How to Add a New Photo on Instagram

Sharing a new photo on Instagram is simple, but making that photo work for you is an art. This guide will walk you through every step of the process, from the absolute basics of uploading your first picture to the strategic details that help you build a brand, connect with an audience, and grow your presence one post at a time. We'll cover single photos, carousels, caption writing, hashtag strategy, and even how to post from your desktop.

The Step-by-Step Guide to Posting a Single Photo

Let's start with the fundamentals. If you're new to Instagram or just need a refresher, this is the core process for getting a photo from your phone's camera roll onto your grid.

1. Open Instagram and Tap the "+" Icon

First things first, open the Instagram app. At the bottom of your screen, you’ll see a navigation bar with several icons. In the center, there is a square with a plus sign (+) inside it. This is the "Create" button. Tap it to start a new post.

2. Select Your Photo from Your Gallery

After tapping the create icon, you'll be taken to your phone’s photo gallery. Your most recent photos will appear at the top. Scroll through and tap the image you want to share. A blue checkmark will appear on the selected photo.

Once you’ve chosen your picture, tap "Next" in the top-right corner.

3. Adjust the Crop and Framing

Instagram will automatically crop your photo into its classic 1:1 square format. However, you aren't stuck with this. In the bottom-left corner of your photo preview, you'll see an icon with two little arrows (the "Expand" icon). Tap this to switch between the square crop and the original dimensions of your photo.

You can also use two fingers to pinch and zoom, allowing you to reposition the photo within the frame. Getting the framing right ensures your subject is perfectly centered and looks exactly how you intended. Once you're happy, tap "Next" again.

4. Edit and Apply Filters

This is where the magic happens. On this screen, you have two main tabs at the bottom: Filters and Edit.

• Filters: You can scroll through Instagram’s pre-made filters like "Clarendon," "Lark," and "Juno." Tapping on a filter applies it to your photo. If you tap the filter again, a slider will appear, allowing you to adjust its intensity.
• Edit: For more control, tap the "Edit" tab. Here you can manually adjust everything from brightness and contrast to saturation, warmth, and sharpness. You can even tilt the image a few degrees with the "Adjust" tool or add a subtle "Vignette" effect. A little editing can make an okay photo look professionally shot.

Experiment with these tools until your photo looks polished and on-brand. When you’re all set, tap "Next" one more time.

5. Write a Solid Caption

You’re now on the final screen. The text box at the top is where you write your caption. A great caption does more than just describe the photo, it adds context, tells a story, and invites conversation. We’ll go a bit deeper into caption strategy later, but for now, just write something that gives your followers a reason to engage. Don't forget, if you want to add paragraphs or line breaks, write your caption in a notes app first and then copy-paste it into Instagram.

6. Tag People and Add a Location

Just below the caption box, you’ll find a few important options:

• Tag People: Tap this to tag other Instagram accounts in your photo. Simply tap on the photo where you want the tag to appear and start typing their username. This is great for giving credit to collaborators, friends, or brands featured in your image. The tagged account will get a notification.
• Add Location: Adding a location can significantly boost your post's visibility. Start typing the name of the city, restaurant, park, or business, and select it from the list. Your post will then appear to other users who search for or explore that location on Instagram.

7. Share Your Post

Once you’ve written your caption, tagged relevant accounts, and added your location, you're ready to go. Simply tap the "Share" button in the top-right corner, and your photo will be posted to your Instagram grid for all your followers to see. Congratulations!

Level Up Your Posts: Advanced Photo Techniques

Posting one photo is easy, but using Instagram to its full potential means knowing a few advanced tricks. These will help you tell better stories and capture more attention.

Create a Story with Photo Carousels

Why post one photo when you can post up to ten? A carousel post lets you share multiple photos (and videos) in a single, swipeable post. This is a powerful tool for visual storytelling.

To create a carousel, go back to the photo selection screen (Step 2). Instead of tapping just one photo, look for a small icon that looks like stacked squares on the right side. Tap it. You can now select up to 10 photos in the order you want them to appear. This is perfect for:

• Before-and-after reveals: Showcasing a transformation, like a room redesign or a fitness journey.
• Step-by-step tutorials: Guiding your audience through a recipe, a DIY project, or a workout.
• Event recaps: Giving a fuller picture of an event by showing different moments and highlights.
• Product showcases: Displaying a product from multiple angles or in different use cases.

Master the Aspect Ratio for More Screen Time

While Instagram started with the 1:1 square, it now supports different dimensions. The three main ones for photos are:

• 1:1 Square: The classic format.
• 1.91:1 Landscape: A wide, horizontal format.
• 4:5 Portrait: A taller, vertical format.

For maximum impact, always try to post in the 4:5 portrait orientation. Why? Because it takes up the most vertical space on a phone screen. When someone is scrolling through their feed, a taller image fills more of their view, holding their attention for a split second longer. That small difference can be enough to stop their scroll and encourage them to engage with your content.

From Post to Strategy: Building Your Brand with Photos

Anyone can post a photo. Successful creators and brands post with intention. Every element - from the caption to the hashtags - is a chance to reinforce your brand and connect with your audience.

Crafting Captions That Connect and Convert

Your caption is your voice. A bad caption can make a great photo fall flat, while a compelling caption can turn a simple image into a conversation starter. Here’s how to do it right:

• Start with a Hook: The first line is the most important. It needs to grab attention immediately since users will have to tap "more..." to read the rest. Ask a provocative question, state a surprising fact, or start in the middle of a story.
• Tell a Story: People connect with stories, not just descriptions. Instead of saying "Here's a photo from my hike," tell a short story about what happened on the hike - the view you weren't expecting, the challenge you overcame, or the funny thing a friend said.
• Encourage Engagement: End your caption with a direct call to action (CTA) or a question. Asking "What's your favorite hiking trail?" or "Tag someone you'd bring here" invites comments and gets people involved.
• Use Emojis Thoughtfully: Emojis can break up text, add personality, and convey emotion. Just don’t overdo it. Use them to enhance your message, not replace it.

A Smart Hashtag Strategy to Boost Your Reach

Hashtags help Instagram categorize your content and show it to people who are interested in your topic but don't follow you yet. But just throwing in 30 popular tags won't get you far. A smart strategy involves using a mix of different hashtag types:

• Broad Hashtags (#travel, #photography): These have millions of posts. They can give you a quick, initial burst of likes, but your post will get buried in minutes. Use 1-2 of these.
• Niche Hashtags (#pnwhikingtrails, #vanlifeideas): These are more specific and have a smaller, more engaged audience. This is where you'll find your people. Use 5-10 of these.
• Community Hashtags (#thecreatorclass, #womenwhohike): These are tied to specific communities on Instagram. Using them helps you get noticed by those communities.
• Location Hashtags (#seattlecoffee, #goldengatebridge): If your photo is location-specific, use tags related to the city, state, or even the neighborhood.
• Branded Hashtags (#YourBrandName): Create a unique hashtag for your business or personal brand to group all your content together.

Aim for a mix of 10-15 relevant hashtags. You can place them at the end of your caption or put them in the first comment immediately after posting to keep your caption looking clean.

Posting Photos to Instagram from Your Computer

Sometimes, it’s just easier to work from a desktop, especially if your photos are professionally shot and edited on a computer. Instagram has now made this incredibly simple:

1. Go to Instagram.com and log in.
2. Click the "+" create icon in the left-hand menu.
3. A "Create new post" window will pop up. Drag and drop your photo file or click "Select from computer" to upload it.
4. You can now cycle through the crop, filter, and edit screens, just like on the mobile app.
5. Finally, you'll be taken to the caption screen where you can write your text, add a location, tag people, and share.

Posting from a desktop is a game-changer for marketers and photographers who manage their assets on a computer, saving them the hassle of having to transfer files back to their phone.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, adding a new photo on Instagram involves so much more than just tapping a button. It's a combination of technical steps - like cropping and tagging - and strategic choices involving storytelling and community building. By mastering both the "how" and the "why," you can turn every post into an opportunity to connect with your audience and make a lasting impression.

Once you get the hang of posting, planning a whole week or month of content can feel overwhelming. At Postbase, we built our visual calendar to solve that exact problem. It allows us to see our entire content strategy at a glance, drag and drop posts to reschedule them, and make sure we have a consistent flow of content going out across all our platforms, without the chaos of managing it all in spreadsheets or notebooks.