For decades, photographers longed to display their works of art on platforms where mass audiences could view and appreciate them. And with the advent of social media networking, these prayers were answered. Instagram, in particular, has helped photographers showcase their pictures to the world.
Whether they specialize in film photography, fashion photography, food photography, or even old-school aesthetics, Instagram has worked wonders in allowing both professional and amateur photographers to gain massive fame, success, and even income through the app.
But over time, more and more photographers started to use Instagram, increasing competition and resulting in saturation of the platform. Today, even if you take one of the most incredible photos ever, if it does not gain enough traction, it will not reach your desired audience and thus get lost in the clutter.
But the good news is that there are ways to expand the reach of your photos on Instagram, with your hashtags’ strategy being the most effective one. But how to use hashtags on Instagram in the most effective way possible?
This blog post will explain how you can make the best use of hashtags. We’ll also reveal some of the best Instagram hashtags for photographers so that you can see which one resonates most with your work. But before jumping into that, let’s discuss the importance of using hashtags to promote your photos on the platform.
Table of Contents
The Importance of Using Different Hashtags
If you have been using Instagram to promote your photography work, there’s a good chance you’ve seen the hashtag, #photography. But suppose your goal is to grow your followers and increase engagement with your Instagram posts. In that case, you’ll need hashtags that are more specific to what type of photography you do (e.g., street photography or landscape).
Your hashtags improve the chances of your Instagram account gaining popularity, besides allowing interested Instagram users to stumble upon your posts. This ultimately leads to organic growth for your account, as these new followers will be genuinely interested in your content and interact with it more often.
As a photographer, you must keep in mind that millions of other users on Instagram also upload photographs and often with the same simple captions. That means more competition and clutter for your posts to stand out. But by using the right hashtags strategy together with an Instagram growth service, you can make your content stand out, reach more people, and draw more audiences.
And as a bonus, it’s also a really easy way to track how well your photos perform on the social media app by checking out the hashtag analytics.
Now that you’re aware of why Instagram hashtags are important, let’s look at the best Instagram tags for photography.
The Best Photography Tags for Instagram
So what exactly are the best Instagram photo hashtags to use in captions? Well, the general hashtags that can be applied to almost any piece of photography include:
- #Photography
- #PicOfTheDay
- #PhotoOfTheDay
- #InstaPhoto
- #Camera
- #Capture
- #InstaDaily
- #Photoshop
- #HDR
- #Snapshot
These hashtags are great for accounts starting out their Instagram journey. While these hashtags may seem more generalized, adding hashtags to an otherwise empty caption never hurts.
As stated previously, these hashtags are mainstream and generic, meaning that millions of pictures are posted with these hashtags daily. All in all, they will improve your reach, but the chances of your post getting lost among so many other pictures are high. As such, you must use these hashtags together with your niche-specific Instagram photography hashtags.
Provided below are categories of photography and the best hashtags to use for each type:
Black and White Photography
Uploading pictures with a black and white setting allows viewers to gain a unique perspective on the photograph and the world at large. For the photographers who prefer to gloss their pictures with an old-school look, these hashtags are recommended:
- #BnW
- #BnW Captures
- #BnW_Universe
- #InstaBlackAndWhite
- #Monochrome
- #Noir
- #BW Society
- #BW PhotoOfTheDay
- #MonoArt
- #BnW_Perfection
- #Greyscale
Portrait Photography
Portrait photos allow the photographer to fully capture the aura and essence of the person or object in focus. A complete focus is placed on the subject, and with effective lighting and a blurred background, you capture exactly what you wanted. Most phone cameras even come equipped with a portrait mode option. The best hashtags for this type of photography include:
- #Portrait
- #PortraitPerfection
- #PortraitOfTheDay
- #PursuitOfPortrait
- #Portrait_Mood
- #InstaPortrait
- #Life_Portraits
- #SelfPortrait
- #PortraitPhotography
- #Portraiture
Food Photography
There is no greater pleasure in the world than taking a bite of your favorite dish. Food photography allows viewers to explore amazing foods and gain insight into other countries’ delicious cuisine and culture. The most popular hashtags for food photography include:
- #Foodography
- #FoodFoodFood
- #Foodstagramming
- #FoodStyling
- #FoodFeed
- #FoodieGram
- #FoodPornShare
- #FoodPhotoADay
- #FirstWeEat
- #FoodVSCO
Fashion Photography
Fashion photographers express their love for the most stylish and voguish dresses in their pictures, inspiring their followers to purchase them or fawn over them endlessly. Users can also showcase their current attires to their followers to help build their brand image and gain sponsorships and collaborations. For enthusiasts of all kinds of clothes, jewelry, or any other fashionable items, the most popular Instagram hashtags are:
- #OOTD
- #Fashion
- #Fashionista
- #FashionDiaries
- #Stylish
- #StyleBlog
- #MensFashion
- #WomensFashion
- #WIWT
- #Vintage
- #OutfitGoals
- #ShoeAddict
- #Sneakerhead
- #BagFashion
- #PurseLove
- #JewelleryGram
Nature Photography
There are millions of nature lovers and animal enthusiasts on Instagram, which is why nature photography is so popular on the platform. Nature photography allows people to experience peace, serenity, and total awe of the beautiful world we inhabit. Seeing pictures of nature helps relate to that emotion while being at home. Here are some of the best hashtags for nature photography:
- #NaturePhotography
- #NatureLovers
- #NatureDaily
- #IG_Landscape
- #Dream_Spots
- #IG_DivineShots
- #EarthExperience
- #Visual_Heaven
- #FiftyShadesOfNature
- #NatureIsArt
- #NatureOfOurWorld
Street Photos
Street photographers contrast with nature photography in the sense that they capture the beauty of urban landscapes. It is often a marvel to look at amazing man-made wonders right outside our homes and make them trend on Instagram. Consider using the following hashtags for street photography:
- #StreetLife
- #StreetShooter
- #StreetView
- #UrbanPhotography
- #Citygrammers
- #UrbanShot
- #LensOnStreets
- #FromStreetsWithLove
- #Street_Photography
- #StoryOfTheStreet
Final Thoughts
No matter your preferred form of photography, many digital platforms are available for you to showcase your work and skills. Instagram is more popular among photographers because it is more visual-focused than most other social media sites. But no matter how creative your photos are, without an effective hashtag strategy, they will not gain the engagement they deserve. Be sure to do your research and use the right and relevant niche hashtags to draw audiences to your photos on Instagram.
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- How To Set Up Instagram Parental Controls - May 5, 2019
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