Modern social networks are powerful platforms for self-presentation, education, business, and communication with a wide audience. The visual component remains the only way to instantly attract the attention of users, even if it is not about Instagram. Therefore, the ability to make spectacular photos is a must-have skill for those who are interested in a large number of subscribers.
Luckily, learning how to do this is easier than it seems! In addition, photo editors, such as body editor online, allow you to correct small imperfections in the photo and make it truly perfect. You don’t even need to learn retouching to transform your shot – the app will help you apply filters, and adjust the silhouette and hairstyle in a few clicks.
Table of Contents
Find Your Style
Define your personal aesthetic, blog, or brand concept (depending on the purpose of your account). Where do you draw inspiration and pleasant emotions from? What feels beautiful? A certain style will not make the photos monotonous but will give visual integrity to the page. Many subscribers will stay with you precisely because of the overall aesthetics of your visual content, even if some individual photos don’t resonate with them.
If you don’t immediately find a personal style, that’s okay. Pay attention to which subjects you take more photos with and why. This approach will get you on the right “road” pretty quickly.
Use a Good Camera
Modern social networks and their users are demanding in terms of image quality. Detail, sharpness, color reproduction – all this affects the overall impression of the viewer. Therefore, critically evaluate the characteristics of your camera and compare photos with the content of popular profiles. If the quality of the pictures does not reach, take care of more professional equipment. Regardless of what camera you use, make sure your optics are clean, and wipe them before the photo shoot.
Be Mindful of Color
Most bloggers, brands, and ordinary users publish exactly color, not black and white photos. That’s why it’s so important to respect the harmony of the palette of the environment and the main image in the frame (outfit on the model, product, still life, etc.). These can be complementary shades or contrasting combinations. In this case, the frame will look harmonious and pleasing to the eye.
Use the Background
The beauty of the central image can be emphasized with a background that corresponds to the general mood of the photo. Careless or too motley surroundings can spoil the frame. For example, if you are shooting a beautifully served burger, random things, crumpled napkins, and crumbs nearby will not make the photo better. A portrait can be ruined by a pole sticking “out of your head”, a dog raising its paw near a bench, etc. Take care that the background is tidy, and if necessary, remove unnecessary objects in the photo editor.
Keep an Eye on the Composition
To create spectacular photos that attract the viewer on an unconscious level, use classic compositional solutions. The simplest of these are the rule of thirds and the golden ratio. You can enable these schemes on most modern cameras.
If you don’t have this option, it’s easy to apply the rules mentally. Divide the frame into three equal parts vertically and horizontally to get nine identical squares. Position the most important parts of the image at the intersection of the imaginary lines or along one of them. This is the rule of thirds.
A simple version of the “golden ratio” requires you to mentally divide the image into nine parts as well, but the middle elements should be twice as large as those on the edges. Objects located at the intersections or in the area of larger parts will attract the viewer’s attention, regardless of the size and format of the image. In addition, built-in grid options will keep you from bogging down the horizon.
Look for the Angle
It’s not always possible to take a successful photo “head-on”. To emphasize the atmosphere of the moment, to give the photo a certain mood, and to extract additional meanings from the images is worth playing with the angle. Move with the camera to catch the most successful shots!
These are the basic rules that will help you take the first step towards beautiful and eye-catching photos for social media. As you improve your skills, you will discover many new techniques!
