Dozens upon dozens of press releases and PR pitches find their way into my inbox on the daily {Bless you, Unroll.me!} and I tend to glaze over the majority of them. But sometimes, a nugget of fun catches my eye….like this one!
I’m willing to bet that the majority of y’all are on Instagram, no?! {Come follow me!} And we’ve all seen the IG evolution over the past few years, with the photo-sharing site evolving from day-in-the-life photos to epic landscape scenery snaps. But how in the world do these photogs take those images?!
I ask Will the same thing all the time.
{Also: if anyone knows how to center an embedded IG photo, let me know. It is BEYOND me!}
Chris Burkard is one of these Insta-famous photogs. With over 1.7 million IG followers {yes, you read that number correctly}, his photography has obviously captured the attention of plenty of people. And why? Because his photos are unreal. I follow his account and enjoy every single photo, even when they are obviously staged and/or edited. The dude takes stunning pictures.Want to learn how to take stunning IG photos of your own? Burkard has some tips for us wannabe photographers in the world. Trust me; I’m taking notes, too.
- Add a human. Including a person in the foreground of your landscape shots is a great way to add perspective and a sense of grandeur to the surroundings.
- Own your style and keep it consistent. Burkard’s number one piece of advice is to find a style that speaks to you and perfect it, keeping it consistent so your followers can learn your niche.
- Embrace the mundane. Burkard says that even the most mundane travel moments can sometimes make for the best photos.
- Find something unique: When shooting a space – whether it be a restaurant or mountain range – Burkard says to look for what makes a place special, and focus on that. For example, those cute lanterns on a patio could make for a great pic.
- Lighting is key: The right lighting can make a bland subject come alive. Burkard says that the early morning or late evening are best, as things silhouette.
- Leverage hashtags and locations: Especially if you’re interested in building your follower base or increasing your posts’ likeness, Burkard says it’s important to make yourself discoverable.
Of course, I imagine these tips only work if you actually know how to use your camera, which is a step I’m currently working on myself. You see, I FINALLY BOUGHT MY OWN CAMERA!! Yup, I’ve stared at Will snapping photos long enough; it was time to purchase a big-girl camera.
I still stuck with a point-and-shoot rather than DSLR, largely because I don’t want to deal with the size and weight of a bulkier camera. In the end, I opted for the Canon G7X Mark II, a camera that was recently released. I took it out on this weekend’s backpacking adventure and I’m already in love!
Stay tuned for more snaps from my OWN lens!
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