In the world of social media, having a visually appealing Instagram feed is a must. Many people spend hours curating their content and perfecting their aesthetic. However, not everyone has the luxury of having a professional photographer at their disposal. Mine has been taking a lot of trips lately and I am so happy she is out there exploring, but I do have a hard time using a tripod on the busy streets of LA and I just get embarrassed setting it all up and worse, being in the way. This is where your husband comes in. It can work even if they aren’t into creating content. Yes, even if (like in my case) they don’t even use Instagram.
While it may seem like a battle you don’t want to fight at first to have your significant other/bestie or even kiddo take your photos, it can actually be a fun and rewarding experience. Here are some tips to make the most out of your non-content-creator’s photography skills:
Communication is key. Make sure you are both on the same page about what kind of photos you want to take. Show him some examples of photos you like and discuss what kind of poses and angles you prefer. I know mine by now so I just tell him to avoid shooting to far up and me and to watch my posture which doesn’t always work out perfectly, but art can’t be perfect, right?
Don’t be afraid to give directions. Your husband may not be as familiar with photography as you are, so don’t hesitate to tell him what to do. It’s better to be clear and specific about your vision than to be disappointed with the results later on. I show him examples of what I want just like I’d do when getting my hair done so that we are all on the same page.
Take advantage of natural lighting. One of the benefits of having your husband take your photos is that he can capture candid moments in natural lighting. Try to take photos during the golden hour, which of course is the hour after sunrise and the hour before sunset. The lighting during this time is soft and warm, which makes for the best photos even if your ‘good side’ is not benign captured that way a professional would. We took these mid day but it was ‘gray May’ when we shot them so the sun was forgiving. Also, always face the light not away from it. It’s far more flattering that way.
Have fun with it. Taking photos with your husband should be a fun and lighthearted experience. Nobody (probably) knows you better than your S.O. so it’s mandatory that you be yourself and your audience will like that better anyway… even if you don’t have an audience you want to share photos with, it will be a better photo that you will love more because being YOU is what makes the photo great. Don’t take it too seriously unless you are super serious then, you do you!
Don’t reinvent the wheel: it probably took me a solid year of awkward posing before I figured out what worked for my body and style. You want to stand out and keep things interesting, but like me, aren’t a trained model so you will need some inspo. I love @Sonyaxsigh for inspiration for still photos. She makes her feed so much more interesting with her poses and even though a lot of them aren’t ‘me’ because I don’t post a ton of editorial-like looks, it’s inspiring to see something new and get the creative juices flowing.
Overall, having your husband/S.O./best friend taking your photos for Instagram can be a great way to share something new or share what you do and create beautiful content. With a little bit of communication and (okay, a lot) of direction, you can get what you need content wise. I love that it looks more authentically ‘me’ when we shoot together because it’s just me with the light the way it was that day save for a little brightening or a Tezza app filter (this one is the ‘natural’ filter at 35) – no fancy lenses or contrived set-up. This took us 10 min and I edited for 5 minutes after.
Wearing: sneakers (women’s shoes) / wide leg pants (more track pants here) / body chain
