“But 'amateur' comes to us from the French and it literally means 'lover'.”

When I read that somewhere online last year, something clicked for me for the first time. I don’t know why, but every time I saw, read or heard the word “amateur,” it always seemed to have a negative connotation attached to it -- as if not being an expert at something meant you shouldn’t try it at all.

I don’t want to live life that: afraid to try something because I won’t be an expert at it right away.

So, I’ve learned to embrace this word because its roots speak otherwise. It means to be a lover. I want to be an amateur at life. An amateur at friendships. An amateur in artistic pursuits. It means I love these things and I will keep working at them.

The first place I gave myself this creative freedom was Instagram. I know, I know, it sounds lame, but I really love this app. It has given me a platform to play around with how I shoot photos, how to slightly tweak and edit elements and most importantly, how to share the stories of others.

So, do you want to be an master amateur Instragrammer? Look no further. Here are some things to take into consideration before you click that “Share” button:

Think about the “why”

Before you post, think about why you are sharing this image with the world. What’s your purpose? Does it fit into a design or theme of your feed? Do you have a series going that relates to a hashtag? Do you just like the picture you took? I find that when I ask myself “why” I’m posting a certain image, it makes me think critically about the message I’m looking to share and helps me to not post the same type of image all the time.

Think about the lighting

I have a lot of pals that are professional photographers and they will all tell you that light is their best friend. The better the lighting, the more the detail will be accentuated in the shot. Outside shots are preferable, but if you’re indoors and want to capture what’s around you, make sure there is a light source that can help you. When in a natural setting, remember that your light source should be facing the subject you’re capturing. If the light source (the sun for example) is behind your subject, it will create a silhouette. If that’s what you want, it is a beautiful effect; just know that you won’t see any of their physical features.

Think about composition

This is a photography term that refers to how elements of a photo work together, like pieces of a puzzle. To do this, look around you, find things that look good together and incorporate them into the picture. It takes more thought, but makes a huge different to what the picture looks like.

Think about leveling the photo

I’ll admit something that makes my face squish is when I see a beautifully captured photo that isn’t straight. This may seem excessive, but a picture looks more complete when the lines and angles are taken into account. In your iPhone camera roll, click "Edit" and the square icon with arrows in the bottom menu. Slide the image from left to right to nail down that leveled look. Your eyes will thank you later!

Think about the environment

In 20 years, I know we will all look back on our adolescence and name ourselves "The Generation Obsessed With Cool Walls." I am completely and unashamedly guilty of perusing my environment for a sick backdrop. It does matter! What makes a picture complete is the partnership of the subject and the space around them. Have fun with this and think outside the box!

At the end of the day, your Instagram feed is yours to play with. It's never too late to be more intentional with the photos you post.