You’ve just purchased a new phone with a great camera. There’s just one problem: you’re not the greatest when it comes to taking pictures.
You follow a lot of people on Instagram, and they always seem to take the best pictures for their Instagram posts. The angles are good, the poses are good, and these pictures always seem so vivid and detailed. You wish you could take photos like that.
Luckily, you can! Phones already have powerful software packed into them, and with a few short tips, you’ll be taking photos that will be the envy of your followers.
In this guide, learn how to take good Instagram photos.
How to Take Good Instagram Photos: It’s All in the Lighting
Cameras take better pictures the more lighting there is, so look for a good lighting source. If you use flash, your photos will look cheap and amateur. Instead, take your pictures around bright natural–or electric–light sources.
Make sure this lighting isn’t shining straight into your camera lens. Get your subject in a place where the lighting captures them in as much detail as possible.
After taking your pictures, make sure they’re not over-exposed. Play with the settings to get different ambiance and hues with the tone of the lighting. Using the correct filters will create pictures that pop.
Apply Some Depth of Field
Depth of field is when the focus of your camera is on one spot, making the rest of the image blurry. If you learn how to use depth of field, it can create some interesting shots.
For example, if there’s a branch in front of a building, get the leaves in the shot. Tap your screen to focus in on the building, making the leaves blurry. This will create a fancy, professional feel to your photos.
But avoid getting blurry Instagram photos! If your subject is moving quickly, then use the action shots feature to capture them from second to second.
Arrange the Shot
There’s nothing wrong with doing some arranging of your photo’s subjects. If you’re taking a picture of your food, then make it look nice. Line up the fork and knife, straighten up the tablecloth and make sure the camera is focused dead-center on the food.
If you’re taking a picture of a car, then park the car diagonally with the wheels slightly turned towards the camera. Then get a close-up shot by the front bumper, so the vehicle looks like it rolled up to your lens.
If the background doesn’t look good, feel free to use a free online background remover to erase it. Then change it out with another background image you took elsewhere.
Time to Take Some Pics
Now that you know the basics of how to take good Instagram photos, it’s time to get out there! Find some decent natural lighting, use the depth of field to focus on one part of the photo, and arrange the shot, so it’s pleasing to the eye. Then show off these photos to your friends and share some of the Instagram photo tips that you’ve learned in the process.
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