May 19, 2015: If you haven’t heard yet, images improve your social media presence and messaging. For example, according to Social Media Examiner, photos on Facebook generate 53% more likes than the average post. Instagram, an extremely visual platform, has surpassed big-wig networks as the fastest growing social media site globally.
Adding visuals may not require that much more time out of your work day. Of course, there are always sites and resources that can provide images, but producing your own photos provides a more engaging and personal presence online. Since not everyone has a professional SLR camera, smartphone cameras can serve as a convenient way to snap your daily image.
Here are some tips for improving and succeeding at “Iphoneography,” or smartphone shooting:
- See the light! Natural light, especially for portraits (and self-portraits) is your friend. Find a sunny window or bright room to pose in. Florescent lighting can make the skin appear yellow or blue (remember the dress?) and you may have to edit those photos heavily.
- Rule of Thirds. This is an old photo stand-by. Split your frame into 9 rectangles as such:
Source: Digital Photography School
Put important elements of your image (in this instance, the bee) at the crosshairs of your rectangles. The eye will be drawn to your subject matter. Composition counts! More about this rule can be found here.
- Keep Cropping in Mind. Speaking of composition, keep in mind the end result of your image. Is it going to live on Instagram? Make sure it will crop to a square without losing any important details.
- Clarity is Key. Blurry images are the worst. Make sure that your subject is in focus! After you shoot, zoom in on details to make sure the important parts of your photo are sharp. Many editing tools also provide a “sharpness” edit.
- Post Production. The image may need some help to make it perfect, but Photoshop takes a while to master. Instagram and Twitter now offer in-house editing, but there are a few apps that can also assist in making your image picture perfect. Here are some apps that I use daily:
- Afterlight: This app is definitely worth the price. You get all the editing tools and filters you need to create great photos, as well as a set of frames that allow you to cleverly crop your images.
- VSCO cam: One of my favorite editing tools that also has a huge photographer community. Pre-loaded filters and additional ones that you can buy will make your photos look as though they were taken with professional cameras. VSCO cam is a beautiful editing tool, and amazing network to share your finished product on. Here’s my page.
- Pic Stich: This app offers pre-made grids to place your photos into, as well as some editing filters.
- PicPlayPost: Similar to Pic Stitch, but you can also add videos and music to your collage!
- Layout: An app made by Instagram, Layout provides clean, seamless grids that are really fun to play around with.
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