I’m so excited for Week 3 of #TheMomBlogCollective because I’m answering questions that I get ALL of the time pertaining to photography. It seems to be a hot topic for the other talented mamas in this group also, so be sure to check out their tips, I’ll link them all below as usual. It’s still funny to me to consider myself a “photographer” but I totally am, and it’s definitely a skill that I had to practice at and am still perfecting. It’s one of those things that I think will always be developing and changing as I grow. That makes it more exciting though, right? Alrighty, let’s dig in.

I’ll start by saying that this is not a tutorial. I’ll simply be sharing a few quick tips to elevate your photo game and start to create a “look” for your Instagram. You see, I don’t really have all sorts of fancy knowledge other than what my husband taught me or I’ve taught myself. I’ve mentioned before that my husband was the one who brought the photography bug into our house (just check out his insane Instagram account, he’s way cooler than I am) He’s also self-taught, but he’s the smartest guy I know and so he know’s what he’s doing. In fact, he shoots wedding, events, and works with big brands. He’s kinda cool, but I already mentioned that. I, on the other hand, am a hands on learner. I’m all about trial and error, playing around with things to see how they look and getting super creative with things. So, as I keep trying new things, my photo style changes. I think by now I’ve found my groove, I have certain types of photos that I like to take and a pretty consistent edit that I try to achieve. Have faith in your abilities and your own creative style. I cannot stress enough how important it is to be authentically YOU because simply reproducing what someone else is doing is not going to take you far. One of my favorite quotes is by Oscar Wilde “Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.” Just over here dropping truth bombs.

---

3 Tips Photo Tips for a Better Instagram Feed

1. Learn to use your “device” to the best of its abilities: Honestly, how you take your photos matters more than what you take them with. When I started off I used only my iPhone. Once I learned how to take a good photo, mostly how to use natural light but not direct light, my photos were surprisingly good. Were they photos that would be hung in a professional art gallery? Um, no, but they were quality photos and I was proud of them. Then I started learning more about cameras and found that I actually prefer the look of a higher quality photo. It still feels authentic without feeling like a crazy National Geographic photo. I don’t know if that makes sense, but I love sharing about real motherhood. I feel like I want my photos to reflect that. Now I’ve landed somewhere between using my phone when the moment strikes and I want to capture something special when the camera isn’t close by and documenting special trips or occasions with the camera. I have an iPhone 7 and the camera we use is a Sony A6000.
2. Find your editing niche: This is a tough one, or at least it was for me. I wanted to find the look that I liked and wanted it to be unique without being crazy. I love a clean edit that looks like real life spiffed up a little. You know when you go to the eye doctor and they do the “which one is better, this or this” test and one of the lenses just kind sharpens your vision and makes everything pop? That’s what I’m going for. Typically if the lighting was good when the photo was taken, there are only a few tweaks I make. I used to be a VSCO gal and would rock the A6 or HB1 filter but in the last few months, I’ve just been using the Lightroom app. Once the photo is in there I usually brighten it up a tad, boost the contrast a smidge, and bump up the whites and turn down the blacks. Every so often I manually turn down the saturation of the orange in the photo. I won’t always do the same exact edit because each photo starts out slightly different but by adjusting the same things I am able to get a pretty cohesive look.
3. Create content that is cohesive: Okay, so not only do you want your edits to be similar, you want the photos you post to be cohesive as well. I’m not saying you always post the same shots because, spoiler alert, that would be boring. What I mean in that you should find your wheelhouse and stick to that. For example, if you post a lot of photos of your kids, posting your dinner (even though it might be delicious and perfectly plated in an Instagram worthy way) it probably will not get a lot of engagement because it’s not what people are expecting. So be unexpected and creative but stay in your lane. Capiche? Unless of course, you want to post something outside of the norm regardless of how people will engage with the post. I’ve totally done that a few times because YOLO.

---

There are a lot of other ways or options about how to do this, this is simply my experience. If you want more ideas and perspectives, check out the other babes in The Mom Blog Collective!