How To Edit Photos For Instagram (Using Just An iPhone)

This is aimed to help those who are relatively new to editing and want to up their insta-image game without having to invest in expensive equipment or take a course in Photoshop. Armed with just my iPhone, I wanted to share a few tips for How I Edit Photos For Instagram.

The Instagram platform has completely changed since I started. Back in 2012, I signed up and got started – thinking it was just an editing app, until one of my friends text me asking why I was posting 30 pictures of the same wallpaper (I was decorating and trying to see how it would look in different lights) I had been sharing photos for well over a month without realising that a hundred or so people were seeing them too! Of course, back then, it was all over filtered selfies and shots of avocado on toast, but it was so charming.

No algorithm, no comparison, all joy. Photo-sharing joy. 

But now, there’s insta-pressure. Accounts with millions of followers and immaculate homes, elaborate reels with all that transition stuff, shooting with camera and set-ups worth more than most cars and with a seemingly constant stream of creativity coming out their wazzoo. 

But here’s the thing: My thing I get asked about is how I edit photos for Instagram. They’re usually taken and edited with… an iPhone.

That’s it.

I do have a big fancy camera that I use for work (my favourite being THIS ONE) and I love shooting with it – but the photos that always seem to do best on Instagram are the magical moments that I’ve captured by whipping my phone or tiny compact camera out of my pocket and edited with an app right there next to the Instagram app, no need for a computer or expensive software. 

So here’s how I edit photos for Instagram 

(If you’re a pro photographer, this is unlikely to be your jam… but for those just wanting a prettier and more cohesive Instagram grid, I hope you’ll find something useful!)

One

Firstly, I take all of my photos in portrait mode. It picks out light nicely, gives the image some bokeh (background blur bringing focus to the important subject) and captures the elements I want with more depth.

Two

I go through the thirty or so photos I’ve inevitably taken, and click favourite on the few I like the most (less than 5… be savage!) Sod’s law – the first is usually the best anyway.

{UNEDITED IMAGES}

Three

I import and open the images in the VSCO app.

four

First, I’ll adjust the image to ensure it’s level, using the Crop & Straighten tool. I’ll then crop it down to the image I want to work with.

Five

Secondly, I’ll fix the exposure (how light or dark it is) Play around to find what suits the image – I tend to prefer moody, darker shots, but that’s entirely personal preference. I know brighter, airier images actually usually do better on Instagram! 

six

Next, I will sharpen the image if it needs it. I never go about 3.5, as sharpening can make your image grainy.

 

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Then I will alter the contrast. I like my photos to have a slightly softer, vintage feel – but I’m not an enormous fan of the ‘fade’ feature. Instead, I decrease the contrast to soften the image. If you prefer a more intense effect, contrast is the ideal way to achieve that instead of altering the clarity, which is much harsher.

eight

I rarely use presets these days because my work has made me quite finicky about my own preferences, but these can really transform your images with the click of a button. When I do use them to edit Instagram photos, my favourites are A6, J1 or KP5 – but this something that it’s really worth taking time to go through and pick for your own style. You don’t have to use the preset at full strength, I tend to set it at about halfway. *You can also save your favourites, which saves time as there are so many!* 

{EDITED USING VSCO PRESET AL5}

nine

Occasionally I will adjust the saturation, especially during the autumn when I turn it up to give everything a golden glow. Studies have actually shown that images with lower saturation usually do better on Instagram, but I really think followers will enjoy whatever you share as long as it reflects your personal style.

 

{EDITED USING VSCO PRESET C5}

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Next, I will increase the grain slightly. I know this isn’t for everyone, but it’s the one step I never miss as it gives my images character. It definitely adds to that subtle vintage vibe I gravitate towards.

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The last thing I will do in VSCO is, if it’s a portrait, I will use the Vignette tool to darken around the frame and draw focus to the subject. I will then save the image.

 

{EDITED WITH VSCO PRESET A6}

Twelve

Finally, if there’s anything distracting that I want to remove (food in teeth, a blob colour in the background that was actually a selfish person in a bright red anorak who didn’t realise that I was attempting to snap a masterpiece) I open it in the free Snapseed app.

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I select the ‘Healing’ tool, zoom in, and highlight the small area I want to remove. It’s magic! (I would recommend selecting ‘Save a Copy’ when you’re done, rather than ‘Modify Image’ just because the outcome sometimes saves a slightly different image to the preview) 

 

Just a final thing to note

Presets are a great way to create a cohesive feed. When someone lands on your page, perhaps from somebody kindly sharing your post (hurrah for the community spirit of Insta!) or if your image has appeared on Instagram’s Explore page, a grid that flows nicely and gives them a clear idea of content they can expect from you is more likely to get you a follow. I don’t curate my grid personally (you can follow me on Instagram HERE) but I know it’s a method used by many and it’s really attractive. If you are trying to grow your account, you need to look at your content and consider whether you would follow yourself – and the overall appearance of your feed would likely play a large part in your decision. 

I hope that helps you with how to Edit Photos for Instagram. Let me know what you think or any other posts you would like to see in the comments –

Love, Helen

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