5 Tips for Taking the Perfect Travel Pictures & Videos For Instagram

It’s 2022, and almost everyone is using their phones; scrolling up and down, texting, liking, “hashtagging” and more. One of the apps people are constantly on is Instagram, a digital platform heavily relying on graphic and visual content such as reels, pictures, short videos, and stories. Being one of the most used and loved social media platforms around the world, users are quite active and share details of their days with their followers. Some share their passion for books with people, some their love for cooking, and others their passion to travel around the world. Instagram offers several features for travel lovers such as sharing pictures of their adventures, sharing videos of them walking around monuments and landscapes, or simply short stories to show other users what they’re up to during this journey. In this article, we’ll be covering five tips for taking the perfect travel pictures and videos for Instagram.

1. Use Instagram Stories:

Instagram stories are perhaps what makes Instagram a popular platform. They provide the follower with a sort of preview of where you are and what you’re doing; Just like commercial teasers, you’re inducing curiosity and intriguing the other users to check your posts and subscribe to your account.  Don’t post pictures immediately, instead, use Instagram stories to talk about your travels and show your followers where you are. There’s no harm in showing off in your stories, you’re simply telling people that there’s more to come and that you’re having fun! You can also download your story, as suggested by Earthweb, and re-use it with some additional editing and filters. 

2. Check The Background:

You take one of the best shots next to a monument or an incredible landscape and you finally know this is the one; your pose was on point, there was no wind and the sun was not that bright. All is well until you see the picture and notice someone picking his nose while walking behind you. Always look for the perfect moment to take a picture and make sure no one would be walking around you. Make sure you’re positioned at the right angle so that you’re not hiding something you’re trying to show in the background. Similarly, you want your background to highlight you, and vice versa. You can add the location on your Instagram post for more visibility and position it in a way both elements are popping out of the picture. 

3. Take Horizontal Pictures & Videos:

It’s time to stop taking boring pictures and light up your poses with some different photo perspectives. One of the best ways to take travel pictures and videos for Instagram is to work on your phone positioning. Say you finally arrive in Paris and you want to take a photograph next to the Eiffel tower, but you don’t think it would fit in a regular photo. The horizontal shot will not only show more details in the picture but will also provide you with better proportions. Horizontal Pictures are quite useful as well when taking landscapes pictures to capture the beauty of the scene. Some shot compositions that may be helpful include the Rule of Third, the golden spiral, Unbalanced, etc. Remember to crop your picture when posting on Instagram to focus on the details.

4. Don’t Stick to Selfies Only:

If you’re traveling with someone, make them take pictures of you in different locations with different poses. If not, try to avoid selfies. It is a fact that taking pictures on your own might be tricky, but with this hack, take many great pictures and give the illusion that you’re not on alone. For this, you may use a tripod or a remote. There is a mini tripod that is lightweight and flexible; you’ll be able to carry one in your bag and no one would notice. Bluetooth remotes are also helpful when you’re trying to take pictures on your own. With a simple button push, you can snap a photo of yourself without having to ask anyone to take a picture and start an awkward conversation with a stranger.

5. Focus Your Lense:

Focus is one of the most important tools for any photographer or anyone who’d like to take pictures, especially outside. You want your viewer to focus on one clear point, something you’d emphasize in your photographs. When taking into consideration lighting and contrast, you can take some of the best outdoor pictures. If the space is too bright, rely on the focus to avoid the blurring; if the space is too dim, add some light and use automatic focus on the subject. It is more recommended to work on these details before taking the picture to avoid editing. By focusing your lens, your Instagram pictures will look sharper, better, clearer, and most importantly more professional.

With these pieces of advice, take your traveling game to another level and take the best Travel Instagram pictures on your next adventure!