Looking for cool Instagram pictures to post without leaving your house?
This guide to 30 Instagram photo ideas you can take at home has you covered!
Because coming up with new content is hard, ESPECIALLY when you have nothing to post.
We’ll cover tips for photos and videos including:
- aesthetic Instagram photo ideas and examples
- shots you can take indoors and outdoors
- how to take a great picture of yourself
- Pinterest boards you can follow for inspiration
Let’s do an overview of all 30 photo ideas for Instagram before we dive into tips for improving your photography.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links and I could earn a commission at no cost to you if you make a purchase using them.
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30 Instagram Photo Ideas You Can Take at Home
If you post on Instagram 7 days a week, the 30 picture ideas here are enough for a new photo every day of the month.
That’s a lot of content!
Here are some creative photo ideas for when you’ve used up the last feed-worthy photo on your camera roll:
- Flat lay
- A loved one
- Selfie
- What you ate
- Behind the scenes
- Outfit of the day (OOTD)
- From where I stand
- Morning coffee or tea
- Photograph flat lay
- Recent purchase
- Top-down photo
- Reel
- Day in the life
- Home decor
- Boomerang
- What you’re reading
- Bloopers
- Photo timer session
- Fantasy photo
- What you’re listening to
- Do a try on
- Before and after
- The view
- Screenshot of your camera roll
- An organized space
- Your workspace
- Plants
- Blow some bubbles
- Create a graphic
- Share a quote
1. Flat lay
This is one of my favorite photos to take when I’m short on time or as a way to break up a busy feed.
Grab a few similarly colored (or themed) items and arrange them on a plain white surface such as a bedsheet, white foam board, or even a grey carpet.
Experiment placing items of different shapes and sizes around the page and if you’re shooting on a phone, use the square photo size from the start!
2. A loved one
Don’t feel like dressing up today? Have a willing friend or family member? How about an old photo on your camera roll?
Post it to your feed and talk about your relationship or make an introduction.
This a great one for us moms 😉
3. Selfie
You definitely don’t need to leave the house to take a great selfie!
Find a plain wall or pretty background and strike a pose.
You could also snap a photo of yourself in a mirror reflection – a favorite amongst fashion bloggers, without a doubt!
4. What you ate
Feast on a beautiful meal today? Proud of something you whipped up in the kitchen?
Post it!
You could also add step-by-step instructions for how to prep your meal in Instagram stories – make that content work double-duty.
5. Behind the scenes
Perfect for when you’re in the midst of shooting other content, behind-the-scenes photos offer followers a glimpse into what it really takes to do what we do.
Take a selfie, ask a friend or family member for help, or even use a photo timer app on your phone to snap photos while you work.
6. Outfit of the day (OOTD)
This fashion blogger photo favorite is a great piece of content for monetization purposes and a great way to create multiple posts in a single day.
If you’ve done your hair and makeup, may as well shoot a few different looks while you’re at it.
Here’s a real life mom OOTD for you, haha.
7. From where I stand
This popular top-down photo of your shoes (or feet) works great with an interesting floor.
But, if you step out into the garden, it can be just as interesting.
8. Morning coffee or tea
I don’t think I’m the only one who likes to look at a coffee first thing in the morning – in my kitchen and online!
There’s something just so blissful about that first cup of coffee or tea.
You could even do some foam art if you’re feeling extra creative.
9. Photograph flat lay
Have a few printed photographs lying around?
Lay them on the floor or against a white backdrop to create a flat lay with multiple interesting images.
10. Recent purchase
Have a product you’re really excited about?
Take a photo and share what you love about it in an Instagram post.
You could even turn this into a review with a link to your Amazon Influencer storefront.
11. Top-down photo
I LOVE this style of photo!
Spread out some materials to show followers what you’re up to today and have a seat (or stay standing).
You can either create a cardboard support and attach it to your ceiling or ask someone for help.
12. Reel
Instagram reels are EXTREMELY popular right now and can get your profile in front of thousands of viewers.
A few popular reel ideas include:
- outfit changes
- dressing up
- before and afters
- comedy
- funny dubs or lip-syncing
- inspirational content
- photo collages
- remixes
13. Day in the life
Create a post that captures the essence of your days or, like we just talked about above, edit a reel that showcases a few highlights of your day.
14. Home decor
Nothing makes me happier than a feed full of beautiful flat lays and ideas, especially home decor and organization.
With everything going on in the world, it’s nice to take a break and scroll through a feed of posts that leave you smiling or feeling inspired.
15. Boomerang
I love these!
Take a fun boomerang of yourself dancing, twirling, cooking, or anything else that fits your profile’s theme.
16. What you’re reading
Show your friends and followers the books and/or magazines you’re flipping through or even a glimpse into a course you’re taking.
This is another genius idea for selling with affiliate marketing through your Instagram posts.
17. Bloopers
Offer a look at Instagram versus reality by highlighting your mistakes.
This is a fun way to poke fun at being a blogger or influencer while showing others that your life isn’t as picture-perfect as your Instagram feed may suggest.
18. Photo timer session
Download an app like Photo Timer+ and do a timed photoshoot where you strike different poses.
This is also a fun way to test new ideas and practice getting comfortable in front of the camera.
19. Fantasy photo
Use Adobe Photoshop or another cool photo editing app to do an extreme edit on one of your photos.
Give Canadian dad, David, a follow for some seriously inspiring photoshop wizardry!
20. What you’re listening to
Take a flat lay photo of your phone open on Spotify, YouTube Music, or however you listen to your music or podcasts.
If you want to keep it really simple, you could even take a simple screenshot.
21. Do a try-on
I’m starting to realize that I follow a lot of fashion bloggers while I write this list, haha!
But you don’t have to specialize in fashion to do a try-on – lifestyle influencers, moms, and others can still have fun with this carousel post idea for Instagram.
Updated your wardrobe recently?
Get to it!
This is a really fun piece of content to create.
22. Before and after
I absolutely LOVE these – especially as I dive deeper into my home blog.
Some neat before and after Instagram photo ideas include:
- renovations
- makeup
- room updates
- painting
- creative projects
- food
- fitness
23. The view
Have a stunning view from where you are today?
Enjoy watching your little ones play?
No matter your location, sharing the scene from your eyes can be an easy topic to reflect on and write a great caption about.
24. Screenshot of your camera roll
This can be a fun one, especially if you take a ton of photos to get the right shot.
It’s also a REALLY easy way to break up your feed with new content without having to worry too much about the quality of your image.
If you have a few good shots in there though, feel free to turn that camera roll shot into a carousel that offers a closer look at a few of your favorites.
25. An organized space
Top-notch organization feels good and it can be REALLY inspiring.
From paperwork to an entire room, it’s also a great topic to dive into with your followers since this is something everyone can relate to.
Consider taking a photo of one of the following:
- tidy drawer
- organized closet
- stack of books or a bookshelf
- neat office desk
- clean bedroom
- an inviting kitchen
26. Your workspace
Show your followers where you normally work or what you’re working from today!
It’s always interesting to see where the people who inspire you most get their inspiration.
27. Plants
Add some greenery to your feed with a photo of your favorite plant(s) or outdoor oasis.
This can be a great way to give life a boring Instagram feed!
28. Blow some bubbles
Bubbles can make for some cool Instagram photos!
So, head outside with your kids, friends, or even by yourself with a photo timer and start bubbling.
29. Create a graphic
These next two Instagram photo ideas are SO easy it’s ridiculous.
You can create gorgeous graphics on Canva using their elements, templates, and even stock photos.
Or, for a personal touch (a personal preference for my Instagram feed), stick to your own photos for your IG feed and use Canva to do the design work around them.
30. Share a quote
Think of an old favorite quote or search for a new one on Pinterest or Google.
Then, open Canva and play with different font combinations to create a sharable Instagram post quote.
You could even share a quote by yourself!
Which of these at-home Instagram photo ideas inspired you most?
Let’s connect on Instagram – be sure to follow me and share your IG handle in the comments below so I can check out how you used these ideas!
Nikki Slivarich
Writer
Blessed mama of two beautiful little girls. I’m a full-time blogger and social media content creator who teaches moms and boss babes how to start an online business. Follow me on social for clever ideas to make money using the platforms you already love!