I was asked to write a short article on taking photos for social media marketing for Visit Wales Guide to Business in 2020, you can read all of my tips on this below;
Creating good photo content for your social media marketing can be a challenge, but here in Wales we’re blessed with some incredible coastlines, mountains, ancient woodlands, rivers and some pretty impressive cascading waterfalls. So, how can you capture some of the beauty often found on our doorstep? Here’s a few tips and things to consider when you’re out and about taking photos.
Locations & Opportunities;
While there are many Instagram famous spots scattered throughout Wales, you really can get some beautiful photos anywhere. So, get out and explore, often by wandering short way off the beaten track you can discover some hidden gems. Once you find some great spots don’t forget to go back in different conditions or seasons.
The river Swdde near Llangrannog
Composition;
Usually the first thing you need to consider. Following some rules of composition can have a significant bearing on your photos. Try following the rule of thirds (positioning your main subject/s in areas that will grab the viewers eye more effectively), positioning your camera to so that you can include a foreground, mid ground and background or using leading lines such as rivers, streams, walls or cracks in rocks to draw the viewers eye to your subject. It’s often worth considering what you can remove from a photo, instead of what you can include, messy photos often get overlooked so subtracting from your photos instead of adding to them often pays off.
A simple scene of Curck Rock, Broadhaven South Beach. This long exposure shot only has 1 main subject and no distractions.
No such thing as bad light;
There is no such thing as “bad light” for photography, contrary to popular belief. All light is good light, you just have to consider how to use certain conditions. While you can’t go wrong with golden hour (the hour just after sunrise or before sunset) you can certainly make the most of the varying conditions we have here in Wales. If you’re capturing some of our epic waterfalls, overcast days are perfect because the even lighting avoids harsh highlights or deep shadows from dominating your photos. Harsh lighting is perfect for making those shadows work for you as leading lines, or if you’re patient and lucky enough on a partly cloudy day you might capture a perfect sunbeam highlighting your subject. Another rainy day in Wales? Get your favourite raincoat on and make the most of the reflections in puddles or drama in the sky.
Don’t forget to look behind you! No, you’re not at the panto but it’s always worth looking behind you once you’ve got that stunning sunset captured. The soft golden light hitting the landscape behind you is often equally impressive.
Shot in harsh midday light in Lanzarote, the light combined with a bit of haze adds a nice effect to the photo.
Filter or no filter;
There’s nothing wrong with editing your photos before you post them, but a soft subtle edit is always better, so go easy on those sliders! It’s also worth considering your crop when shooting and before posting, a crop ratio of 4:5 in portrait orientation works better for Instagram as this takes up most of the viewers screen, increasing the chance that they engage with your photos. Consider your grid, if all your photos have a similar theme, tone and colour palette this will make your profile more consistent and increase your chances of people following you and engaging with your posts.
Captions & Hashtags;
Now that you’re ready to post some of your favourite photos you should think about what you want to say, if you’ve got a photo that compliments the message you want to share then that’s perfect! Good captions grab the reader’s attention in the first line, so that they want to press ‘read more’ and usually end with a ‘call to action’, prompting the viewing to like, comment or share the post with their friends. Try to use Hashtags that are relevant to your post as they make your content more discoverable to people searching for posts along the same theme.
Engage with your followers;
It is called social media after all; people will be complimenting you on the photos you’ve taken and shared using these tips, so make sure you respond and have conversations with your followers, this way your posts will show up on more peoples feeds too!