With the influence of social media, everyone is now a photographer, sharing glamourous holiday snaps of sandy beaches and out of this world sunsets, to become the envy of their followers.
According to short breaks provider Super Break, one in six of us confess to spending the equivalent of more than two days of annual leave taking and editing pictures for Instagram.
Super Break have developed a new travel tool called Discover Your Destination, that helps you decide on your favourite type of holiday by swiping through inspirational Instagram images, but what characteristics are needed for the best Instagram post?
Some of Instagram’s top influencers have shared their secrets below on how to take the best Instagram photos.
@squibbvicious
“For me, that best type of Instagram photos are facades and doors. I love how they can tell a story from just the photo. Whether I’m in London or abroad I always find myself so drawn to them! If only they could tell you the tales of people that have passed through them! I also love straight lines and the rule of thirds and I find that facades and doors appease this in me!”
@forevermissvanity
“I believe the best Instagram posts are bright, colourful, well composed and tell a story to your followers. You need a photograph that makes someone want to experience what you are currently experiencing, whether it is wanting to immediately book a table at the restaurant you just visited or impulsively book flights to the destination you have just been to.”
@glassesgirl3
“My tip to taking the ultimate Instagram holiday shot would be to, as much as possible, avoid having members of the public in the background of your shot as it can detract from the scene and makes your photo look less professional. If it’s a particularly busy area, focus your camera on the subject in the foreground, so that the background blurs and this will stop the attention being on unsuspecting tourists.”
@rhiannaoliviab
“My top tip for snapping great photos for Instagram is to make sure the lighting is always spot on. Light, airy photos are always a winner! For that perfect shot, you’re going to want the lighting to be coming from more than one angle – this will prevent any harsh shadows! Natural light is best, but softboxes can also work really well.”
@kariss182
“Don’t just look for the obvious tourist shots. Take the back streets, really look around and find a unique angle to discover hidden gems. I was looking for somewhere to eat on a quiet street in Hamburg when I stumbled upon this stunning sunset.”
If you are looking for more tips on how to step up your Instagram game, here are 10 image hacks to get you started:
1. Always think about your content first, what inspires your audience and how can your image stand out from the crowd? Planning ahead is key for capturing the perfect shot.
2. Including strong colours, lines and shapes are key to an image being distinctive.
3. Lighting can make or break any image, try and shoot at a time of the day when there is a lot of natural light, or at dusk and dawn when interesting contrasts can be created.
4. Don’t always shoot from you eyeline, different angles can provide an interesting composition for your images.
5. Embrace bad weather – you don’t need sunshine to create a great Instagram photo.
6. Keep your editing as simple as possible, less can be more and nature can do the hard work for you.
7. Quality over quantity is always more effective.
8. Captions can be key for communicating emotion, sell your story to engage your audience.
9. Create a signature style, having a consistent theme of photography will make your images recognisable. This means considering your photography style on the whole of your Instagram feed and using the same colour palette.
10. Be patient – a photo doesn’t have to be posted immediately, re-evaluate the image and decide if it can be improved.
