How to Take Bright & Airy Instagram Photos for Your Brand

A lot of people think you can get a bright and airy look to your photo through filters and editing, and to some degree you can (I did a separate post on that - you can find it here: How to Edit Bright and Airy Instagram Photos for Your Brand) BUT, the best way to get a bright and airy photo for your brand is to take a photo that will turn out looking that way, and then edit it to boost the brightness even more. When it comes to photography you’ll always hear me say this: take a photo that looks the way you want (before editing it), and then use editing as icing on the cake.

Today I’m sharing 3 tips with you, that will help you get a bright-n-airy photo for your brand’s Instagram. Here they are:

Tip #1 to take bright and airy instagram photos:

Use Natural Light

Natural light photography, which is what photographers call photos that are lit up by the sun, is some of the most ideal lighting there is. Sunlight has the cleanest looking light, which means that it makes the color white actually look white, and shows all colors at their truest hue. It’ll make your skin look great. And, it’s FREE! So, you don’t need to buy a bunch of lighting equipment if you use natural lighting, which is awesome!

If it aligns with your brand, I suggest always taking photos lit up by the sun, but I especially recommend doing so if you’re aiming to create a bright and airy look on your feed.

If you’d like to know more about how to find great natural light, (even if you’re photographing on your phone), I have a free download for ya that I think you’ll really like.

It’s called “Indoor Lighting for Instagrammers” The PDF guide will walk you through the 4 step process I use to get great, naturally lit photos for my feed every time I’m photographing indoors. Click the button on the graphic below and enter your email to get this guide sent to your inbox immediately.

Tip #2 to take bright and airy instagram photos:

Photograph Light Colors

I totally get that this may seem like a basic tip, but I think you’ll be surprised at the difference it’ll make in your photos if you keep it in mind. Dark colors will naturally come across darker. So, if you want a bright and airy photo, stick with photographing subjects and locations containing light and bright colors! And just to be super super clear, I mean nearly everything in your photo should be a shade of white, light gray, or a pastel color. You can have some darker elements in there for contrast, but overall the photo should have more light colors than dark if you’re going for a bright-n-airy look.

Tip #3 to take bright and airy instagram photos:

Adjust the Brightness of Your Photo Before Capturing Your Photo

If you’re on an iPhone, when you have your camera open, a little yellow box will appear after you tap your screen. That little box shows you what your camera is currently focusing on, but a little known fact is that it’s there’s also an incredibly useful tool to help you brighten your photo nearby! 

On the iPhone, all you have to do is hold your finger down and scroll up and down on the screen after the yellow box appears, and it will adjust the screen to be brighter or darker before you take your photo. It’s as easy as that! (And, other brand’s of phones definitely have this feature too, so check out your user manual or do a little googling to figure out how to do this on your phone.)

Alright, those are my three tips! Give ‘em a try and let me know what you think! And, if you have any questions, you can leave them for me in the comment area below!

If you’d like me to coach you through how to figure out and absolutely nail your brand’s Instagram aesthetic, in a step-by-step, take-it-at-your-own-pace way, I go super deep into EVERYTHING it takes to take killer photos for your brand even if you’re not a photographer and your only camera is your phone in my e-course “Master Your Instagram Aesthetic,” 

Knowing how to communicate your brand visually is more important than ever and I’d be so excited to help empower you to do so. If you want to learn more about that e-course and learn how to enroll as soon as today, here’s the link: Master Your Instagram Aesthetic E-Course

And, one more thing. If you’d like access to all of the free resources I have for entrepreneurs to make their business better, more strategic, and more beautiful, head over to sarahdeshaw.com/free-resources

Thanks so much for reading and I’ll catch ya next time!