Instagram Tips

INSTAGRAM LIKE A PRO

Instagram is a wonderful social media platform on many different levels. It’s a community that connects the visually creative by levels. It’s a community that connects the visually creative by sharing beautiful pictures and fi nding new connections through hashtags. The features that Instagram has can make anyone look like a professional photographer! What makes Instagram one of the most popular social media platforms is that it’s very easy to use, and you can share your Instagram photos on other social media accounts as soon as your picture is posted. There have been many business owners who have found success and now have built their businesses around Instagram. Here’s how you can get started and Instagram like a pro. Find a unique perspective. Use your eyes before you use your phone or camera to envision a frame around your subject and visualize what angle would work best. Then take your phone out and start capturing. Use the rule of thirds. Just like in all the other aspects of photography, the rule of thirds still applies here. This will help you create a point of interest in your photos. If you have an iPhone, go to Settings, select Photos & Camera, and slide the Grid feature on. Be consistent in what and how you’re posting. Find three or four of your favorite fi lters and stick to them for consistency in your profi le. When people fi nd you, they like to quickly gauge whether or not they want to follow you. Keeping things consistent will help them decide if they have an interest in the photos you like to post.

If you are photographing food, take a few photos from many

different angles and don’t forget the rule of thirds. Photographing food from above is always a favorite. Adjust the lighting before adding a fi lter. Use natural lighting whenever possible. There are many great apps that you can use to adjust lighting. My favorites are Snapseed and Aviary; these apps will save your edited photos to your phone’s library and then you can open them in your Instagram app.

Add a lens to your phone. For less than $100, you can get two different lenses that attach to your phone for professional-looking photographs. My favorite is the Ollo Clip 4-in-1 lens from Amazon.

Have a theme for your account. Maybe you only want to feature pictures of neat architecture you fi nd, or only feature pictures of your dog.

If you have a logo, use an app such as iwatermark to add your

logo to your ph otos. This makes your brand more recognizable and always in front of your followers.

Get close. Being close to your subject can create intimacy and emotion in your pictures.

Think quality over quantity. Exceptional pictures will prompt your followers to engage. This creates community and, in the end, creates more followers. Remember, practice makes perfect.

Sharing beautiful photos and glimpses into your world is what Instagram is all about. Share the beauty in your life and appreciate the same beauty in others.

Alicia Schmitt is a freelance writer and photographer from north central Iowa. Her creativity is driven by her love for her farm and all things pork. The things that keep her going include her threenager, coffee, Iowa sunsets and bacon. You can fi nd her at www.alicia-schmitt.com.

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