Stepping up your Instagram game

A lot of people are still trying to figure out how to crack the photography code when it comes to Instagram. It’s a very interesting platform where all your photos are side by side, below and above each other. If you're someone that wants to get exposure through Instagram and not just taking Sunday afternoon shots with Nan, here are a few tips that I have learnt over the years.

credit: http://www.justlikesushi.com

Decide on your feed style and content

Before you post your first photo, you need to plan ahead and decide on the style that you want your feed to have. Whether it be black and white, over exposed, under exposed or flat lays, keeping your feed consistent throughout will be appreciated by your followers. Not only does the individual photos matter, but also how it looks side by side. Another thing you need to decide on before starting your Instagram game is the content. You might be into fashion and post photos of style and fashion of the day’s (OOTD) or you might be into culinary and take photos of food. Your followers will definitely appreciate this because users follow you because they like your content. If you’re posting all about food and one day you post something that’s irrelevant, they might question it or be put off by it.

Light is your friend

As a professional photographer, I know how important light is for a photograph. Lighting is key and arguably the most important aspect to a photograph. Without correct lighting, no matter how good the subject is, it will be very hard to achieve good quality images. So when there isn’t good light to light up the subject, walk around and find a spot that has good lighting before pressing the shutter!

Colours, shapes and lines

An image becomes engaging when it has strong colours, unique shapes or strong lines. Without one of the 3 in an image, it will look flat and become unappealing. So before opening your Instagram app on your phone, look around and try to find one of these elements to compliment your subject.

Likes or no likes?

This is possibly the most important thing when it comes to Instagram. Most of us get carried away with the amount of likes we get for an image. That shouldn't be the driving factor when you shoot photographs. You need to appreciate the fact that any type of art is subjective and no two people will be the same when asked whether they like it or not. Take photos not for the likes but because you love the images you produce. No matter how many people are following you, you know that those people appreciate your photographs.

Stanley Ritz Kurniawan

Current student in the Master of Marketing program at the University of Sydney Business School