Hashtag Authentic Read online

  Of course, the threat of trolling or abuse is a real concern, and I’ve written a little more about keeping safe and protecting yourself from this shown here. But if sharing outfits, beauty or fashion in your images appeals to you, I wish for you the joyful courage to do so without letting the naysayers and bullies of the world being able to drown out your creative voice.

  Capture outfits in a whole range of ways. From laid out flat on the bed before dressing, to hanging on a wardrobe, to a selfie or portrait of you wearing it in action.

  Add hats. They make a great addition to any portrait, particularly of a figure against a landscape. Something large and architectural stands out and adds character and interest to the person in a wider scene.

  Show accessories in context. A watch on your arm, a handbag slung over the back of a chair – or styled into a flatlay or scene.

  Wear something that reflects the mood or atmosphere you’re trying to capture. The colours, texture and weight of the fabric, silhouette and positioning of clothes all change the mood and meaning in portrait photography.

  Don’t always stay static. Video works brilliantly to showcase the motion in outfits and clothes. One of my favourite quotes from singer Ani DiFranco says, ‘I don’t take good pictures because I have the kind of beauty that moves.’

  Have fun with costumes and fancy dress. It’s fun to play, whether it’s creating a photo scene or simply a snap before you dash out the door to a party. Have fun dressing up your whole family or friendship group in co-ordinating outfits, or choose contrasting clothes to highlight the differences between two people in one frame.

  HASHTAGS TO EXPLORE

  #midsizestyle #mystylediary #ootdflatlay (‘ootd’ is short for outfit of the day)

  ‘If you’re not normally pouty in snaps then don’t try and force it. I always smile, twirl about and aim to show a bit of my eccentric personality. Keep reviewing the photos to see what you’re happy with (it also helps if you have a patient photographer who will keep you calm). If you get really stuck, then try and research a few poses beforehand and save them to an Instagram Collection. Props are always useful, too, so experiment with flowers or holding a colourful magazine.’

  @iamkristabel, UK

  FAMILY & PETS

  There was recently a news story about a box of old photo slides found at a second hand sale. When the equipment was found to develop them, a stack of family photographs from the early 1900s were revealed – strangers, living their daily lives, yet somehow still relatable and compelling. Portraits of those closest to us offer the chance to catch something different – an unguarded, natural take that is entirely different to what we see in studio photos or staged professional shots. This distinction creates an image with so much depth and affection that, even a hundred years on, it can leap out of the frame and tell its story.

  Remember the mundane. Include everyday moments that you most associate with each person – shining their shoes, grinding their morning coffee, styling their hair, washing their car.

  Capture a range of expressions. I’m forever grateful to my mother-in-law for her tip to photograph my baby as she cried as well as when she smiled. When you’re living with a newborn it’s hard to imagine you’ll ever want to see a tearful face again, but when they grow big and it’s long forgotten, that scrumpled, red little face is a ticket back to those early, desperate and magical days. A serious-faced partner at work; the neutral expression of a grandparent as they sip their tea. We’re used to pasting on false smiles for photos, but our natural expressions are capable of so much more.

  Pets are family too, and always a popular feature on social media. There are apps available that will play a novelty sound before shutter release to capture your pets’ attention and encourage them to look at the camera – these work well on young children or anyone feeling camera shy, too.

  Be mindful whenever you share images of other people online. This goes especially for children or vulnerable adults. See here for more notes on online safety and deciding what you want to share.

  HASHTAGS TO EXPLORE

  #thehonestlens #the_sugar_jar #hellostoryteller

  ‘I try to capture my children as naturally as possible.

  As Instagram is a platform where everybody can see your kids’ photos, I really try to be cautious, not to expose them too much. So I often shoot from above, crop some parts of the body, take photos of them from the back. I really want my photos to suggest things rather than obviously showing them. It is a more subtle way to tell a story.’

  @cecilemoli, France

  LANDSCAPES & NATURE

  It’s easy to take the landscapes we see everyday – whether an urban skyline or something more rural and empty – for granted. When I first moved out of the city to the dramatic green hills of Yorkshire I vowed to never stop appreciating the view outside my window, but some days I do still love to get lost in the otherworldly landscapes of far-flung destinations on my Instagram feed.

  The brilliant global connectivity of Instagram means there are always fresh eyes to see our familiar, domestic terrain anew, and to offer the same experience in return.

  Capture the scale of a landscape. Include small details, like distant houses or a figure in the foreground to provide a contrast in size.

  Pay special attention to your angles and lines. When shooting large-scale landscapes, make sure your horizon is perfectly straight. (See here for more composition tips.) Shoot from a few different angles – standing, crouching, moving side to side – to compose with different amounts of foreground, background and sky.

  Consider the orientation of your photo. Landscapes are traditionally shot, unsurprisingly, in landscape, but a portrait capture fills more of the screen online.

  Aim to tell a story with your landscapes. Wherever possible remember our motto of ‘moments, not things’. Your framing, the weather, colours, mood and details can all make a landscape feel like a living moment to draw your viewers in – just as the old masters in landscape painting included figures, cattle and homes.

  Capture small details of nature around you. Sometimes our landscape can simply be your view across the grass at the park, or the way the flowers tumble down the wall.

  HASHTAGS TO EXPLORE

  #exploretocreate #folkscenery #beboundless

  ‘We post on Instagram so other people can see our pictures. It’s important to think about what those people see. What do you want to say with your photographs? What story do you want to tell? What colours will convey that mood? Really look at your surroundings, visualize how you want your picture to look and do what you need to do to achieve that. It might mean moving position, waiting for the light to change, but it could be the difference between a good photo and a great one.’

  @theslowtraveler, UK

  WHIMSY & MAGIC

  We’ve talked a lot about capturing the world around you, but your inner world has a place in all of this too! If you’re finding yourself imagining impossible scenes or would like to bring your daydreams into the frame, you’ll find Instagram is a natural home for whimsical and creative content, where it can really stand out.

  Start simple. Experiment with props, mirrors and unexpected compositions with an element of magic. Try substituting an everyday item for something different, like covering your hair with flower petals or filling a bathtub with milk.

  Play with forced perspective. Moving objects nearer or further away from the camera to make them appear larger or smaller than they really are (like in that typical ‘tourist holding up the Tower of Pisa’ photo!). You might need a friend to help you capture both elements at once for this, or some people find it easier to take the two images separately and combine them digitally for the finished scene.

  For added help, look into the world of digital manipulation. Adobe’s Photoshop is the gold standard for this kind of editing, but there are also a range of more affordable and beginner-friendly apps such as PicsArt that you can use on your phone.

  Shop around for inspiration. S
ites like Pinterest, Tumblr, the PicsArt app photo stream as well as your favourite magazines or children’s books can all spark ideas and inspiration.

  Credit where it’s due. Remember to credit your inspiration whenever possible, and never use copyrighted imagery in your own compositions without a license or consent. There’s a range of free-to-use imagery available online, and Google image search makes it possible to see only royalty-free results.

  HASHTAGS TO EXPLORE

  #scenesfromtheceiling #mymagicalmirror #make_more_magic

  ‘For me, Instagram is all about creating images that pull people in, that make them look again, want to see more, or feel connected to it. I want to stop people from scrolling and be intrigued enough to engage with the image. I want people to feel transported for a while, laugh for a while, be outraged for a while or just be stuck in a story just enough to forget for a while. I think that’s what a good Instagram image does; it gives you a break even if it’s just for a moment.’

  @bookishbronte, UK

  SHARING YOUR WORLD

  A PERSONAL EXHIBITION

  People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

  Maya Angelou

  Your Instagram gallery is just that – a hand-curated exhibition of your life in pictures and video. As the curator and designer of this gallery, you get to choose how it’s presented to the world.

  What is your exhibition about? How do you want it to make people feel?

  If you’ve ever typed your name into Google, you’ve probably spotted your Instagram page in the top couple of search results. As the platform expands to offer increasingly more content options – Stories, Story highlights and now IGTV – our Instagram profile acts like our go-to Internet homepage – an unintentional business card to the masses. With everyone from prospective dates to our future employers potentially giving it the eye, there’s value in crafting something that really does us justice.

  That can feel a little counter-intuitive given the name and nature of the app. Instagram began as a place to share ‘instant’ moments, using only our camera phones and the simple filters offered in-app.

  Now, most of us will shoot in advance. We hook up to DSLR cameras, use more sophisticated editing software and consider carefully whether something is worthy of taking a space on our ‘grid’. All of these changes can be directly traced to people realizing the huge power and potential the app provides – with so much at stake, creators have had to continually up their game.

  It can seem daunting, at first, to plunge into an arena with so many people already ahead. How do we know what’s worth sharing? Is it really possible to learn on the go? How do we keep the space to experiment and to please our own creative impulses when it feels like the world might be waiting to see us fail? Below is my advice for when you feel overwhelmed in the face of public scrutiny.

  YOU’RE NOT BEHIND

  You’re not in competition and it isn’t a race. Think of your creative journey as a winding path or a toboggan run down a mountainside. It doesn’t matter how fast you get to the end: you’re the only one on your path, and the finish line will still be waiting for you.

  LISTEN TO YOUR AUDIENCE

  Did someone tell you that your comment or caption made their day? Did a Story you shared really resonate, and get five times as many responses as usual? By tuning in to our audience we’re better able to see the value our work is bringing to the platform, and how we can lean into that more.

  POST YOUR BEST

  Wherever you are on your photographic journey, push yourself to share your very favourite work on your gallery. If you’re very new to photography, your best work might still feel a bit basic or disappointing to your own eyes, but it’s that ability to see where you want to improve that will eventually make your work great. Keep scrutinizing, analyzing and asking yourself what you could have done better, and putting your very best work out into the world. Our best doesn’t have to be perfect – it’s just about being happy with what we’ve created, and sharing from a place of joy.

  EMBRACE THE PUBLIC LEARNING CURVE

  Scroll back far enough on anyone’s Instagram feed and you can see anyone’s progress unfold. Head to my account at @me_and_orla and you can see the gradual evolution of my style, voice and skills, from shoddy, blurry iPhone snaps to the work I’m creating today. It can feel scary to put out our work to an audience when we don’t truly feel ready – but the rewards are the greatest when we do. Instagram is largely a safe and nurturing space in which to put ourselves out there, and all that feedback and connection is the best motivation to keep pushing ahead. Leaning into the public learning curve and sharing your journey of discovery helps forge connections and allows people to invest in you and what you’re trying to do, right from the word go.

  LET GO OF THE FEAR OF JUDGEMENT

  Stop trying to appease the imaginary negative reactions inside of your head. It’s understandable, of course – holding up our creative ambitions to a sea of strangers is incredibly vulnerable, and it’s normal to feel afraid. But often it’s not the strangers, but the people we know best – friends, family, neighbours and colleagues – who we’re most concerned about receiving that judgement from. It’s the folks who’ve got us labelled as one thing, who we suspect might not have room to let us be anything else.

  Notice how this judgement is largely imagined – is there any actual evidence that they think this way? Have they said anything to prove it? If they have, remember that negativity like this is almost always about them, and rarely actually about us. Whenever we get jealous, bitter, resentful or scornful, it’s really a sign that there’s something amiss in our own private world, that we’re usually trying quite desperately to ignore. If there are people in your life who make you feel this way, check whether they deserve and really need to be there. If they don’t, gently let them go.

  CONTINUE TO EVOLVE

  In this book I’ve mainly focussed on Instagram, but everything we’re looking at is transferable to any online platform. It was true on ‘bulletin board’ forums, it was true on MySpace, and it will continue to apply to whatever form social media takes in the future, too. (I’m hoping for Hologram™.)

  While the apps and platforms may change, the motivation behind using them – that very human desire for connection and community – will never fade away. Master the art of communicating well through a screen and you’ll be able to reach out to people no matter what changes may come.

  PLAN YOUR GALLERY

  Great gallery pages generally equate to good follower growth. With time short and screen space precious, people are increasingly picky about who they hit that ‘follow’ button for, and most are looking for evidence of a cohesive, predictable level of great content in their split-second assessment of a page. The stats repeatedly show that a balanced gallery converts to new followers much more than something ad hoc or fragmented. If you frequently get visitors to your page who like individual images without hitting follow, your gallery layout is often a prime contender for the cause. That doesn’t mean you have to forgo all spontaneity, though.

  Here are a few pointers for curating a gallery that grabs people and draws them in, without losing the magic along the way:

  USE AN APP

  The easiest way to plan out your gallery is using one of the host of Instagram planning apps. Most offer options to sync with your existing Instagram gallery and then allow you to drag-and-drop new images into position to try out how they’ll look. You can often draft captions and hashtags, too, allowing you to really think out your messaging and value ahead of sharing. I typically have three or four images lined up ready to post, but keep things loose and flexible enough to make room for things to change. If you take a photo that you just can’t wait to share, it’s easy to rearrange what’s scheduled to work with the new layout instead.

  Most of these apps offer the option to post directly to Instagram for you, but be vigilant whenever you’re
giving permissions to any third-party application. Check that they conform to Instagram’s terms and conditions and, if in doubt, save the post to your camera roll and post the old-fashioned way after planning it out.

  PATTERNS

  A fun and effective way to plan your gallery is to try to build patterns into the flow of imagery. Sometimes this is purely about visual appeal – not wanting too many light or dark images clustered together, or photos with a similar subject or theme. Other times it’s about keeping your message diverse, and making sure you offer value across all areas of your audience.

  Play around with where images sit in relation to each other – not just side by side, but whether one sits on top of another, for example. A planning app comes in really handy here! A classic option to try out is a ‘chequerboard’ of alternating types of post – for example, light and dark images. Because the Instagram grid shows three images across, chequerboarding means no two similar posts will ever align as they move down your feed.

  SAVE UP

  If you shoot a lot of similar content, such as lots of landscapes on one day, try to resist the temptation to post them all right away. It’s generally nicer for your audience to get to digest each image in isolation, and flooding people’s homefeeds with a whole batch of similar images at once can be a little overwhelming. Rather than fill two solid rows of your gallery with similar content, consider holding some back while you mix in other work, and spreading the similar images out over a greater period of time. This allows people to appreciate each image on its own, and keeps a sense of variety and wide appeal across your whole gallery view.