Creating a feed that turns visitors into followers has to capture their attention and leave them wanting more. There’s only a few seconds that their finger will hover over that “follow” button and having a captivating brand aesthetic is one of the easiest ways to draw them in.
Below are five simple tips to help you take better photos for your feed.
Natural light is your BFF.
You’ll be hard pressed to hear a photographer talk about their best tips for better photos and not talk about lighting- it’s truly what makes or breaks your pics. Sure, you can add filters and presets, but you just can’t beat the real thing. I try to use natural light whenever possible and when I’m indoors I typically snap most pictures super close to windows so the natural light is pouring in.
ProTip: Not sure if the lighting is great? Turn your phone camera on front-facing and move around until you find the best lighting. Try it out by snapping a few to check the lighting at different angles and positions.
Invest in some photo tools.
A few simple and inexpensive tools can make a big difference in the ease and quality of your photos. I bought a ring light a couple years ago and I use it WAY more than I thought I would. I love THIS one from Amazon because it comes with the tripod, allows you to choose warm or cool lighting and has a dimmer option. I also recommend this little phone stand. It’s super portable, allows you to talk hands free and is less than $15.
Rule of Thirds:
This is one I try to keep in mind for all of my pic-taking and editing. It helps to make your photos more appealing and interesting all through this simple hack. You can turn the grid feature on in your photo settings, but then try to line up your main object on the third vertical line (instead of centered in your photo). I’m showing you an example below to show what I’m talking about.
Try it out because it’s one of those things that doesn’t seem to matter until you’re testing it for a while and eventually see how much better your photos and feed end up looking!
Focus in:
If you want clean, crisp images, get still and tap the screen to get it to focus. By holding your finger on the screen it should LOCK the focus and show “AE/AF LOCK”. You can still make small movements to your shot, and the frame will remain in focus.
There’s an app for that: And finally, use editing tools. Our phones come equipped with simple and free tools to adjust brightness, contrast and a few other things that can make a big difference. But there’s always apps to use as well. I like VSCO, A Color Story, and Facetune. If you have an editing app you love, drop it in the comments! I’d love to hear.
Happy picture-shooting!
RF