With the arrival of summer, many decide to escape to the beach, the countryside, or simply enjoy sunny days in the open air, moments that will undoubtedly be portrayed in more than one photograph. Fortunately, it is no longer necessary to leave the house with heavy cameras, since Smartphones allow us to instantly capture and share images.
One of the social networks par excellence to share these photos and videos is Instagram, a platform that this October celebrates eight years of life.
If you want to share a photo at the height of this anniversary, below, we give you tips from an expert to make your photo truly unforgettable.
Do you know the rule of thirds?
The rule of thirds is a technique used to distribute space within an image to highlight a person or object. In this way, the eye focuses its attention on the item that was previously selected by the photographer.
Aurora Rosselli, an Italian American Fine Artist who acquired Bachelor in Fine Arts and Ph.D. in Archeology specialized in Cultural Assets as a Historian and comments that “to comply with this rule to the letter, you must divide the image into three thirds and locate the person or object you want to highlight in one of the four intersection points of the lines that make up the grid. Never, right in the middle, if not, the eye does not focus its attention on the photo”.
1. Activate the grid on your Smartphone
Rosselli also points out that to apply the rule of thirds and capture straight images, you can imagine the lines or use the visible grid on your Smartphone. Generally, to activate it, you must open the camera, select the ‘settings’ option, and press the function: Guidelines.
2. Be careful with the horizon line
If you want to highlight the lower section of the image – the ground or the sea – place the horizon line in the upper third of the photo. On the contrary, if you want to highlight the sky, place it in the lower third of the frame. Never place it in the middle of the image, especially if the photo is square.
In street style or fashion photos in general, it is preferred to place the horizon line a little higher or a little lower than it or the protagonist of the image. Thus, the “looks” are the most prominent element in the photo. Both the sky and the ground are scenographies, says Rosselli.
3. AE/AF lock on your Smartphone
AE and AF are automatic in-camera functions of Smartphones that are useful for capturing images where subjects and objects are not moving. AE is the setting for the amount of light entering the lens, and AF is the focal point that the user selects.
Now, freezing motion is one of the most difficult photography challenges. Aurora Rosselli points out that to achieve this, you must open the camera of your Smartphone, focus on the point of the image by touching the screen for a few seconds with your finger until “AE / AF Lock” appears.
4. Be careful with the filters
Choosing the right filter for Instagram and social networks, in general, is essential, as many people abuse them. On Instagram, the most used filters globally are TrackMaven, Lo-Fi, X-Pro II, and Valencia. People have preferences for images with bluish and/or warm tones, not so with red ones. Remember to apply a single filter on the image. Otherwise, the latter will be oversaturated.
Many photographers prefer not to use a filter. However, they take advantage of the images by increasing the brightness or highlighting a subject or object.
5. Quintessential editing tools
Editing tools are a double-edged sword, but if you use them right, they can turn a good photo into an epic image.
It is best to start with general settings such as brightness and saturation. According to international blogger Aimee Song, author of the “Song of Style” site and the bestseller “Capture your Style,” Snapseed is the ideal mobile app for these tasks, allowing you to quickly and easily manage technical details.
If you want to fix the imperfections on your face, another app option is Facetune, since, with the “Smooth” tool, you can smooth your skin and erase details that generate noise in the images such as cigarette butts on the floor.
If you have already edited the technical details of the image, but feel that something is missing to share it, VSCO Cam is just what you need, since it has very subtle filters that will give this final touch to your photo.
6. Lighting is key, do not take photos at any time
“The best time to capture images – especially street style ones – is after sunrise and sunset, especially if a ray of light falls on your face. This way, you won’t need to highlight your face with any editing tool,” says Rosselli.
7. Full-body photos and selfies
Many are afraid of full-length photos because they are not comfortable with their body. However, there is a technique to favor the figure of the subject of the photo. To do this, the person capturing the image must kneel with the camera slightly tilted upward and shoot.
For Rosselli, the best way to achieve a full-length photo “is for the photographer to capture the photo from below while the model is walking.”
“This trick makes the legs look longer. Clothing is also an important item. Some garments favor certain types of body. However, the golden rule is to feel comfortable when standing in front of the camera. There is no universal and infallible formula to achieve a good pose,” she adds.
8. Match clothing to context
For Rosselli, the idea is to tell stories through photos. For this, the outfit must be consistent with the place where the image is captured. All elements of the photo have to complement each other.
