Instagram is the second largest social media platform on the net and is one of the very best in terms of engagement. Instagram has an ability to inspire like almost no other platform thanks to its highly visual nature and the ethos of aestheticism that it promotes. Using Instagram, you can make your products and services look more glamorous and more exciting and sell a dream to your audience.
But in order to do all that, you’re going to need to learn how to take great photos. In this post, you’ll discover just how to do that…
Take Time and Consider the Details
One important tip is that you always need to spend time constructing your shot and thinking about the details.
In other words, it is not enough to simply point and shoot – you need to think about things like the angle of the lighting and the backdrop. All it takes is to notice the angle of the sun and to move around your subject to create a much more professional looking shot that will be more visually interesting.
As a general rule, it is usually advisable to try and create ‘Rembrandt lighting’. This means that the light will be shining on your subject from a right angle, thereby lighting one side and leaving the other side in relative shade. Use a window, or better yet: create lighting using a soft box or another accessory.
Likewise, you need to think about your backdrop. Make sure that the background is visually interesting without distracting from the subject.
Composition
When choosing an angle and setting up your shot, you should think about the foreground, middle ground and background. This will great more depth and give your shots a feeling of being three dimensional. Ideally, there should be something of interest at every level, as well as elements that will lead the eye from the foreground and into the background (such as a path leading into the background or a river).
You can also consider scale: ask yourself how you can portray the relative sizes and speeds of different objects. If you want to show how big something is, make sure it is surrounded by smaller items for scale and it will have much more impact!
Drama and Telling a Story
Finally, try to avoid photos that simply show an object. Instead, think about the emotional impact of your images and how they can tell a story. For instance, you can tell a story by using ‘clues’ in your photos to suggest something that has previously happened or that is yet to happen. Footprints in the sand can show that you have been jogging and are a little more interesting than a simple photo of someone running!
Likewise, you can create more drama or interest by choosing interesting ,contrasting items that wouldn’t normally be in photos together. Another tip is to change the angle of your photos, which can help you to present more dynamic and dramatic imagery. Having a photo taking from a lower angle for instance can make any subject appear larger and more imposing!