40 Instagram Reel Ideas for Photographers
Change is inevitable. When it comes to social media platforms, no truer words have been spoken. Instagram is shifting towards prioritising video content on their platform, and it has been creating more than a little buzz. If you’re a creative using Instagram for work, you may be (slightly) freaking out about Reels – the next thing to get your head around creating.
There are some incredible people in the online space nailing reels through epic dance moves, crazy funny humour and some pretty talented acting skills… But! If that’s not you (I think there’s more than a few of us who feel way outside our comfort zone showing up this way), then I have a bunch of ideas you can try out!
My biggest tip when planning out your reels is this: Know. Your. Audience. You’re most likely speaking to a mother if you’re a family photographer specialising in newborn and family sessions. Your content should be all about educating her on how to prepare for a session and what to expect. You can then take it a step further, offering lots of helpful tips on a bunch of related subjects. On the flip side, if you mentor and teach other photographers, your content will be more geared towards things like the gadgets and settings that help you create more efficiently, running a biz well, and so on. Remember, you’re speaking to professional photographers.
Let’s get stuck in! Here’s 40 ideas for you to try:
Behind the scenes at a photo session
What to wear to a photo session
The whole story of a session - from outfit choices, the session itself, to edited images and then the final print products
What to expect at a session with you
Your heart behind what you do
Location options available for your clients
Posing ideas and what not to do
Print products that you offer
Unboxing new products or camera gear
Timelapse of you editing a photo session
A slideshow of images from a session instead of a static image post (Pic-Time offers a great way to create these. Check out some examples here).
A client review mixed in with images from their session
Simple photography tips for shooting at home
About you reel with a bunch of interesting facts
Where you started as opposed to what you are creating now
Behind the scenes of your office space
What’s in your camera bag
Mobile photography tips and tricks
Your favourite business tools to use
How to display images in your home
How to create a gallery wall
Other photo display ideas
Top 3 things to bring along to a photo session
Personal reels about your own hobbies and what you do for fun
Favourite local outings for families / best local parks for kids
Favourite stores to direct clients to for wardrobe ideas
A sneak peek at your client closet
Share how you became a photographer
Your morning or afternoon routine
A day in your life
Productivity tips that you find really helpful
Blog post teasers
If you have captured the same family for a number of years, showcase the images from a bunch of these sessions
How to take self-portraits
Favourite home or life hack idea
Creative shoot ideas that people can try at home
A year in review of your work
A roundup of your favourite photographers or resources people would find helpful
Find a funny trending video and give it a try
MY FAVOURITE REEL CREATION TOOL
We all know that Reels are a great tool on Instagram to create engaging content and reach more people… creating them consistently is another story! I use Social Templates who have a bank of over 300 reels for photographers. You get access to the private Instagram page, choose a reel template, add your content and you are done! It’s so simple and has allowed me to create lots of great reel content in a fraction of the time I was previously spending.
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