My instagram filters and my tips to take a great picture

Hello my darlings ! I hope you’re having a great week ! Today, I want to write a practical article. Many of you have asked me what filters I was using on Instagram. And I understand that it’s not always easy to know it all when you start. It took me a while until I found my “style”. I started at the beginning with dark pictures, almost not filtered, then I went to super saturated and colored pictures. And slowly, I found my style, my signature. I discovered new apps, new tools. I learned how to take a good picture, making the best out of the light, the context. So, I thought about sharing with you all my tips. Hopefully you’ll find it usefull. 

My instagram filters and my tips to take a great picture

Let’s start with the basics : how to take a great picture? Yeah because finally, if your picture is bad from the beginning, you won’t have a nice result at the end, even with the best filters. To me, there are some fundamentals you have to respect when taking a picture :

++ Use natural light ++ 

Take your picture in a light area ! Use ideally natural light : outside or inside but close to natural enlightened areas (ex : close to windows). Natural light is the best to get a very clear picture, without the pixel effect. And it makes it much more easy to retouch with filters.

Tip : if your place is not enlightened, you can use LED lamps, with a cold light. It reproduces natural lightning perfectly and can balance the lack of light you have. For example, I got that amazing photo studio for Christmas from my lovely boyfriend, which allows me to take light pictures even when it’s evening or night (actually… evening ! During the night : I sleep! :)).

++ The background ++ 

I advise you to always keep a clean background when you take a picture. Indeed, making your background clean will focus the eye on the foreground of the picture, which is where you want the eye to actually focus. For example, the picture of an object will be much more professionnal if you take it in front of a white wall instead of in front of a full-of-objects shelf.

So : white, wood, marble, a table, a sheet, a curtain, a wall. Anything unicolor and clean will be the perfect background. You can of course also use a nice place (nice appartment corner, nice landscape) as a background. As long as it’s tidy (inside) and cleared (outside).

Some backgrounds examples : 

++ The context ++

I love adding some context to my pictures, to give them a tone, a personality. Sometimes, it’s just enough with adding some decoration / side objects. See for example this autumn picture :

Here you go, normally if you apply those basic concepts you’ll get a great picture ! Yeah! It’s not like Instagram yet? It’s normal ! You still have to apply filters ! Filters do a lot ! And on Instagram, you can use and abuse them ! So have fun !

For very long, I was using only the Instagram filters. But since a few months, I have a little secret. A little secret some of you might already know, but that might also change the insta life of some others…  😉

++ Filters on VSCO CAM ++

This little secret is the VSCO CAM mobile app. It’s free and available on Android and iPhone. Once you’ve downloaded it, add to your “studio” all the “free” filters. You’ll then be able to go through them and fine your own style. I advise you to always use the same 2 ones, maximum. So your feed look homogeneous. Personally, I use all the time the A5 filter. Sometimes the HB1. They’re similar : it basically depends on which picture I’m working on.

You can then play on the contrast, the exposure, the shadows, the highlights, the saturation, the heat, the structure etc. Once all this is done on VSCO, your picture is basically almost ready !

The changes I do the most:

• Exposure +2 to 4
• Contrast +2 to 4
• Saturation 0 to -2
• Sharpen/Structure +1 to 2

++ Filters on Instagram ++

Then, you’re ready to upload to Instagram. Here also I always use the same 2 filters depending on the picture : Juno and Ludwig. Generally, adding this extra filter, it gets too “white” so I  also adjust the intensity of the filter, the contrast and the exposure.

Here is an example of a picture, right after the shot, after VSCO and the final result (on Instagram) : 

Of course these are my techniques and my filters. I advise you to find your own filters and adjustments, your own style. But, all the basic rules like

• Taking a great basic shot (1st part of this blog post)
• Using first VSCO CAM (not more than 2 filters)
• Import then on Insta (not more than 2 filters)

are valid whatever your style is !

Here you go dears ! I hope sincerely that you will like this article, and that my tips will be useful ! Do not hesitate to give me your feedback as a comment. You know how much I love to read you ! Lot of kisses ! And enjoy the rest of the week !