There's no denying that, when it comes to travel, Instagram is the king of all platforms. The image driven nature of the site is perfect for showcasing those gorgeous destination shots, from jaw-dropping scenery, to flat lays of beach bags and swimsuits, and even the obligatory hot dog legs by the pool.
But have you ever tapped into the feed of an influencer or even someone you know and wondered just how they got that perfect shot? What do they do? How do they find those gorgeous locations?
It turns out the key to having extremely Instagrammable travels is quite simple - it all boils down to the research that you do beforehand. Find your inspiration, plan your sessions and you'll soon have a feed that could be the envy of all of your friends…
Do Your Hashtag Research
First of all, if you're trying to find beautiful locations in a place you're visiting to post on your Instagram feed - Insta itself is often the place to look for inspiration. Make it a part of your initial research. Say that you're going to visit Malaysia. If you're planning to travel and work and stay in a location for a while, you may be searching online for accommodation,so that you can still have money in the budget to explore further afield as well.
You could then look into day trips that you can take from there such as the Batu Caves or Kuala Selangor, where you can spot monkeys roaming around and view the largest firefly colony in the world lighting up the night sky - all amazing, unique things to add to your Instagram feed.
You could start by scrolling through the location tag for these specific places and seeing what images other people have taken. Also, take the time to follow any major accounts related to your destination, such as the country's tourist board. If there are pictures that really appeal to you, then check the location information and add it to your must visit list.
Find Local Bloggers
From the location hashtag, if there are any images that look high quality and taken by a blogger or social media influencer, go through to their profile and take a look. It can be a rich source of inspiration for shots, styling and other local locations.
Give that influencer a follow and check their posts for recommendations on where to eat and what to pack to suit the local climate and culture. In a lot of cases you can go and click on the accounts of restaurants and hotels that they've visited, and that's when you can begin to get really granular about the one table with an amazing view that you'd like to dine at, or the hotel room with the most amazing bath or funky wallpaper that would make an incredible background for a picture or two.
Don't Forget About Pinterest
When planning your ideal Instagrammable trip, believe it or not, Insta isn't the only place to make it happen - Pinterest is an amazing platform for planning travel. You can find really insightful, easy to follow pictorials on every subject from planning your holiday capsule wardrobe to travelling light and even makeup looks and hairstyles you might want to try out in your new location.
It's also a great source for travel itineraries for your destination and cool and unusual things to do - as well as being another great tool to help you identify that perfect location for a great shot. Just search for something like 'Paris most instagrammable' and you'll usually be overwhelmed by choice.
This can also serve as another channel to find local influencers and loop back to their Instagram accounts for more tips on beautiful locations and hot venues.
Take Your Best Horizontal Shot
Once you've done all your research, you should have a location list of places where you know you'll get those incredible shots. I'm all about that OneNote life to add a list to your phone so that you can take it with you.
When you're visiting that place, consider your positioning in the location. Take a moment to soak in the atmosphere and see what unique angles or perspectives you can get of the scene around you. Take a wider, horizontal shot and you'll capture the best of a beautiful view.
To take the best shots, consider the rule of thirds in your photos - some phone cameras offer a mode with a grid over the viewfinder so that you can balance your shot easier. Break down your shot into three equal sections to make a balanced picture.
Try positioning your subject to the extreme right or left of the frame to make an interesting picture. Find your flow and just shoot - there is a lot you can do with picture editing apps after shooting to correct colour balance, edit the framing and zoom in that can make a so-so shot something special.
Think About Focus And Lighting
Although editing can do a lot after the fact to enhance your images and really make them pop, there's not much it can do to effectively alter focus and very poor lighting. If your picture is extremely dim or very pixelated, it's not going to look great despite sharpening or lightening in the edit.
Learn a few tricks before your trip such as altering the depth of field to enhance the exposure, which will create a brighter, more focused image. Play around with the focus on your camera so that you can create images with a sharply focused subject and slightly blurred out background for a really professional look.
Get A Lightweight Travel Photography Kit
You may be choosing to travel with a DSLR, or you may realise that a lot of the latest phone models have incredible capabilities and just go with that, but it's always worth packing a couple of extra accessories - a lightweight collapsible tripod and a Bluetooth remote.
These are small enough to be packed even in hand luggage, but can really make a difference to the shots you are able to take and the final quality. If you're travelling alone, they are also essential if you want to be able to take pictures of yourself without the awkwardness of having to ask a stranger to help. Smartphone camera accessories can make all the difference in terms of what you are able to capture.
Happy snapping and happy travels!
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