Has an Instagram post ever inspired you to travel? CheapCaribbean partnered with travel bloggers Natasia Yakoub from DameTraveler.com and Jess Meyrick from TheWonderingDreamer.com to share insider tips on creating the perfect Instagram shot from your vacation photos. With these influencer tips, you’ll be an Instagram pro in no time.
Tips on how to turn your vacation photos into Insta-worthy content
Prepping for your shoot
It’s always best to come prepared for your photoshoot, rather than trying to wing it completely. Prep for your shoot by considering these key factors: lenses, lighting and styling.
Choosing your lens
Whether you’re shooting on a phone or a DSLR (digital) camera, there are many different lens add-ons and options that will help you get the best shot. Lenses are a great enhancer for a photo on your phone (like the Olloclip lens, which gives your phone camera the wide angle and fish-eye effect), but when using a DSLR camera, you’ll want to make sure you know the three main components: aperture, ISO and shutter speed.
Shoot when the time is right
Shooting during golden hour, which is an hour after sunrise and an hour before sunset, almost always guarantees a great photo because it reduces the amount of shadows and overexposure, especially when you shoot the photo horizontally.
Striking the pose
Pinterest is a photographer’s best friend! Use it to gather inspiration for your styled shoots, outfit ideas, poses and destinations. Pro tip: while packing for your beach getaway, base your wardrobe off the color palette of the destination you’re headed to–you don’t want your wardrobe to clash with surrounding colors and elements!
When taking flat lays of your favorite beach essentials, natural lighting is key. If you’re dining at a restaurant, sit at a table near a bright window; if you’re in a room, set up near the brightest window in the room to get the best lighting or simply open all the windows to brighten up the room. When snapping the photo, make sure your phone or camera is as high as it can go to fit your items in the shot and as flat as can be. And don’t be afraid to rearrange items, if needed!
Before you post
Now that you’ve taken your beachy, Instagram-worthy shots, it’s time to post. But, not so fast, beach lover. Here are a few things to consider before you click “share.”
Strategize how you want your feed to look
When it comes to creating the perfect Instagram feed of your vacation photos, aesthetics are important. Before posting, think about how you want your Instagram feed to look and the vibe your viewers or followers will get from it. Are your photos saturated or more vibrant? Are they mostly urban, of city landscapes and buildings? Or will your feed display your beachy, adventurous lifestyle?
Find a photo editing app that works with your feed aesthetics
Once you’ve decided how you want your feed to look, find a photo editing app (like VSCO or Lightroom CC) that will work best for your theme. When using filters, try using the same ones on all your photos to make sure they go well together and match your aesthetics. Pro tip: to avoid running out of space on your phone or camera during a shoot, try uploading your photos to iCloud, Dropbox or your laptop at the end of each day to clear up photo storage.
Choose your hashtags
Hashtags are important if you want your photos to reach a wider audience. Do some research on the location you’re posting about and which popular hashtags are trending. Pro tip: once you’ve chosen a set of evergreen hashtags, save them in your notes so you can easily copy and paste them to any future posts.
Create an engaging caption
Captions are almost as important as the photos themselves. If you want more engagement on your feed, try writing a caption that prompts your followers to respond in some way or that they can find relatable–we all love relatable content! Plus, responding to your comments is also a great way to maintain engagement.
Don’t forget about Instagram Stories
When posting your awesome vacay pics, keep in mind Instagram’s lovely algorithm–you want to make sure your friends and followers are seeing your posts. To make sure your photos are being seen, let your friends know that you’ve posted a new photo to your feed by creating a “real-time” Instagram story with a sneak peek of your new post or maybe a similar photo with a prompt for them to go check out your new post. Stories are also great for any awesome videos or photos you want to share but may not go with your feed’s theme.
Congrats, beach lovers! Now that we’ve shared these insider tips from Instagram influencers Natasia Yakoub and Jess Meyrick, you’re a few steps closer to having a dreamy and strategic Instagram feed of photos from your beach vacay. When posting, don’t forget to use #TrueBeachLover in your caption (or, for non-Instagrammers, you can upload your photos here) for a chance to be featured on our social channels–we can’t wait to see your pics!
Since there’s no better time to take Instagram-worthy photos than on your beach vacay, check out these fabulous beach vacation deals and start packing your bags!
