DIY Instagram Photoshoot Ideas
Need some ideas for your next DIY Instagram Photoshoot? Read our full list to get even more creative and unique posts on your feed.
Posted last month
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Sam KingPosted last month
Love creating content on your own, but feeling a little creatively uninspired? Especially now that we’ve been spending A LOT more time indoors, it’s pretty understandable that you might be slightly sick of taking pictures in front of the same white wall over and over again. Having your own DIY Instagram photoshoot can help you turn out your space and create quality content that inspires you to get creative and discover your new fave photo spot! Psst! If you want to make your photos go even farther when you post them, read this.
15 DIY Instagram Photoshoot Ideas
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- What you’ll need for a DIY Instagram Photoshoot:
- The upgraded mirror selfie
- Create an *aesthetic* flatlay
- Play with lighting
- Create a spotlight effect using toilet paper
- Create a dreamy, blurred effect with Vaseline
- Find the background of your dreams
- Play with the sheets
- Create an aerial view
- Take a look at your surroundings
- Create a backdrop with magazines and newspapers
- Think monochromatic
- Prepare for bathtime
- Take a classic webcam selfie – it’s retro now
- Focus on the details
- Get inspo from Pinterest
What you’ll need for a DIY Instagram Photoshoot:
- Your phone.
- A tripod, or something to prop your phone up on.
- Natural light or a softbox/ringlight.
The upgraded mirror selfie
Okay, who doesn’t love a mirror selfie?! You can upgrade this old classic by taking any mirror you might have around your house, and bringing it outside, or to a different setting. Ideally, you’ll want a vintage style or smaller mirror (avoid dragging your full-length mirror out the house) and some space outside. Snap some cute pics with the grass and sky in the background and your mirror selfie has just got 10x dreamier.
@zroxvsTook my mirror outside for a little quarantine photoshoot 🤩 #photoshoot #photochallenge #fyp♬ did a full 180 but its chill lofi – LLusion
Create an *aesthetic* flatlay
Flatlays tend to perform really well on Instagram, and usually this is because they feel a little more organic, and can give a peek into what someone is into, or how they live. This style of content can be really simple to create with a few things around your house.
- Consider your content and what you tend to talk about on your feed.
- Grab items around the house that are related to your niche, fit in with your feed, or give a little insight into your life, current faves, etc.
- Arrange them together and have a play with the objects, taking pictures as you move items around.
- Finally, you’ll find the perfect shot!
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Play with lighting
Lighting can really spice up a photo, and there’s so much you can do with it when you are creating your own DIY Instagram photoshoot. Here’s a few tips and ideas:
- Get the golden hour glow, by taking pictures at sundown, that have a warmly lit, golden effect.
- Use fresh, natural light, or take photos in the window.
- Colour in pieces of cling film and tape them over your lights or lens to create DIY coloured gels at home.
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Create a spotlight effect using toilet paper
Yep, you read that right. A trend that swept TikTok for creating unique and interestingly lit photo effects was by taping an empty toilet roll to your phone camera. This will create a ‘tunnel vision’ lens that will allow you to focus light onto your subject.
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Create a dreamy, blurred effect with Vaseline
Got some Vaseline at home? Course you do. Create that dreamy 80s effect on your photos by rubbing a little on your camera lens, which will give your pics an ethereal feel.
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Find the background of your dreams
Do you have a projector or TV to hand? It’s pretty likely you do if you’re at home (or taking a cheeky DIY Instagram photoshoot in the office). Project a backdrop you like, by searching for the vibe you want on Google or YouTube, and then place yourself in front of the projection (or TV). Take some snaps with your snazzy new backdrop and you’ll look like you’re anywhere else, but home!
Play with the sheets
Don’t have a studio at home, but want to get that ‘professional’ feeling? It’s easy to create a DIY photoshoot for Instagram with a bedsheet and a doorframe. Find an area of your house that you like, and throw your bedsheet over a door or closet – this will be your backdrop. Add in chairs, or any props and settings you’d like, set up your tripod, and start taking photos!
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Another way you can use blankets or sheets for your DIY Instagram photoshoot is by putting them over yourself and taking pictures underneath to create cool lighting effects.
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Create an aerial view
Want to make it look like your photos have been taken from the *heavens*? A little photo hack that you can use, is by taking a small piece of cardboard and taping it in a ‘U’ shape to the ceiling above your bed, or couch. Set your phone on self-timer, and lay on the bed or couch to create a dreamy effect that looks like it’s been taken from above.
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Take a look at your surroundings
If you live in an apartment, you might find some fun spaces you can use outside of your home. Stairwells and hallways are a great place to start, as they create enough space for you to set up a DIY Instagram photoshoot. You’ll probably need your tripod for this one, since it’s harder to find places to prop up your phone in these types of settings, but you’ll have plenty of space to play with.
Create a backdrop with magazines and newspapers
Want to create a piece of content that really feels like its been taken somewhere else? Give your pics a little attitude by using old magazines and newspapers to craft a backdrop – view the tutorial below!
@christiannblakeGrab you phones!📸How to turn your bedroom into a creative shooting space☺️ #sidehustle #staycreative #tutorial #photography101 #shotoniphone♬ original sound – christian blake
Think monochromatic
A fun way to create a cool piece of content is by paying attention to color. Got a corner of your house that’s particularly green? Get dressed in a complementary outfit, whip your tripod out, and start taking snaps. If you don’t have a window for natural light in this space, make sure to use a ring light or something similar, in order to make sure your snaps are well-lit.
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Prepare for bathtime
Got a bath at home? Use it for a photoshoot! There are loads of different ways you can use your bath to create fun photos:
- Use a bath bomb to create a surrounding of color to submerge yourself in.
- Use flower petals to fill your bath with, to create that ‘fairy aesthetic’.
- Take a good old-fashioned bubble bath and take some lifestyle pictures that feel like the everyday.
- Want the classic ‘milky bath’ photoshoot? You don’t have to start pouring pints of milk in the bath, don’t worry. You can pick up milky bath products like the Lush Milky Bubble Bar or L’Occitane’s Almond Milky Bath.
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Take a classic webcam selfie – it’s retro now
Grainy photos have been ‘in’ recently, and luckily the look is easy to achieve. Take photos on your webcam or in a corner of your room, and create a fun collage to make it look a little more organic. For those seeking a polished, professional look without the hassle of a photo shoot, an AI headshot generator can provide crisp, high-quality portraits that blend seamlessly into your collage while maintaining that trendy, slightly grainy aesthetic.
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Focus on the details
Sometimes you can find photo inspiration in everyday moments. Think about something you want to feature and build a photo around it. Let’s say you got a fresh manicure, and want to take a nail selfie. Think about the colors that you have and what you can hold in your hands to show off your nails and personality.
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Get inspo from Pinterest
Totally out of ideas? Pinterest is a great place to find inspiration for DIY Instagram photoshoots, or your content in general. Start searching for your niche, things you want to take pictures of, or different photography styles, and build up a board of photos you want to recreate. When it comes to your photoshoot time, refer back to these as a mood board and recreate the snaps. Here’s an example of one we did during lockdown:
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You’re now equipped with a whole list of ideas for your next DIY Instagram photoshoot. Make sure to tag us in any of the content you create, using these ideas—we want to see it!
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