I love taking photos on my phone, and when it comes to a social app, none of ’em have my heart like Instagram does. Here are some tips that I’ve picked up that have helped me in my quest to be an Insta all star and I’m sure one of them will help you, too.

Don’t use Instagram to take your photos

This one may be a dead giveaway to some, but I just wanted to take a moment to remind everyone. It’s limiting in the amount of tweaking you can do to a photo. Take it with your standard camera and load it into the app when you’re ready, and if you can, make sure you take it in Square mode. 🙂

Consider your lighting situation

Photos with good light are crucial to a killer IG photo, and even though there are apps than can help you, an image is easier to edit if it has a great “base.” If you’re taking photos indoors, use a window during the day (natural light does wonders), and a brightly lit light in the evening. If you tap the bright part of the screen, it will yield an underexposed photo. The dark part will do the opposite. If the lighting sitch is dire, lighter backdrops or surfaces help, too! I’ve once used a white piece of printer paper. See for yourself!

Don’t just tap the screen – lock it down

Since you’re taking your photos using your camera, you’re able to get better focus in your images. When you tap your screen, you’ll see AE/AF Lock pop up in yellow. Well, AE stands for Auto Exposure and AF stands for Auto Focus. By holding down on your phone, you’re able to get focus on one point of the photo, giving you that detail shot that you want so bad. Ooh yeah!

Take your selfie to the next level

Ain’t nothin wrong with a selfie. No matter if you’re trying to show off your new necklace, or are just feeling your selfie a little bit, make sure you’re getting your best YOU. While the new iPhone uses your screen as a flash when taking a front-facing photo, it still isn’t as high of quality as if you take the standard way. In the end you will have a grainier photo. Practice your optimum “arm stretch” by looking in the mirror and seeing the screen in the reflection. You can then tell what you need to adjust, and what position your arm should be in in the future.

Want to take that “I’m standing up and want you to see my outfit” selfie? Don’t overextend your arm; Use a selfie stick. A selfie stick may look foolish to some, but can help you in a pinch when no one is around. Additionally, the one I use attaches to my standard tripod, so yes, I’ve used it to take an outfit photo before, using my stick as a shutter. Genius. If you’re dead against a selfie stick, use your earbuds as a shutter. Just plug them in as normal and use the (+) symbol to take your picture.

Download all the apps…then figure out which are your favorite

I want to start by saying that Instagram has come a long with the editing features it has within the app. Most of the time I use these features and no other apps, however, I do have a few in my arsenal that have helped me in a pinch and may help you too! VSCO is tried and true, but Aviary is a favorite of mine, and a go to for lightening and fine-tuning photos. You can also add fun color highlights to an image! I also like Afterlight but don’t find it as easy to use, however, that could be my lack of patience and familiarity with the others. You personally may favor one over the other!

Need to edit a photo but not a Photoshop wizard? Yeah. Me either! TouchRetouch is my go-to app for removing a shadow, mark or anything I don’t want in a shot. The” lasso” works well and you can finger scribble what you want to remove, then save the photo in a few different sizes.

While Instagram allows you to share photos that aren’t square, I still like to make sure my photos look a certain way in the main feed (the photos that aren’t taken in square mode are cut off, not compressed). That’s why I use InstaSize. It helps you not only square photos, but add borders, filters, and even edits video.

Join – or lead the conversation with the use of hashtags

If you want more eyes on your photos, you have to publicize your profile, and not only publicize, but use hashtags. I love to check out Rising Tide Society as they share some popular ones regularly (see this guide). I’ve also found quite a few here that I use and engage with, and when I say engage, I mean liking and commenting on other photos that resonate with me. If you’re a small biz owner or blogger, it helps connect with your audience on a more personal level, and also creates a platform for you to create your own branded hashtag(s) that your followers can get familiar with. For example, I’ve created #TLGtravels and #TLGtips. 🙂

I could go on and on, but then there wouldn’t be a part two to this one day!

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What are some of your favorite tips and tricks for Instagram? Leave them in the comments so we can all learn from each other!

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Photos by Christie Spencer Photography