“The Pretty Lies, The Ugly Truth”
Instagram took us all by storm, and while we were still figuring it all out, there was the famous Flat lay photos that everyone’s friend, blogger, mother and cat were doing it and now instagram has grown into its own personal thing where people don’t just post mediocre pictures and an awkward barrage of selfies anymore. This has gone to be a place where more and more people express their creativity and personality, HELLO Instagram Aesthetics.
Am sure you have seen them around, and the word Instagram Aesthetics isn’t new. This form of Art is becoming a norm all over instagram, a trend started by Bloggers and Photographers (Correct me if am wrong, But not really!) is becoming everyone’s go to style. If you haven’t jumped on board, trust me when I say you have been missing out, but again, be warned, it’s not as easy as just taking a picture and posting it up. Instagram Aesthetics requires a sense of Discipline, commitment and Passion. If the 3 aren’t on your Plate, you are better off admiring people’s Instagram Aesthetics from a far, this case being your phone.
The Question I Get always after the OMG! I love your Aesthetics!, or Aesthetics goals!, Is How? How do you take your Pictures? What Filter do you Use?, How do you get your Aesthetics on Point?. Whats the real Tea Kymmiee?The long version of it all, after a few million attempts, trial and error later, Frustration and more tears JK! Here I am, confident to have mastered and found my own Instagram Aesthetics. Do stick till the End and trust me, you too will be building your own Instagram Aesthetics In a Few.
Instagram Aesthetics 101
1. The Branding Element.
First thing first, Know your Brand. If you are creative person, this is an easy process or not, depending on what level of creativity you are on. If you aren’t in the creative industry, there is still the whole process of Personal Brand that I talked about a couple of episodes back. So no Excuses. The first thing you need to know is what your brand is about? Are you playful? Are you Bold and Daring? Muted and reserved? Next up it all comes down to color. What are the Colors that your Brand Identifies with? (Think of How Google had played around in this, if you don’t get the logistics at first.)
This part is quite important as it brings about cohesiveness across all your brand work. Which helps you to even develop your Brand image further.
2. Know your Niche
Wait! What? yup, I said, Know your Niche. As long as you are in the Industry, you clearly know by now, the importance of this factor. This will help you curate your content with your niche at the back of your mind. Think of the type of people you would like to attract more to your Instagram portfolio. If you are Make up influencer, More Make up related post will be found in your Page, for Dog lovers then clearly dog post, a Fashion Blogger more outfit and fashion post, Food or Travel the same thing. And so on and so forth.
I do a bridge of Fashion and Lifestyle and you can see that in my posts. I use the Lifestyle shots as the empty spaces to avoid the monotony of #OOTD but more on this later.
3.Edit your photos in a similar manner
Picking a color scheme, filter, or similar editing process is a surefire way to ensure that your feed will be cohesive. The desired effect is to have images sit together as if they were a story. So take your time in deciding what shades of color, editing techniques, and tones work with your desired aesthetic. So whatever Pictures you take make sure they have more than just the same color, they should complement one another and the shades of color should be alike.
4. Curate an Instagram Theme and Stick to It
The part we have all been waiting for. Instagram Aesthetics come in so many forms and colors. But over and over, some tend to fall into the same categories. The difference is seen in how one injects their personality and creativity spin into it. Remember, your Instagram Aesthetics or theme is a reflection of who you are and what you love. Don’t feel like you have to stick to “rules”. There are no rules, but there are rules, if that makes sense. You make your own rules. The secret to making a beautiful theme is to love what you share and stick to a style.
Below are a few of the Instagram Aesthetics or Themes to choose from.
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White Border Theme
A very easy way to start a theme is by using a white border. Even if you share very different photos, your overall feed will look consistent.
It spaces out your photos very nicely.
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Black Border Themes
Black borders are very rare on Instagram at the moment. So you will definitely stand out. Perfect for dark themes, like Grunge and Moody themes.
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Rectangle photos theme
This theme idea is elegant and different. This theme idea is perfect if you want your viewers to focus their attention on one part of the photo. In fact, I think it highlights the most beautiful parts of a photo. It almost seems like a photo tells a story. Why? Because each photo is separated by a lot of white space. It gives us, viewers, time to appreciate each one of them when we scroll down.
- Same filter and tint
This theme idea would be the first one I recommend to you: People will recognize your photo style straight away if you stay with the same style over and over. It is NOT the easiest theme to maintain. However, It makes your overall feed look cohesive when someone looks at your feed for the first time. To achieve this, your photos should almost always be taken in the same conditions, If it’s a white Theme, them more white backgrounds and the same Editing process and Filter used. The same filter gives an overall mood to your whole feed. So choose wisely based on the type of photos you take.
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White Instagram feeds themes are beautiful.
You have to know that keeping a white theme is a lifestyle. You need a lot of light (natural light is the best). And you need to surround yourself with white to make your photos pop. It will require more thought and planning.But if you can achieve the perfect balance, your photos will definitely stand out.
Personally I do a White Theme with a Blue Tint-ish Filter to stand out in the whole pull of white theme Association all over the world. But really, This is such a common theme among Fashion Bloggers, Inspired by tumblr and pinterest.
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Color coordinated theme
Choose a color palette to make your theme. Choose one, two or three colors that you will always use in your photos. For example, if you choose Pink as you main theme color, then make sure to always have something pink in your photos.
Stick to the same color palette all the time and you have a winning color-coordinated theme.
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Minimalist theme
If you want to challenge your creativity and imagination, try a minimalist theme. It is absolutely beautiful to scroll through. It requires a lot of Empty negative spaces along the same color pallets.
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Dark theme
Another favorite on Instagram is the dark theme. Everything is underexposed. Photos are dark, moody and mysterious and the feed looks very well put together.
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Black & white theme
If you’re feeling adventurous, try a black and white theme. They are very powerful themes. No color distraction. You let your viewer appreciate the subjects in your photos, in all their beauty. There are different types of black and white filters. You can also play with the textures in your photos to give them an extra edge.
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Flatlay theme
Flatlays we have a whole post in this one, and how to actually perfect it. You can tell your story in one flatlay: what you ate this morning, what you love to wear, what you love to use, your current mood. The trick is to let your imagination run wild. Spread your favorite things on a surface elegantly.
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Color splash theme
And the best for last… I think using color splash is a fantastic and super creative way to make a theme. A few people can really muster this and it has to start as far back as from your lifestyle as a person.
5. Look at the bigger picture
Instead of focusing on what you are going to post one by one, take a step back and look at your feed as a whole. What makes your photos flow together? The most beautiful feeds are those that feature a variety of subjects that are spaced out evenly. Resist the urge to post photos that do not fit in with your desired aesthetic. So, if your feed is bright and airy, try not to upload a night-time photo because it will take away from the master plan. If it is hard for you to envision if a picture will fit with your aesthetic, utilize Instagram planning sites such as Planoly or Latergram to help you organize your images weeks in advance.
6. Post content that is engaging
Curate content that is meaningful because it creates emotional connections, while attracting potential buyers. Users don’t want to feel like customers, they want to feel like they are a part of a community with shared interests and values. One way to engage your followers is to encourage and inspire them to post their own photos that reflect your product or personality. This will increase social interaction and generate authentic content that can be used for your feed! Another idea is to implement photo stories in order to foster dedicated followers who resonate with your brand identity. Photo stories complement the aesthetic by adding a human touch to posts. On our own Instagram we feature photo stories from time to time to showcase the unique experiences of our photographers.
7. Creativity and Personality
Remember Instagram is a visual app. Make sure it reflects that. As i said above, Majority of the people do the same kind of themes, the only thing that will help you Stand out if your creative spin and personality injected in your posts. Don’t be shy, let that inner rock star fly. and share your creativity with the world. Remember there is only one of you.
8. Have Fun
Remember at the end that it is just Instagram. But really it’s not, because you read this Far Ha! Anyways, While it may be addicting to spend a lot of time working on the overall aesthetic, do not go overboard with it. Curating a gorgeous feed should be something that is fun and allows for creativity. Do not be discouraged if you do not have an endless stream of followers in the beginning or if you slip up and post something that does not flow. Easy Delete will fix the problem at hand Ha! It all takes time and practice, so enjoy the journey!
There you have it my Darlings, My sure way on How to Instagram Aesthetics 101. Hope you Found this helpful. Do you have any other Instagram Aesthetics 101 to share? Sound them below! Till Next week, same time same place. Xo
2 Responses
Great post love and very great points, I just love your insta.
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