HollaGram

5 Tips for Taking Jewelry Instagram Photos with Your Phone

Creating a collage of beautiful photos is one of my favourite things to do! About 10 years ago, I was working in the photography industry as a makeup artist and fashion stylist. I fell in love with the idea of creating stories using images, and I absolutely loved working on editorials for fashion magazines. I loved the industry so much that I longed to become an artistic director. However, that dream came to and end when I decided to go to university and no longer had the time to continue working in the industry. BUT... things changed after I discovered Instagram. I could finally be the artistic director I've always wanted to be by creating an account!!! This is how Instagram for business should be thought of... tell your story by using images in cohesive way. I have come up with my top 5 tips on how to turn your business Instagram account into your own beautiful editorial.

1) PLAN CONTENT THAT IS WORTH POSTING. In other words, curate your content. Instagram is an incredibly visual social media platform, so it is essential that you use it to tell a cohesive story to market your brand.Ask yourself “Will my target market care about this photo?” Save the details for the writing portion of your post, and don’t just take random shots of your jewelry. Save the more random shots for the new InstaStory feature (like Snapchat for Instagram)!

2) MAKE SURE YOUR JEWELRY PIECE IS CLEARLY THE FOCAL POINT. The best way to make your jewelry stand out is by using a white background. It’s truly the best for contrast, gives your images a modern feel, and keeps your photos looking consistent too. If your shot includes background space, keep the background simple or be sure that the background is part of your story. If your piece is not easy to see in the photo then use the “tilt shift” feature in your edits to blur the background a bit.

3) ALWAYS USE THE SAME FILTER. Choose one or two (if similar) filters for all your photos for a consistent look so when you view them all together it’s more appealing to the eye.

4) KEEP YOUR EDITS SIMPLE. Be conservative with your edits by making subtle tweaks so you don’t over-edit your image. I like to use the brightness, contrast, lux (the little sun icon at the top), warmth and highlight features sparingly.Think about your image like applying makeup. The more you add the more unnatural it looks.

5) CONSISTENCY IS KEY TO BRANDING WITH PHOTOS. You may have noticed that I keep using the word “consistent” and that’s because it’s the most important thing about marketing your jewelry business on Instagram.Keep a consistent look. If your jewelry is colorful – Use a filter that slightly enhances the color -keep it at a naturally saturated level. If your jewelry is mostly made with metals– try a softer filter, and choose either a warm or cool tone for all your photos by playing with the warmth.