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Some of you want to know how I get high quality photos on Instagram, and I’m here to give you all of the details. While you can use an iPhone to get perfectly good shots, I use a four-thirds camera instead for even better photos. Using my camera allows me to shoot in RAW, which gives me so much more flexibility when editing. It really makes the world’s difference!
If you don’t want to invest in a camera, no worries. I’m still sharing with you how I edit my photos below!
My Camera + Lens – Before I Edit Photos For Instagram
Olympus PEN E-PL8 White Body with 14-42mm IIR Silver Lens
I absolutely love this camera for so many reasons. It’s easy to use, lightweight, and even has a flip down screen for selfies. You can buy this bundle to get an affordable lens. Disclaimer: I’ve never used this lens, so I don’t know how well it shoots.
Olympus PEN E-PL8 – Body Only
If you plan to buy a separate lens, buy just the body of the camera. If you want to be serious about your photos, I suggest buying the body and a separate lens.
Olympus 25mm f1.8 Interchangeable Lens
I have this lens and the 45mm. The 25mm lens is better for a wider picture (compared to the 45mm) and landscape. The 45mm is better for portraits and close-up shots. Both lenses do not have zoom. I recommend the 25mm for fashion bloggers and everyday use.
You have a camera but not photographer? No prob girl! Learn how to get an Instagram Boyfriend here.
Lightroom CC – What I Use to Edit Photos for Instagram
There is a free version available on iPhone only, which I totally recommend using if you do not take photos on anything other than your iPhone. You use the same exact app I use, expect I edit with a different file (RAW) that gives me more flexibility correcting photos.
On the other hand, if you use the Olympus camera or any other one, you’ll want to shoot in the RAW setting to up your image quality. You can enhance colors without making it look like there’s a filter. You then have to buy Lightroom CC so that you can edit the photos on your computer, and then easily sync them onto your phone and upload to Instagram. OR you can upload the RAW files into Lightroom on your desktop, edit on mobile, and then upload to Instagram.
Presets
To get a cohesive look on Instagram, you’ll want a few presets on hand to use. A preset is a group of pre-defined settings for editing a photo such as exposure, contrast, color mix, etc. I personally have only one that I created myself, and I mess around with it on each photo. If you do not pay for the Lightroom CC subscription, you will need to manually create your own presets in the mobile Lightroom CC app. Use that preset consistently for a cohesive Instagram theme. (Let me know if you’d like a separate post on how to create your own preset.)
If you plan to pay for the Lightroom CC subscription to edit on desktop and mobile, you can buy preset packs from so many different places. Just look to see what the preset is created for – mobile/desktop editing or RAW/jpg photos before buying.
I am sharing with you the exact preset that I use for all of my photos. It works for JPG and RAW photos in my experience, except I usually have to recorrect temperature when using it with RAW. I’m still new to this, so let me know if you have any advice!
I really hope I was able to teach you something new today! Now you know exactly how I edit my photos for Instagram with no secrets left to hide. I’d love to see the photos you create with my preset. Make sure to tag me in your photo on Instagram, so I can see and share your images!
Xx,
Rose Orchards says
Absolutely loved the tips and tricks on editing!
It would be great if you could tell us more about creating a cohesive theme for our instagram profile! ✨
Marissa Wehrer says
Thanks Rosa!! Sure, I’ll have to write a post about it soon. 🙂