Thanks to the beautifying effect of Instagram, day to day activities are no longer mundane chores. Grocery shopping? That’s a gourmet stroll to you. Your please-keep-my-eyes-open-it’s-7am-coffee? Part of the chic #coffeegram elite. No makeup? No one needs to know! Here’s blogger Monica Beatrice Welburn’s top 5 tips on fancy-fying the everyday…
1. See beauty EVERYWHERE.
Keep your eyes peeled for little nooks of beauty in unexpected places, including above eye level! Perhaps it is the abstract graffiti at your local underground station, hanging basket outside the pub, or sorbet hues at sunset. Pay attention to the crop of your image and cut out anything which detracts from your focus. No one needs to know that your pretty tile pic came from the ladies loo! Top up with a filter.
2. Use your routine to your advantage.
Always start the day with a coffee? Get creative with photographing it. I like to place my coffee cups on pretty surfaces and find something attractive to sit nearby. Flowers are an insta-favourite. Take your image from above, and if you’ve got coloured nails, wrap your hand around your mug to show off your manicure. A personal element - even a thumb - adds an authentic touch and engages followers. Then get hashtagging! Coffee is SUPER popular on Instagram.
3. Make the most of your desk space.
A lot of people spend a LOT of time at their desk! Time to get creative. Arrange your desktop items in a way which says ‘busy but chic’. Coloured items like bright stationary really pop! And remember - if you are photographing your computer screen, set the background to something you’d want to share; I like to have mine set to my favourite blogs or magazines - that way you can tag them in the image too which may spark an interaction. If anything, photographing your desk space will encourage you to keep it tidier, and even invest in new insta-worthy office supplies!
4. Photograph your shoes.
The ultimate no-makeup day trick! Want to captivate your followers but can’t face a full OOTD? Focus on the shoes. Holding your phone at chest height, tap on your screen to focus on your shoes. Step onto an interesting floor - a patterned rug, pretty porch or wooden floorboards are some of my favourites. You can use your other hand to hold something in sight - a coffee cup, clutch, book . . . anything which you can use to spark an interesting comment. If there is no such comment in sight, a simple “great shoes make the day better” will do.
5. Food shopping IS interesting.
We ALL know a foodstagram is popular - how often do your friends rearrange your starters to get the best aerial view?! Whilst this is still a winner, finding a way to photograph your food shop is more modern. Summer is full of photogenic fruit and veg bursting with colour which translates beautifully on Instagram. Use perspective to create an interesting image. Stand at the end of the fruit aisle and pan up the rainbow of colour. Or line up fruit and take the image from above. Even a single fruit like a juicy nectarine, placed on a clean background can make for a colourful graphic image. If all else fails, grab a pineapple. Everyone loves pineapples.
** Scroll through the gallery below to get some more insta- inspiration from Monica.**