Inspiration

Hey all! I wanted to address a topic that’s been pressing heavily in the back of mind. Almost like a guilty presence haunting my daily interactions – I’m speaking of course of my lack-luster efforts reflected throughout my Instagram account! I know October is classically observed as an acceptable space for hauntings, but I am ready to put an end to my insta-nightmare.

Alright, enough of the theatrics. I wanted to share some tips I’ve recently learned on building up and expanding your Instagram empire.

1 Pick a Pattern:

By this, I mean consciously choosing a theme for your Instagram feed. This could involve a variety of things; dark and moody, texture, minimalism, architecture, color palettes. It’s up to you to decide which direction you want, but remember to stay consistent and view your feed as a bigger picture. Here are some enviable accounts who have owned their theme throughout!

Photo credits @andrewknapp

Photo credit @Kellywearstler

2 Lighting does Matter

Just because your using a phone, doesn’t mean that traditional photography rules need to fly out the window. For starters, begin taking photos during the “golden hour”, the time of day shortly before sunrise or sunset. Being conscious of good lighting will elevate your photography from meh to amazing.

Avoid using the actual Instagram application to take pictures; instead, shoot with your phone’s standard camera in landscape view. Since most phones have decent camera technology, the resolution and overall quality will be much higher than with the condensed processing of the app itself.

Photo credit @ravivora

Photo credit @brahmino

3 Better is Better

Long gone are the days of standard filter options; instead, download some decent editing software. Here are few apps that will make life much easier and prettier during editing.

VSCO Cam
This one is actually free (so no excuses).

Camera+
This is an OS exclusive but allows for a wide range of editing exposures, angles, not to mention a broad selection of filters.

Diptic
For 99 cents you and your cam can access new photography heights.

4 Shoot for the Square

This is exactly what it sounds like. Since Instagram is unique for its square formatting, it is important to plan your shoot instead of having to crop back an amazing rectangular shot. To rock a square, it helps to center or pick a focus point which fits clearly within the frame without any threat of cropping. Play with angles, backgrounds, color contrast to help move the eye to a focal point. Here are some more examples of unbelievable artists to drool over.

Photo credit @Kellywearstler

Photo credit @brahmino
I hope this was helpful and inspiring, and now I’m off to build my own insta-empire!

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