How to Take Better Instagram Photos That Make You Stand Out

So, you’re looking at getting some new content for your socials and you want to make sure they stand out. Instagram is full of new photos and videos, so you need to make sure that your images are super high-quality and stand out from the crowd. As someone who knows a thing or two about building an Instagram following, here’s my guide for how to take better Instagram photos that make you stand out.

Let’s dive in and learn more.

Before the Shoot

Okay, before you even touch your camera, there is a list of things you need to consider. If you’re hiring photographers or a space, you want to make the most of your time so you get value for money. If you’re setting up everything yourself, you want to make sure everything is ready, so you can just focus on the shot.

If you’re thinking about shots you might want to take on a trip or out on location, this list still applies, because you’re going to have limited time at the destination, there may be crowds, and the light might be working against you.

Make a Plan

I cannot stress how important it is to make a plan before you start shooting content. Think about how you want the shot to look, do some research into similar shots, and think about what you want your followers to get out of this set of images.

The purpose behind the shoot is huge. Is it going to be something fun and quirky that shows off your personality? Is it a professional-style shoot to get more sponsorships and partnerships? Perhaps it’s a holiday snap to link to other content like videos, blogs, or a storefront elsewhere. Start with the purpose and work backward. 

Your plan can be as detailed as you want. If you’re working with hired spaces, professional photographers, and a glam squad, you’ll need to send call times for each so the time isn’t wasted. Even though your photographer will have to set up the space, this might not take as long as hair and makeup and you don’t want them sitting around, wasting money. 

You should also have a call or meeting with the photographer ahead of time where you can suggest inspiration, share reference photos that you want to emulate or discuss what can be done with the space.

If you’re doing everything yourself, I’d recommend making a mood board or a Pinterest reference board of stuff you like, from end shots to set-dressing to editing angles. 

Be Authentic

The word “authenticity” gets thrown around a lot on social media, and it’s normally used incorrectly. When you’re getting your shots, you want to be as authentic as possible. If you love fantasy, let that show. If you want to show your business side, then do it. Want to show yourself inhaling a bowl of pasta in Italy? Do it. Authentic and interesting content works on Instagram and helps you cut through the noise. 

Have an idea of which side of yourself you want to show online before you start shooting. We all have a whole range of sides and facets inside us so be selective and focus on one key angle.  

Be Ready For Anything

When it comes to creative content, you have to be ready for anything. If you’re shooting outside, be ready for crowds, weather changes, and more. For example, if you want a quiet shot at the Trevi Fountain in Rome, you need to be there at like 5am. 

Also, you need to be open to the possibility that a better vision or shot might reveal itself on the day. Sometimes the light hits just right and you find yourself throwing your creative references out the window for what’s sitting right in front of you.

Have a Creative Vision

As well as being practical it’s best to have a creative, over-arching vision in mind. Remember, that your Instagram is set out in a grid format – you want your shots to align with your existing content and style, as that’s what your followers are following you for.

Even if you’re shots are completely different from usual – say a fantasy-inspired shoot – make sure there are hints of who you are in there. If your photos usually show you in control and in boss mode, you can have the same aura and vibe, while still sharing your interest in the fantasy realm. 

Organize Any Glam or Lighting You May Need

Of course, if you are going professional with your shoot, make sure you book any glam or additional lighting you might need way in advance. People get booked up and so does gear hire. Make sure you have everything scheduled for when you need it and send reminders and location updates closer to the time. 

Also, you should factor in contingency time into any shoot for unexpected delays or adverse weather conditions. We all want value for money, but packing your schedule too tight could be a recipe for disaster.

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During the Shoot

Once you have a plan in place and a clear creative vision, it’s time to start shooting. Whether you’re self-shooting or having a professional on hand, here of some of my favorite tips for taking better Instagram photos, and ensuring that you have a successful shoot. 

Consider the Shot

This might sound basic, but even if you have a shot lined up exactly, take a second to look at the set-up away from the camera. While we’re not burning through film like we used to back in the day, You also don’t want to get trigger-happy and have to go through thousands of images. 

Is there anything you want to add or take away from the shot? Do you want to nudge the subject a little further one way or another? Is the light hitting as you’d imagined? The planned shot is a great jumping-off point but until you’re actively shooting, you won’t know if you need to tweak it slightly to make it work. 

Use the Background to Your Advantage

Don’t have your background as an afterthought. If you’re on location, use the texture of railings or the colorful tiles around you as a statement to build off. Of course, if it’s a travel shot, make sure you’re getting as much of the attraction in the image as possible, but make sure you get enough background to focus the shot.

However, if the background is a busy pattern, make sure that whatever is in the foreground is relatively plain and solid in color. This stops the image from looking muddled and gives you a more composed and considered shot.

Even if you’re in a studio with a sheet backdrop, make sure you opt for a solid color that makes your focus point stand out. Plain white sheets as a backdrop can look clinical, so go for something warmer or bolder to grab your followers’ attention.  

Use Natural Light

Any photographer’s best friend is natural light. Of course, we don’t want to be taking a photo in the peak of the day when everything is super bright, but the majority of the time, natural light is going to give a warmer, multi-dimensional look to your Instagram photos.

If you can avoid it, don’t use your flash. This makes your photos either look blown out or super flat. You’re better off working with the lights you have and then fixing them during the editing process. For this reason, mid-morning and late afternoon are often great times to take photos using natural light. 

If you’re in a studio or you’re indoors, set up lighting around the shot that emulates natural light. Use warmer filters over the lights to give a cozier vibe or blue-green tones to cool down the shot. It goes without saying, that fluorescent lighting is the enemy here. Anyone who’s tried to take a photo in an office or store changing room will know that!

Under Expose Your Shots

Something that not a lot of people know is that if you’re editing your images later, you might want to actively under-expose your shots. This is because of the natural light issue. If it’s too bright, it’ll look grainy, and darkening it in the editing process can make it look blurry and messy. 

However, if you go the other way and shoot your images slightly darker than you want, when you edit the images later, you can lighten them without having them look too bright or grainy. 

This also works really well if you have a short window to get your shots outdoors. Whether this is at an event or you’re in a busy location with limited time, you can’t wait around for the sun to shine exactly when you need it. Underexposure helps here and you can find settings to help you on your smartphone and on your camera.

Camera Features for Exposure

In order to do this, you should know three key photo terms:

• Shutter Speed adjusts the time that the image is exposed to light. This affects speed blur and action shots. 
• ISO Speed affects the sensitivity of a camera’s sensors to light. The higher the ISO speed, the less grainy the shot.
• The aperture affects where the camera receives light from. If you’re doing close-ups, use a wide aperture to keep the focus on the foreground.

Most auto features on cameras will produce Instagram-worthy shots while controlling these three settings for you. The exception is for action shots or taking photos of things that are far away. Different camera settings will allow you to manually control the settings above but you should have a play around with these different features before you get to your shooting location.

Zoom Out

When you’re taking a lot of photos in one go on a shoot, you want to give yourself breathing room to edit. The easiest way to do this is to zoom out slightly on your shots. The more space you have around the edge of your shot, the more you can manipulate it later. You might want to crop it centrally or adjust the angle slightly with the focal point sitting off to the right or left-hand side instead. If you’re shooting too tight on the focal point, you lose this flexibility.

Now, I’m not saying use a huge telephoto lens and stand miles away but give yourself a little bit more of an edge around your images so that you have the option of editing later down the line. 

Use Your Grid Feature

The grid feature on your phone or camera is one of the best things you can use to get better Instagram photos. Use the rule of thirds to split the frame up and settle the focal points along one of the third lines rather than on a random table in the middle of the shot. 

This helps to create a much more balanced shot that looks professional and interesting. The grid can also help with symmetry and perspective if you’re trying to use the scale to show the size of a building or picture yourself in a beautiful landscape.

Pick a Point of Interest

This might sound basic, but you’d be amazed at how many people don’t pick one main point of interest. For example, if you’re taking a headshot or selfie, the point of interest is pretty straightforward. However, if you’re taking a photo of yourself in front of the Pyramids of Giza, you need to decide if you’re the point of interest or if the pyramids are instead. 

In this situation, I’d take two shots that switch the point of interest to see which is the more interesting photo. Having two focal points doesn’t work in most photos, it confuses where the eye should look first and can look muddled. Instead, pick one point of interest and one secondary, or background aspect, to switch between.

Use Movement

If you want to give a sense of fun or vitality to your images, make use of movement in your shot. Whether that’s a background blur to make it look like the traffic is moving or a floating scarf or skirt to give the impression that you’re twirling, movement can stop your shots from looking super staged. 

To get movement without blurring use a fast shutter speed or a burst shot style to get multiple frames in a short period of time. This is also great if you’re moving your hair around in a selfie or if you want more spontaneous-looking images where you’re smiling at an event.

Opt for Strong Contrasts

Color and contrast are some of the best ways to stand out on an Instagram feed. Whether you use color blocking between your background and foreground to show points of difference or use a balance between soft and sharp features, like clouds and architectural building lines, this contrast has a big impact.

For example, if you have a stormy sky and a stark white building in the foreground, this is going to stand out. If you have a light and bright outfit on and you’re standing in front of a darker backdrop, there’s going to be a strong contrast there. 

Try Multiple Angles

What’s the point of having a photo shoot if you’re just going to take the same angle on a tripod over and over again? Experiment with different angles to see what works best for your scenario. Sometimes a low-angle shot with a wide lens can be so much better than a straight-on shot.

Light plays a huge impact here as different angles will show the light bouncing off your focal point in different ways. This can completely transform the vibe of the photo and bring something special that you didn’t anticipate. 

Look for the Empty Space

Cluttered photos are awful. Your eye doesn’t know where to focus and it looks messy. When you set up a shot, especially on an organized shoot, look for the empty space where your eyes get a break. 

Consider things you could remove from the shot to balance the composition. The more things in the shot, the less likely people will be able to focus on your main point of interest. White space is a powerful tool that should be used in every shot! This also becomes a lot easier when you zoom out slightly, giving your shot more room to breathe.

Use Scale

Logically, we know that the Taj Mahal is big or that Big Ben is super tall. However, when we’re taking a photo, it’s important to show scale. Whether that’s having a person in the photo for scale or a car going past, this can make your photo have a better impact.

In selfies or portrait shoots, there are normally things around the person in the shot. In film, this is called mise-en-scene, and it usually tells us something about the character or scene. If it’s a casual photo, there might be a coffee mug or phone in the photo that creates a scene but also shows scale.

When you’re taking photos with giant attractions like the Eiffel Tower or the Treasury in Petra, selfies are not the way to go. This means that your head eats up half of the shot and looks the same size as the building or structure. Get a friend or tripod and timer and settle yourself further away from the camera to create a better sense of scale. Go for a low angle with a wide lens to get everything in and maintain scale.

After the Shoot

Once the shoot is over the hard work begins! It’s time to go through your photos and start the editing process. Even though everyone claims to be “no-filter” queens on Instagram, to get that high-quality look and finish, most creators use Lightroom or similar programs to enhance their photos and make them look more professional.

Take Your Time Going Through Your Images

When you finish your shoot or trip, you’ll likely have hundreds of photos to go through. Take your time doing this and don’t rush to get rid of shots. Remember, even if you don’t like them right now, with a little editing magic, they might be the best of the bunch!

Carefully consider the shot and what the composition says about you to your followers. Put similar shots side-by-side to see which ones you prefer – you don’t need to edit 20 photos that essentially look the same. Get a mix of angles, positions, and settings for variety, and back up the rest somewhere safe in case you need to go back for the raw files.

Be Careful With The Edit

It’s really easy to overedit your photos. You add a bit of light here, bring up the shadows over there, fix your complexion, and remove a few extraneous items, and suddenly the photo looks super fake and overdone.

When it comes to editing, less is more. Contrast and lighting tend to be the biggest areas to assess, and this solves a lot of issues. After each section, go away for a cup of coffee or to stretch your body out and try to return with fresh eyes before you go any deeper on the edit.

Remember, Instagram likes it when creators are authentic. Transforming your face entirely and getting rid of dozens of stray hairs manually doesn’t really help with appearing authentic. And of course, it should go without saying, stay away from body manipulation – it’s so easy to get wrong and the internet will call you out for it. 

Exposure and Light Editing

I’ve mentioned exposure a bit in the shooting phase of this guide, but when you get to the editing phase, you’re likely going to be messing with the exposure. Especially, if you took under-exposed shots, a lot of your editing process is going to be slowly bringing the light back into the shot in the right places.

Again, you don’t want to make your shots super bright as they might look bleached and lack contrast, but by adjusting your light settings for under-exposed images, you can increase the depth of your images and bring the setting to life. 

Try Different Color Grading

Color grading is a pretty advanced editing technique, but it’s also a great one to master if you’re looking to give your Instagram grid a cohesive color palette and feel. So, color grading doesn’t change the colors in your photos completely, but it overlays a sort of hued filter over the top to make a photo feel warmer or cooler. For example, photos and movies use a blue filter to make a shot seem melancholy, cold, or crisp – the first Twilight film is a good example of this.

Shots with warm color grading, like Breaking Bad’s desert scenes, When Harry Met Sally’s autumnal, cozy vibes, or colorful Wes Anderson films, pop off the screen and look vibrant compared to the original shot. Depending on your profile’s vibe, you might want to consider color-grading your shots to give your grid consistency and bring a specific feeling to your content.

Give Yourself Multiple Options

Take the same photo and edit it in multiple ways, or save a version at different stages throughout the edit. Then, when you’ve finished the editing process, you can compare the different options and see which is best. You might find that you’ve overedited or don’t like a certain light decision, so giving yourself options prevents you from having to start from scratch.

Depending on how you edit your images, you’re going to present a completely different vibe to your audience. It’s best to have a few different options depending on what you want to link to and what you want to say. As with most things, it’s better to have too much choice than not enough!

Get Feedback From Friends

Before you click upload on Instagram, get your friends or social team to give you feedback on shots. Maybe you have a new headshot and don’t know what backdrop color to go for, or maybe you’re not sure which desert shot is going to have the best impact. 

Having someone else look at the edited shots and give an opinion can be really helpful. After all, you’ve spent hours looking at this shot, so a fresh pair of eyes is always a good idea. Also, ask them what they’d think if they saw this photo pop up online – it’s useful to see how your images are going to be perceived before you let them loose on the world!

Download them in an Insta-Friendly Format

When you upload photos to Instagram, they’re going to be compressed so a lot of the details are going to be lost from the original file. If you want sharp images, you can upload them to Instagram and use the in-app editor to increase your sharpness level again.

Size-wise, this will vary depending on which type of upload you’re doing.

• For feed posts, Instagram can go as wide as 16:9 for landscapes (1080x566px) or up to 4:5 for portraits (1080x1350px).
• For Stories and Reels, use a 9:16 aspect ratio (1080x1920px).
• For square posts use a 1:1 ratio that comes in at 1080x1080px.

In terms of file types, you can use JPG, JPEG, PNG, and BMP, however, JPG is the preferred option. Most editing suites will download in this format as standard. 

Final Notes on Taking Better Photos For Instagram

Okay, let’s round this up with some final notes on taking better photos for Instagram.

• Experiment with your camera. Take it out on walks, shoot around the house, and get to grips with the different features in your downtime.
• Watch tutorials on the best ways to use Lightroom. Many creators sell Lightroom presets, so if you find a style that you like, this will help you get the color grading and light consistency that you want.
• Be true to yourself. This sounds cheesy, but when you’re thinking of ideas for your socials, get your interests and personality in there. It’s what is going to set you apart from the crowd. 
• Get a decent tripod. If you’re anything like me, you’re traveling solo a lot, so setting up shots can be tricky. A reliable tripod is one of the best tools you can get. You can see all my favorite camera gear in my camera-specific Amazon Storefront.
• You don’t need a flashy camera. If you’re not sure if photography is your thing yet, don’t invest in an expensive camera. Many smartphones have all the ISO, aperture, and shutter speed settings I’ve spoken about as great lens options. Try out different styles on your phone before diving in and buying a full camera.

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