8 Tips for Taking the Best Pictures for Instagram in 2022

Whether you’re an aspiring influencer or just a regular person trying to up your Instagram game, it’s not hard to see that the landscape of social media changes all the time — particularly in the last few years. You may be wondering how you can take the best pictures for Instagram to keep up with the trends.

While Instagram strategy has been the name of the game for a long time, the algorithm has changed a lot in recent years, as have the tastes and aesthetics that are most popular on the platform. Within the past few years, we have seen a new level of authenticity, diversity of style and unique expression on Instagram, and you can be a part of it, too. Here are a few tips for posting the very best Instagram photos in 2022.

1. Photo Dumps

This year, the biggest photo trend on Instagram has been the “photo dump.” This trend simply means posting a batch of unedited photos all at once, often with the caption “photo dump.”

The photos you choose can be random, ranging from a recent meal you ate to a blurry mirror pic. If you want a theme, you can post a photo dump of shots from a vacation or pictures from the past month. The point is to show what you’ve been up to recently in an informal way. You might not post the random selection of photos on their own, but all together, they create a glimpse into your daily life.

2. Choose An Era

Fashion inspired by past decades has been extremely popular this year. There are a few different time periods in style right now. While some people have been on the hunt for thrifted and vintage 70s pieces, others are leaning heavily into the early 2000s trends.

These throwback fashion trends have been all over Instagram feeds. Put on your favorite vintage piece or low-rise jeans and have a quick photoshoot. Your friends and followers will be DMing you immediately to see where you got your outfit.

3. It’s About Authenticity

Although years of the past have seen the Instagram machine heavily favoring curated, manicured feeds, having a completely picture-perfect Instagram presence can actually work to your detriment in many circles nowadays. Nobody wants to see people pretending to be perfect when, in reality, nobody is truly perfect. Instead, taking the best Instagram photos is all about being authentic and expressing yourself however makes you feel good. Leave the Facetune and Photoshop in 2016 — and let your own light shine!

4. Photo Quality Isn’t King Anymore

Speaking of authenticity, you might be surprised to learn that the best camera to use on Instagram isn’t some fancy, expensive full-frame piece — it’s whatever you have! With the exception of professional photographers, many influencers and laypeople have found that taking photos with the iPhone camera, film cameras or whatever camera they have lying around more than gets the job done. In fact, grainy and blurry photos have been coming into trend recently due to their candid quality.

Funny enough, the best pictures for Instagram aren’t always the best quality!

5. Light Editing

You might be noticing a theme here of going back to basics, and this tip falls in line with that idea, too. Although back in the early days of Instagram, heavy filters and color corrective editing have been heralded as the mark of creativity, recent trends have leaned more on the side of light, minimal editing that can express the natural qualities of a photo. Even if you choose to use light filters or give your photos a quick pass through an editing app, it’s best not to overdo it.

6. Involve Your Friends

Taking photos for Instagram is often about expressing yourself and showing what your life is like. Especially with the recent trend of “photo dumps” coming to the forefront of Instagram, there is no time like the present to involve your friends and loved ones in your Instagram pictures. In the old days of heavily curated Instagram feeds, it was much more common to have a timeline filled primarily with photos of you and maybe a shot or two of a friend or significant other, but that has changed, and likely for the better — now you can show off all the amazing people in your life much more freely!

7. Frequency and Timing Aren’t What They Used to Be

Before many of the now well-known changes were made to the Instagram algorithm, there was an entire genre of articles dedicated to telling you the best times of day to post on Instagram and how frequently you should be doing so. Now, the Instagram algorithm favors the people that you individually interact with the most, as well as other techniques related to that. Therefore, posting every single day or even posting often won’t make or break your Instagram popularity — in fact, some people even find it offputting to blast your timeline with new photos constantly — hence the gallery post and photo dump popularity.

8. Lean Into Your Personal Aesthetic

One of the beauties of Instagram in 2022 is the diversity of styles and ideas that are present on the platform. From dark academia lovers to coconut girls to cottagecore aficionados, there are so many aesthetics that you can play around with. In fact, there is a certain sense of freedom and making up your own aesthetic or finding your niche within your favorite style. Lean into your tastes when taking photos for your Instagram. It’s one of the best ways to express your style!

Taking and Posting Your Best Instagram Photos

There are so many ways to express yourself on social media, and Instagram is one of the most visual tools around. In 2022, there is so much more freedom to explore your aesthetic, post a bit more conservatively and use whatever tools you have to present an authentic vision of yourself. Although it may take a bit of soul-searching, you can take the best pictures for Instagram and share them with your friends and followers.