How to Personalize Your Instagram Feed--Jeanine

In today’s world, one must have to agree that the birth of social media has given rise to a numerous amount of influencers who have made considerable impact on the world, whether it be by voicing their views on certain global issues or sharing their artwork and unique techniques with their followers. However, for the rest of us common folk, social media is not only a platform to exchange ideas and find inspiration, but a method of capturing the little moments in life in posts that have the ability to express ourselves. To do so in the best and most accurate way possible, there are steps that can be taken to ensure that the pictures that you choose to post are perfectly YOU! Here are the tools needed:

• -  Camera
  
• -  Pinterest
  
• -  Afterlight
  
• -  Photo app on phone
  

Step 1: Discovering Your Aesthetic
When considering the appearance of your feed, you must first ask yourself: “What is my
style?” Are you edgy or perhaps minimalistic? Do you love color, or is monochrome more pleasing to your eye? If you don’t already know, a great way to spark your interests is by finding inspiration from others whose feeds you find fit your aesthetic. Searching up hashtags on Instagram can also help you find your interests more efficiently. For me, Jenn Im’s account is one of the many that suits the style I personally like. 

Step 2: Taking the Photo
With the evolution of photo editing apps, the most expensive camera isn’t necessary to
achieve, well, a ​really​ good picture. So, don’t stress, your simple smartphone camera will do the job! It’s also important to note that while there are moments that can be effortlessly captured in one perfect photo, these opportunities are usually hard to come by. So, don’t be afraid to take as many pictures you want until you are satisfied.
If you are taking pictures of yourself, lighting is one of the most important factors to take into consideration. Pictures taken outdoors usually give you the best outcome. In my experience, optimum lighting isn’t accomplished in direct sunlight, but rather, in a shaded area. This eliminates the possibility of squinting eyes from the bright sunlight and also prevents the light from washing you out. While taking photos facing the sun can make achieving your desired photo more difficult, you must also ensure the photo isn’t taken completely against the light either, for this will only capture your silhouette rather than your beautiful face. An example of a photo that implements these tips is shown below: 

Another good tip to take into account–should you feel that today just isn’t your most photogenic day–is to try out poses that you feel are the most flattering or feel the most natural for you. If you find yourself feeling stiff or just flat-out awkward, Pinterest is a great app to use to help you find poses that suit you and the aesthetic you want to give your feed. This way, you can get more comfortable in front of the camera and experiment with different looks. Examples of ideas I have pinned are shown below: 

But if all else fails, just smile!
Step 3: Editing Your Photo
Making edits to your photo is probably the most crucial step in improving the quality of
your photo and executing the ideas you retrieved from Step 1. The app Afterlight is one

photo-editor that provides a wide array of tools to fit the needs of your photo as well as cool features such as light leaks, double exposure, color shifts, and so much more. 

Once you open the app and have selected the picture you wish to edit, you can play around with the different filters by tapping the rainbow triangle in the center of the toolbar located at the bottom of the screen. By finding a filter you like and sticking to it, you can consolidate a common color theme throughout your photos so that they compliment each other once they are compiled together. If you find that the filter is too intense, adjust it by tapping on the selected filter a second time to reveal a bar that allows you to decrease the strength by dragging the little circle to the left. This is demonstrated above.

Once you have found the filter you like best, tap the icon directly to the left of the triangle to adjust the photo’s brightness, contrast, warmth, and more. This allows you to brighten up areas of the photo the filter might have made darker or help you change the tone of your picture to make it warmer or cooler, depending on the effect you wish to accomplish. This is accomplished the same way the intensity of the filter can be adjusted. For the photo I have chosen, increasing the brightness would definitely prove helpful in improving the quality and coinciding with the theme of my feed. I also went ahead and used the cropping feature so that photo doesn’t seem to have been taken as far away. 

After making all your edits, you can review them by tapping the clock at the top of the screen. 

If you’re satisfied with your edits, you can tap the “NEXT” button and save the edited photo to your camera roll. Here is a before and after: 

Step 4: Organizing Your Photos

If you are a perfectionist, planning out the way your photos will look once compiled might prove helpful to you! If you have an iPhone, you can rearrange your photos by putting them in an album and holding down on the photo until you can move it around, as shown below: 

Step 5: Posting!
Now you are finally ready to post your photo(s)! Come up with a witty caption, or one
that you feel goes with you picture best. Press “Share” and you are done! Below is an example of a feed I put together: 

Although some might find this process a bit too meticulous, I consider it a fun and artsy way to share parts of myself with others, something that my shy personality has always struggled with. Self-expression has proved to be a beneficial way to discover and appreciate myself, and in this way, I am able to exhibit the person I am through a simple Instagram profile. I hope that with this article, you might be able to too.