I am by no means an Instagram expert, nor do I have a respectable number of followers, but I do have a few tricks when it comes to taking pictures with my phone when there is no one there to take them for me. Oh who am I kidding? Even if someone is there, I still take them by myself. My husband is definitely not an Instagram husband and I need to fend for myself.
When Amanda at Run to the Finish put out a call for best running Instagram pics, I was all over it. I actually think she asked for the story behind the pictures as well, so you’re in for a real treat…
App Used: Human
Location: Smuggler’s Notch, Vermont
My favorite “app” to use is the human kind but it’s probably the very last option, even in a situation where there are plenty of people to take pictures for me. I feel like a complete idoit asking someone to take a picture of me running. I mean, seriously. Even if they know I’m a blogger, it’s embarrassing.
However, since I don’t care what my SIL thinks of me, and we were running massive hill repeats, I figured she would welcome any reason to stop for a minute.
She did win the photography award in high school. Clearly.
In addition to my SIL’s skills and the scenery, I also used SnapSeed to enhance the colors. More on SnapSeed below…
App Used: ShakeCamera
Location: Ellington High School Track, Ellington , CT
ShakeCamera is by far the app I use most to take pictures. Christine of Love, Life, Surf blogged about it a while ago (she has a ridiculous following on Instagram with amaze balls yoga pics) and I’ve been using it ever since.
Basically you set up your phone (which can be tricky), make sure you have the frame you want, then shake the camera and it will give you a countdown until it takes the shot. You can chose a variety of countdown times as well as pictures taken. If you chose to save the shots, they are stored in your photos and you can then edit the hell out of them.
This shot was taken after a long, hot track workout in the summer of 2014, soon after I competed in Worlds, so I was in great shape.
This is one app I could not live without!
Surprisingly, I got this shot the first time. Usually I have to run by my camera several times and delete several photos before getting it right. #BloggerProblems
App Used: SnapSeed
Location: My Basement
I really hope you’re not getting jealous of these exotic locales I get to “travel” to in order to grace my Insta feed with these professional looking photos.
So this is definitely not a running photo but it shows the simplicity of SnapSeed and how it can turn a blah picture into something with light and depth and other fancy terms photographers use to describe photos.
Behold, the power of SnapSeed!
BEFORE
AFTER
(I have no clue why it flips the image)
Getting it done on the trainer before the sun comes up.
A lot of times I forget to take pictures. Most of the time I rush to get them done because I need them for a post or I don’t take them at all thinking “people must be getting sick to death of pictures of me. I am.” But, I continue.
Sometimes, the best pictures come when you least expect it. Remember, it doesn’t have to be posted to social media for it to have happened. Some pictures are better left in your mind.
[Tweet “Get great #running pics for #Instagram…after using these apps! “]
What photo apps do you use? Any?
Who is your favorite on Instagram?
I’m selfie challenged which translates into IG challenged. Looks like a great app! Downloading.
But you have amazing food pictures!! How do you do it? Blog post please! 🙂
I’m all about Snapseed! It’s the best for adding a POP to a pic. And I recently got a tripod that will attach anywhere WITH a remote. Watch out world. Because asking people to take pics of you does in fact make you feel really, really stupid.
OMG!!! That is amazing. I need both of those things ASAP. < - - cannot believe I just typed that but sadly, it's true. I knew you would agree with me about asking people. Not happening.
I always love your selfies!! So great! Thanks for these tips–I need a human to run with so they can take pics of me lol. I love that last line some pictures are better left in your mind. Yessss.
I definitely need a photographer who can run! LOL!! That could be a serious career for someone…:-)
I’m going to try running with humans! And download any and every app you suggest, can’t wait to use snapseed. After twisting my arm out of its socket to get the back of my hat / ponytail for TrailHeads, it’s time to get out with more friends. Thank you Allie- I love seeing every single picture you put up
LOL!! That is exactly why I used my SIL for my TrailHeads ponytail shots!…well that and I don’t have a ponytail but, I totally understand what you’re saying.
You will love SnapSeed!
Braid it first, Stephanie! I do a tight low braid, feed it through, then take the braid out and make it a ponytail. Boom.
Thank you for helping with the long-hair questions! 🙂 You rock.
I love learning more about what apps people use for instagram. I honestly had no idea there were so many until a few months ago. I just used the normal filters. I will definitely have to look into these, thanks for sharing!
Yes!! Can’t wait to see what you post 🙂
Ahem…if you’ve looked at my account, you know I put zero effort into the pics. I really should and these are some great tips (Snapseed in particular)! And I will be your human app when you do Columbia!
HAHAHA! Yes, but you usually have some pretty amazing scenery so they don’t need a lot of primping.
I’m counting on your being my personal photog for that one!!
I’m too distracted by your amazing arms and shoulders in these pictures to read anything that you have written!! (I do love Christine’s pics on IG….so I’m going to have to checkout shake camera)
You are so awesome. Thank you Paria. xoxo
Clearly I need more sleep, and more coffee. I legit wondered for nearly five seconds – Human – hmm, never heard of that one. I kid you not.
I’d never heard of Shake Camera, I just used the timer function on my camera, but it looks like I need to up my game with some Snapseed.
I just laughed SO HARD!!! You are hilarious and I love that you told me about this!!! I will be laughing about it all day…in a good way 🙂
Ohhhh… these are some great ones! Have you ever used Aillis? That’s my favorite just for straight up editing.
Looking up Aillis now… Thank you!
Wait, hang on, I’m downloading these apps so I’ll be with you in a minute. Thanks for sharing!! I did actually always wonder how both you and Christine got so many great photos of yourselves. I thought maybe you had your kids involved. I was trying to teach Cooper how to use the camera. Lol!
HAHAHA!!! I think the boys started “helping” around age four so you have a couple years 🙂
I know my husband gives me the strangest looks when I ask him to take a picture of me running or whatever. But I think he’s getting used to it now…. I really like that first picture you made. Beautiful. I’ve been using PicsArt or whatever Instagram filters offer. I follow a bazillion runners lol it’s hard to pick a favorite!
I get a lot of strange looks from strangers too! And yes, it’s really hard to pic a favorite with all the talented Instagrammers out there!
I’m laughing thinking of you running by your phone, trying to get a good shot. Of course, I’m the gal who just spent 10 minutes taking selfies with her daughter, and using an app to warp our faces.
I am on Instagram only to stalk my kids. I cannot handle another social media outlet.
Stalking the kids is probably a much better use of social media time. May you never find something you need to “discuss” with them!!
I love these posts because it means I try out new apps! I use gorilla cam for timed selfies, or a Bluetooth remote for my iPhone (although I’ve gone through two, at $8 a piece. I don’t know why technology hates me but it does). The remote (when it works) is awesome because it fits in your palm and you can actually see and control what image you take. And I edit mainly in Camera+ which I LOVE.
Well, aren’t you a wealth of selfie knowledge? THANK YOU! I never thought about getting a remote 🙂
I despise asking someone to take a photo for me with the knowledge it is for social media use haha sooooo there aren’t many photos of me in action 😉
I’m also way too lazy and rushed around my workouts to make time for it as far as setting up. I enjoy looking at other people’s feeds but I’vd definitely taken a huge step back with how much I post these days. Only so many watch or sunrise photos the world can take! (okay that is a lie the limit does not exist for sunrise/sunsets)
LOL – so true!!! Keep taking those sunrise and watch photos. I always enjoy them 🙂
This is awesome Allie! I’ll be giving these a try at some point this winter. I am hopelessly out of shape right now due to my lack of love for the treadmill. We went to the mountains in Colorado over Christmas and there was no way I could run on the ice covered roads due to my neck fracture, and then I went to Mexico with friends right after I came back. I should have been able to run there, but the beach area was limited and I was chicken to venture off on my own. I wasn’t traveling with runners. Time to get back into shape!
Those are probably the two best “excuses” to not run. I hope you just enjoyed the scenery and company – there is always time to run at home. And, I think you made the right decision in Mexico!!
You know I love me some Snapseed! More than that I’m still stunned that Amanda featured me on her post. I think I’ve found a way to tap into my creative side! Game on!
Absolutely!! I love that she featured you after you took her advice and (wait for it) RAN with it 🙂 Sorry.
Keep the great pics coming!!
I don’t have many pictures of myself running (other than at races when my boyfriend plays Instagram husband….and Instagram friend for everyone else running), mainly because I think I’d feel too silly asking people to take pictures of me, I don’t have a self timer……annnnnnd the big kicker: I rarely run with my phone. Shoe pictures can only appear so often.
That last one is a big issue for me too – I don’t hardly ever run with my phone! Most of my pics come before or after my runs when I get back to it and, my SIL had her phone on the run in the mountains. I guess we need personal photographers 🙂
Snapseed is by far my favorite app, but I also use VSCO, Photofy, and Superphoto! People ask what apps I use but I layer filters on top of each other until I get the look I want, so it’s hard to recommend just one!
So true! You have fantastic shots and OMG so many Insta followers!! Thanks for the other recommendations – I will check them out!!
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