How to capture better Instagram and Outfit Photos

One of the questions I tend to get asked a lot, especially when I’m hosting photoshoots for local entrepreneurs is, how to pose for photos. Although I’m not a professional, and I usually do the same “poses” and movements in the majority of my photos, I have been taking outfit photos on the daily for almost 12 years. Today, I’m sharing some of the tips I’ve learned along the way.

The general rule for shooting photos, is to get up close and personal. A photographer friend of mine once told us, if your photos are not looking too crisp or clean, you’re probably not close enough to the object. The idea behind that perfect outfit photo, is you want to frame the person you’re shooting. You want as little wasted/ negative space as possible. The closer you are to the subject, the better your photo will be.

They say practice makes perfect, so shooting outfit photos every day will help up your skill level. The more time you spend in front of the camera, the better your photos and poeses will get. You don’t necessarily have to have a certain style when you begin, but the more you experiment with posing, the more your unique personal style will start to shine through. You don’t always need a fancy camera to take good photos. You can take some wonderful photos on an inexpensive camera or even iPhone. The key here is to understand the basics of how a camera works.

9/10 why you’re unhappy with your outfit or Instagram photos come down to lighting. Try to capture your photos first thing in the morning when the lighting isn’t too harsh, or later in the evening for golden hour. Although you may be thinking having more light, like mid-day is beneficial, it can work against you. Having the sun directly above you, can cause shadows and harsh lines. Also, never shoot with the sun directly behind you, as your image will be backlite, dark and dull. The light in the morning is much softer and the colours tend to be more vibrant. The shade is also your friend. If you are using a DSLR camera, play around with your ISO, rather than fighting with sun tones. I suggest keeping your ISO around 100 or 200 for daytime shooting.

Second, know what type of photo you’re trying to capture. If you’re shooting a sporting event or a child playing, you probably want that to be your main focus? For fast-moving objects, you’ll want your shutter speed to be 1/1000th of a second. For still photos, like an outfit of the day, you can drop it to 1/100th of a second.

Up next, your lens. I suggest keeping it simple when you first start out. A prime len, although it takes some time to get used to, it allows you to focus on the moment at hand instead of fiddling around with the zoom. I highly suggest a 35mm. This allows you to take both up-close and personal shots inside, but still provides you with enough depth outside. If you’re looking for more outdoors and outfit shots, a 50mm might be an excellent investment. Not only does shooting with the same lens help with keeping the same focal length and consistency, it saves you switching your aperture each time you zoom.

Don’t spend too much time post-processing. If you get it right in the camera first, you won’t have to spend hours editing. It might come as a shock to you, but I don’t use photoshop or editing tools for any of my photos. What you see, is what you get. For Instagram photos, I might use the in-house brightness feature to brighten my photo a little, but that’s it. I find those over-worked photos tend to look fake and unrealistic.

What I Wore- Dress- Zara, Purse – Chanel, Necklace- Kate Spade, Hilary MacMillian Jacket- c/o Taylor Danielle, Shoes- Zara, Watch- Bulova, Bracelet- Six N Stone