7 Free Tutorials to Take Great Photos for Instagram

Learn composition tips to take expressive photographs with your phone, discover trending styles, and how to increase engagement

When it comes to sharing visual projects, Instagram is a social media platform that offers huge potential. It’s become one of the most important online tools for photographers to promote their work, opening them up to a global audience and connecting them with a community of creatives.

But with so much content being shared every day, how do you stand out and make the most of the popular platform?

Whether you’re a hobbyist or professional photographer, discover top tips to take better photos, showcase your work, and increase engagement with these Instagram photography tutorials for beginners.

1. Get started with 5 basic composition tips for Instagram photography

In order to take better Instagram photos, first it’s important to learn the key principles of composition.

Product photographer Mina Barrio (@minabarrio) specializes in professional Instagram photography and has built a career around composing images that sell. In this tutorial, she teaches you five rules of photography composition for Instagram.

2. Discover 6 quick tips for taking engaging photos of people

If you’re just starting out with photography for Instagram—or looking to improve your skills—learn how to stand out on social media with six lifestyle photography tips from Alba Duque (@albaduque_).

In this lifestyle photography tutorial for social media, she explains how to use angle, lighting, the rule of thirds, and more to shoot professional phone photography that captures a snapshot of your subjects’ life, while creating a striking and stylish image.

3. Learn how to take perfect flat lay photos at home

If there’s one Instagram photography trend that’s been impossible to miss in recent years, it’s flat lay. These thoughtfully composed images, shot from a bird’s eye view, are great for photographing products, food, and more.

In this tutorial, lifestyle photographer Darren Rowlands (@darrenrowlands) teaches you the art of flat lay photography for Instagram. All you need are a few basic tools and materials: a camera phone, a flat surface, a light source, and the objects you want to photograph.

4. Shoot high-quality product photos to sell your brand on social media

Whether you’ve designed a product to sell or you want to showcase a project on Instagram, photography will play an essential role in your Instagram marketing strategy. Showcasing your work using striking and original imagery can help you stand out from competitors in the crowded social media landscape.

In this tutorial, product photographer Beatriz Tormenta (@beatriztormenta) teaches you how to shoot high-quality product photography for Instagram. She explains the importance of getting the right light, the background, adding a human factor, and more.

5. Discover top food styling and photography tips for Instagram

The art of food photography goes far beyond snapping a meal; it’s about communicating flavors and textures using images. You first need to understand the basics of food styling to compose your plates in front of the lens, as well as how to use elements such as light, color, and backdrop for a result that looks as good as it tastes.

In this food styling and photography tutorial, chef and food stylist Jodi Moreno (@jodi_m_moreno) teaches you how to combine the elements listed above to shoot a meal for two using a phone camera.

6. Learn how to photograph professional self-portraits on a phone

From Pablo Picasso and Vincent van Gogh to Frida Kahlo and Cindy Sherman, self-portraits have been popular among artists throughout history, and remain a popular artform today.

Creatives across Instagram share self-portraits as a means of artistic expression and reflection, like Laura Zalenga (@laurazalenga). Specializing in self-portraiture, she uses her art to explore emotions and has built up 170,000 followers on Instagram.

In this easy self-portrait tutorial, she shares three ways to set up a self-portrait photoshoot with basic equipment, wherever you are.

7. Finally, learn how to write attention-grabbing captions for your photos

Once you’ve got your photo ready to share, the final piece to your Instagram puzzle is writing a good caption—but what does that actually mean?

In this tutorial, learn how to write attention-grabbing captions for Instagram with photographer Pati Gagarin (@patigagarin). She teaches you basic tips to create a memorable caption and give your post maximum impact.

Discover Instagram photography courses to improve your skills

Explore Domestika's online photography course bundles, and read on for more...

- Learn how to use your phone to take professional photography for Instagram with Mina Barrio.

- Learn how to follow and adapt your style to the latest photo trends in Aaron’s Walls’ course, Trending Photography for Instagram.

- Discover tips to style, shoot, and edit food photos using your mobile phone in Kimberly Espinel's course on professional food styling and photography for Instagram.