5 Tips to Creating a Monochrome Aesthetic
I'd say it took almost year to get the hang of my social presence; from trying to find where I fit in the industry, to determining a creative identity, gaining followers was the least of my worries. It took some serious research and believe it or not sacrifice to create my Instagram feed. I had to stop posting photos I actually liked but pictures that fit a certain “brand”.
It was pages with a clear aesthetic that continuously caught my eye but I could never figure it out. From unorganized colouring to crappy flatlays, I didn’t realize how hard it would be to keep up with social media. So after playing with styles, testing out cameras and even dating a photographer, I found a rhythm and finally created a feed that represented me.
If you scroll through my Instagram you'll see a monochromatic aesthetic, ultimately each photo follows a certain consistency in colouring, style and quality. I've had so many people ask me how it's done and while I still have days where I feel like I haven't figured it out, I'm here to share with you the tips that have taken me this far.
1. Plan Ahead
Still posting and deleting photos to see if they look good on your page? Instagram planning apps have become an essential part in running my feed, say hello to UNUM, an app which allows you to plan your Insta grid for weeks to come! Play with colour blocking, styles, flatlays and more to create a consistent style your viewers can follow. I like to follow a 1 outfit 1 product algorithm, giving your viewers a variety of content to expect, I avoid creating a page of just me.
2. Work with a limited number of photographers
BLUE: @FELICE.COM YELLOW: @RONALDOTUNGOL PINK: @CHLOESUGARR
This is one of the things I hate most about running a page with aesthetic. I love meeting new people and playing with different themes, styles and photographers!. When trying to keep up with an overall theme, shooting with the same photographers maintains a certain consistency. Each individual has their own shooting style and once you find someone you mesh with, I advise to shoot with them as much as possible.
3. Say goodbye to colour
If you’ve ever looked at my instagram, you’d probably assume I don’t like wearing colour. When in reality I love it, I had to learn to cut it out of my wardrobe or at least my photos to keep a consistent aesthetic. This also means, if I am wearing any colour in my outfit, I tone it out in Lightroom. Some days this kind of sucks, because there are so many pieces I own and like wearing that have colour... but it just ruins the aesthetic. I tend to wear these pieces when I know I won't be shooting!
4. Edit With Consistency
This may be one of the most important aspects in keeping up with a monochromatic theme. It's important to define your editing process and stick to a firm aesthetic when editing your photos.
- I often begin in Lightroom toning out colour and enhancing details!
- I then export to photoshop and fix minor imperfections
- Once I'm done on my computer I do all final touches on FaceTune; I start with extra whitening (using the teeth whitening tool) and often remove 90% of colour from the background.
5. Don't Give Up
As much as you might get discouraged, don't give up on perfecting a feed that speaks to you. You may have to take a photo a number of times to get it right and it still may not work. Don't worry, things will get easier, remember practice makes perfect, so keep trying and you'll be sure to succeed. Stick to your morals, post for pleasure and it'll never seem like 'work' again.
When you get it right, you'll know... and when you don't you'll be even more sure of it.
Until Next Time,
Double Tee's