This week has been exciting. First I got an email from Instagram saying they’ve added me to their Suggested Users List that highlights the top photographers on Instagram. Then Harper’s Bazaar featured me as one of 17 must-follow travel Instagram accounts. Coming off the back of being listed as Skyscanner’s #1 travel Instagrammer to follow this year, it’s been a good run. In appreciation, I bring you A Lady in London’s Instagram tips for great photos and more followers.

Instagram Tips

Instagram Tips

Taking good Instagram photos and building an engaged following is about more than just slapping a pretty filter on a mediocre picture. It takes time and patience, observation and openness.

Above all, it takes a desire to develop good photography skills and be a member of the community.

If you want to learn more, you can take a look at the Read This if You Want to Be Instagram Famous book.

Read This if You Want to Be Instagram Famous Book

Instagram Tips for Great Photos

In the meantime, read on for my Instagram tips for sharing great photos and getting more followers.

1. Be Patient

Patience is not my virtue. When I first started taking pictures for the A Lady in London blog, I barely stopped walking as I snapped a photo.

But over the years I’ve learned the value of being patient when I line up a shot, and the benefit of waiting until the scene is just the way I want it. As such, the first of my Instagram tips is about patience.

Sometimes I stand on a busy street for five minutes waiting for traffic to clear so I can get an uninterrupted view of my subject, or until something eye-catching comes into the frame.

Other times I spend few extra seconds trying a different angle to see if it captures a subject better. Often these additional moments are what turns a poor photo into a good one.

Big Ben

2. Be Observant

One of the best parts of being a professional travel blogger is that I get to walk around cities and towns all over the world to capture their essences on camera.

In doing so, I’ve realized that noticing the little details in addition to the big picture can be helpful. As such, the second of my Instagram tips is to be observant.

While it’s great to get a photo of Big Ben or the Golden Gate Bridge, the quiet corners of cities can be the most picturesque and rewarding in terms of getting unique images.

I’ve also learned that looking up, down, and around while walking along the street can reveal great shots that I would have never noticed had I not been observant.

Mews in South Kensington

3. Be Creative with Editing

The third of my Instagram tips is to get creative with editing. Instagram’s editing suite has gotten more robust over the years, but most professional photographers use third-party apps to make their photos shine.

Adobe Lightroom is my editing tool of choice, and there are plenty of others out there. In addition to putting filters on pictures, Instagrammers can re-size images, play with brightness and saturation, rotate to fix a crooked horizon line, and more.

Getting creative about editing can really make photos pop, and developing your unique style is a great way to make your Instagram photos stand out.

Umbrella Alley in Camden Market, London

4. Be Balanced

I hate being in photos. Anyone who’s read the A Lady in London blog for a while knows that I rarely appear in my pictures. But having a balanced mix of photos on an Instagram feed is important, and that’s the next of my Instagram tips.

If there are too few photos of you (get in front of the camera!) or too many (put the selfie stick away!), it can be a weak point. The same goes for the type of subjects you photograph.

Unless you’re hyper niche, try to aim for a balance of different types of subjects on your feed to show your audience a well-rounded gallery of wide shots and close-ups.

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A Lady in London watching a sunset

5. Be Open

The next of my Instagram tips is to be open. I used to think that I had to travel to find good subjects for pictures, but since I started getting into photography I’ve learned there are things I pass by every day that are worthy of being photographed.

London’s many mews streets have become an obsession, and I can photograph them within five seconds of where I live.

When I walk around the UK capital, there’s no shortage of things to take pictures of. If I’m patient (see point 1) and observant (see point 2), I can photograph great subjects every day.

Cornwall Mews West, Kensington

6. Be Social

Instagram isn’t just a place to share photos; it’s a community like any other social media platform. The next of my Instagram tips is that addition to sharing, it’s important to be social.

Liking and commenting on others’ photos is a great way to be part of the community, as is using relevant hashtags and geotags to ensure people who are interested in what you’re sharing can discover it (and you).

Above all, seeing others’ photos can inspire you to become a better photographer and open your eyes to new techniques and styles that you can use to improve your own photography.

Canning Place Mews, Kensington

7. Be Human

The last of my Instagram tips is to be human. As obvious as it sounds, it’s an important part of being a successful Instagrammer.

We’re living in a world of bots and automation, and many people are tempted to use them to falsify their engagement. But bots usually just end you up with low-quality results that don’t help you achieve your Instagram goals.

Putting the time in to engage and be human will reap far more rewards than using bots. People want to follow people, and if you leave thoughtful comments and engage in a meaningful way, you’ll get the same in return.

Bloomsbury Pub

Instagram Tips

Being featured by Instagram and Harper’s Bazaar has been a true honor. When I started the A Lady in London blog in 2007, I barely knew how to use my old point-and-shoot camera.

Sometimes I forget how far I’ve come as a photographer, but things like this remind me to stop and appreciate it. They also make me glad that all the work I’ve put into developing my photography skills has been recognized.

As a blogger, I strive to keep the quality of my content high, and getting featured by brands and publications I respect is a great way of seeing my efforts pay off.

But even more than that, the feedback from my readers and Instagram followers has made it worthwhile. Two of you recently told me that my photos of London helped you get through a dreary winter, providing a daily reminder of why you love the city so much.

Two others mentioned that you’ve seen my photography improve over the years, and still more have taken the time to like and comment on my Instagram photos, blog posts, and other content.

A Lady in London on Harper's Bazaar

I’m so appreciative of all your support. Your feedback has encouraged me and made me want to keep improving, and it has been a great reward in itself.

I look forward bringing you more photos of London and the rest of the world in the weeks and years ahead. I hope the images bring as much inspiration to your life and travels as your support has to mine!

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Instagram Tips

60 Comments on Lady’s 7 Instagram Tips for Great Photos & More Followers

  3. Congratulations, you must be beaming! Your photos are always so beautiful. I’m usually in such a rush that I forget to pause, but, when I do, I often see something interesting that would have escaped by notice otherwise. Like you said, patience and observance go a long way.

    Reply

  4. Many congratulations. I’m another admirer of your photos. Just interested to know what kind of camera do you use?

    Reply

  8. Ohhhh such beautiful photos! The one of the stacked furniture made my heart sing! You really have a knack for bringing out the best in a city. x

    Jasiminne

    Reply

  11. Hi Lady

    You know I really like your pictures on Instagram. Love them.

    Also, I don’t like being in photos and I rarely appear in my photos on my Instagram account.

    Thanks for sharing your beautiful pictures and these very useful tips.

    Greetings from Toledo

    Reply

  12. Toasting your accomplishments with an afternoon spot of the Earl Grey tea..,still daydreaming about a house overlooking the Thames on the Chiswick Mall..,see what you’ve done…,

    Reply

  13. I’ve just recently found your IG feed and blog and am so glad I did. I love following london related IG feeds, as I am an Anglophile and IG gives me a quick brit fix! Do you use your iPhone for your photos? Just curious. Thanks!

    Reply

  18. Congratulations. I just recently found your instagram feed and love your shots. I love instagram as a platform. I find the limits of instagram exciting and a real artistic challenge. Seems like you’ve already mastered it!

    Reply

  22. Awesome tips, I think being observant is so helpful! Taking the time to look at what’s in front of you is key in taking great pics and also appreciating the moment 🙂

    -Natalia

    Reply

  23. Congratulations Julie! The “Be Balanced” tip is so important and like you I dislike putting photos of myself on Instagram but it’s finding the right style of photo to fit your profile and I think you’ve nailed it.
    x

    Reply

  25. First of all: congratulations! This is all very exciting news! Well deserved! Secondly: thank you for all the tips and ideas to create better Instagram pictures. It’s a huge and wonderful platform with a lot of possibilities, but you need the right tricks to make it to a success.

    Reply

  29. It’s sooooo hard!!!!! I feel I have to BE IN LONDON to get excellent content like yours……. my street is so boring, that I feel I’m losing the buzz I had when I was in Melbourne!!!!!!! It was so vibrant colourful and full of life that I miss that lifestyle sssooooo bad! Taking pictures of Bourke street mall is so much better that I feel I am in the wrong place. I think sometimes it’s all about location. People love Melbourne, people love Sydney and some people like Perth. I feel I won’t experience LIFE till I GET TO LONDON!!!!!!!!! ???????? ???

    Reply

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