Now, let me preface this by saying I'm not tooting my own horn here or implying that my feed is perfect because it definitely isn't, but I take such joy in photographing, editing and Instagramming that I just love to talk about the topic! Sad? Maybe. Do I love it? Oh yes!
I get asked a lot about what kind of filters I use, how I edit my photos, how I put my feed together, etc, so I wanted to share some of my top tips with you. Hope this post is helpful and that I've answered your questions!
Strip it back
Filters are amazing and can truly elevate your photos, but there is such a thing as overdoing it. I hate seeing a gorgeous and beautifully styled photo ruined by overexposure, over editing and being overly thought out – sometimes, you can't even see the subject you're photographing or it turns to a whole different colour because of the use of too many filters (I used to be guilty of that). Keep it simple would be my top tip!
Shake it up
I'm VERY partial to a good flatlay, but I also feel like my feed can become very dull and one dimensional if I post flatlay after flatlay with little changes to them. Some accounts have photos which look the exact same just with different products, which is totally fine if that's their style. Personally, I like to shake things up and have some diversity in my grid. I'm guilty of overusing the same background and angles, so I've been trying to choose other backgrounds like bedside tables, counter tops, clothes and even flowers as backgrounds, as opposed to a basic white table. Another way to 'break up' your feed is to post either selfies or outdoor shots in between your flatlays or product shots, which is something I'm definitely going to do a lot during Summer – consider yourself warned!
Stick to a theme... but not too much
I feel like 'theme' has become such a dirty word when it comes to blogging and Instagram lately and I do sort of agree with that. I don't like an overly planned and 'samey' grid, but I do like it when there's cohesion and when photos flow together beautifully. A perfect example of a cohesive but not 'forced' feed is Gemma's IG – she has the perfect mix of beauty flatlays and lifestyle photos, which seem to come together perfectly.
The million dollar question: filters!
This is probably my #1 most asked question on Instagram and my answer couldn't be more boring: I barely edit my photos! I used to go all out with filters (especially VSCO ones – I shudder when I look at my old photos), but now I just rely on adding a lot of warmth, highlights and a pretty tint to my photos. But I do have a handful of filters I swear by, even though I just add a tiny bit.
In VSCO, I adore the C3, A6 and E5 filters. The ColorStory app, though, has become a firm favourite of mine! I love the Weekend and Flashes of Delight pack, both of which embody my minimalist editing to a tee. Definitely worth the investment!
Choose photos you like rather than photos that get more likes
I'm gonna sound corny as hell, but here goes: just be yourself. I know my flatlays and (beauty) product shots are the kind of photos that give me hundreds of likes, but I realised that there are other kinds of photos that I really like to shoot and share. Will they get as many likes, engagement and new followers? Probably not. Do I care? Not anymore. I love my feed and photos now way more than I did when I was getting about 50-100 new followers a day, so that is totally fine by me. Sometimes you have to choose between pleasing others and pleasing yourself, and I've started to choose the latter.
And that's it from me! Hope this post was a little bit helpful to all you fellow IG addicts, please leave your accounts down below as I'd love to have a nosy!
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