Instagram Tips for Beginners.

I have found myself becoming more and more interested in my photography over the last few weeks. This has led to me seeing a surge of new followers on my Instagram account and, in turn, I have discovered a great number of talented photographers. My rediscovered love of photography coincides with my rediscovered love of gardening and walking. I have neglected to blog recently because I have been outside, enjoying looking after my allotment and walking through the countryside. Obviously I have been home at times too... I haven't been wandering like a nomad...

The thing I have realised about Instagram... durrrr.... after being on it for years... is that it is an interactive place. For a long time I sat waiting for people to come and find my photos and shower me with love and admiration. Yes... I know... sickening. And stupid. Because you have to show love to get love. This does not mean that you should follow everyone in sight, no matter what their photos are like. No. But you do need to find people whose photos you like and you need to tell them that you like them. And you need to follow them. Then, hopefully they will follow you back and you can appreciate each others photographical endeavours! (I'm not sure photographical is a real word, but I'm going to use it...)

A good way to find people and to enable them to find you, is to use hashtags. When you post your photo, add a little description and some hashtags. For example... for the photo above, my most liked photo, I put descriptive tags such as #daisy #macro #flower Then people interested in those things can search and will find your photos! Easy! And look at other people's hashtags too... If you like what's clustered there... use the tag for your work!! Its a simple way of finding like minded Instagrammers.

Some people recommend following as many Instagrammers as possible, randomly, but I think this is silly advice. To be following 2000 people when you have 100 followers smacks of desperation to me. The most important factor in all this is ... the photographs. Why be on Instagram if you don't love finding interesting things to photograph? And why follow people unless their photos fill you with joy? Equally I am unlikely to follow someone who has 10,000 followers, but is only following back 200...I'd rather find someone who has 50 followers, but takes great photos and will interact. I am a bit needy... I love it when people follow my Instagram account. I will look through their photos and follow them back if they are good.But if I look at their page and its full of selfies and cats... then I'm afraid I won't follow. Its all about individual taste.

What I would say is that if you click on lots of someone's photos and obviously like what they are doing... why not follow them? I have had people who like 20 of my pictures, but who don't follow, don't interact. It galls me!! I don't mind if you don't like my photos and don't want to follow me, or if you only like one or two, but to like loads and not give me the courtesy of a follow is just... well, I could say rude, but I will say "mildly irritating" instead. After all, this is not the UN here.

My husband doesn't "get" my obsession with Instagram. He thinks the whole "follower" thing is silly, but I don't!! I love scrolling through someone's photos clicking "like" and gasping at the beauty in that little square box.I love it when someone I admire follows me back. I love it when I find a new angle, a hidden gem, and know that it will make a good photo. I know that I am not in the league of professional photographers, but I am in the league of people who take pleasure in snapping away with their phone. That's part of the joy for me... that I only use my phone... no special lenses, rarely any filters.

So... what I am trying to say is that Instagram is a place of huge variety. From flowers to food, from selfies to seascapes. Whatever your photographic preference there will be something for you to enjoy, but to enjoy Instagram fully... interact!! Post your best photos, think about your composition, make sure they are in focus ( note to self: always wear your specs to check!!) and follow people whose work you like. If people comment on your photos... comment back, thank them. Its great when someone takes the time to say they like a photo you've posted, so give them back some love!! Another good idea is to check out the photos your followers like. Its a great way to find new Instagrammers and the chances are that if your followers like your stuff, you will like the other people they follow. Its also a great way to find inspiration and to learn new ideas.

Whether you have a few followers or lots, quality always wins over quantity. Maybe I'll see you over there!

Check Out That View!!

This time last week I was well into my first day, studying Cognitive Hypnotherapy. The university where the course is based has beautiful grounds and gardens so I couldn't resist taking photos of the flower beds!! If you look at my Instagram account for the summer time I do tend to become a tad obsessed with flowers in all their glory and I think that perhaps that time is drawing near again.Anyway.... my choice for this week's Check Out That View, hosted by the lovely Emma is the photo below. As you can see it shows one of the university flower beds looking rather glorious. I hope you like it and if you do then maybe you can click on the button below and visit some other Check Out That View participants... or maybe take part yourself!!

My very own little gallery ...

I am excited to tell you that I have just set up my very own photo gallery!! In my last post I told you about my new found enthusiasm for running and photography and since then I have only grown in my enjoyment of both! Having spent the last year sitting about like a big fat frog I am now running every other day and loving it. A by product of my running is my photography...

I am just loving capturing the world around me each day and I have discovered a way of displaying and ... selling my photos!! I have set up a gallery at Instacanvas where people can buy my photos. They come in a variety of finishes ... canvas, framed prints, greetings cards, i-phone covers and more ... and I think they look so cool!!

If you've got a spare moment I would love it if you had a little look and let me know what you think!! 

Running, Swimming and Instagram ... !!!

Well hello everybody! It has been some time since my last post, but for those of you grieving my absence ... if any ... fear not. I have been out and about fulfilling my New Year's Resolutions and generally trying to make my life rather better.

I reached Christmas a blubbery version of my former self and decided that enough was enough. Since Christmas I have been running every other day, eating far less and I have really got into photography. Since I finished my Degree I have been in a kind of limbo, waiting for my next project and feeling a little bit without direction.

I have to tell you that I am loving my running. Don't get me wrong ... I have a very long way to go before I get back to full fitness, but I have seen a difference in my body and my fitness in the last month. I have gone from blubbering along, bursting out of my running trousers and having to stop to walk rather often ... to being able to run for much longer each time. And I feel comfortable. I went through a stage last year when I was very unhappy at work and I would get palpitations and I seriously worried that if I did much exercise I would keel over with a heart attack. Luckily this year is a whole new ball game and I am so happy with my job. All chest pains have gone and I feel great!!

So ... so far I have lost 6 pounds in the last month since Christmas and I aim to lose another 20 pounds. Its a big ask, but I hope that I can lead a healthy life from now on. I have been loving going out in the snow and following my nose. For the first time in about 5 years, since I ran the London Marathon, I am enjoying my runs rather than enduring them.

I have also discovered Instagram. My children are appalled, but I love it. For those of you who don't know, it is an app for your phone so you can take photos, edit them and share online. It is tickling my artistic bones at the moment and I am constantly taking photos. I love it!! You can see my photos if you look on my right hand tool bar and my user name, funnily enough, is @secrethousewife .

Instagram is a world of photos ... everything from really gorgeous shots to dreadful ones, but I love finding photographers from all over the world and seeing what they do each day. I follow people from all over the world - from the Klondike to the Lake District, from Italy to Australia ...

So that's what I'm up to ... running, swimming, eating healthily, photographing the world around me and I feel happy. I walked to work today through the snow and I can't wait to go running tomorrow, swimming on Wednesday. this new lifestyle might mean I don't blog quite as much, but I hope you will still come by and read when I do!!! Oh, and maybe you can join me with the photography? If you do then let me know you came from my blog ... xxx