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Writer's pictureHollyn Gayle
Feb 5, 20213 min read

How Photos Will Be Edited in 2021

Trends are always coming and going on Instagram. We're here to help you keep up with them before they pass you by. If you're looking for some ways to spice up your Instagram feed, try out these photo edits.


Grain

Vintage has always been in on Instagram in one form or another. Right now, vintage is showing up in the form of grainy photos. Grain makes a photo seem like it was taken on an old polaroid or disposable camera. It also gives the photo a dreamy almost magical look. If you really want that vintage vibe, try using the grain effect on photos that are already over saturated with warm colors.

No - Edit Edit

Authenticity is in on social media. Long form captions that reveal truth and vulnerability get higher engagement and create community on the app. This same transparency is coming through in photos. Over editing to create the appearance of perfection is out. Minimal to no editing is in. Don't waste your time on Face-tune. If you have a photo you love that you want to share - post it. Check out the photo of Ariana Grande below. It's slightly blurry. There are imperfections all over the background (in the past - those definitely would have been removed). The lighting is uneven. Who cares. This look is definitely in.

Text on Pictures

Incorporating words into your photos is a great way to reinforce your caption and highlight what you want the reader to take away. This affect can be achieved with many apps. Canva, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe Photoshop are great options. We suggest not using the text options available on Instagram Stories and then posting to your feed. It feels low effort - and people will notice. Canva has a free version, and you can incorporate your brand fonts onto your photos. This will help catch users that won't read your long form caption, but will spend the time to skim the text on your photo.

Hand Drawn Elements

We've talked before about how Instagram is becoming a more playful platform. In fact, it has to become more playful if it hopes to keep up with the extremely popular and playful app TikTok. Combining drawing with photography can help highlight the subject of your photo, and hand drawn elements are a great way to add in your brand colors to photos. If you're confident in your drawing, the apps Procreate and Adobe Illustrator are great for adding in these fun pops of color. If drawing isn't your thing, you can still achieve this look by using elements available on Canva.

Scrapbook Collages

Like the trend before, creativity is welcomed. No more fitting into a box. This is a nostalgic return to childhood arts and crafts - but make it digital. Collages have been in for a long time on Instagram - remember Pic Stich? But now it's more than simply putting photos together in a grid. Now it's in to cut out photos of objects in shapes, add in "scraps" of paper, include words, and layer in textures. Unleash your creativity on this trend without having to head to a craft store. Which apps do we suggest? Our old faithful - Canva, as well as Pic Collage, Adobe Illustrator, and Pixlr.

Blurs and Glitches

Similar to the no - edit edit, this trend is a clear step away from the picture perfect Instagram feed we've all dealt with for years. If you hop on this trend now, you're sure to stand out in the crowd of people who are still holding on to the perfect Instagram of the past. Don't tell us it doesn't work because the photo below has over 2 million likes.


We're not saying that you need to incorporate all of these trends into your feed to have a successful Instagram account. In fact, using all of them would probably confuse viewers to your brand. But if you feel like your feed is in a rut, don't be afraid to try one of these trends out. And please, give yourself permission to post more than perfectly curated selfies. We know you have creativity ready to be unleashed.




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