Instagram Round-up: Top tips to up your game!

Hello my fellow insta-addicts and welcome back to your monthly Instagram round-up. I can’t believe it’s June already, where did those first five months of the year go? We can’t complain really because oh my goodness, the sun is shining down on us and if you’re anything like me, you’re probably thrilled to be spending your afternoons basking in the heat, watching the kiddos joyfully flitter around the garden/park and telling yourself that it’s totally OK to crack open that perfectly chilled bottle of white wine before teatime rolls around…

ON TREND

I thought I’d kick off this month with what’s hot (excuse the pun!) over on the ‘gram’ right now and, surprise surprise, it’s all about sandy beaches and holiday snaps making the most of the summer before it disappears on us again.

We headed over to Formby in Merseyside recently and I caught this shot of our daughter, Lily, playing in one of the rocky pools. The water was so warm on our feet, we honestly felt like we were in a tropical paradise!

P A D D L I N G 💧💦 // We trundled along to Formby yesterday for a late afternoon picnic and relax by the sea 🏝 The water in the pools was tropical and toasty warm 🔥☀️ Lily loved running between them when she wasn't building sand castles ('Mummy, we need shells for the top of them, shall we go find some?' 💕) and splashing around. On another note, she woke up yesterday morning with some clusters of red spots and we thought she might have chicken pox. They went a little aggressive but they're just red again now so who knows? I hope they bugger off soon #imonspotwatch 👶🏻👶🏻

A post shared by FAMILY + ALTERNATIVE BLOGGER (@hellobeautifulbear) on May 24, 2017 at 11:57pm PDT

Speaking of far away lands, I’m also loving this candid family photo from Emily and Indiana taken during their break away to Ibiza (I’m not jealous at all, I promise!) That glittering sea looks ever so enticing…

So just like that our holiday is over, and we're saying our goodbyes to this beautiful Island. A week full of fun, food, looong afternoon naps and dancing into the night. Of course it's not all been amazing (the sick and tantrums are not holiday memories to remember), but my goodness has it been needed. We stayed at the @firstchoiceholidays Holiday Village for anyone wondering, and it was brilliant!

A post shared by Emily (@emilyandindiana) on May 21, 2017 at 10:40pm PDT

Lastly, this capture from Bex at The Mummy Adventure is my idea of a heavenly afternoon with the little’uns. You’d never guess that this holiday-brochure-worthy shot was taken in Ramsgate would you?

It seems the rest of the country had rain today whilst my little corner of Kent had beautiful sunshine! Ramsgate is less than an hour and twenty from London on the high speed train from St Pancras International and so easy to pop down with Trainline for a weekend. I can't guarantee sunshine, but there is always good ice cream! #ad #timewellspent @trainline #trainlinepartner

A post shared by Bex // parenting blogger (@mummyadventure) on May 17, 2017 at 11:45am PDT

MAKING YOUR PHOTOS POP & STAND OUT

Have you ever wondered how other bloggers and influencers edit or style their photos? We all develop our own aesthetic and way of doing things and it can almost seem like a closely-guarded secret (like your Grandma’s famous chocolate cake recipe) that we’re scared to share in fear that somebody might rip us off. However, the online world is a very visual place and it can be hard to get to grips with tweaking your photos to gain the desired effect or find a new way to switch things up which is where a tutorial from one of these lovely bloggers may come in handy…

First up, Amber from Meet The Wildes has shared her RAW photography workflow (yes, she shoots in RAW and yes, I’ve tried it and it makes ALL of the difference!) whilst Fiona from Dolly Dowsie has given us some invaluable tips on how to successfully photograph your children which I’m sure we all know isn’t the easiest of tasks but, as she shows, can be an absolute joy. I’m really excited to try these tips out with Lily and see what magical moments I can capture from behind the lens.

If you went to Blog On last month then you might’ve caught Mel from Le Coin De Mel leading her session on photo styling which was a fabulous mixture of humour (always a winner!) and practical advice for achieving those coveted impeccably-styled shots. She’s written up her coverage of the session including tips for free backdrops, props and how to work the natural light in your favour. It’s a really comprehensive piece and one you won’t want to miss if you’re serious about taking your photos to the next level.

IF YOU ONLY READ ONE POST ABOUT INSTAGRAM…

…make sure it’s The Family Patch’s summary of Harriet’s (Toby & Roo) epic Instagram talk at Blog On. It’s got everything you need to make your feed successful and ready to take on brand work and it comes from the Queen herself. I left the room feeling seriously inspired and, as she says, ‘if content is queen, then engagement is her king’. 

GET HASHTAG HAPPY!

If you’re a parenting blogger and you want to freshen up your hashtags then this post from Jade at The Parenting Jungle is a complete dream. It’s a round-up of 60 popular Instagram communities tailored for parents to help them find like-minded accounts and expand their reach including a selection of smaller collections to get you sitting pretty in that top 9. Get it bookmarked, now!

I’VE ALSO ENJOYED READING…

1. Sarah from Toby Goes Bananas has written about how the platform has changed for her and how she now uses Instagram for micro-blogging. It’s a shift that I’ve noticed in my own approach, how about you?
2. Kaye from Hello Archie has shared an unfortunate experience where she found herself snubbed for not following Instagram’s popular ‘white’ trend.
3. Kirsty from Life With Boys has penned a thought-provoking article about the rise of instant threads and comment pods and her experiences of the pressure to ‘fake’ an Instagram influence.

To finish, I thought I’d take over from your previous round-up editor and one of my good friends, Amy Treasure, by sharing five of my favourite feeds and top picks for this month…

@makedoandpush — Hannah shares her beautiful experiences of #villagelife and will brighten up your timeline with gorgeous photos of her children styling some of the very best up and coming kid’s clothing brands.

@amyrosewatts — Amy follows a bright and colourful theme (similar to what I’m going for with my own theme but she absolutely nails it!) and I’m sure you’ll find her photos delightful and inspirational.

@meetthewildes — I’ve mentioned Amber already but stuff it, I’m going to mention her again because I cannot get enough of her stunning photographs! She and her partner, Kirsty, are the mothers of two sets of gorgeous twins and they share candid shots of family life (always including their beloved dog, Josephine, as well).

@fivelittledoves — The lovely Laura has a fabulous feed and the strength of the love she has for her children shines through with every new addition.

@capturingthesedays — Chantal’s photographs are a breath of fresh air. Beautifully styled and a joy to scroll though, this is definitely one to watch!