How I Edit My Instagram Photos

It's been a hot minute since I last did a post like this. I've been putting it off for the longest time because I've already done other similar posts (How I Edit My Instagram Photos, 3 Tips for Better Instagram Photos, How to Flatlay, 10 Must-Have Props) and I was worried I would be repeating too much of the information. As my editing style has changed quite a bit since the last time I shared, it was time for an updated tutorial! 

I mainly shoot with my iPhone 8+ (the main reason I got this was for the camera functions), and occasionally on my Canon EOS 60D for Instagram photos, unless it's for work/blog. Lighting is very important, and I always emphasise on this. I always try to shoot in natural light whenever possible, for me there are certain hours of the day that I get the best light and that's when I try to take the most photos.

APPS I USE

1. Lightroom - You'll have to pay for the desktop version, but the iPhone version is free and does the job pretty well too!

2. Photoshop - Likewise, you have to pay for the desktop version, but free for download on the iPhone.

3. Snapseed - A great and must-have application! Free on the AppStore.
4. VSCO - I've been using this app for ages now, even when it was called VSCOcam (who remembers?). The app is free, but you'll have to purchase some filters.
5. Filterloop - For grain/dust effects.

STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

A quick and typical way for me to edit is on my phone by using Snapseed and Vsco.

I'll usually start by importing the photo into Snapseed and adjust the brightness, contrast, saturation, shadows and ambience from the 'Tune Image' tab. The best part about Snapseed is definitely the selective function, it's a simple and effective tool to select only certain areas to work on.

In VSCO, I tend to go for the HB1 filter and prefer to keep the filter intensity between 5.0 - 7.5; I rarely use it at its fullest, it's completely up to your stlye and preference! And that's how I edit on my phone. I don't always edit on the Photoshop and Lightroom app on my phone, as it's easier for me to work from the computer instead.

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I'll also share a more in-depth way on how I edit, this will require Lightroom and Photoshop. It's best to shoot in raw if you wish to edit on Lightroom, but it works for iPhone photos as well.

I shot this flatlay when it was about to rain, but it was raining almost daily at that point so I didn't have a choice (have to keep the content going), hence the photo's really dark and the white balance is completely off.

Start off by importing the photo to Lightroom (you can use the free version on the iPhone), I'm still really new with Lightroom so I have no tips to share with you guys - oops! I usually like to fix the white balance, brightness, contrast, highlights etc. first before doing anything else. The settings will differ from photo to photo, so play around with it to see what works best with your shot!

You can still that certain areas are not as white as I want it to be, so I'll use the Adjustment Brush tool to go over the areas and either brighten it even further or desaturate it. To accentuate certain colours and make the photo pop, I'll go back with the same Adjustment Brush to go over the specific areas and up the saturation.

I'll increase the sharpness and we're done for flatlays like this! Airdrop the photo back to my phone and add a filter with VSCO.

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For nature/outdoor shots like this, I usually use a different editing technique. I prefer the highlights to be faded, blues to be a little more teal, and have a pop of colour. 

After importing the photo, I'll fix the usual bits as above-mentioned then proceed to the Colour tab. This tab gives you the most control over the colours in your photos. Don't want red? Drag the saturation bar all the way and it takes out any red hues from your photos.

Here's the setting I used for this photo, but keep in mind that settings will differ from photo to photo. You can attempt to use the same settings as I have and tweak it from there. Once I'm happy with the colours of the photo, I'll take to Photoshop to crop the photo and remove any unwanted items (e.g. water bottle, ropes and cone).

That's it! I hope you guys found this in-depth tutorial useful. Don't forget to follow me over on my Instagram (@ardaisy_), or share with me your edited photos I would love to see them! :)

Stay gold, xx