Inspiration on Instagram | Our Favourite Hashtags + Themes

Instagram is becoming my favourite social media. The quality of the pictures is improving all the time and there seem to be more comments and interaction from genuine people (rather than spam accounts) - which is ace.

It probably helps that with Instagram, people tend to be more considered about what they post. Rather than reel off a load of holiday snaps, they’ll choose one or two of their best pics instead - so there’s fewer wonky pictures of the hotel shower room and more of Wallpaper Magazine being read by the pool.

As big fans of Instagram and avid users - although, by no measure are we the best photographers - we thought we’d throw out a few tips for what we look for when taking a photo. It was a timely decision too, as Lee Jeans had invited us to their #MoveYourLee launch event at the ever-photogenic Old Street Roundabout.

The first thing to say, is that we’re detail focused people. We tend to steer clear of landscape shots or anything further than ten yards away really. Maybe that’s due to the nature of what we do. We love checking out the small details that make a product, gadget, or artwork all the more special. Other's utilise landscapes so well - try #landscape lovers. For architecture try #brutalism + #architectual.

The old Instagram square suits this perfectly (although, you can now shoot on Instagram in anyway you like), framing a small section of a bigger picture without it feeling like much has been lost. Checkout Mat's favourite hashtags #carcorners + #Soloparking to see what we mean.

Light is really important when shooting on a camera phone. Without a decent flash, you’re not going to capture much detail in the dark and the pics will look very grainy. Plus, brighter photos seem to be far more popular on Instagram - I guess they carry a much more positive vibe. Obviously, make sure the light is behind you too: over-exposed pictures look a bit naff.

As well as detail, we do quite like our angles. Angles in pictures direct the eye and break-up what could be quite a flat, dull image by pulling out and emphasising patterns. Colour too, is important for us. A nice bright colour makes a photo stand out, and definitely fits the vibrant theme we try and maintain on the blog. Also try #patternity.

Finally, we’re always on the lookout for interesting #packagingdesign, signs, or #typography. It’s something we explore in the blog quite regularly, so it’s good to keep a record of the things we stumble across when out-and-about; but, not only that, they just make for great pictures, combining all of the things we look for - detail, angles, and colour.

Come and find us over on Instagram at @mat_buckets and @nikspeller. What are some of your favourite hashtags?

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