With the development of digital era, Instagram is no longer just another social network. It is now an important marketing tool for professional and personal matters.

Its content, mainly photos within the scope of travel, food, fitness, fashion, and lifestyle, it is spread among 800 million users nowadays.

Therefore, if you want to have a successful Instagram account, the secret is quite simple: get and publish good pictures. We tell you how:

1. Start by “getting to know” the camera

Nowadays, it is already possible to take good photos without having to resort to big investments, like compact cameras or DSLR.

Among many of the features they offer, smartphones can also have good quality cameras, more and more similar to the professional ones.

One secret is to know how to take the maximum advantage from the photographic equipment that already is available to you on a daily basis. Study all of its features and pay attention to the following tips:

• Always clean camera lens. Objects as cell phones usually are kept in pockets and bags, ending up accumulating dirt. Cleaning the lens before taking pictures seems like a basic tip, but it can make a huge difference in image quality.
• Take pictures while holding the camera horizontally. This works better, considering the standard Instagram publication format.
• Hold the device firmly and frame the image well. The more static the cell phone is, more quality your picture will have.
• Avoid zoom. If you want to photograph the fine details of something, bring the camera closer to the person or object instead of using the zoom. This way you will avoid the bad quality that may come with this tool.

2. Prepare the perfect scene

Have you ever stumbled upon an image on Instagram with an amazingly natural and perfect scenario? Do not be fooled. It was all on purpose for the photo.

Sometimes, having a good background makes the difference between a good photo and a mediocre one. In addition, anyone can achieve it.

Start by idealizing what you want to show, adding and removing objects according to what is needed. A beautiful scenery, without unwanted objects, assures you that all attention is focused on what you want to portray.

3. Take advantage of natural light

Using lightning in your favour is a crucial step in order to achieve a good photo.

When taking an outdoor picture, give preference to natural light, placing the person or object you will need to focus on against the sun.

If you find yourself in a dark place, use a natural source of lightning such as your cell phone flashlight, instead of the common flash. This will avoid many things like that known “red eyes” that sometimes show up on photos.

4. Edit the photo well

After all these steps, the photo you just took will still need an after-production treatment in order to turn it as beautiful as many other popular Instagram photos.

You can do so through Instagram itself, throughout its filters and tools that correct brightness, contrast, sharpness, saturation and temperature.

Smartphones apps are another great option for image editing. Among the most popular ones there’s  VSCO, Snapseed e ColorStory.

Pro tip: If you want to make creative designs with the photos you take, check out Canva. This online tool allows you to create original social media posts, invites, etc with no effort at all.

Now that you already know how to achieve good pictures, prepare yourself to see the number of followers and likes increasing on your Instagram account and posts.

If you follow these tips, do not forget to mention us through @localtuktuk or tag us using #localtuktuk. We will be pleased to know you are on the road to Instagram success.