How to take better instagram photos

Learn how to take good Instagram photos using only your phone, and some Instagram picture ideas to inspire your feed and gain new followers.

Remember the first mobile phone cameras? And the grainy, blurry, low-quality photos they produced?

Well, these days phone photography is capable of some pretty impressive feats. Plus, unlike that bulky DSLR that you haul out for vacations, it’s always at hand.

Learning how to take incredible shots using only your phone is the best way to stand out and build a strong presence on Instagram.

In this post, you’ll learn how to take good Instagram photos using only your phone, and some Instagram picture ideas to inspire your feed.

How to take good Instagram photos on your phone

Learning how to take good photos on your phone requires understanding some basic principles of composition and lighting, and honing your own instincts as a photographer. You just need to follow a few simple rules.

Step 1: Use natural light

Lighting is the foundation of a good photo. Understanding how to use light is the first and most important rule of getting great photos using only your phone.

Avoid using your flash in favor of natural light, which creates photos that are richer and brighter.

A flash can flatten out your photo and wash out your subject. If you can’t shoot outdoors, take photos near windows or in well-lit rooms. Even at night, it’s preferable to find sources of ambient light, like street lamps and store windows.

Step 2: Don’t overexpose your images

You can brighten up a photo that’s too dark with editing tools, but there’s nothing that can fix a photo that’s overexposed.

Prevent overexposure by adjusting the lighting on your screen: tap and slide your finger up or down to adjust exposure.

Another way to prevent overexposure is by tapping your finger on the brightest part of the frame (in the case above, it would be the windows) to adjust the lighting before snapping your photo.

Step 3: Shoot at the right time

There’s a reason photographers love golden hour. This time of day, when the sun is low on the horizon, makes every photo more beautiful. It’s nature’s Instagram filter.

If you’re shooting at midday, clouds are your friend. It’s hard to get a good shot under direct sunlight, which can be harsh in photos.

Clouds diffuse the light from the sun and create a softer, more flattering effect.

Step 4: Follow the rule of thirds

Composition refers to the arrangement of a photo: the shapes, textures, colors and other elements that make up your images.

The rule of thirds is one of the most well-known composition principles, and refers to a simple method of balancing your image. It divides an image into a 3×3 grid, and aligns the subjects or objects in a photo along the grid lines to create balance.

For instance, you can center your photo:

But you can also achieve a pleasing effect with “balanced asymmetry”, where the subject is off-center but balanced out by another object. In this case, the flowers are arranged in the lower-right area of the photo, and are balanced by the sun in the top-left corner.

Pro tip: Turn on the gridlines for your phone camera in settings, and use them to practice aligning your photos.

Step 5: Consider your viewpoint

When you take a photo on your phone, you probably hold it up around eye level and snap, right? That’s what everyone else does, too. Resist this natural tendency if you want to take interesting, unexpected photos.

Taking photos from a different vantage point will provide fresh perspectives, even when it comes to a familiar place or subject. Try shooting from above or below, crouching low to the ground, or scaling a wall (if you’re feeling ambitious).

Don’t break your leg in pursuit of the perfect shot, but challenge yourself to see things from a new perspective.

Step 6: Frame your subject

Leaving space around the focal point of your photo can add more visual interest than zooming in. Sometimes you get a surprising detail that makes the photo even better, like the moon high in the sky of this photo:

Unlike a camera with an adjustable lens, your phone camera “zooms in” by shrinking your field of view. In effect, you are just pre-cropping your image. This can limit your options for editing later, and you might miss interesting details, so avoid doing it.

Instead, just tap your photo subject or focal point to focus the camera.

If you want to give yourself even more options, you can buy an external lens that fits on to your phone.

Step 7: Draw the viewer’s eye

In photography, “leading lines” are lines that run through your image that draw the eye and add depth. These might be roads, buildings, or natural elements like trees and waves.

Keep an eye out for leading lines and use them to add motion or purpose to your photo.

You can use leading lines to direct the viewer’s gaze to your subject, as in this shot:

Step 8: Add depth

It’s easy to focus solely on the subject of your photo, whether that’s a person or a handsome slice of pizza. But photos that include layers, with patterns or objects in the background as well as the foreground, are naturally interesting because they offer more depth.

This photo, rather than just cropping tightly on the flowers, also includes the railing behind them, a tree beyond that, and then a sunset and horizon. Each layer of the photo offers something to look at, drawing you in.

Step 9: Don’t forget to get creative

Some photos on Instagram are so popular that they become cliches, inspiring an entire Instagram account dedicated to repeat images. Don’t get so caught up in Instagram photo trends that you lose your creativity.

You want to stand out from other brands on Instagram, so always challenge yourself to find a fresh angle on a common subject. This will also help you establish a distinctive and memorable brand identity.

Watch this video for even more tips on how to take good Instagram photos on your phone:

10 Instagram picture ideas

Now that you understand the principles of photography, let’s talk about subjects.

There are certain subjects and themes that perform well on Instagram because they offer wide appeal and tons of visual interest. Take note, because posting engaging content boosts your visibility on Instagram.

Here are a few Instagram photography ideas to consider:

1. Symmetry

Symmetry is pleasing to the eye, whether it appears in nature (Chris Hemsworth’s face) or the man-made world (the Royal Hawaiian Hotel). Symmetrical composition often enhances a subject that might not be exciting otherwise.

The more you travel, the less you want to carry. Even though you’re on a great trip and want great photos to show for it, sometimes a lighter load is nice. The good news is that you really can get good quality photos with that small device you always have with you: your phone.

Even though phone photography feels more casual, taking time to set up a good shot is worth it because you may only get one chance to capture that moment.

If you pay attention to a few key things, you can ditch the gear and take mobile photos you love just as much.

Learn how to take good Instagram pictures with these useful Instagram photography tips:

1. Position Your Subject

It may feel unnatural at first, but get used to moving objects around or moving yourself to get a good shot. Wait for someone to get out of the way. Move the subject to better light. Put objects on a table in straight lines. Remove distracting or extra items. Double check all the details, by turning labels so the right parts are visible to you in the frame. Make sure you can see everything you’ll want to see. Your phone is so small, this isn’t as intrusive as it would be with a bigger camera. That 15-second tune-up will help you remember the moment when you see the photo, not wish you’d taken a different shot.

2. Find the Good Light

There is no substitute for good, natural daylight, but too much can be tricky. Avoid direct, overhead vertical light. This means taking outdoor shots in the morning or evening. Take your indoor, museum shots when there is the most light streaming in. Seek open shade, or look for light through a window to illuminate the sides of the subject and avoid harsh shadows. The opposite is also true: the less light, the grainier your photo. If you want a photo after dark, try to position your subject near as much light as possible. If you can brace yourself, consider slowing the shutter speed with a 3rd party app.

3. Line it Up—Literally

Imagine a tic-tac-toe board across the viewfinder. (Several photo apps even have these built in). You’re looking to place the most interesting details at the intersections of the lines. Try to avoid horizon lines running through the center of the frame. The most interesting photos have subjects that are about a third off-center.

4. Look for Leading Lines

These guide the eye to the subject. They can be support beams, lane lines, stripes, fences, paths—anything that runs across your image and leads your eyes around your photo to your subject. Align and frame the image with the lines of the subject itself in mind.

5. Go for the Details

Typically, taking mobile photos means they will be viewed in small contexts—on a phone, a small photo book, or even a magnet. Small photos are great for capturing small things. Instead of trying to sweep a whole scene, look for one or two details loaded with associate and memory. Think about the bow of shoelaces instead of the whole shoe. The trim on the doorway instead of a building. The tile pattern on the wall. Snapping the poignant little things details can pack a lot of meaning into a small space.

6. Care for Your Camera

Your pocket or travel bag can be a rough place for a camera lens. Clean your phone lens frequently to avoid foggy photos. Also, know your phone camera limits. Often the zoom function lessens the clarity of a photo, so it may be better to “zoom with your feet” or shoot big and crop later. Last, watch for camera shake and strange angles from over-tilting. These can make images blurry and distorted.

You take travel photos to help document your journey and experience. The images serve as memories, and it’s possible to make good ones while you give your shoulder a break.

Next step: import your Instagram photos into beautiful layouts and make an Instant Instagram Photo Book.

Have any Instagram photography tips? Share in the comments below!

Published on September 4, 2019

Reading time 10 minutes

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When Instagram first began in 2010, smartphone cameras were still lacking in features and quality. Instagram photos were taken with the in-app camera and on today’s screens, those old posts look blurry and pixelated. Now, the feed is a mix of smartphone photos and professionally processed photos. The smartphone camera is good enough now that it’s possible to use it on the fly and some won’t even know the difference.

If you’re looking to improve your photography skills for your brand so you can take great Instagram photos no matter what resources you have on hand, then this article is for you. Small businesses are not always able to hire a professional photographer so the next best thing is to understand some basic photography principles and learn what actually drives engagement on Instagram.

Instagram photo tips

This is a general guide to taking good photos for Instagram with your smartphone. If you’re looking to expand your photographic skill set even further after mastering these tips, check out phone model-specific guides or in-depth photo skills work through course platforms like Lynda, Coursera and Skillshare host classes. There are also plenty of lists where free photography lessons are compiled.

1. Understand light

Light is one of the biggest photography factors. Too much light and your subject looks washed out. Too little and the dark photo doesn’t grab your audience’s attention. When you’re doing brand photography, you want to understand how light affects the location you usually shoot in.

For example, if you’re in a restaurant, note when and where the sun comes in.

• Are certain windows more favorable than others?
• Does the afternoon sun make everything too bright?
• Where are the artificial lights and do they cast unfavorable spotlights on a table?

Early morning and sunset sun usually tend to cast the softest glow. An afternoon sun’s harsh rays often blow out a photo’s white parts. If you know how the sun and lights behave in your space, then it’ll be easier to plan the photo shoot.

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You know how to cook, how to work on your car, and how to build your body. What’s the single common thread between all of these? Your brain. Also: The best tools.

Photography is no different. Yes, there’s definitely an art to it. But as with any skill you’ve already mastered, the key is using your noggin when you shoot photos to improve and learn from your mistakes.

And as with working out, you can learn from the best and copy what they do. Which is why we’re offering our own hard-won “hacks” that can get you nine-tenths of the way there. Where to look? Crib your tips from the best—like pro photographers in action sports.

Also, as with life, be a fair critic of your work. Pat yourself on the back when a shot comes out great, and dispense what didn’t. Then copy what worked and cement those skills for subsequent shots.

Here’s a gentleman’s guide to shooting photos like an Instagram professional.

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We look at how you can take better photos using Instagram’s built-in camera and editing tools

First thing’s first, the solution to taking better Instagram photos is probably not to use Instagram in the first place. The unfortunate truth is that National Geographic’s photographers aren’t usually getting those incredible animal photos it shares on its Instagram account with their iPhones.

Instead, Instagram lets you import images from your device’s gallery, so you can easily upload photos taken on a better camera than your smartphone. For photographers, this means you can then use your computer to edit and tweak your image to get it looking spectacular before you upload it to Instagram.

Still, there are times when it’s convenient to whip out the Instagram app to grab a photo for quickly sharing on the social media platform. Those people with their smartphones out at a restaurant hovering over their freshly delivered entrées? They’re probably taking Instagram photos using the built-in camera.

So if you are using Instagram’s camera, there are certain tips and tricks you can use to get your photos looking their best.

Square crop

Instagram’s built-in camera still takes photos in a 1:1 aspect ratio, which you might also hear being referred to as a ‘square crop’. The square crop harks back to Polaroid instant cameras, so have a certain nostalgic appeal. How you crop an image can have a major impact on how the image is perceived by viewers. It’s a technique used by photographers to change the tone or the eye-lines (the route your eyes take as they’re drawn into an image) or to salvage a poorly framed photo by cropping it in different ways. Your average compact camera likely takes photos in 3:2 aspect ratio but as Instagram limits you to 1:1 you’ll need to frame your shots accordingly when using the built-in camera.

Even when working in a square crop, basic photographic composition techniques like the well-known ‘rule of thirds’ still apply. This essentially means dividing your frame up into thirds horizontally and vertically, then placing your subject or point of interest on one of these thirds. If you’re taking a landscape shot of beautiful scenery, this can mean placing the horizon on the bottom vertical third to accentuate the dramatic skies or placing the horizon on the top third to highlight the foreground. You can also experiment with placing objects on where the horizontal and vertical thirds intersect, which often results in more dynamic-feeling images.

As well as the rule of thirds, a square is a symmetrical shape. This means it can be used to great effect to highlight the symmetry of the world. Some of the best Instagram shots are perfectly symmetrical, taking advantage of geometry and a balanced frame.

Don’t stick too hard and fast to the ‘rules’, however, it’s worth experimenting with different results and to find your own distinctive style.

Angles

If ever there was a quintessential Instagram photo, the top-down food shot is it. In part, it’s because it gives you a clear view of all the beautiful food on your plate, but also because the square crop helps accentuate the geometry on display. The circular plates within a square frame make for a naturally aesthetic image.

But aside from shooting your food, thinking about how you angle your photos can have an impact on their tone and feel. It’s a classic cinematic technique but shooting up makes an object or subject feel empowered while shooting down makes them feel, well, looked down on. You can apply the same technique in day-to-day photography. Furthermore, looking up or down at the world can lead to seeing things you might not have noticed.

Filters and Effects

Probably as famous as Instagram’s square crop, filters play a big role in the photography sharing platform’s fun and appeal. Many of Instagram’s filters emulate different film types or apply different photo effects from changing the colour temperature to applying vignettes to desaturating the image completely. You can adjust the level of each filter, too.

Instagram has been adding more and more filters, as well as making previously video-only filters available for photographs. At the time of writing, there are currently 40 different filters available. Not all of them are available by default but you can turn on the options for the extras by scrolling to the end of the filters list and selecting ‘Manage ’. You’ll then be presented with a checklist of filters to add to your options, which will then be available in the horizontal list.

The right filter can transform a flat, lifeless image to one that becomes instantly more visually interesting, so try different filters until you find a favourite. Different filters also naturally apply themselves to different styles of photography. A filter like Aden is great for portraiture as it naturally softens skin tones. If you’re interested, this is a fascinating study of the

As well as the filters, you can also make finer adjustments to your final image. You can manually adjust variables such as contrast, saturation, and sharpness to get the image the way you want. If Instagram has taken the image in the wrong orientation, you can also rotate the image from the ‘Adjust’ menu, which will also let you correct the perspective.

Use Layout to combine multiple photographs

Technically, Layout is a separate app to Instagram, so you will need to install it. It’s an official companion app to Instagram that lets you easily combine multiple images. It’s accessible from within Instagram by tapping the icon that looks like a frame split into various images. This then lets you select multiple images from your camera roll or gallery to combine into one. Based on how many images you select you’ll be presented with different layouts. You’re able to adjust the size and position of each image by dragging the borders.

Within the Layout app you can also use the Photo Booth mode to quickly take various different selfies in quick succession using your smartphone’s front-facing camera. It’s a fun little addition.

If you’re on social media, it often feels like if you haven’t photographed it, it didn’t happen. And when you do photograph it, you want it to look as good as humanly possible. Better even. So whether it’s for Snapchat or Instagram, Twitter or Facebook, here are some top tips to turn your iPhoneography into social media gold!

Pick up some cheap external lenses to experiment with

One of the easiest ways to start getting creative with phone photography is to pick up some inexpensive external lenses. You can buy a set of four on Amazon for less than $20; all you have to do is search for iPhone lenses.

Even cheap lenses will take good photos and if you’re worried about breaking them because you’re not familiar with using ’em, don’t worry! It’s better to break a $4 lens than a $200 iPhoneography-specific case (our favorite cheap lenses are the MEMTEQ 5-in-1, the Evershop Universal 2-in-1, and the Oldshark lens kit.

If you’re stuck on what to get, check out our five fantastic iPhone lenses for under $100.

Figure out your favorite photography editing app

Forget about Photoshop or online photo editors – find a photo app that works best for you! Your Facebook friends will be thrilled that they don’t have to look at the same boring photos over and over again.

There are hundreds of photo editing apps available to download. Some of them work by just laying a tinted filter over your image, while others allow you to adjust brightness, saturation, contrast, and more. At the end of the day, you want something that you’re comfortable with, so having all the bells and whistles isn’t always necessary.

Some of the most popular apps out there are VSCO, which uses vivid filters and adjustable presets to customize your snapshots; Mextures, which aims to bring professional grade photographic effects to your iPhone; Repix, an amazingly detailed filter that lets you ‘draw’ on your images, and many, many more.

If you want a bit of help deciding which photo editing app to try, check out our list of best photo editing apps for iPhone!

Pick up a flexible tripod

If you’re new to iPhoneography, a tripod could potentially be your best friend. It seems like an unnecessary tool, but it’s an amazing way to set up shots, keep things steady, and even get some tricky, hard-to-reach photographs.

While it’s a pain in the butt to set up some big DSLR and video tripods, using up a flexible tripod like the JOBY GorillaPod Original is infinitely easier. The flexible or smaller tripods are easy to carry around and set up in a flash, so you don’t ever need to worry about missing your shot or taking something blurry.

Another thing tripods are good for is getting shots you typically couldn’t reach on your own. You could secure your flexible tripod to bike handlebars, wrap it around a light post and use a remote shutter to snap street shots, and much more. Get creative and you’ll be racking up those likes like crazy!

Be sure to take a peek at our list of best iPhone tripods for stablizing and mounting for some more ideas.

Play with your phone settings

Did you know your phone has burst mode? Did you know you can secure and focus parts of your photo by tapping your screen? Did you know you can snap your photos with the volume button?

Get familiar and play around with the camera settings of your iPhone and you’ll unlock an entire new world of iPhoneography fun. You’ll find that there are settings and helpful tools – like a grid that appears to establish rule of thirds or frame-size options when you’re taking your photo – hidden in your camera app already.

Play around with your camera app, snap photos with and without the flash, and figure out what looks best to you (and if you’re stuck, check out our 10 tips for taking great iPhone photos.)

Follow your favorite photographers on social media

There are a ton of amazing photographers out there on social media who use both their iPhone or DSLR to shoot pictures. Instagram has almost become a hub for these photographers to follow and share their work, but it can also be a place where you can get your main inspiration for photography!

A few of our favorites to follow at iMore for their unreal social media photography are @safesolvent, @mostlylisa, @knatez, @meghanzahari, @carla_kristina, and @kickhisasscbass. While all of their styles are totally different and what they choose to shoot varies dramatically, each of their photos are unique, vivid, and memorable.

Any more tips?

Do you have any tips to help others become the coolest iPhone photographer? Any other great photos on Snapchat or Instagram? Let us know in the comments below!

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We all want more Instagram followers, right? OK, well, even if you aren’t someone who’s obsessed with that count going up, simple Instagram tips can always come in handy; your friends and family might still love you if your feed is filled with blurry pictures, but they probably won’t complain about pretty photos either.

If you can’t tell, I really like Instagram. Yeah, maybe sometimes I take it a little too seriously. I realize that Instagram is not life and death. Ebbing numbers of followers do not dictate my happiness. But as someone who is passionate about aesthetics and a long-time lover of photography, Instagram is my daily creative boost. And if you’re more than just a casual user of the app, then you probably understand exactly what I mean.

Some people use Instagram for a fun, once-in-a-while way to post photos of their friends, families, food, or self, and that’s perfectly fine. I enjoy following those people as well. But if you are in an artistic or creative field, then you’ve probably already seen the power of a intricately curated Instagram feed. As a creative person with a love for pretty things, it’s impossible for me not to drool a little at those kinds of accounts. I can tell that whoever is taking those photos, editing, and posting them is really thinking about the whole process. They’re really thinking about the end result and whether or not the photo fits in with their brand as a writer or photographer or student — and I can respect and appreciate that.

My personal Instagram feed isn’t perfect. There are more than a few shameless selfies. There is the occasional photo that I know doesn’t fit into the overall aesthetic, but I post it anyway. Regardless, I enjoy curating it. I love thinking about maintaing a bright, happy color scheme and trying to aim for generally cohesive photos. But before I got obsessive about planning or staging Instagram photos, I was just another person posting photos blurry photos of my daily meals. And while I still post the same types of photos, really, I’ve learned a few tips and tricks along the way that are quick, easy ways to optimize your feed.

1. Look At Your Feed As A Whole

When you post something, try to think about how it’s going to fit into your feed a a whole. If your whole feed is minimalistic, then maybe try to avoid posting a SUPER busy photo. If most of your photos are bright and airy, a super dark photo may look a little out of place. It seems silly, but it really makes a difference. It also helps your photos become more recognizable to people mindlessly scrolling through their IG feed. One of my favorite people to follow is Amy Stone — check out her feed for more inspiration on how to expertly curate your own account.

For me, I try to make sure what I’m posting is always cool (as opposed to warm), bright, and punctuated with pops of bright color.

2. LIGHT. IS. EVERYTHING.

Like any photo, light is important. Always aim for natural light, and don’t try to force a photo that’s been taken at night if you can take the same photo in the morning when the sun is out. I can’t emphasize the importance of light enough. If you just HAVE to post a photo, and you want to make sure the light looks a little cooler (AKA less yellow), try using an app like FaceTune to use swatches to tone down the yellow light and make it look a little brighter.

Another tip? Don’t be afraid to wait until a different time of day when light is better. Shadowy, harsh light and soft, dusk light can make a HUGE difference.

Get awesome pet shots and cinematic horizons with our guide to the best Samsung phone photography tips and tricks

Samsung has been overtaken by Huawei and Google’s Pixel cameras in recent years but its Galaxy phones still offer a huge amount to anyone into smartphone photography.

The cameras on Samsung’s phones offer a lot more flexibility than say the iPhone, making them much more appealing to those who know a thing or two about photography. You’ve got a variety of modes and the ability to take control of key settings, for starters.

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The tips in this piece apply to the latest 2020 models, such as the just-launched Samsung Galaxy Note 20 series, as well as the existing Samsung Galaxy S20 series. Some of them will also apply to older models, too.

It’s also worth saying that you won’t need to install any special apps to take advantage of any of this advice. All of the tricks can be used with the native Samsung camera app, so you can get started right out of the box.

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Engage Pro Mode

All recent Samsung phones do a fantastic job of taking great pictures in the standard automatic mode. But for those that have outgrown auto, heading to Pro mode gives you scope to show your photographic nous.

With it, you can control ISO, shutter speed, white balance and more. You can even get creative by altering saturation, contrast and so on – think of it a bit like creating your own filters. Some Samsung models, such as the Samsung Galaxy S10 also have the ability to choose between two different apertures, depending on how much light is in the scene. This option has been removed from newer models like the Galaxy S20 and the Note 20.

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While in Pro mode, you can also switch on raw format recording. Those who are used to shooting with “proper” cameras will be familiar with the format – it gives you scope to adjust certain things in editing programs such as Photoshop and can come in handy if you can’t quite get your exposures spot on at the scene.

Pro tip: To find Pro mode, you might have to head to the ‘More’ tab from the main screen of the camera app.

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Capture the best frame

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As with many smartphones, you can elect to record a short video with each photo you take. With Samsung models that’s called ‘Motion Photo’ and needs to be activated by tapping an icon on the main camera screen. It looks like a square with a “play” (triangle) icon inside it. This feature is great for capturing a little bit of motion with your shot to bring your images to life, but it can also be used to freeze the best moment.

If you’ve got a bounding dog or toddler who won’t sit still, you can extract the best frame from a motion picture without worrying too much about capturing the perfect moment at the time you take the shot. Let them play, let them wriggle, and worry about getting the right frame later. It’s also helpful for portraits and group shots where you’ve almost always got a blinker threatening to spoil an otherwise great photograph.

Experiment with resolutions and aspect ratios

Your Samsung will have a default resolution and aspect it will record at – usually 12 megapixels and 4:3. But, especially the newer models such as the Galaxy S20 Ultra, have huge resolutions just begging to be played with.

If you tap on the aspect ratio icon within the main camera app (it looks like a square with 3:4 written inside it), you’ll be given a range of different options to choose from. If you’re using the S20 Ultra or the Note 20 Ultra, the one that will leap out at you is the 3:4 108MP resolution option. You probably don’t want to use this for every day shots of your dinner or your neighbour’s dog, but if you want to capture something super detailed then it’s worth giving it a go.

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Beyond that, it’s also worth experimenting with different aspect ratios to give your photos a creative edge. We’re all familiar with the 1:1 ratio thanks to Instagram, but the more cinematic 16:9 option is great for landscapes and wide-angle scenes, allowing you to experiment with unusual compositions.

You can also select ‘Full’ to fill the screen of your phone – it’s worth trying this out, especially if you mainly look at your photos on your phone, it’ll really make the most of the larger screen sizes of models like the Galaxy S20 Ultra.

Activate Single Take

This is a feature which is easy to miss, or ignore. Swipe to the left (on the S20 series, S10 series, Note 20 series, Note 10 series) from the main camera screen and you’ll be taken to ‘Single Take’ mode.

With this, the camera will take a number of different shots and videos all at once, later recommending the best shot for you. It’s a neat option when you want to concentrate on the moment in front of you rather than worry too much about composition and so on. Try moving the phone around the scene while capturing a ‘Single Take’ to give you plenty of variety to choose from, too.

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It’s the ultimate social media share: A beautifully arranged plate of cookies. A colorful basket of fruits. A smoothie that has reached that perfect berry color.

It seems that many people can’t take a bite out of that home-made fritatta or perfectly browned crème brûlée without first snapping a photo for all to salivate over on Instagram.

But if you’re one of the many who has yet to reach Instagram pro status when it comes to food sharing, here are some tips from Globe photographers on how to make that caprese salad worthy of photographing for all to see.

The most important element by far in photographing a beautiful meal? Lighting. Kim Chapin, the Globe’s deputy director of photography, suggests trying to take a photo near a window so that natural light can stream onto your masterpiece. In a restaurant? Be bold and ask for that window seat — your followers will thank you later.

A post shared by chapin73 (@chapin73) on May 24, 2017 at 4:31pm PDT

There’s no easy way to put this: If your stew looks sludgey and monotone, it probably won’t make for an enticing photo.

Foods that feature a riot of colors will start you off with an interesting subject matter, and some additional prepping can make it all the better.

“Place contrasting colors of food next to each other — greens next to yellows, etc.,” said Lloyd Young, picture editor for the Globe.

Simplicity is also key, he said: “Don’t try to shoot too much in the image.”

The way you frame your shot, and where you shoot it from, can tell a drastically different story of the same meal, according to Lane Turner, assistant chief photographer at the Globe.

“Sometimes shooting straight down at something is a really cool,” Turner said. “If it’s a graphically simple piece of food, shooting straight across at plate level can be really dramatic. You really have to evaluate what you’re shooting.”

Young had a bit of different advice: “Try shooting from the same visual perspective that you eat your food from.”

Turner also repeated a mantra many photographers know: “If your pictures aren’t good enough, get closer.”