subject facing the window.
Night Pics — If you’re keen to shoot in low light, use warm artificial lights or phone LED ring lights to spotlight your subject without causing shadows or blurriness.

Composition Is Key

Composition refers to the arrangement of elements in your photo, and a well-composed photo grabs attention and directs the viewer’s eye. We’ve tested out a few basic techniques to assist us in this department —

Rule of Thirds — Imagine your image divided into nine equal parts by two horizontal and two vertical lines. Then place your subject along these lines for a more balanced and eye-appealing photo.
Leading Lines — Take advantage of natural lines (i.e. fences, roads, etc…) to guide the viewer’s eyes towards your focal point, or in other words, who or what you are spotlighting.
Symmetry — Center your subject to create balance. Symmetrical photos are very pleasing to the eye!

Use Depth To Add Interest

For photos that feel more dynamic and immersive, we recommend adding a bit of depth! Here’s 3 tips on how you can do exactly that —

Foreground and Background — Frame your subject with objects in the foreground or background to create layers.
Blurred Background — By using portrait mode on your smartphone, you can blur the background and solely focus on your subject.
Angles and Perspectives — Get creative and shoot from different angles (low, high, eye level…) for a more unique photo!

Find A Signature Aesthetic/Style

Developing a signature aesthetic will help people recognize your content with only a glance.

It’s beneficial to choose a consistent style for your overall social media marketing that reflects your personality and brand, and of course, implement that into your Instagram photography. Be sure to keep these factors in mind —

Colour Palette — Stick to specific colours that command your social feed. We’re talking light and casual pastels, or dark and moody tones - whatever you’ve chosen to best reflect your business personality and branding!
Filters and Editing — Pick one or two consistent photo filters, and use them regularly to create coordinated Instagram posts.
Content Theme — In regards to maintaining visual and thematic consistency, it is important to focus on one specific niche (i.e. travel, fashion, food…)

Use Editing Tools Wisely

While the original photo is important, editing can allow for the perfect shot! There are many free apps to help you fine-tune your photos. A few of our photo editing tips include —

Adjust Brightness and Contrast — Both are very basic tweaks that can significantly improve the quality of your photos.
Increase Sharpness — Make details pop by enhancing the sharpness, but don’t go too far or your pic will appear grainy!
Experiment with Saturation — Play around with boosting your photo’s saturation for greater colour vibrancy. Remember to keep it natural!

Utilize Negative Space

Negative space refers to the empty areas around your subject, and when you take advantage of this, photos can feel cleaner and more aesthetically pleasing. 2 quick tips here —

Less is More! — In other words, try not to overcrowd the photo frame with too many objects or distractions, and allow your main subject to stand out by surrounding it with empty space.
Use White or Neutral Backgrounds — this will help draw the viewer’s focus to your subject.

Experiment With Different Angles

female posing in good lighting which makes a good instagram photo

Mix things up and steer away from basic eye-level shots (between you and us, they can get boring!) Here are a few angles you can try out for a more intriguing shot —

Bird’s Eye View — shooting from above
Worm’s Eye View — shooting from below
Side Angles — shooting from the side

Insider’s tip: Try also incorporating a sense of movement to your photos to help bring them to life! Your photos don’t always have to be static.

Get Familiar With Your Phone Camera and Features

This is a crucial one as your phones are equipped with powerful cameras and features that can completely elevate your photography game for your Instagram account! Each of the features below have helped us out with our own Instagram photography journey —

Gridlines — This feature can assist you with photo composition and applying the previously mentioned ‘rule of thirds’.
HDR (High Dynamic Range) — This specific mode allows you to capture more details in both the shadows and highlights.
Portrait Mode — A favourite feature of ours that helps in creating a depth-of-field effect, which blurs the background and focuses on your subject.

Taking good Instagram photos doesn’t require expensive gear or complicated techniques, and with the right lighting, composition, and editing, it is actually quite simple to create an eye-catching image for your social marketing and audience engagement needs! 🙂

Have fun experimenting with different styles and picture angles, and most importantly, enjoy capturing moments that will resonate with both you and your audience!

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Our Top Eight Tips To Take Good Instagram Photos