HOW TO MAXIMIZE YOUR SUMMER INSTAGRAM PHOTOSHOOTS: TIPS FROM A PHOTOGRAPHER
STORY AND PHOTOS BY HADLEY FAIN
Summer is a great time to go out with your friends and take photos for Instagram; it’s warm, sunny, and there is time to kill. Plus, digital and point-and-shoot cameras are back in style. With increased accessibility to these cameras, as well as improvement to phone cameras, getting high-quality photos for social media is easy! Here are some tips and tricks for maximizing your pictures this summer:
Location and outfit combination is key; though, it doesn’t have to be extravagant.
Choosing a location for your photos can be difficult, but it’s important to remember that sometimes less can be more. If you live in an area with a lot of overgrown fields, lakes, or ponds, these can be great spots for photos during “golden hour” or “blue hour,” right after the sun sets. In natural settings, it’s best to wear more neutral colors that create flowing silhouettes to match the scenery.
For urban photoshoots, try photos in parking garages, rooftops, alleyways, or overgrown or abandoned locations. Bold colors, straight lines that allow for structured clothing, and casual or streetwear styles are optimal for these settings.
Remember, ALWAYS obtain permission before taking photos on private property.
2. Shooting with a digital camera? Flash can be your friend or foe.
It’s natural to want to use the flash because it is available, but it’s not always necessary. If it’s bright out, using flash can flatten out your images. Instead, take advantage of available light for more flattering pictures. Indoors, at night, or during “blue hour” are great times to use the flash.
TIP: If your camera allows, change your shutter speed to ⅛ of a second or slower and move after the flash goes off to create a cool shutter drag effect with other lights in the background.
3. Shooting on your phone? Avoid this mistake.
Everyone carries a camera in their pocket these days, but it takes some practice to learn how to use it to its fullest potential. If you’re using an iPhone, don’t use portrait mode. The fake blur created to mimic other camera lenses is not the greatest technology available. Instead, use the regular photo setting and rely on location, angles, poses, and editing to make your photos stand out.
4. Shooting with a DSLR camera? Your settings are everything.
If you or your friend owns a DSLR camera and is planning to use it to take photos this summer, learn about the different settings your camera offers for the highest quality photos. For example, the Canon Rebel series has modes like manual, automatic, aperture priority, shutter speed priority, and more. The best photos come from the full control of manual mode, but the other modes can be fantastic for beginners.
If you’re going for the “professional” look, here’s what to do. First, set your aperture, or “f-stop,” as low as it will go. Second, don’t put your shutter speed slower than 1/60 of a second. Third, opt for the lowest ISO possible. High ISO is what creates low-quality photos on DSLR cameras.
TIP: It can be helpful to be in automatic mode at first to see what your camera says is the correct exposure, then move to manual mode and let that guide your settings.
5. Don’t be embarrassed to be taking photos.
The most valuable thing I have learned from doing hundreds of photoshoots is that people will look at you all the time, but they will rarely actually care what you’re doing. Everyone is caught up in their own lives, so don’t be afraid to be confident in public spaces. If you’re uncomfortable, it almost always shows in photos. Even if you are embarrassed, learning to “fake it ‘til you make it” can help.
While getting a good Instagram photo can make or break your day, especially on vacation, what matters most is that you’re having fun taking them. Photoshoots can be a great bonding experience with friends or siblings, and you will likely remember the time spent with them more than the individual photos themselves.
Get ready, go out, and take beautiful photos this summer, Threadies.
