It’s time again to share my week on Instagram. It was quite a busy week so I only had time for a few IG posts and two of them were work-related. 

The first image is a tree, taken an Albert Park Lake as part of the April Instagram Meetup. I opened it in Pixlr and used the Silk Stylise effect.

Painted Trees
This next image was fun. We had a big success at work last week. One of the guys in my Melbourne team was the lead on the project and managed to pull off a major deal. We had champagne and a little orange cake to celebrate.

Workplace Celebrations
Next up is the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, which I also shared here on iPhriday.

Shades of Blue – VCCC
I enjoyed creating this little collage showing Gidget’s moods before and after going for a walk. She was looking sad and miserable as she curled up in my lap in the first pic. So I relented and took her out for a walk. The other three images are all the same photo, showing how much happier she was straight after our walk. I used the Layout app which is available separately, but also is part of the Instagram app. You can access it from the little button at the bottom right of the screen when selecting which photo to post. 

Miss Gidget – before and after walkies
I thought I would start sharing a couple of IG tips with you, for the of you who want to start using Instagram more. I find it lots of fun and I see people scrolling through IG posts all the time when I’m on the tram or train, or waiting in a queue. Actually, I’ve found some good cafes, restaurants and local businesses via Instagram, it’s quite a cool medium.

So, my first tip is to make sure your photo is a good one. Some people thin that IG has lower quality photos. While it’s true that the majority of IG shots come from smartphones, it’s not always the case, and that shouldn’t really matter. I post a mixture of smartphone and “real” camera shots, depending on a lot of things, including my mood, where I’m located, or what I’m trying to convey.

Maybe I’m promoting my blog, in which case I’ll use an image from the blog post, which are usually photos I’ve taken with my Olympus camera. Maybe I’m at a restaurant with friends and I snap a photo of the meal or of the group and post that to Instagram. In that case, it will be my iPhone, but I will always spend time editing the shot and making sure that it suits the rest of my feed. Posting pics of food has been given a bad rap in the past, but for me, it’s about connecting with the local community. If I share a photo of my delicious beetroot salad at the local Greek restaurant (and tag it appropriately), it will be seen by everyone who follows that restaurant, that tag, or food in general.

Recently, two of my photos have been re-posted by the cafe where I took them, and used to advertise their business. They tag the photographer in the post, which directs more people to your feed, leading to more followers.

So that’s my first tip – if you are treating Instagram as another channel for promoting your blog or your brand, make sure that your photos are up to scratch and that they convey your style.

Was that useful? I’ll share another tip next week, probably hashtags and how to use them. If you have any requests, please let me know.

x desleyjane
PS here are the two photos as used by local stores:

Posted by:desleyjane

photographer, blogger, planner, scientist, dog lover, frequent flyer, daughter, sister, BFF, human

15 replies on “My Week on Instagram”

  1. Thank you. I enjoy these highlights, because I really am steering clear of Instagram. I love the silk treatment of the tree and the celebration shot. As for MissG before and after!! I also like your explanation of how you got the photo – and even the Instagram tips although I’m NOT going anywhere near Instagram.

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  2. Thanks for the hints! I love using IG but never know if I’m doing any good. I just like to post my observations from time to time. I love the treatment you’ve given your shots especially the tree, thanks for putting me onto the pixlr app 😊

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  3. Your photos are always lovely, Desley, but I am so excited that the restaurant used two of them! Whoever provided that beautiful little orange cake would be smart to do the same. Oh, and little Gidget…..so darn cute. I had a Maltese…that little face is so hard to resist. ❤

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  5. Great shots and how cool the restaurant shared your awesome photos (would be dummies if they didn’t). I use my good shots from my blog (to promote) for IG. If I’m out and travelling and can’t blog frequently (said no one lately), I’ll capture nice shots for IG. Still learning some of the ropes for it though! Any tips are helpful!

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