Cool Little Instagram Tip For Making Your Posts Have More Impact

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You guys have probably heard me talking about the role “size” plays on the impact of your images, especially when they’re viewed on the Web, and this tip really reinforces that concept.

Last night I was working on a post for our other blog (LightroomKillerTips), about some new Lightroom presets from “The Creativv” and while I was on their site I saw a post they had written about an Instagram tip —  something I hadn’t realized they added when Instagram recently added the ability to post landscape images (instead of just square images), you can now post images in Portrait (tall) mode as well.

The tip is — if you crop your image to a 4×5 ratio (a built-in cropping preset in Lightroom), your image then takes up pretty much the entire screen (see above right).

Compare the impact of the image on the far left, with the full screen portrait image on the right (note: if you scroll down, you’ll still see the caption for the image, but if you want more impact and engagement, I believe the one on the right will bring a lot more of both).

Here’s the link to their post (with the step-by-step cropping Lightroom details):

IMPORTANT: There’s one thing they didn’t mention in their post that had me scratching my head for a moment, and that is — once your image is in Instagram, you need to tap that little landscape/portrait button in the lower left corner of the image to switch your image to portrait orientation (from square). In the preview, this will show a gap on either side of your image, but when you post it, the gap doesn’t appear (as seen above right).

Also, thanks to all the awesome feedback I’ve gotten from my “How to Build Your Audience on Instagram” online class — as an educator, that type of feedback has us walking on air.

JOIN ME TOMORROW — If you’re a KelbyOne member, tomorrow at 2pm New York Time we have a live broadcast with two of Canon’s awesome super techie guys doing a live Q&A exclusively for KelbyOne members. Keep an eye out on your email for the link to come join us — we’ll be answering questions about the new Canon EOS 1D X Mark II, and anything else you can ask to stump our DSLR and DSLR video gurus (Rudy and Brent know this stuff at a terrifying level).

Hope you find that Instagram tip helpful (and thanks to Creativv for sharing it). :)

Best,

-Scott

P.S. Why did Adele cross the road? To say “Hello from the other side.” ;-)

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  1. Good tip Scott – I completed your Instagram training and I am following it – I am still in the very beginning but already noticed an increase in the response. Good advices!

  2. Scott, when I first became a fan Lightroom was still a pup (beta status). I could count on your blog etc. to give fair reviews on all hardware. Recently I’ve notice that other than xmas stocking stuffers, your hardware concentrates mostly on Canon cameras and lenses. When I search this blog for NIKON it takes me back to March of 2013 and a Nikon D7100. (Funny, McNally showed a pic from a D7100 recently.) Yes, I am a gear head that uses Nikon due to a fortune spent on lenses and various point and shoot travel cameras. Can we rethink your camera and lens reviews to cover other product lines that maybe your numerous guests use? Maybe a new phone camera? Thanks for your consideration.

    1. Hi William. Back when I shot Nikon, all I ever talked about was Nikon cameras because that’s what I shot. I never, ever mentioned Canon or Sony at all, because I only can speak to the stuff I actually use. I rarely do reviews or field reports (no more than once a year if that) – most of my stuff is about shoots I’m doing, etc. – That being said, Nikon has zero contact with me – they don’t even do as much as email me a press release about a new camera, so it’s unlikely you’ll be hearing much from about Nikon from me. However, any of my guest bloggers or other people that use other platforms that post here are always welcome to post about their gear, and they do. I don’t “police” anyone’s post because I’m not sponsored by Canon (though they are one of the sponsors of my Shoot Like a Pro Tour, but even there, I have some Nikon gear on stage with me to demo certain things, and I show images of both Sony and Nikon gear, as well as Canon). Hope that helps (and thanks for taking the time to comment). :)

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