BONUS! Strong Social Media Images in 5 Simple Steps
As a reminder, this is a training pulled from another course, so it may reference other videos that are inside that course and not part of Instagram 102.
Step One: Choose Your Subject
Can you identify where the eye is supposed to go in these images?
This is a good question to start asking yourself not only as you go through the lessons inside Photo Styling Basics, but also as you scroll through images on social media, and as you get images back from your brand photographer, and as you take images yourself for the rest of your life.
The human brain processes images 60,000X faster than it can read and process text. It’s the reason that visual marketing strategies (including both photo and video) perform up to 94% better than marketing strategies that rely on copy alone.
But your brain also expects to process images that quickly. If you can’t give your viewers’ eyes a clear takeaway from your image (and that always starts with where the eye is supposed to settle), then their brains are essentially going to experience a 404 error, and then they’re going to seek a “work-around,” which usually means moving on to something they can process more easily. I.e., the next image after yours in the social media feed.
You don’t want that.
Fun fact: I have tens of thousands of images saved between my Pinterest and Instagram accounts (add in Facebook and we’re talking truly crazy numbers). The reason for this is that every time in the last 6 or so years that I came across an online ad or social post that caught my eye, I kept it. I wanted to analyze it later and ask myself, “Why did this image, above all others, grab my attention?” It is actually shocking how many of these images had only one thing in common: That my eye knew exactly where to go.
So this is a really good place to start.
Here are a few more examples from other photographers:
Step Two: Know Your Story
Is it boring or delightful to be transported into this story?
Here’s another question to start asking as you rove about in the world, analyzing images and storing away useful information about them: Did I feel automatically transported into this scene? And did that bore or delight me?
Good photos evoke feelings within us. Romance. Nostalgia. Playfulness. Adventure. Calm. These feelings are achieved through storytelling, and photographically, storytelling is context for your main character--the subject.
Here are just a few images from other photographers that transport me into a story. They’re not just another person standing in front of a cute storefront or landmark; they’re not a quick snap of an unboxing or #ootd.
How do you feel when you look at them? And do the photos you take (or that you’ve had taken for you) create a similar effect? Why or why not, do you think?
Step Three: Choose Your Angle
Note to Self: The first angle you consider taking a photo from is almost always the most boring.
This is because our brains are constantly trying to make their own processing more efficient. They want to work smarter, not harder. Thus the first angle we want to shoot from is usually the most obvious, and obvious is often boring.
If you want truly good images, smarter is harder. I have a rule that when I’m shooting something new, I always capture it from 3 different angles, because it forces me to try things outside of “default mode.” I’ll climb up on a ladder and shoot from up high; I’ll move the subject around into different kinds of light; I’ll shoot it super-up-close and then I’ll back way up.
Some of my favorite images around Instagram were shot from a surprising angle, like this one, this one, and this one. Don’t be afraid to try something unexpected. The worst thing that can happen, photographically speaking, is that it won’t “work” and you’ll have to try something else.
Step Four: Eliminate Distractions
Real-time photography v. in the studio: The likelihood of distracting elements
You’re far more likely to end up with distracting elements in an image when you’re shooting on the fly--e.g., when you stumble across a mural you want to have a spontaneous iPhone portrait taken in front of, or your latte gets delivered to your table and it’s just too darling not to take a picture of first.
Distractions happen in these moments because almost always, the top task on your mind isn’t taking a photo; it’s spending time with a friend, perhaps, or maybe it’s just not spending too much time being “that person” who, you know, has to take a picture in front of a mural or snap her coffee before she ever takes a sip.
Whenever you’re torn between being present and taking a photo, and you act quickly, you sacrifice a little something on both ends of your options. You’re not fully present, and you’re likely to end up with a photo that disappoints you.
So right now I’m going to recommend something to you: When you’re spending time with friends and family, or you’re on vacation, don’t worry so much about taking photos. And when you’re taking photos, be fully there to get them done right. Try not to mix the two.
That said, I get that those moments you just can’t go back and replicate are going to happen sometimes and you’re going to want to snap a pic. That’s why Polaroid and Kodak created cameras for the average person. So if you are going to take a photo, tell whomever you’re with, “Listen, I’m going to take two seconds to snap a pic, so if you were waiting for a moment to check your phone, now is it!” and then take a deep breath, choose your subject, figure out your story, choose your angle, and then--you guessed it--eliminate distractions.
Salt and pepper shakers not a part of your story? Say goodbye! The edge of the table not squared off in your shot? Straighten that out! Is there a spill on the table or a trashcan in the background? Wipe up the spill, and either move that can or change your angle. Don’t waste all day micro-managing every little detail, but put yourself in it for 90 seconds, and then come back to the present.
Step Five: Choose Your Supporting Characters
What are supporting characters, anyway?
Okay, you know how in a movie, you generally know the most about the main character, and after the movie you remember their name but no one else’s? Okay, the “everyone else” characters are secondary characters. They’re only there to provide catalysts and context for your main character.
So it is in styled photography. You want the main character (the subject) to be the thing your viewer remembers, and for everything else in the photo to be a little fuzzy in their memory, even though when your viewer is looking right at the photo, all those other characters make sense and seem like they totally belong.
It’s also important to note that in movies, secondary characters only ever appear when they can help move the story forward for the main character. Before the movie The 40 Year-Old Virgin was produced, the script went through several drafts just so the writers could merge multiple secondary characters and pare down the cast to just the characters who were most essential for moving the story forward. Less is more.
This is why after you’ve thrown anything and everything you can into your frame to advance the story you’re trying to tell, you actually want to step back and ask, “Which of these are essential, and which are not? What will make this story sing, and what’s going to drown it out?”
All right, if all that’s sticking, advance to the next lesson!
Hello There! I’m your hostess, Alexis.
I’m the Original Subscription Photographer (& photo stylist) for creative professionals. I run my business in Portsmouth, NH. I’m super pumped to have you here!