Instagram photography trends tend to move at a pretty rapid pace. The hottest looks come and go, sometimes fleetingly, but can make for some fantastic pictures. Many of them require some effort, but there’s rarely anything too technical, meaning that even amateur photographers can capture some great shots. Below, we’ve listed six of the hottest Instagram photography trends that you need to try out. All you’ll need is a camera, some inexpensive accessories, and the inspiration to have fun with what you’re doing.
Instagram Photography Trends: Smoke Bombs
Smoke bombs can create a colourful and unique effect for your snaps. They’re affordable and come in a broad range of colours. However, they don’t always produce a reliable effect; some smoke more than others, and for longer. You’ll want to make sure that the smoke dispenser is held some distance from the subject. Allow the trails to envelop whoever or whatever you’re shooting, but don’t let it obscure them too much. Get creative with different colours and angles and the results can be stunning.
Instagram Photography Trends: Firefly Lights
Firefly lights are super popular right now. Again, you can pick up a chain of these for very little, but they can transform your photos. They can create lots of different looks and work well in a variety of lighting situations. Try having the chain of lights trail off out of the frame so that some of the bulbs softly slide out of focus. Another look that works well is balling the chain together and holding them; it creates a wonderfully soft hue to the picture.
Instagram Photography Trends: Light Trails
Light trails have always been popular, and they’re really easy to produce. You’ll need to shoot at night but will need some dim lighting to highlight your subject. In order to get the full effect, you should set your camera to a long shutter speed; around 5 seconds. You’ll also want to set a self-timer so that you don’t blur the picture when you press the shutter. As the exposure is taking, use a penlight or smartphone light to draw trails behind your subject. The effects will often look amazing, but your subject needs to keep still.
Instagram Photography Trends: Confetti
Confetti is a really fun prop that can be a lot of fun for photographers and their subjects. Try using a confetti cannon to get a full-body shot that’s bright, colourful, and interesting. You can also use small handfuls of confetti and blow them down the lens towards your subject when shooting a portrait. They can be messy, but that’s part of the fun.
Instagram Photography Trends: Prisms
To create a really unique effect on your photos, try taking your shots partially through a prism. This is a popular trend right now, as they can refract light in some inspiring ways. Try using one in conjunction with different lighting styles and see what works for you.
Instagram Photography Trends: Sparklers
Everyone loves sparklers, and they’re a useful prop all year round. Like the smoke bombs, they don’t always last too long, so you’ll have to work quickly. However, the results can be truly awesome. They’re accessories that also combine well with many of the other trends we’ve mentioned above.