Ever scanned your surroundings for a passer-by with seemingly decent photography skills to help you with your OOTD shots, and having to lie that the shot is okay, before locking eyes with your next target?
You can put an e-n-d to that.
Keep reading to uncover influencer-approved hacks for snapping Insta-worthy pics yourself.
Props
Not everyone’s good at posing, and that’s nothing to be ashamed of. In addition to helping you feel less awkward (especially in public), props can elevate your photo and attract more eyeballs on the gram. You're free to use anything synonymous with the theme you’re going for. If you need some inspo, we recommend going with flowers, bags, drinks and accessories.
Image: @ziqianqian/ @kaliannakali
Location
Singapore may be small but if you look hard enough, you’re bound to find a gem in the alley or a lesser-known cafe. Alternatively, you can keep a lookout for aesthetic locations on Instagram and save it to your phone for future use.
In light of recent events, content creators have transformed their homes into photography studios and worked with whatever background they had. Try it for yourself and you’ll find that you can’t go wrong with a simple white wall. A blank canvas means you can go crazy with your outfit and makeup, or jazz it up with fun edits using the magic brush tool on Meitu or stickers on PicsArt.
Image: @meitu.app/ @picsart
Tripod with clicker
It’s easy to prop your phone up with books and tables when you’re at home but if you shoot outdoors frequently, you should definitely invest in a tripod. Not just any tripod, but a tripod with a clicker, or a wireless remote.
Image: Groupon
Why the need for a clicker, you ask? With this magical item, you would essentially save time from not having to set your timer, and you can get a more precise shot. Furthermore, this device is great for helping you capture movement e.g. hair flips or dress twirls, and is small enough to hide in your palm.
Image: @courtneymichelle
Natural lighting
The number one tip when it comes to photography is to shoot in the day where there’s natural lighting. This makes editing a breeze and gives your photo a nice glow from within.
Image: Digital Photography School
Take a stab at which photo was taken in natural lighting.
The photo on the left was taken in natural lighting, and the one on the right was snapped with the camera flash. Did you guess correctly?
When taking photos outdoors, always stand and place your camera in the shade for an even distribution of lighting. Again, this reduces the time spent editing, especially useful if you’re not well-versed in photo editing.
Appear taller in full body shots
At each location, you should always take a variety of shots - standing, sitting, half body and full body shots.
Here’s a trick to elongate your legs in full body shots, so that your proportions look nicer on camera: Adjust your tripod such that the camera comes up to your waist, and tilt your phone back slightly.
Image: @courtneymichelle
This ensures that your photo is taken from a lower and more flattering angle. For maximum effect, your feet should be perfectly positioned at the bottom of your screen as previously mentioned.
Inspired to update your IG feed with a new campaign? Remember to practice social distancing while you’re out and about, and mask up when you’re done with your photo shoot!
Stay safe!
