For me, Instagram is a blank canvas. That’s at least how I viewed it when I first downloaded it: an empty page yet to be infused with your personal style and creative concoctions. Instagram is unique and special when compared to Facebook, Snapchat, and Twitter because of its’ versatility. It’s a social media page that can be utilized to promote a business, to start a blog, or to capture memories of your life. There are endless roads you can walk down when it comes to setting up your Instagram page. But no matter how you use Instagram, you want to be posting photos that constant scrollers will stop and be amazed by! This is how to achieve that

If you want to take that photo that will make every one of your Instagram followers stop and fascinate over it use a solid background with a poppy color: a bright blue, a ruby red, a peacock green. Whether the subject is a human, animal or some object, a contrasting background will always catch the viewer’s eye! For this photo below I used the shimmering blue pool as my background. The color contrast between the pool and the creamy pink ice cream is striking.

Do something that people normally don’t do. I’m obsessed with face art. It’s not a normal or typical thing people usually post on Instagram but the weirder the better.

Master the effect of natural light. The best lighting is natural unless I’m going for a glamorous magazine cover shoot in which case I would take with the flash on to give it that glossy editorial look. But for natural light, depending on the theme of your photo shoot, stay away from harsh shadowy areas. Overcast days always provide great lighting!

Natural Light:

With Flash:

Tell a story. I always think it’s the coolest thing when I pull up Instagram on my phone and see a tiny photo that holds an entire story seeping through its pixels. Try to take a picture with a narrative behind it. My sister and I did a series where we had our own Hawaiian version of Alice in Wonderland.

Play dress up! Wear outlandish clothes and absurd makeup. Whether your taking a pic for your blog, taking a best friend photo shoot, or bored and want to do something fun, I totally advise rummaging through your closet and picking out different articles of clothing that don’t go together, throw them on and own it.

Take your insta followers on the go with you! Take photos from you perspective. Not only does it engage the viewer but gives them a window into your life!

Have a milk bath. I know this may sound strange at first but trust me there’s no better way to get a cool photo. Pour only a little in a running bath and you can take the most creative photos. In this series my theme was the moment before Ophelia drowns.

Post pictures of delicious treats. Nothing makes an Instagram follower of yours more engaged in what they are seeing when it’s a picture of yummy savory donuts. When it comes to food photography aim for finding a place with not artificial lighting because the more natural light the more irresistible it will be.

Travel and live life! Your Instagram followers will love following your adventures. My best advice when traveling is take photos of you doing something somewhere characteristic of where you are! Whether its eating a pastry in a cozy café or kayaking, pics like this are always the best! Also architecture is a biggy for me. In one quick snap you can capture the culture and style of the place you are visiting!

Food are the best props. Enough said.