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Having a creative slump or losing inspiration is something that threatens to get the better of us every now and then, but as visual content creators it’s very important maintain your creative eye.
For many, Instagram has become a visual diary that is often easier to maintain during summer’s bright blue skies, blooming flowers and a wealth of activities in the warm weather. In winter, however, things can get trickier with the cold weather upon us, and it may seem that there are less creative tools to work with.
How do you ensure your OOTDs and beauty shots are perfectly captured with as much creative spark as seen in summer?
READ MORE: Ever wondered how you can get your Instagram pictures to look like your favourite influencers'?
Rest assured, there are enough creative tools to work with beyond capturing traditional flat lays and there is even more visual inspiration to maintain your creativity until the flowers bloom again.
Here are five tips that will get your Insta aesthetic be where it needs to be:
Bright colours aren’t just for summer
We’ve heard this in fashion; bold and bright colours don’t need to be restricted to the summer time – the same goes for capturing photos for your Instagram feed or blog.
Glowing blues, purples and greens have been popular lately in fashion and beauty styles, but really these colours are trending across the board. When thinking about how to communicate your various looks using colour, think about whether you’ll match your surroundings in monochrome, colour-block or by including a few complementary colours to complete the picture.
Fashion stylist Shiona Turini has done this well:
The golden hour
Just because the temperature is cooler, it doesn’t mean the sun has disappeared.
Granted, the golden hour turns into golden minutes in winter, but the piercing light during that time is worth the chase. A great technique you can use is creating a halo effect with a solid figure blocking the sun (your actual body or an object) and have the sun rays give you the natural glow. You can also play around with other types of light flares.
See some examples here:
Bare tree backdrop
Unfortunately, this season is not the most favourable time for blooming roses or tulips, so the bouquets or sidewalk garden Insta shots are not sustainable options. But this does not mean it’s all doom and gloom. The trees, while bare and brown, could add a lot of character to your fashion shoot – and the more repetition there is with the string of bare trees, the better your backdrop will be.
Here are a few examples:
Distinct architecture as a backdrop
Speaking of backdrops, there’s nothing more fashionable-city-girl than a fashion shot by a busy street. If you’re looking for more of a fashionably-cultured/well-travelled shot, you can use distinct buildings or bridges as your backdrop.
Here are few shots to spark creativity:
Creative collages
A way to take your creativity further with already existing photographs is by designing collages to slot into your feed every now and then. One thing to keep in mind with collages is to make sure the style suits your brand and aesthetics.
Here are some examples that can guide you:
If you found these tips helpful, tag us on Instagram at W24_SA on your next post.
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