The best Instagram photography tips to earn millions of likes

 Take pictures with RAW file format

One of the best Instagram photography tips which is effective in any situations is using RAW file . RAW files can store all image information that the sensor receives. So it is more convenient in post-production, exposure correction, white balance, and sharpness increase. However, because of storing more details, RAW images are usually three to four times heavier than the same JPG one. We can still choose the image quality, like 14-bit or 12-bit, with or without compression. If you need a high-quality photo, choose the highest settings. This will sometimes slow down your camera, take shots longer, and occupy more capacity in memory cards. Nevertheless, it is deserved to get a perfect artwork for an Instagram post, isn’t it?

If you don’t have a DSLR camera but only a smartphone, turn the RAW mode on. Fundamentally, this also has similar features, although the quality is certainly not as great as that of a digital camera. Or at least, using the normal mode on your camera phone, not applications which can distort some information of your images. With the use of a normal camera, you can turn on the HDR function to get a more unique picture. But remember that the default ratio of the photos taken by the normal camera phone is not the same as that of Instagram. So please adjust the frame to fully convey what you want to show off.

Take pictures in a well-lit condition

To get the best post on your Instagram account, make sure that the image is taken in well-lit conditions. When shooting with a suitable lighting, we can focus easily and get the highest quality. As a result, this helps to optimally convey your message via the scenery or topic of the image.

Especially if there is a good background, the image will be extremely clear and drive viewers’ attention the most.

One of the greatest Instagram photography tips for a good lighting condition is taking advantage of sunlight. Regardless of whether you're shooting people or objects, the image quality under the sunlight is always perfect. With this light you can transform photos with a full spectrum of colors from bright, warm to vibrant.

However, each time there are different levels of light. The brightest colors will be obtained when you shoot between morning and mid-afternoon (around 3-4 o'clock).

If you want your photo to look more unique and artistic, sunrise and sunset are two best options. In those cases, you should use a camera with high resolution to avoid the black dots in the image caused by too much noise.

Directly focus when shooting

People who quite master Instagram photography tips to get beautiful pictures for their post will definitely know the importance of focusing. When in focus, the key subject will be really outstanding and sharp. Our photos, therefore, will be realistic fully expressed messages we want to give under the appearance, even when taken with a normal camera phone. 

 Rule of thirds

For a beautiful Instagram photo, when shooting, users should pay attention to the rule of thirds. This is perhaps one of the most helpful recommendations not only in the lists of Instagram photography tips, but for any type of photo. The main object is placed at the intersection of two horizontal lines or along them and divides the image into three equal parts.

This arrangement helps to emphasize the image, and attract viewers’ impression when looking at it.

The feature of the Grid interface is now available in many sorts of smartphones. So take full advantage of it for a perfect picture.

Find symmetry

Besides the rule of thirds, symmetry is another tip for Instagram photos. This composition gives a clear, eye-catching image to the viewer. Symmetrical composition can be simply regarded as a comparison across an axis, may be horizontal, vertical or diagonal one.

Do not think finding symmetry to take a photo is difficult. Actually symmetrical composition is very common in our daily life, such as rows of trees on both sides of the road, or some buildings’ architecture. You can also use existing elements such as lines, shapes, objects and colors.

Just paying a little attention, you have an artistic photo that everyone must enjoy and admire.

Try Flatplay images

Flatlay photos, also known as photos taken on a flat plane, are an increasing popular trend in Instagram. To get an ideal flatlay image, you should invest in a proper background, not only in composition but also in color.

The Flatlay background can be a table, bed, and wooden floor. Tablecloths, flowers, books or A0 paper... are common things used to decorate the background for flatlay images.

With flatlay images, apart from a beautiful background, the shooting angle is also a decisive factor. The best angle for this is from above. This is among the Instagram photography tips we want to introduce for greater pictures, especially food images.

Minimize the number of people appearing in the picture

For outdoor photography, especially traveling photos, there is a common mistake of having too many people in one frame with various sorts of activities. This makes the picture confusing and have no highlight. Honestly, the frame seems very cramped. Therefore, when shooting, try to choose the most spacious, open angle as possible.

To have a good picture, the main frame should have the appearance of only 1-2 people and focus only on those with outstanding activities.

Sharpen your photos before posting

To focus exactly, you just need to touch the key subject you want to focus most.  When the yellow square appears, you can adjust to select the most appropriate focus area. Once the camera is in focus, you can hold and lock to fix the focus area while moving your camera.

Sharpness increase is considered an extremely necessary manipulation for the image, because in the editing process, the quality of the image is more or less affected.

In the Instagram app, after selecting a picture to post, you can instantly edit the sharpness of the picture easily. In addition, most photography or editing apps are equipped with this function.

Increasing the sharpness will make the viewers feel like the picture is clearer and is taken with a professional camera. However, you should not abuse this effect. Increase 2 - 4 steps is enough. If more, your photo will be full of noise!

Suitable editing

Post-production is a very important step that we cannot miss before posting a photo on Instagram. Properly editing will help your photos become far more aesthetic and professional. With just some suitable modifications to the image information like exposure, white balance, shadow, highlight…, you can get a perfect picture. Nowadays, there are a variety of websites and applications which provide useful tools for photos editing like Photoshop, Lightroom, Canva, VSCO…

However, remember that editing too much can be counter-productive. This is because each picture has its own beauty. So if you use too many filters, effects, increase or decrease the brightness too much will lose the authentic natural beauty of an image.

Therefore, you should edit the image in the most reasonable way to enhance the quality while retaining the natural beauty of the picture. Especially if you are a professional photographer, you can immediately forget about the effects and filters available on Instagram to share with viewers.

Use hashtags

One of the Instagram photography tips to make your photos more impressive is using hashtags. Viewers tend to click on that hashtag to find photos with the same theme. Many people often use this method to share their passions with certain groups sharing similar interests.

Through the hashtags, more people will know what your topic is following. Although those benefits, you should not abuse it with hashtags. Just use a few regular ones to guide the personal topic that is most interested.