I think it would be very safe to say that I am slightly obsessed with Instagram. I decided at the beginning of the year that I wanted to try and grow my following and spend more time creating a more cohesive feed. Since January, I have gained just over 3,000 new followers (which is probably not a lot compared to larger accounts, but for me, it’s a huge achievement – slow and steady right?!).

Anyway, I get a lot of questions and DMs about how I edit my photos and what apps I use, so I thought it was about time for me to share my 5 most used Instagram Apps.

[1] Planning

MOSAICO

If you want your feed to look great at a glance, it’s so important that you plan ahead which photos you’re going to post. That way, when you click post, you know it’s going to fit right in with the look you’re trying to achieve. There are heaps of planning apps out there, but my favourite is Mosaico.

I love this app because

• You can easily shuffle photos

This is perfect to shift things around and to see what photos look good together or if you should move things around. It’s a simple drag and drop as well, and it’s very seamless (aka not clunky!)

• You can pre-write your captions

I love this, because captions is something that I really struggle with. So it’s great to be able to write them in advance. So that when I’m ready to post my caption is already written! (the app also copies your caption to your clipboard automatically when you’re ready to post!)

• you can save hashtag groups

Instagram maxes hashtags out at 30; Mosaico, lets you save groups of hashtags up to 30. So you can save certain groups of hashtags together. For example, if I’m just posting a photo of J, then I’ll just use baby hashtags, but if I’m in it as well, then I’ll include both baby and motherhood related hashtags. This is a super cool feature that makes your hashtag strategy a little bit easier.

• You can schedule posts (and post to Instagram directly through the app)

The app won’t automatically post to Instagram for you, but you can set a reminder and it’ll send you a notification to post. So, if 7pm is when your engagement is highest, you can set a reminder to post at 7pm and Mosaico will send you a reminder.

• You can add mulitple Instagram accounts (paid version)

If you have multiple instagram accounts, then you can upgrade the app to sync mulitple accounts. I love this because we have a couple of other businesses that we use Instagram for, so I can make sure that I plan and stay ontop of content for all of them.

[2] Editing

VSCO

I have a few different apps that I use for editing, depending on what I want to do/achieve. The first app, my go to, for basic editing is VSCO. It’s a free app, but I have upgraded to the subscription, because you get full access to all of their presets as well as the ability to edit video. I mainly use the presets: AL1, AL5, A2 and A6. I find to get a cohesive feed, it’s good to use the same preset so that all your images have the same look and feel.

At first, I found VSCO quite confusing to use, but I watched a few tutorials and had a little play and now I think I’ve got the general gist of it.

SNAPSEED

I love snapseed for retouching certain parts of images. There are a few different things that you can do in this app, the main tools I use are the Selective Tool, Brush tool, and Healing tool.

1. Selective Tool

This tool is great for selecting parts of an image and then brightening/darkening them. I use this tool to make my pictures look a lot whiter/brighter

2.  Brush Tool

The Brush tool lets you manually brush edits over certain parts of the image. I use this (with the dodge + burn tool) to get rid of any unwanted shadows

3. Healing Tool

This is great to get rid of any unwanted blemishes in images (like if I forgot to put away something in the background, or if I wanted to get rid of a mark on a wall) in the below example it’s the black in the background)

[3] Colorpop

If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know that my feed is a monochrome feed. But what if I’ve been at the park, or the beach, and I really want to share a snap of it, without jeopardising my chosen style? Insert Colorpop. So this is an app that grayscale a picture and then lets you colour back in the parts that you want in colour (eg people) You can also pinch to zoom in to ensure complete accuracy in your recoloring.

I love this app! See guys, it’s all an illusion, my world is not completely monochrome – bhahah!

[3] Stories

UNFOLD

I often get asked what app I use to create my stories, it’s called Unfold. And it can help you create gorgeous collages with images and videos. It also allows you to add text to your images which is really nice. They have heaps of templates for you to choose from (some are free, others are paid for)

I love the interface of this app – it’s really beautifully designed, super easy to use and they’re constantly updating it and adding new templates (be sure to turn on notifications)!

What are your favourite Instagram apps? Let me know in the comments below!

The post My Top 5 Instagram Apps appeared first on Megzie.

I don’t think there are many people out there who would disagree with the statement that babies are just super cute, right?! And I know that us mums, just LOVE to photograph their babies as much as possible (at least I do). Anyone else catch themselves looking at photos of their babies when they’re sleeping. I’m so guilty of this. But lets be honest, photographing insta-worthy pics of our little babes can be super tricky. Often, they don’t cooperate, they’re not in the mood and it can take longer than you thought it would and you both just end up getting frustrated. At least, that’s what I’ve found. So I decided to write up a post about some tips and tricks that I’ve picked up over the last few months of being an insta-mum.

[1] Use Thoughtful Props

It’s all good and well snapping a picture in the moment, but this post, is all about those staged insta-worthy baby pics. I received 5 gorgeous quirky baby onesies from LavenderSun and decided to use these as my starting point for the following snaps. They all had super cute sayings on them. And I took the sayings into consideration for the picture. For example

“Started from the Belly Now I’m Here” Obvs this is a play on the lyrics from Drakes song right, so I got some headphones to use as a prop, because it’s relevant to the theme. I also used an ultrasound picture of J as a prop because that was literally him “in the belly” I think you get where I’m going with this.

Another example is “You are so Loved” I used a rose and a chalkboard love heart to amplify the onesie’s message. You would be surprised with how many props you have just laying around your house. Especially when it comes to babies. A lot of their toys, or cuddly toys, nursery decor can be doubled up as photography props. All you need is a bit of creativity, have fun with it!

[2] Plan and Prepare Beforehand

Don’t ever try to take a insta-photo if you haven’t already got it set up, the baby should literally be the last thing you add to the photo. If you’re trying to get it all set up and entertain baby, it can be stressful for both of you. I like to get my photo set up while little J is sleeping, so that when we’re both ready, all we have to do is pose for the photo, click the camera button (a few times!) and voila, we’re done. I always try to think about the look and feel of the photo before I take it. That way, I know what props to use, where I’m going to take the picture, I can set up the camera on the tripod if needed all in advance. It’s so much easier to do it this way (for me at least).

[3]  All About Timing

Speaking of planning, plan WHEN you are going to take the photo. This point is two-fold. The time of the day is important, because you want to make sure you have enough natural light. But, more importantly, is when in your baby’s routine. If you try to take it before a feed, they might be grumpy, if you do it straight after a feed, it’s very likely that they will spew up on your set-up. I like to time my photos 20-30 mins after a feed. That way little J has a full tummy, a clean bum, and he’s generally quite awake and happy.

I find I get the best smiles then as well. That being said, if you are going for a sleepy baby photo, then you might want to time your picture to right when the bubs has fallen asleep, position them on your set-up, snap your pic and then put them down for the nap. I have given up on sleepy baby photos with J, it was way easier when he was a sleepy newborn. Now he’ll wake if I try to move him, and I prefer to have him sleep in his Nursery in his cot than on a photography set up. SOMETIME I try to snap a million photos and I’m lucky to get a blinking one that just LOOKS like he’s asleep. But that is VERY rare hahah!

[4] Use Music or Toys for Smiles

I find if I’m home alone with bub, that I’ll put on some fun music in the background so that it’s not super quiet. That way I can sing-a-long to the songs and dance, and little J will feed off that energy. Typically you’ll hear me saying things like “Jasper, JAAASPER, JAAAAAAASPER, Where is your smile?! WHERE IS YOUR SMILE! THERE IT ISSSSSS!!! aaaaand click! smile captured! You know your baby best, so you’ll know what makes them smile. If you want them to look in a certain direction, try to dangle a musical toy or rattle in that direction (it really helps to have a second pair of hands for this!)

[5] Add Texture with Rugs, Blankets and Pillows

I find the key to creating depth for insta-worthy baby snaps is to add texture along with the props. Have baby laying on the carpet, but then add a blanket and a few cushions or teddy’s down to create depth.

Try not to overdo it with too many patterns clashing. I’ll often use a pattern and then add two or three neutrals (greys, blacks, whites – for my insta-feed). The different textures of the rugs and blankets really help the picture pop. If you have a baby basket, dockatot or even your change table mat, you can lay your baby in there and then add the texture around them, and tie it all together with a blanket going over the carpet, and then baby. Play around with what works while you are setting up. Take a few practice shots without the baby and look at them on the camera.

[6] Bonus Tip

After you’ve gone through all the effort of setting up your picture, choosing the right props, planning the right time to snap it, make sure you photograph from a few different angles. I find that often what I have in mind looks great, but it’s the pictures and angles that I didn’t plan to take that I love the most. Get closer, move further away, stand on a chair. Try include yourself (hands, feet) do ones without you. The opportunities are endless. Make the most of the photo-op while you have it.

And that is basically it. I gotta say, I’m loving the baby onesies that I got from LavenderSun, they have SO many cute ones to choose from. And they’re great for generating some cool ideas for photos if you’re ever stuck. The quality is great, and I promise, they’re not ALL black and white (I just love the B&W ones, because they match my feed on Instagram).

The Onesies

I had Boobs for Breakfast – click here
I am so Loved – click here
Gangsta Napper – click here
Best Day Ever- click here
Started from the Belly – click here
Other Baby Onesies – click here

Do you have any tips that you use when taking fun pics of Insta? I’d love to hear about them in the comments!

The post 5 Tips for Creating Whimsical Instagram Pictures with a Baby appeared first on Megzie.

You can watch my vid, or read below: the choice is yours :)

Okay, so to try to keep a long story short, when I first started out on Insta, I was just using my phone to snap pics, edit them and then post them then and there. Then, one day, I decided that I’d like to “up my Insta game” so to speak. So I started using my hella professional camera (I’m a wedding photographer on the side guys, so I have an AMAZE SLR – 5DS for anyone intersted). BUT I started to run into some speedbumps and discovered that some things that I wanted to achieve with my super fancy camera, were just not possible.

FOR EXAMPLE:

[1] I wanted to be able to set my camera up on a tripod and snap a pic of myself.

Technically, this is possible with the 5DS, BUT, you need a remote (which I have) but YOU CAN’T BLOODY SEE WHAT YOU’RE DOING. And more often than not, my photos were out of focus. VERY FRUSTRATING GUYS.

[2] I wanted something that was lightweight and easy to travel with

I was even more frustrated, because my camera, as nice as it is, IS FREAKING HEAVY. So to casually bring it to brunch, is an effort and a half. Also, I shoot weddings with this camera, GOD FORBID anything happen to it. It was starting to freak me out.

[3] I wanted to be able to record high quality videos

So yes, I’ve been toying around with the idea of a YouTube channel, and I wanted a camera that I could easily see what I was doing. My 5DS is great, but I would be filming blind, unless I connected it to my laptop etc… TOO HARD!

[4] I wanted to be able to send the pics to my phone ASAP

I know right, this instant society that we live in. It’s crazy. But I’d often find that I’d take pics on the nice camera, and then it’d be too hard to download them all, import them to Lightroom, edit them all, save them all, export them, and then send them to  my phone. I wanted to have a camera, that, like my phone, could take a pic, send it to my phone, and allow me to upload within minutes.

So…..DRUM ROLL……the camera I settled on is……

The Canon M6.

It checked all my boxes (and more!)

Firstly, it’s compact and lightweight. Which means I can bring it with me EVERYWHERE. It fits nicely into my nappy bag, or just into my Pram bag thingy and this makes me so happy because it means bringing a camera with me anywhere is now super easy.

Next up, it has a screen that can flip up, so taking a selfie is as easy as doing it on your iphone. I love it!  It is a bit strange not having a viewfinder anymore, but again, it’s basically like an iPhone now in that you can literally see everything that’s going to be in frame.

And my ABSOLUTE favourite part, is that it can connect to my iPhone and I can use my phone as a remote. This is great for a couple of reasons:

1. I no longer require my hubby to help me take awesome insta photos! I can simply set up a tripod, connect my phone and see exactly how the pic will look, frame it correctly, use the timer, and WHAM BAM THANK YOU MAM I’ve got the perfect photo
2. I can make sure everything is in focus
3. I can check to make sure all the settings are correct
4. I can then send the picture straight to my phone, edit it there and then, and upload it straight away

It’s honestly made my life SO MUCH EASIER!! I can get amazing photos of me with Jasper without anyone else helping. I’m usually never in pictures, because I’m always ALWAYS the one behind the camera. So finally I get to prove that I was there too!

I also really love that you can change the lenses on the camera. In my opinion, a camera is only as good as it’s lens. So I feel like I have to put this point in here. We got the 22mm Prime lens and I use this as well as the 15-45mm kit lens that the camera came with. The Kit lens is good, but the 22mm is AMAZING. It’s got a low aperture (amazing in low-light!) and it’s so good for creating depth of field (blurry background) photos.  I mainly use this lens for all of my instagram photos. That being said, the 15-45mm is my go-to selfie lens (because it’s wide angle, you can fit more people in!)

There are a bunch of other reasons that I love this camera, but they’re a bit more technical. Things like being able to shoot in RAW, as well as in Manual mode. This means you have much more control over the settings and can adjust the camera settings in a low-light environment. I love this so much, because I hate using the flash at all costs (hey, I’m a wedding photographer, natural light is like, my thing!)

Aaaanway, I have rambled on enough. If you have any questions about this camera, or my Instagram process, feel free to leave a comment or send me a DM on the old gram. I’m always happy to chat about these sorts of things!!

Sharing is caring!!

The post What Camera Gear I Use on Instagram appeared first on Megzie.