How to style the perfect #details shot on Instagram
#Details is potentially one of the most used hashtags on Instagram, and is certainly the one we search for when we want fashion and lifestyle inspo all rolled in to one. It’s not reserved solely for the fashion blogging elite though! With a new manicure, a bit of latte art, and a piece of beautiful jewellery taking centre stage, anyone can style the perfect #details shot!
Without wanting to completely state the obvious, the success of your Instagram post is all in the detail. Out and about, inspiration might come from your surroundings – the intricate pattern of the street beneath your feet, the delightfully laid table at your local cafe, or the sun rising over the city as you drink your morning coffee. These are the #details that turn a perfectly nice photograph of your beautiful bangle in to lifestyle inspiration. Your followers want to know how and where and why you’re wearing your jewellery, so capture those moments spontaneously.
These sorts of images might appear organically in front of you, but don’t be afraid to add in extra details. The beauty of #details is that anything around you can be used to further tell your story. Take your favourite magazine from your bag, pull your sunglasses just in to shot, and re-adjust your teacup to highlight the charming curve of its delicate handle.
Clio and Athena Sigismondi, the stylish siblings behind our favourite #jewellery #inspo account Black & Sigi, are clear that this needs to be your number one priority. ‘Add pieces that enhance the shot and show interesting details without it being too fussy. Space them out in a coordinated way so that it’s natural and not too organised’. Think of the other #details as accents that’ll enhance and enrich the story behind the gleaming gemstone on your finger – don’t let your ring get lost in the shot!
We live in a world where a night out didn’t happen unless there’s photographic evidence splashed across social, and it’s a mortal sin to be tagged in the same look twice. In this world a necklace looking better in real life than in does in photos is a very real frustration.
‘Some are more awkward than others’, Clio and Athena admit of their jewels, ‘or if the lighting isn’t good, you don’t get the full aspect of the stone’. Put on your photographer’s hat and persevere! ‘We can get a picture of most items, it just means finding the best angles and lighting’. Treat your favourite pair of earrings how you would like to be treated – don’t upload a photo of them if you’ve caught them in a bad light. They don’t have the luxury of untagging themselves like you do.
Just back from holiday your tan is making your quartz necklace glisten and glimmer against the glow of your skin in all sorts of ways that definitely need to be captured and shared with the world. But suddenly the idealised image in your head doesn’t seem as glamorous with a bit of selfie-arm elbow caught in the corner.
Don’t be afraid to get a friend involved, asking them to catch the image from a better angle. Alternatively, ultilise the self-timer feature on your phone camera! Straight-on angles will immediately make your #details shot look more professional; after all, the fashion blogging elite will all have their own photographers.
Also, hashtagging has the potential to make or break your #details image. Hashtags are what will help you introduce yourself to, and connect with, people who will be interested in what you’re posting. It’s therefore vitally important to think about who it is you’re trying to reach. ‘There’s no point putting #cute if you would like your product to be seen by people looking for contemporary jewellery’, Clio and Athena explain.
If the hashtag isn’t relevant, don’t add it. You might find your in-joke hilarious, but no one else is searching for #jennyandsarahreuinted4eva. Remember, #details photos are all about inspiring a lifestyle around your jewellery, so think carefully about what words best sum it up. ‘Having 15 relevant # is better than having 30 random words which are highly used. You may receive extra likes but that doesn’t convert to loyal followings, which is ideally what you would like’.
Share your perfectly styled #details shots with Black & Sigi on Facebook, Twitter, and – of course – Instagram!
