Last week, Instagram’s much-anticipated makeover continued. Now, both iOS and Android app users can upload larger, more beautiful pictures. Without eating up users’ data usage, the photo-sharing platform bumped the previous 640 x 640 pixel resolution standard up to 1080 x 1080 for those viewing and sharing photos on their mobile devices.
The recent roll-out provides mobile users an opportunity to brush up on those photography skills and show off their artistic eyes. Follow these five tips to help your brand leverage the new resolution like a professional photographer:
1. Think Inside the Box
Before you snap that sunset landscape, remember, you’ll be editing and publishing within a box. Envision your shot as a square to avoid cropping your subject out of the frame while editing. If you plan on incorporating one of Instagram’s borders, think about how much that will take away from the original picture as well.
2. Keep It Edgy
Focus on straight lines, symmetry or centering when planning your shot. One of the best ways to accomplish a hip, like-worthy composition is to apply the diagonal principle. By capturing important subjects in a diagonal line, your photo will be visually-appealing both horizontally and vertically.
3. Find the Light
Photos taken on mobile devices are limited when it comes to lighting. Stick with soft, natural lighting to capture highlights or shadows that can be tweaked later with editing apps. Brighter photos get more likes, as do ones with cooler colors like blue and green. While you may want to use filters, avoid them — consumers prefer untouched photos when looking at products.
4. Add Angles, Design Depth
Forget about the zoom function. Place your product or subject at a distance to get the field of depth your smartphone’s camera can’t capture on its own. Get creative with angles to help blur the foreground and focus on your subject. Use empty space to focus on intricate designs or color patterns.
5. Drive Detail
Mix your photo feed up with detail-focused photos. Lead lines up to the feature you’d like to highlight. If you’re promoting a new product, don’t take a typical head-on shot. Instead, go for an angle that draws attention to details that your followers wouldn’t have noticed otherwise.
Looking to increase your exposure with a targeted hashtag strategy? Register for Jenn Herman’s Instagram webinar today!
Images: Nicolas Alejandro, Susanne Nilsson (Creative Commons)