I am still obsessed with Instagram – are you? I think it’s a great way to capture small, every-day moments that you might otherwise forget. I love looking back over my photos and remembering when I took them! Here are a few tips for how to make your Instagrams shine.
Use your phone’s camera app to take your photo, then import into Instagram. The built-in camera app has way more capability than the Instagram camera, including zoom, focus, and exposure.
Bonus tip – ever had a photo turn out poorly because your subject was backlit and appeared too dark? On the iPhone, touch and hold your finger on your subject to lock the focus and exposure.
When you bring your photos in from the camera app, you will have the ability to zoom in on your subject – use it! Cut out anything unimportant in the background and showcase the details. Your photos will have so much more interest!
Lux, an enhancement feature represented by a sun icon, enhances the light in your photo. It works best on photos shot outdoors in natural light. It does not work well for indoor photos with artificial light, photos of food, or photos of people.
Tilt-shift, represented by the rain drop icon, places focus on one area of your photo and blurs the rest. You can choose either a circular focus (resize by pinching your fingers) or a rectangular focus (turn it by placing a finger on either end and spinning). Use tilt-shift to highlight one area of your photo or just add a little interest. You can also try blurring your entire photo by making the circular focus as small as you can and sliding it off to one corner.
Once you’ve applied either or both of the above features, you can apply one of the Instagram filters. To preview, tap the filter button at the bottom of your screen. Some filters have a frame attached, which you can toggle off with the frame button in the top left.
• Want to filter your photos without posting them? Switch your phone into “airplane mode” in your settings – any photos you edit will be saved to your phone.
• To quickly “like” a photo in your feed, tap twice on the photo.
• To easily reply to someone’s comment, tap and hold on their username, then click “mention user.”
• Combine the Instagram features with other apps! Check out a few of my favorite iPhone apps.
Fun web tools for Instagram:
- Statigram: view statistics on your photos, share your photos on other platforms
- Webstagram: view your photos and your feed
- Instagrid: view your photos in a neat gallery format
Have any tips to add to my list? I would love to hear them!
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Heya, Thanks for the tips. Downloaded Instagram recently and still unsure about how to use it but hopefully now I have this to refer back to, it will make it a whole lot easier!
Have a good day
Sweet tips! I love instagram it’s a great little app.
thanks for the great tips!!
I’m going to have to try them out
iwanthappilyeverafter.blogspot.com
Great tips. Especially the airplane mode one! Have been looking for a way to do this. Thanks.
excellent article …
very helpful
So glad I found your blog. I loved this article. I am just starting to use Instagram (it’s slowly replacing Facebook for me … so sick of Facebook) so, this was really great!! Thanks so much for posting.
I love your blog and I look forward to keeping up with your posts.
Thank you so much. What you have provided is exactly the info I needed. I wish I had this app last year when I got the phone. Your explanation on how to use the different tools on the app was the best I have found. I am now turning some good pics of my little guy into great pics that’ll be treasured. Thank You.
Im looking to chop my iPhone picture put a few together like a callouge then instgram those what app or how can I do this ? I see so many doing this and really want to find out how I can start too
Hi Jogena! My favorite collaging apps are PicStitch and PolyFrame.
i have an android and use PhotoShake. You can change the page to a square that way none of your collage gets cut off by the Instagram cropper
Diptic is an awesome app to make collages!
PicStitch and Frametastic are great apps for making collagues.
Awesome ideas. Thanks!
A new app that just launched is Picisto, which lets you create photo collages of your Instagram apps. http://www.picisto.com
Do you know how to make a text BOLD or Italic on instagram ?!
How do I make a photo smaller so the whole thing will fit on Instagram? Thanks.
Hi CC! There’s an app called Squaready that you can use for that.
Is there any app that works for the android that does that?
yes, there’s an app called squareit (:
Thank you so much @Keiko!!! I had been looking for an app like Squareready for android for forever thanks to you I finally found Squareit
I commented on a friends photo, and she replied but I never got a notification that they replied. Is it because she’s not following me??
No, Sian. You didn’t get the notification because she didn’t tag your username in her post.
You get notifications for comments made on your own pictures, but you do not get notifications for a comment you made on another person’s picture UNLESS they tag your username in their comment.
Anyone know any good way to print instagram photos?
I am very happy. Your website is very beautiful.
How do I import the photos on my iPhone onto instagram?
Thanks For The Tips! My Name Is _behindthescenes_ By The Way! Follow I Post Nice Pics And People ALWAYS LIKE THEM! But They Just Don’t Follow! Once In A While I Give Shoutouts Though!
it wont let me use the whole picture && i really dont wanna crop it too small is there a way i can make it so i can have the whole picture ?
Anyone know a good app that enables you to fit a “full-sized” pic from your camera roll and upload into Instagram? …Seems as though Istagram has a smaller pic display? Any help would be much appreciated!
I had the same problem with trying to post an entire picture without having it cropped, there’s a dead easy app that let’s you do this called “Easy Square” — http://goo.gl/EvajV — post pictures straight from your camera or photo library with a white background so it looks borderless on Instagram. Cheers!
You can view your image then tilt phone to the side to view it the other
way then take a screenshot. This enables you to upload the whole image..
I love the double tap feature to like a photo on IG. I find myself double tapping on FB to like a picture… um doesn’t work lol!!! I Love IG and love looking at everyone’s photos!!!
Great tips! I use most of these already, but I learned something new (the airplane mode one). Do you know about instaport.me? You can download all your pictures onto your computer OR download just the last ones, whatever. It is great!
Tiffany recently posted..How To: Make Mashed Potatoes
I cant save the pics with that air plane mode.. HELLP haha
Awesome tips! Thank you so much. I have also only just gotten Instagram on my android phone and am learning. I find that I get great photo angles/ideas from following other people, particularly photographers.
why can’t i upload a full picture on instgram.. can you tell me how I can do it ??
why can’t I upload a full picture on Instgram.. Can you tell me how I can ..
Hi
How to make bold text on instagram near the picture?
Thx
I don’t have these icons like lux and tiltshift on.my instagram??!!!
These are great tips, I did realize that it was much better to use the iphone cam and then import into insta but definitely didn’t know about the lux / tiltshift
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Hi,
Do you know how to create an image out of multiple images….4 different pictures combined to make one? I see so many of my friends doing this but can’t figure out how they did it?
Oh, in case this helps someone: I had the same problem with trying to post an entire picture without having it cropped, there’s a dead easy app that let’s you do this called “Easy Square” — http://goo.gl/EvajV — post pictures straight from your camera or photo library with a white background so it looks borderless on Instagram. Cheers!
What app did you use for your first picture on here? The one saying “instagram tips and tricks? Does anyone know?
No app : ) I used Photoshop on my computer as I use for all the graphic on my blog.
Thank you so much, I am kinda new. I did not know about the app so for that I thank you! (:
If you would like to follow me my user name is
amanda12 (:
I recently upgraded to the newest version of instagram and now it won’t let me use pics from my albums on my iPhone but only from my actual camera. I would like to edit old pics that I have saved on my phone from my computer, any ideas /help?
Hello! Thank you so very much for this insight^ it really helped alot!! I do have one question, does anyone know the app that alot of instagrammers use to put the bold white text on their pictures? For example, theres a user called “just_girly_things” , and “things_that_make_you_smile” that have this text on all of their photos. Like, there would be a picture of a dog, and the text might say “having a cute puppy” or other relatable things. I’ve seen these photos on other websites (facebook) as well, and i was wondering what app or site was used. This would help so much please!
an app called Phonto (that’s what I use)
How Can I Make My Text Bold On Instagram ?
i’m pretty sure the only way to make the font bold or italicized is to jailbreak your device. that means you can change the color and font. so they do that and make the font bold! (i’m not 100% sure but I think)
Hi, nice tips.
If you do not mind I would like to introduce our project http://www.fbgramapp.com
It is a simple application that allows you to create from your Instagram feed simple Facebook app.
It is a new application so I would be interested in any kind of feedback
Thank you
Boris, fbgramapp.com
Great article! Thanks for the tips!
Becky Fox recently posted..Apple Pie Oatmeal Recipe
how do i make my photo smaller?
thanks for the tips! you just saved my bacon with something…
x
Great and useful advice tx
Hi, I am using an android phone and I don’t seem to be able to tag a user to reply a comment. Is there anyway to get around this problem?
Amazing, thanks. Really useful, especially the airplane mode trick!
Alex
love your blog! thanks for the tips!
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Definitely going to make sure to follow these. Thanks!
Thanks for sharing this – it read your blog this morning and it really helped when I was taking photos today on Instagram.
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