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HOW I EDIT INSTAGRAM PHOTOS

05/08/2018 by Kati | black.white.vivid. 4 Comments

How I edit Instagram photos - A photography guide by Kati of black.white.vivid.

How I edit Instagram photos - A photography guide by Kati of black.white.vivid.

How I edit Instagram photos - A photography guide by Kati of black.white.vivid.

Despite the new algorithm and people’s frustration about it, Instagram is still an important platform for most users and creatives. I personally love to use Instagram to connect with like-minded people and I also use it as a marketing channel to promote my work, products and event announcements. As a photographer I want my Instagram feed to look aesthetically pleasing and visually cohesive but also authentic, unique and personal.

Unlike my blog, I try to only post photos on my Instagram feed that stand out. On my blog, I usually publish a series of photos which makes it easier to tell a story. Some photos are bolder and louder and others are quieter and more reserved. I love both types of photos equally and both are needed to bring across a story or mood in a blog post. However, on Instagram, I prefer to post bolder photos. It’s a personal choice and I follow accounts that do the exact opposite and those are some of my favorites on Instagram.

So for my Instagram feed, I usually aim to find maybe one or two photos of a series that tell the whole story in just one image. I then take this photo and put it through my editing process to make it pop on Instagram. Over the years I have learned a lot about visual storytelling on Instagram and here are my tips on how I take. choose and edit my Instagram photos from start to end.

How I edit Instagram photos

Choose your best photos – Quality over Quantity

I usually try to pick 1-2 images from a series of photos. It’s tempting to use all the images that you shared on your latest blog post but chances are high that 80% of the images might look great on your blog but won’t work on your feed. Let’s take a look at my latest blog post “Emirati Sweet Dumplings” which I shot in the desert. So far I have only shared one image from that post. I liked this the best because it’s close enough to the scene to identify the main subject, the food, but far enough away to recognize that it’s a picnic scene in the desert.

How I edit Instagram photos - A photography guide by Kati of black.white.vivid.

All the other images are either very similar or wouldn’t really work on my feed. Even though I love the desert photo with the little oasis, people wouldn’t appreciate it as much on my food-related feed. Simply put, the subject would be off for my Instagram feed. The top-down photo shows the food but cropped to Instagram format some details like the desert sand would be missing. Furthermore, the styling is not perfect as I build this scene for a different angle (the one I posted on Instagram) so it’s not my best picture.

How I edit Instagram photos - A photography guide by Kati of black.white.vivid.

Vertical/portrait over horizontal/landscape format

I always choose a portrait format over a landscape format because it takes up more space on people’s Instagram feed. Personally, I also prefer to shoot portrait images as they are aesthetically more pleasing to me but that’s a very personal choice. On Instagram however, if you’d like people to see and look at your images I recommend to stay away from landscape (vertical) photos as those can take up less than half the space of a portrait orientation.

How I edit Instagram photos - A photography guide by Kati of black.white.vivid.
How I edit Instagram photos - A photography guide by Kati of black.white.vivid.

Pick a photo with a clear point of interest

When picking a photo for your Instagram feed, make sure the subject is easy to understand and quickly recognizable by the viewer. Below you see two images of my French Pear Galette recipe. When you scroll through my blog post you understand that the first image shows the process of making the rosemary syrup with coconut sugar. But on Instagram most people don’t take the time to carefully study your images or even read the caption. At first glance, you would probably skip over this image because it’s not immediately clear what it shows. The second image, however, is very easy to understand. It’s sliced pears, sprinkled with pistachios and syrup, most likely placed on a cake. It will only take a millisecond to know what the image is about.
As with many things in life, it’s important to offer something to people that’s simple, direct and easy to understand.

How I edit Instagram photos - A photography guide by Kati of black.white.vivid.
How I edit Instagram photos - A photography guide by Kati of black.white.vivid.

Go for strong colors, shapes, and lines

When people scroll through their Instagram feed, they see dozens of photos. If you want to get their attention I recommend to choose images that are either bold in color, shapes or lines or all three of those. By that, I don’t mean that your images need to be super colorful or geometrical. Pick 1-2 colors that stand out or make sure that you use leading lines in your photo’s composition. For example, both images below use cutlery and dishes to create leading lines and help move the viewer’s eyes around the image.

How I edit Instagram photos - A photography guide by Kati of black.white.vivid.
How I edit Instagram photos - A photography guide by Kati of black.white.vivid.

Plan your feed

Some experts say having a well-curated feed is not as important as sharing a great image but as a photographer, the Instagram feed is my mini portfolio page and I like to have it neat. I like to have it color-coordinated and mix different angles with some close-ups and long shots. I also always pay attention to how each photo is eventually cropped. Even though you can upload landscape and portrait format to Instagram, your photos are ‘cropped’ to the typical square format on your actual feed. So try avoid putting your main subject in the lower or upper third of your photo (if it’s a portrait format) because that part will partly be cut off on your Instagram gallery.

How I edit Instagram photos - A photography guide by Kati of black.white.vivid.
4 x 5 Instagram format
How I edit Instagram photos - A photography guide by Kati of black.white.vivid.
1 x 1 automatically “cropped” image on Instagram feed

Apply unique filter and/or editing

There are a few factors that make your images unique and easily recognizable. It’s the topic you post photos of, in my case it’s food. But it’s also how you take your images, so which angles you use, props, styling, environment, light and many more. When I scroll through my feed, however, I instantly know who the photographer of an image is without looking at their names by simply recognizing their editing style. It’s personally taken me years to find my own visual editing voice but I have learned it’s important to invest in that part to stand out and to bring your photography to the next level. I always use one of my own Lightroom Presets because even if I’ve shot in a different light or location, these presets or filters make sure my photos look cohesive. Right now I love my Lightroom preset bundle “Scandinavian Blue” which is available on Creative Market.

Powered by Creative Market

Sharpen photo and increase clarity

When I’m done with my editing process I always sharpen all my Instagram images a little bit more and increase clarity slightly. Sometimes Instagram fails to upload and show images in high quality, thus they can look blurry. But either way, I like my Instagram images to be sharper and with higher contrasts than the photos published on my blog because mobile screens are much smaller than a laptop or PC.

Apply Lux on Instagram App

Even though I love Lightroom and I do all my editing with this software, I also always use the LUX function on the Instagram app before posting my photos. It enhances your photos and makes them pop. Basically, LUX applies an HDR-like effect but I usually don’t go over 50 because it also increases saturation and can make your images look too graphic. But I do love it for the extra contrast, lighter shadows but darker blacks and darker highlights but lighter whites.

How I edit Instagram photos - A photography guide by Kati of black.white.vivid.
How I edit Instagram photos - A photography guide by Kati of black.white.vivid.

Do what feels right

Regardless of all the tips and tricks and must do’s and don’t do’s, sometimes you just need to follow your gut feeling and heart and post images that are not perfect or great. It’s okay because this is still your feed and you can decide which photos you like best.

If you have more tips on how to shoot, choose and edit photos on Instagram, let me know in the comments.

Filed Under: PHOTOGRAPHY

Previous Post: « EMIRATI SWEET DUMPLINGS WITH COFFEE SYRUP (Luqaimat)
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black.white.vivid is a seasonal food blog with plant-based recipes from home and away.

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I‘m really not back in the Instagram groove yet. I‘m really not back in the Instagram groove yet. Even though I‘ve already prepared 20 or so new images to post and that were supposed to make the transition from my Instagram break easier, I keep forgetting posting on my feed.  Although I‘ve come love sharing images and short videos on my Stories all the more. I just uploaded a few of yesterday’s happenings in Malmö. I had delicious coffee, ate too much food and met Malin of @goodeatings ✨ Happy days!7

Oh and this is probably my favorite photo yet. I shot it the other day in Dubai where it’s still summer and melons juicy and sweet. I simply love the light and colors. Endless summers can be so pretty, too. Though I’m also enjoying Malmö‘s autumn cold at the moment 💛  #lifeandthyme #foodandwine #appetitejournal #theartofslowliving #eattheworld #cntravelereats #kinfolklife #gatheringslikethese #teamcanon #mycommontablefood
Weekend Mood on a Wednesday evening! Because I li Weekend Mood on a Wednesday evening!

Because I literally can’t wait for this work week to be over because I’m heading to Europe tomorrow with stops in Germany, Copenhagen, Malmö and London.

I also can’t wait for autumn. I secretly wish that it will be moody and rainy and maybe even snowing, though the weather forecast is mostly sunny and snow at the beginning of October is probably wishful thinking too. 
Either way, I’m just quite excited for the food I get to eat, friends and family I get to see and magical moments I get to experience. 📸 Edited with my newest preset bundle „Mellow Cream“ (link in profile @blackwhitevivid )  #lifeandthyme  #theartofslowliving #seasonalfood #plantfueled #bevisuallyinspired #shareyourtable #breakfastinbed
Lately, I’ve been on a self-investment journey. Lately, I’ve been on a self-investment journey. I briefly talked about it in my last post. This summer I started learning how to be a good cook. There is no better investment than in yourself and even though sometimes others benefit from it too (like @fevonos who gets to eat pretty great dinners for a while now), often times it’s just for yourself. 
A while ago I made a list of things I wanted to invest my time in. Number one for me will always be photography and styling. It’s something I love and will consistently focus on. While it’s smart to surround yourself with people that are extremely good at it (like @linda_lomelino who styled this gorgeous scene), I also realized that thinking out of the box, improving a skill in one field to become better in another area, is an option too. So I decided to take up handwriting/calligraphy classes.

For the longest time ever I disliked my handwriting. And even though we live in a digital age and I hardly use pen and paper nowadays, my ugly scribbles have always annoyed me. Soon I’ll be taking an online handwriting class, so that my grocery and to-do lists, my journal entries and my Christmas cards finally look pretty. I don’t do this to become crafty or sell cute cards (though you never know where life takes you) but simply because I know I’ll be happy every time I write something down. And it’s a subject that boosts your creativity one way or another (I hope you’re as excited as I am for gorgeous flat lays with handwritten letters 😋). Anything you always wanted to learn or improve?

Happy Thursday and Happy Weekend to all folks here.
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#flowerflatlay  #underthefloralspell #proventiallife #persuepretty #darlingdaily #smallthings #untoldvisuals #seekthesimplicity #teamcanon #floraldesign #floralstories #flower_daily
Guess how long I’ve been delaying this very firs Guess how long I’ve been delaying this very first post after my four-months Instagram break? 
3 weeks! It’s been sitting here for 3 long weeks and I somehow didn’t have the courage to post it. Do you know that feeling? 
Like when you didn’t go to the gym for the past year (true story) and dread the exhaustion and sore muscles and therefore decide to maybe wait a little longer. Just until you feel super fit and ready. Guess what, ready never comes and you won’t get fit until you start exercising again. 
Or when you didn’t sit behind a steering wheel for the past 10 years (also true story) but now live in Dubai and nothing is fun without driving. It’s scary at first and you have way too many self-doubts but then you wonder why you thought you would be bad at something millions of people do each day. 
Or the time when you didn’t see and haven’t really talked to a (back then good) friend for 8 years and are afraid the chemistry won’t be the same. And then it feels like it was only yesterday you saw each other the last time. 
Those were all moments that felt scary or at least uncomfortable at first. But they all had a somewhat happy ending (if you consider feeling stiff and aching a happy moment 😋). So I just hope that I’ll also survive this post (I heard a lot of things have changed again on Instagram). But I’m mostly excited, I’ve done some soul searching, mood searching and subject searching. The result is a bunch of new photos, new content and new inspiration. It’s all been sitting here for 3 long weeks too. For now I’m just happy I’ve finally shared my first post again and I’m finally back (true story 😉).
I’ve been dragging myself through life lately an I’ve been dragging myself through life lately and I’m dying to get out of that dark hole again. I’m not very good with handling those phases, though I know they are important and necessary to progress and evolve. I usually don’t share these kind of feelings on Instagram, all I do is stay away because I’ve learned that forcing it makes everything worse. So I don’t do photo shoots and share images I hate anyway but I put my phone away and have screen-free days or hours. I go on long evening walks (even when it’s 37C / 99 F outside), bake cakes and sit on the balcony doing nothing. Have you tried that lately. It’s so hard in the beginning but doing nothing other than maybe thinking has been one of the best exercises to clear my head. Since this week I’m seeing light again at the end of the tunnel. I picked up my camera again, started writing for my blog and came across some pretty amazing podcasts that gave me the right pep talk at the right time. If you like podcasts and want to feel inspired and motivated I can highly recommend listening to @onegirlband_ and @local_milk latest episodes. What are the books or podcasts or accounts or blogs that inspire and motivate you?
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 #saveur #lifeandthyme #onthetable #appetitejournal #theartofslowliving #kinfolklife #gatheringslikethese #cntravelereats #tablesituation #documentyourdays #gatheredstyle #vzcomade #makeitdelicious #seekthesimplicity #teamcanon #shareyourtable #thatsdarling #makemoments #dubaieats #untoldvisuals #pursuepretty #click_vision #smallthings #ourplatesdaily #darlingdaily #persuepretty #finditliveit #f52grams
Spring Skillet Pizza with asparagus, sugar pea sna Spring Skillet Pizza with asparagus, sugar pea snaps, edamame, pesto and basil - the first attempt of many more to come. Have you ever made skillet pizza? It looks super easy but mine collapsed when I tried to put it into the hot cast iron pan. But the taste is still super delicious. No need for a pizza stone 💁🏻‍♀️😄
🎨Edited with „Scandinavian Blue“ bundle & „Moody Darkness“ Preset (link in my profile @blackwhitevivid )
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 #foodandwine #lifeandthyme #eattheworld #veganfoodporn #plantbased #beautifulcuisines #plantfueled #vegantreats #plantstrong #diaryfree #veganfoodlovers #realfood #wholefoods #veganfoodshare #bestofvegan #cleaneats #healthyliving #vegansofig #tablesituation #dubaifood #teamcanon #dubaieats #gloobyfood #thekitchn #feedfeed #bhgfood #whatveganseat #huffposttaste
Slowly trying to get back into my routine after ou Slowly trying to get back into my routine after our 2-week vacation. It’s harder than I thought. During the first few days of my holiday I needed a lot of time to just relax and sleep. And then when my mind was well rested, it started working again. New ideas, new projects, new goals. But I didn’t act on them, I didn’t judge, I just let them come and go. That’s the hardest part because I always feel like I need to sit down the next minute and start working. I just knew that I needed a few more days off and that I should really take some time for myself doing something other than work. So being back home I have all these ideas and thoughts accumulated in my head and it’s such a big mess that it rather paralyses than motivates. Does that sound familiar to you? Maybe I should just take another day off, have some pear rosemary galette and write everything down before I start putting it into action. 😊 And just a little reminder, my favorite Lightroom Preset bundle is still 50% off until tomorrow (link in profile @blackwhitevivid). Just saying 🤷🏻‍♀️😊
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 #veganfoodporn #wholesome #appetitejournal #beautifulcuisines #plantbased #plantfueled #vegantreats #plantstrong #wholefoods #diaryfree #veganfoodlovers #seasonalfood #realfood #dubaifood #letscookvegan #cntravelereats #veganfoodshare #vzcomade #healthyliving #eattherainbow #bestofvegan #sugarfree #cleaneats #bbcgoodfood #vegansofig #teamcanon #dubaieats #gloobyfood
I‘m back to the desert and its slightly warm spr I‘m back to the desert and its slightly warm spring weather (37C/ 99F). I took an unplanned break from posting on my Instagram feed though I hope you liked my Stories from Réunion and Mauritius. It’s quite a change in scenery, I really enjoyed the lush and jungle-like landscape, though I’m really looking forward to some sandy time in Dubai now before I head off to a longer Europe trip mid May. Also, I just wanted to let you know that my favorite Lightroom Preset Bundle is 50% off for the next three days (link in profile @blackwhitevivid ). Happy Editing & Happy Sunday 💛
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#saveur #foodandwine #lifeandthyme #onthetable #theartofslowliving #beautifulcuisines #kinfolklife #gatheringslikethese #seasonalfood #mycommontable #cntravelereats #tablesituation #bevisuallyinspired #gatheredstyle #diewocheaufinstagram #documentyourdays #myeverydaymagic #seekthesimplicity #makemoments #chasinglight #shareyourtable #teamcanon #untoldvisuals #pursuepretty #foodphotography #foodphotographer
Emirati Sweet Dumplings with Coffee Syrup. Another Emirati Sweet Dumplings with Coffee Syrup. Another photoshoot in the desert, another favorite set of photos. Not just because I‘ve grown fond of the sand dunes but also because I‘m joining @terminatetor‘s #virtualcoffeeparty2018 - where other food bloggers from all over the world share a coffee-inspired recipe. The recipe for these dumplings, also known as Luqaimat, is now on the blog (link in profile @blackwhitevivid). I‘ve tagged everyone who participated this year, so if you need an extra dose of coffee this Friday, check out their posts too 😄
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#eattheworld #veganfoodporn #plantbased #beautifulcuisines #plantfueled #vegantreats #plantstrong #wholefoods #diaryfree #veganfoodlovers #appetitejournal #letscookvegan #realfood #veganfoodshare #mycommontable #dubaifood #seasonalfood #bestofvegan #cntravelereats #eattherainbow #cleaneats #vegansofig #teamcanon #gloobyfood #huffposttaste #dubaieats
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A Quick Travel Guide to Dubai and Beyond by Kati of black.white.vivid. // travel photography, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Dubai desert, Dubai food, Dubai restaurant, Dubai cafe, Dubai coffeeshop, UAE travel, food photography, restaurant photography, city photography, Lightroom presets

A QUICK TRAVEL GUIDE TO DUBAI

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VEGAN BLUEBERRY TART INSPIRED BY MY SUMMER IN EUROPE

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