How to take better pictures for your social media

October 21, 2024

Blend together some random office snaps, a few outdated stock images, the occasional poorly-lit product shot and the odd motivational quote, and you’ve got a perfect recipe for an inconsistent and unprofessional-looking social media profile.

Here at Osborn, it’s our job to highlight the importance of the written word, but we know that pictures can play an equally significant role in shaping how you’re perceived.

As a visual nation, we love pictures. They add interest and personality to content, and make it feel more real, relatable and tangible. So when it comes to your social media platforms, it’s important to get your visuals right.

Here are some tips and techniques you can use to take better pictures for your socials.

Identify your brand style

Some businesses use monochrome-only images (here’s a good example), others might focus on brightly-coloured pictures like these. Whatever style you choose, the key is consistency because over time that leads to brand recognition. One way to achieve this is to use colours or tones in your pictures that align with your brand. If your logo is blue, for instance, you could use consistent filters or colour tones that give pictures a slightly blue hue.

Always shoot horizontally

Pictures for LinkedIn articles, Insta posts and Facebook updates work best in a horizontal or ‘landscape’ perspective – so avoid vertical, or ‘portrait’ shots, unless you’re posting Reels or Stories. People tend to take vertical shots when they’re trying to fit lots of things into a picture, but it’s better to step back a few paces and stick to a landscape format.

Get the light right

Always try to take pictures in natural light over artificial light, and never take a picture with the source of light behind your focal point. When taking someone’s headshot, position them so they face a window or light source, rather than standing in front of it with the light source behind them.

Follow the Rule of Thirds

Following the Rule of Thirds can make your pictures look much more professional. Instead of placing your subject in the middle of the frame, divide your photo into ‘thirds’ vertically and horizontally to give it nine parts, then place your point of interest at the intersections. Smartphones allow you to add these gridlines while you’re taking pictures, so use them to guide your shots.

Think about the background

Nothing can ruin a great shot like a messy, cluttered background. Always try to frame your pictures in front of a clear background like a plain white wall. The more neutral and clear, the better; clutter distracts from your main focal point.

Use odd numbers

Placing an odd number of objects or people in a photo often looks better than an even number. Odd numbers make your picture look more balanced, since one object or person is always in the middle of the shot.

Play with perspective

Changing the perspective of a photo can give it added impact, so rather than snapping ‘head on’, try crouching down and pointing the camera upwards, or standing on a chair and shooting from above. This works particularly well for taking team shots, or when you need to fit a large group of people into the frame.

Think about placing text

Sometimes, you may want to add text to your pictures. If you’re sharing tips or advice from a particular staff member, for instance, to leave enough space in the frame to add a coloured box or text to introduce what the post is about, like a short quote. Here’s a good example.

Don’t zoom in too close

It’s tempting to zoom in to your subject, but often that can affect the resolution and make the final picture look pixelated and poor quality. If you need to shoot something close up, it’s better to stand closer to it than to zoom in.

Don’t rely on pictures alone

Sometimes, pictures look better when interspersed with purely text-based posts, like this. These work well to grab attention because you can be more descriptive when you’re sharing a new piece of content like a blog, tips or advice.

Polish up the final shot

Maybe you need to blur out a background, enhance certain colour tones, adjust the brightness or crop the dimensions for the platform you’re posting on. Whether you’re using Photoshop or an image editing Smartphone app, editing your snaps before you post them will give them a cleaner, more professional look.

How are your social media profiles looking? If you’d like to improve your content and branding, aren’t sure which platforms are working best for your type of business, or need support managing and updating your platforms, Osborn can help. Drop us a line to book in a chat.

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