Today I’m switching things up and talking about a subject I get asked about a lot…how I edit my photos for my blog and Instagram. It’s taken me a while to develop the aesthetic of my Instagram feed and after experimenting with a lot of apps and filters, I’ve settled on a few that I feel best represent my style. There are a lot of different types of feeds that I love on Instagram – it’s definitely not a one size fits all model. For me, the quality of my photography is something that I place a lot of importance on so I try my best to edit in a way that shows off my hubby’s skills (for those of you that don’t know, my husband does all of my photos). I love bright colors and contrasting tones and I’m always hoping we capture some bokeh in our photos (as seen above), but that all depends on whether my husband captures it or not. I never add in any of those details.

Here are my top 5 tips for editing:

1. Start with a great photographer & good equipment: 90% of the aesthetic of my feed is attributable to a quality camera and a skilled photographer. We use a Canon 5D Mark iii and my husband is self-taught. He’s been shooting on a DSLR for about five years.
2. Don’t overdo it: I actually do not spend a whole lot of time editing my photos. On average, each photo takes me about 15 minutes to edit. That said, there are some things I do that really make the details pop.
3. Stick with the basics: I primarily edit in Lightroom and only use Photoshop if needed.
4. Avoid overblown photos: We tend to shoot as late in the day as possible so a lot of my photos are actually darker than you’d expect on our camera. Once I upload them to Lightroom, I brighten the exposure and up the contrast to create more drama. I’ll also play with the structure and saturation too. Once I’ve done some light editing, I’ll export my photos and actually complete the rest of my edits in apps.
5. Utilize apps: I use both Snapseed and Facetune. I first upload my photos into Snapseed and again turn up the contrast and saturation to add a moodier feel. I’ll finish up in Facetune where I soften up my skin tone if needed (usually the darker lighting does cause shadows so this can be a huge help) and I fix any stray hairs with the Smooth tool. I’ll also use the Details tool if I want to make any items stand out – usually my accessories.

For more photography tips check out this post and if you have any questions or would like a more detailed tutorial, please leave a comment in the section below.

xo, Maria

Zara Leopard Coat (sold out, similar here and here) // Endless Rose Top (wearing an S) // BlankNYC Faux Leather Leggings // Kendall + Kylie Sneakers // Herschel Hat // Chanel Bag (more affordable version here)// Illesteva Sunglasses

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