Behind the Scenes of my Instagram

A couple of years ago, I launched the Classically Leah Instagram page as a promotional channel for this blog. Since then, it has gradually morphed into its own entity.

Admittedly, I spend a lot of my free time curating my Instagram feed. With the exception of writing, most of my inspiration comes from visual media, and my creative energy manifests itself visually. For me, Instagram has provided a consistent creative outlet, and I love it for that reason.

Recently I’ve been getting questions about my Instagram feed (which I am so flattered by), so here is a behind-the-scenes of the Classically Leah Instagram.

The "Camera"

I am about as amateur of a “photographer” as it gets. I have never owned a real camera, and for my purposes, I don't plan on making that investment anytime soon. I take all of my photos with my iPhone 12, which surprisingly still has a functioning camera despite all the times I've dropped my phone.

Creating an Aesthetic

For me, creating an aesthetic is more intuitive than strategic. Someone once told me that I have a very "in-your-face" aesthetic (in reference to my offline presence). So while my Instagram is certainly more curated, it's not an inaccurate representation of my life. In general, I know precisely what I like and focus on catering to my visual preferences when creating my Instagram feed. Overall, I believe that authenticity is the most important aspect of creating and maintaining an aesthetic.

Captions

When I started this Instagram account, I tried to emulate the extroverted and peppy captions that fashion bloggers and influencers used. However, I quickly encountered the issue of having several images ready to post but not knowing what to say in the captions. I realized that I had to be authentic to my personality if I wanted to build something that was going to be sustainable. Ultimately, I decided that the blog would be my dedicated space for long-winded written content, and Instagram would be primarily about the images.

Favorite Apps

LIGHTROOM: My entire Instagram feed is dependent on this app. It is nearly impossible to capture a raw image that satisfies my bright, pastel aesthetic. So, I use Lightroom to adjust the lighting and colors of my photos. Although not as extensive as Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom is more user-friendly and suitable for basic image editing. The customizable user-preset function allows you to create your own filters, which is how I maintain a cohesive feed. The mobile app is free, and there are so many editing tools to explore and play around with!

(before and after)

FEED PREVIEW: To me, curating an Instagram feed is similar to assembling the squares of a quilt. I try to make everything cohesive and ensure that colors, shapes, angles, and subjects are balanced throughout. To do so, I use Feed Preview to plan posts and visualize what my feed will look like. I have used a lot of different planning apps (Plann, Planoly, Later), and they are all more or less the same. Currently, I’m using Feed Preview, and it’s very straightforward and user-friendly. The free version is not as comprehensive as some of the other apps, but in a way, I prefer its simplicity. For people managing more content across several platforms, Planoly is probably a better option.

Balanced Feed

Unbalanced Feed

(balanced vs unbalanced feed)

LENS BUDDY: In general, I don’t like when other people take my pictures. I find it very uncomfortable and feel bad making other people deal with my fussiness. In the past, I've used the iPhone's self-timer and a Bluetooth-connected remote but found that Lens Buddy is the best tool for taking your own photos. The app is hands-free; once you start the photo session, the app will automatically and continuously take pictures until you end the session. My strategy for capturing the "perfect" picture has always been to take a lot of photos and hope for the best. This app has made doing that so much easier.