Instagram has taken phone photography to another new level.I’m no expert but I have the fabulous Lilian guest posting on the topic today.Learn how you can style Instagram photos using these helpful tips.
I’ve always been a lover of photography. The thing is I’m not really good at it.I manage to take photos for my blog but styling them to perfection isn’t one of my strong points. And when it comes to Instagram, I have to think a million times over.Today,Lilian has some really helpful tips to share with you.Not only did I learn a lot from it, I’m sure you’re going to love it too.And now,I’m going to let Lilian take over.Enjoy!
Hello everyone! My name is Lilian, otherwise known as ling yeung b on social media! I describe myself as a full time dreamer, wannabe maker, and occasional blogger. I love all things photography, flowers, crafts, food and travel, and I am, of course, an Instagram addict!
Image credit: ARJ Photography
I’m super thrilled that the lovely Zakkiya has invited me to share my take on how to style Instagram photos with you today! I’m a bit of a purist when it comes to Instagram. You can now post portrait or landscape photos, but I prefer to, at least for now, stick with the good old square format, and 99% of my photos are taken on my iPhone 5S (can’t wait to upgrade!). That said, the tips I’m sharing with you today apply to rectangular formats and SLRs too!
Right! Let’s get started, shall we?
Five tips on how to style Instagram photos:-
**Natural light**
This isn’t strictly a styling tip – more of a photography one – but having a good, natural light source will get you half way to a good photo!Plus it’s free. What can be better than that?
**Visual story**
Sometimes it’s tempting to just throw a bunch of pretty props together – I’m certainly guilty of the crime (!) – but think of styling as telling a coherent visual story. Think about the story you’re trying to tell, and select props that are of the right theme or color palette, whether you’re showcasing these dreamy, luxurious artisan soaps…
or inviting your IG friends to join in on your vintage mad hatters tea party…
or sharing the latest watercolour painting you’ve done using one of Zakkiya’s awesome tutorials 😉
**Composition**
Now that you’ve gathered your props, let’s talk about how you’re going to style them! When it comes to composition, there are some very helpful rules, although really I like to think of them more as guidelines rather than strict rules.
The first one is the **rule of thirds**.
Imagine if you divide your photo into nine equal parts, you’ll get two vertical lines, two horizontal lines, and four intersections. Rule of thirds says that you should place the elements that you want to draw focus to along these lines or intersections. Doing so adds more interest and balance to a photo! And if you’re struggling with imagining the lines, you can switch on the handy grid function under your iPhone camera settings!
The second tip to style instagram photos (or any photo) is the **rule of odds**.
The theory is that if you have a group of objects in odd numbers, your eyes and brain can’t automatically pair them up. It basically forces your brain to keep moving through the composition, making the photo more dynamic, interesting, and pleasing to the eye! The only exception to this rule is two – there is something magical about a pair, especially if it’s symmetrical.
The third one is the **rule of space**.
Don’t be afraid to use negative space, i.e. creating empty space around your subject. Depending on the story you’re trying to tell, negative space can help convey a mood or perspective. Both of the photos below follow the rule of thirds, but the one of the left almost feels claustrophobic, whereas the one on the right feels much more airy and calm.
**Framing**
Have you ever styled up something pretty, taken a photo and thought “this looks much prettier in my head”? Unfortunately, the human eye perceives and captures an image very differently from a camera. One trick I’ve learnt is to frame your shot by looking through the screen as it shows you exactly what the final image will look like! Hover your phone in front of your styled set (or over, if you’re doing a flat lay) and adjust your props until you’re happy with the layout. If you’re taking square shots, I find it super useful to use my iPhone’s square camera mode!
**Play around and have fun!**
My final, and perhaps the most important, tip is to just play around and have fun!
Play around with different perspectives…
zoom in and out…
explore different angles…
build up the number of elements…
and just keep practicing! =)
Thanks for reading, and thank you Zakkiya for having me! I hope I was able to provide some useful tips on how you can style Instagram photos.
If you would like to follow my little creative journey, share your styled shots with me or if you have any questions, you can find me on
Blog: http://www.lingyeungb.com
Instagram: @lingyeungb
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lingyeungb
Twitter: @lingyeungb
Happy styling!
Lil x
This is such great Instagram advice!! Having great photos makes all the difference!
Thank you Sabrina.I love how Lilian has taken time to explain the tips in such a simple manner.And of course, people get attracted to your feed when you have beautiful,consistent photos.I hope these tips come in good use to you 🙂 Have a lovely day!x
Thanks for your kind words, Sabrina! Glad you find the tips useful! x
Beautiful photos and love the tips! I think the thing I struggle with the most is finding those interesting objects to photograph. I dont have a house full of cute color matched things and I’m not sure if it’s worth it to invest in them. Maybe I need to look at my stuff w a new eye!
All thanks to Lilian!I know that in addition to running a blog(which is not cheap),investing in things just for photographs is not highly feasible.But there are certain things that can help.For example, it’s fall where you stay isn’t it? Won’t those lovely colorful leaves make a great prop? And they are free of cost too.And investing in a single can of gold spray can transform anything into something classy.Also I’ve found that while investing in stationary, I choose things that look feminine and pretty.They look pretty but do the purpose they were bought for.I hope that helps and hope these tips come in handy.
Thanks Zakkiya (and Lilian)! That helps and you’re right. I just need to look at things differently and I like the idea of the leaves and gold spray, that’s a great idea!
Awesome ! Happy clicking and may your Instagram feed shine 😀
Thanks so much Marianne! Zakkiya’s tips are so on point! I always look to nature for props and inspiration, and I’ve been known to be gold-spray-trigger-happy… 😉 Car boot sales, flea markets and charity shops are also great for props! Happy styling! x
I’m always struggling as a photographer with how to make my Instagram pictures look as snazzy as the ones in my portfolio. This article makes it look all awesome! I agree with Marianne when I say maybe I need to start making my house match so my IG feed can be amazing! Thanks for sharing this!
Hi Jasmine. If you look into my reply to Marianne’s comment,you’ll see that I’ve suggested a few things that may come in use to you.I had a quick look at your portfolio and they’re amazing. I think sharing behind the scenes photos are a great way to connect with your audience.I hope the tips Lilian has shared here comes in good use to you.Happy clicking! x
Thanks for your lovely comment, Jasemine! One trick (or cheat!) that might help is to have pieces of fabric and large wallpaper samples to use as backdrops. They can instantly transform the mood of a picture! Happy styling! x
These are really helpful tips. In spite of sticking my props in front of the window, I never seem to get enough natural light. I forgot the other rules of photography so I appreciate this recap.
The colder seasons generally tend to cast a grey/blue tint to photographs.Maybe going outside would benefit.I sometimes use my balcony(apartment tenant here) for taking photos in the colder seasons.There are couple of apps called “PicTapgo” , “VSCOcam” and even Instagram’s very own editing options that will help you enhance the brightness, increase saturation etc.Happy Instagramming! x
Thanks Tanya! Glad you find the tips useful! I’m really struggling with getting natural light at the moment too… Have you tried observing the spot throughout the day to see when it gets the most light? My living room gets the morning sun and the kitchen is brighter in the afternoon so I shoot accordingly where possible. Failing that, maybe using a daylight bulb could be an option? I personally haven’t tried it though… Otherwise, apps to the rescue like Zakkiya suggested! Hope you find a good solution soon! x
Excellent tips!!! Photos that are carefully styled usually get a lot more engagement!
Very true Shantel ! I would definitely double tap the image that looks visually more appealing.The effort does show and although it is time consuming it does reap rewards. Thanks for stopping by! x
Thanks for your kind words, Shantel! What you said is so true, especially nowadays when people are scrolling through hundreds of photos in their feed everyday! x
Omg I really needed this! I love these tips and I’m definitely going to start using them in my photography. Although, in the rule of odds, maybe a pair is an exception because two is not an odd? 😉
I think what Lilian meant was that although odd number of props look good,a pair or two props work wonderfully together even though two is an even number.I hope these tips help you in styling instagram photos.Thanks so much for stopping by! Happy clicking . x
Thanks so much, Kelly! Hehe, yes, a pair is definitely an exception, but a magical one! =) x
The hardest part about styling is the light! I’ll try to take a picture outside and everything is so washed out; go inside and the shadow of my phone is in the picture. I’d love to figure out how people use the plain white backgrounds and have no shadows or and no excessive light!
I think there is a sweet spot when it comes to light. There are certain times of the day that work well with taking perfect photos. I would suggest using a foam board to reflect the light coming in from your source(window/balcony etc).
Such useful points noted… I liked the idea of using grid function of the phone and pick the focal point via intersection. Thank you so much Zakkiya and Lilian. Loved both of your Instagram a/c. 😀
*I landed on this post via Lindsey Bugbee’s blog-post. (thepostman’sknock)*
Oh thank you so much for stopping by Tara. Lilian has been amazing with her tips in this post. I absolutely love and use them all when posting on IG. Lindsey was one of the first bloggers I befriended when I started blogging. She’s been such an inspiration with her fabulous work!