7 Secrets Influencers Use to Take the Perfect Instagram Pic

Ah, Instagram… We all scroll through it about 3 times every hour (whoops), but do you ever feel like everyone else has these perfect posts and yours just looks….average? Having great posts on Instagram can lead to more followers, likes, overall brand engagement, and it's also a representation of who you are and what you like. If you've been wondering how all the top influencers get their IG profiles in top shape, follow these 8 tips to take the perfect Instagram photo and get on your way to social media fame.

Secret 1: Mix Up Your Photos

Don't make every post a selfie! To make your posts stand out they have to be different from one another and show a variety of your tastes. I especially like incorporating the app, UNUM, where you can plan out your posts so your feed looks cohesive in color and style. Plus, it's free to download and use!

Secret 2: Have Someone Else Take the Photo…or Get Creative with Technology

On that note of selfies…stop taking them so much! In general, you look much better with a full body shot, and having someone else (with a steady hand) take your photo will look more professional. If you're having a great hair day and no one is around to see it or help you out, plug in a pair of headphones with the microphone that you can click to hang up a call. When you click this button on the headphones it will take a picture from far away. Or, you can do what I do for a lot of my blog photos: Set up your camera somewhere, take a video doing some poses, and then screenshot paused portions of the video. Yeah, you look a little dumb doing it but your photos will look ahhhmazing.

Secret 3: Follow The Rule of 3rds

In photography, there's a basic rule known as The Rule of Thirds. Your subject (a flower, a bench, you, your dog, a piece of artwork…) should be in one third of the photo frame, while the background is in the rest. It will add a lot more to your photo and give the eye something more interesting to look at. You can use the grid setting on your phone to help with this too.

Secret 4: Keep It Simple Stupid

Find a balance between complex, cluttered, and simple shots with lots of negative space. Too much of either will either make your Instagram feel empty and uninspiring, or cluttered and messy. To keep a “theme” or color scheme going with your Insta feed, try downloading the app VSCO, where you can copy and paste edits as well as preview what a new post will look like on your feed.

Secret 5: Edit Your Photos Using the Same Techniques

I had a friend who edited her photos so well I asked her what camera she used and she said HER IPHONE! Play with changing shadows, brightness, darkness, contrast, etc. other than just tapping auto adjust. For this I recommend the apps Photoshop Express and VSCO since they're really simple to use. Also, consider editing your photos to be more blue and cool. Studies actually show that photos with blueish hues are more likely to get more better engagement than photos with red or warmer tones in them.

Secret 6: Don't Over Edit Your Photos

Along those lines, don't ever over edit your photo. You want your photos to look like you in the best lighting on a good day, not like filters threw up all over it. So limit yourself to just a few changes in levels (brightness, contrast, etc.) and use only one filter. Try using a unique colored filter (like the ones on VSCO) instead of just black and white or sepia tones.

Secret 7: Take Your Time

It might take you 25 shots to get the picture you want and half an hour of editing to get a good photo of a flower, but it won't go unrecognized. Better quality photos will get more engagement. Just remember to show your personality in all of them and keep to the theme of who you are as an Instagrammer. If you're using an iPhone, you can hold down your capture button to take a whole bunch of photos at once and then select your favorites.