1. Take High-Quality Photos
A smartphone will usually do it, but nothing beats the quality of a professional camera. It looks substantially better, and it’s easier to edit higher quality photos. Great news for FSU students is that you can rent one from Strozier Library for free, which is marvelous compared to forking out over $500 for a new one.
Courtesy: @hercampusfsu on Instagram
2. Use A Great Backdrop
One of the perks of living in Tallahassee is that we’re at one of the most aesthetically-pleasing campuses in the country. From the Westcott Fountain to towering Doak Campbell Stadium to the dozens of palm trees planted across campus, it isn’t hard to find a pretty location to take pictures! You can even leave campus: Maclay Gardens, Lake Talquin and Railroad Square are great spots off campus!
Courtesy: @kelleeyhall on Instagram
3. Find Your Style
One of the best things about photography is that it’s extremely subjective. No one is out there telling you what to do or what not to do when you post on Instagram. This is your time to shine, and your posts can be a great representation of who you are! Be sure to dress cute, pick your poses and find a photographer who’ll put their personal spin on your shots!
4. Edit Your Photos
There are tons of user-friendly photo-editing apps out there, my favorites being Lightroom, Canva and PicsArt. Lightroom focuses more on the technical aspects of photography, from adjusting brightness and contrast to sharpening and de-hazing your photos. Canva is awesome for finding cute collages and designs to add to your photo and if you want a frame or need something pleasing to the eye for your story. Finally, PicsArt has tons of amazing features such as filtering your photo to make it look vintage, distorted, glitchy or even just as if someone drew it! All of these apps have options to purchase additional features, but you can meander your way through creating great edits for free!
I edited this photo with PicsArt to draw the background of Doak Campbell Stadium!
Courtesy: Katherine Skelton
5. Be Yourself
There it is, the most cliché phrase in the world, eh? Don’t try too hard to impress your crush or amass hundreds of likes on your photos. Stay true to yourself in your poses, fashion, editing style and colors, and you’ll appreciate it so much more.
6. Nail Your Captions
Of course, no one can see your captions from looking at your Instagram feed alone, but a caption can make or break a photo. Be creative, there are websites to help you out, and Google is your best friend if you truly need it. But focus on making someone laugh or cheering them up, don’t settle with a depressing caption that will ruin someone’s day. Brighten their mood and they’ll love it.
Courtesy: @savannagracemc on Instagram
7. Repeat
Keep trying! Be consistent, post at least once a week and keep your followers entertained. That’s why they follow you! You can even post the same photo twice, just adjust the brightness or add something to change the background. Even change it up a little bit, perhaps there’s a picture you want to stand out amongst all the rest, brighten it or dim the rest of them!
The best thing about Instagram is that it’s a platform where you can be whoever you see yourself as. Most of us strive to have an adorable aesthetic, whether it’s to try and gain followers, to look cute for our friends or just make ourselves proud. Remember to just try your best and you’re already halfway there!