All you Instagram enthusiasts out there know it’s tough keeping up with posting on your feed and stories EVERY DAY.
After all, daily life isn’t always as exciting as we make it look on the ‘gram. What happens when you run out of awesome photos in your camera roll to post?
You look at my list of fun Instagram picture ideas to break you out of your creative rut, of course!
I’ve compiled an awesome list to spark your creativity below. ⚡️
Try these Instagram photo ideas to curate a genuine and stunning feed to excite your current fans and gain new followers!
Plus, you can use our Instagram planner tool to organize your new photos with ease so your feed is looking it’s very best.
1. Classic Selfie
The selfie may seem a bit overplayed for an Instagram photo idea.
But, hear me out: if you want to post a selfie, by all means, you should do it!
After all, your audience does want to see what you look like. Just change it up to keep things exciting.
Spice it up a bit by taking one in a different room of your house or a public place you frequent.
Get creative with unique backdrops, like the cornfield in this photo of me!
You can take advantage of your surroundings wherever you are for the perfect selfie!
2. Nature Shot
A peaceful-looking nature photo is always a great choice.
You’ll be amazed at what you can find in the natural world to photograph.
If you live near a park, take a stroll and look up at the sky through a tree, like what I did in this photo example.
Even if you live in the middle of the city, you are bound to find something natural in the urban jungle that is picture-worthy.
Just put on your shoes and go explore the outdoors!
3. Polaroids & Instant Photo
Polaroid cameras and Instax are back in style, and you might have piles of piles of polaroids and printed photos scattered all over your space.
The best moments can be captured with physical photos – and they make really cute Instagram picture ideas!
Even if you don’t have an instant camera, you can still use your phone!
There are a lot of cool apps that use the Polaroid frame as a template option.
Just insert a favorite photo into the template and voila- You have a digital polaroid!
4. Creative Graphic Design
The best way to freshen up your feed is to incorporate cool shapes, lines, and colors.
Adding creative graphic designs is a great way to do that!
Apps like Easil offer tons of show-stopping graphics, elements, and templates.
You can use these to design beautiful graphics that will surely make your Instagram pop!
Not to mention, you can also add graphic design elements on your Instagram photos themselves!
5. Detail Shot
The detail shot is one of the best Instagram pictures ideas you can take at home.
The photo I took here isn’t just a cup of coffee and a book I was reading – it captures the unique cloud patterns reflected in my coffee cup!
The image captures a cool detail that caught my eye and you get to see it as I did when it happened!
Pro tip: Sometimes spur-of-the-moment snaps don’t turn out perfect. No sweat! Just use your favorite photo editor app to neaten things up!
6. Product Photo
If you sell online or even just frequently give your favorite brands shoutouts, you should learn how to take product photos!
A product photo usually works best as a detail shot.
Just like the photos you take at home, you want to crop out the clutter or neaten up so that you focus on just one thing.
Here I cropped a larger photo I took of a display with the featured storage containers.
You can clearly see the logo and what the function of the product is!
7. Quote
Find a quote that inspires you and post it!
There are plenty that you can repost from other accounts, just be sure you give them credit.
Or, you can make your own quote graphic by using your favorite word art app!
Take it a step further and handwrite your favorite quote to give it a more personal element.
You can also describe in the caption why you chose that particular quote. In my photo example,
I was inspired by the quote to write a short poem!
8. Pet Photo
Just admit it. Every time you post a photo of your pet you get a little jealous. Why?
Because your furry counterparts tend to get more likes and comments than your favorite selfies and food posts.
And that’s okay!
Snapshots of your four-pawed friends are cool Instagram picture ideas that will likely boost engagement.
Not only are pet pictures incredibly relatable, but you can get super creative by posting about your day using the cutest and most adorable pics of your cat, dog, fish, snake, or whatever other creature you decide to cuddle with!
9. Couple Photo
Another classic, yet timeless way to share a bit about your personal life and connect with followers is to post a photo of you and your partner together.
It’s very relatable and gives you a behind-the-scenes look into what you do in your free time with your favorite person.
Posting couple pictures also opens up the opportunity to talk about related topics, like relationships, love, marriage, and sharing space with another person.
It makes for easy #CanRelate content!
10. Collage
Collage posts are perfect for sharing more than one photo and you don’t want to clog up your follower’s Instagram feeds with too many posts.
Yes, the carousel takes care of the problem too, but your followers still have to swipe to see everything!
Collages are great for birthday posts, like this one I did for my quirky husband!
Bonus: This one also doubles as a throwback pic! I used one of his baby pictures to make sure everyone knows that he is yet another year older (and that he was such a cute kid!).
11. Book Recommendation
I’m an avid reader, so you will often see me posting what I am currently reading or what I pick up at my local library or bookstore.
The book recommendation is actually one of the most popular types of posts on Instagram. #Bookstagram was hashtagged over 27 million times last year!
Whether you are posting a review of your favorite piece of fiction or you borrowed a new book from the library, share what you are reading to the world!
Most likely, others will be inspired and add that book to their own list. Or, at least comment on your photogenic book obsession!
12. Unique Angle Shot
The “unique angle” shot could probably also fit into the “artsy” category.
When I took this photo at The Broad Museum in Los Angeles, I was sitting at the restaurant next door and happened to look up and over.
The beautiful angles built into the architecture with the linear design of the small windows revealed a unique and artistic point of view.
The photo speaks for itself and also for the actual design of the building.
The faded black and white filter in Photoshop Express gave me the cool Instagram picture ideas I use for my Instagram theme on my photography account.
13. Hobbies & Interests
Most likely your Instagram bio mentions something about your life passions, how you like to spend your free time or any hobbies you may have.
So, why not display it in your feed?
This is the best way to show your audience the “real you”, with a behind-the-scenes look of what you like to do from your perspective.
I posted a photo of a poem I just wrote in my notebook.
You can see the pen next to it and my glasses are taken off. I’m sharing a private moment that is also an accomplishment in pursuit of something I love to do.
14. Flay lay
Flat lays are visually appealing and multi-functional.
They work for cute pics of an outfit you want to wear yourself or help you sell the latest stuff you’ve received in your inventory for your online shop.
Combined with a clever caption, a flat lay design is one of the best Instagram photo ideas.
Just pick out a few items that you can mix and match!
In the example above, I picked an outfit at the vintage store I worked out to post for at business page.
I laid all the clothing flat and added some green foliage and a couple of accessories that would pop against the woodgrain table.
15. Workspace
This is where it all happens!
The workspace shot is another great way to share something more personal and gives you a behind-the-scenes look into where I tend to spend a lot of time.
You can see my laptop, my typewriter, and a cup of coffee.
This post was more about cleaning up the clutter in my workspace.
Talk about another relatable tidbit, right?
My followers have probably experienced this problem time or two in their lives!
What Makes a Good Instagram Photo?
People often ask what qualifies as a “good Instagram photo”, and it truly is a loaded question.
Especially with social media trends evolving and changing as quickly as they do!
Really, it takes a lot of trial and error. Add that in with a dash of creativity, and you’ll find the combination that works specifically for your aesthetic, genre, and brand.
Something will stick to make your profile pop and when it does, you’ll know it.
How Do You Make Your Instagram Pictures Creative?
So, you are probably still asking yourself, how do I get my Instagram photos to stand out among the almost BILLION daily posts around the world?
Because ultimately, we all want to get more followers.
However, the key is to do so as organically and as genuinely as possible. To start, experiment with different styles, themes, and the cool Instagram photo ideas like the ones I’ve mentioned here.
Use Tailwind’s Desktop Instagram Planner to Schedule Your Feed
I’m telling you! Try out a few of these Instagram pictures ideas to give your feed a bit of variety and to find what works for you and your brand.
The best way to do this is to visually plan your Instagram feed. Tailwind’s 9-grid preview feature is AMAZING to use when you want to schedule and publish your pictures using a certain look or theme.