35 Creative No Face Photo Ideas for Instagram & Blogging

We’ve all been there – you want to show up online but don’t feel like doing your hair, putting on makeup, or even smiling at a camera, haha! 

And honestly, as a work at home homeschooling mom of two little ones, I can totally relate!  Putting on makeup and styling my hair takes time that I’d rather invest in more valuable tasks for my business – maybe you’re the same.

When I first started blogging, I thought I had to show my face and show up on Instagram consistently to to build trust but the truth is you really don’t if you post tasteful photos that add value to your content and your audience’s experience. 

In fact, some of the most popular blogs, YouTube channels, Instagram and Pinterest accounts never show a face at all! 

So whether you’re building a mom blog, sharing music content, running a small business, want more privacy online, or just want to share more content without wasting time getting ready, these no face photo ideas will help you create gorgeous images that don’t require you to show your face. 

And the best part is, you can create most of these at home using things you already have.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links and I could earn a commission if you make a purchase using them. This comes at no additional cost to you and all opinions expressed are my own. Thank you for supporting our family and helping me to create more homeschool and music education content!

Tools for Creating No Face Photos

Busy moms already know that time is everything!

So, if you want simple tools that make independent content creation faster and easier, here are a few suggestions:

• Phone tripod – this is a great option that has a face tracking feature as well so its great for creating Instagram reels too!
• Bluetooth camera remote – you can hold this one in your hand discretely to use it to take photos of yourself.
• Simple ring light – this one is great and inexpensive. It creates a natural lighting effect that’s important for beauty shots and dim spaces. Our home doesn’t have that many windows so this thing is a must for me.
• Neutral photo backdrop boards – I use these ones for my flat lays since they’re inexpensive and the perfect shade of white.

Small investments like these make a big difference!

35 Creative No Face Photo Ideas for Your Instagram & Blog

Here are several faceless photo ideas arranged according to themes.

Books and Cozy Lifestyle

1. Holding a warm cup of coffee or tea in front of your face
2. Wrapped in a knit blanket looking away from the camera
3. Reading a book on the couch or bed with the book in front of your face
4. Writing with your head down in a journal near a window
5. Typing on your laptop with your head down at a tidy desk
6. Sitting cross-legged on the floor next to a pile of books, holding a book in front of your face
7. Top down shot of you holding an open book, Bible, or devotional (like the first photo in this post!)
8. Selfie that covers your face with your phone

Here are some photo props you could add to your collection:

• Cozy throw blanket
• Minimalist planner
• Beautiful devotional or journal
• Cute coffee cup – I love this one!

Best Tips for New Bloggers:

• The Easiest Way to Start a Blog for Busy Moms
• 10 Ways to Brainstorm Your Blog’s Name in Under 10 Minutes
• How to Make Your First $1,000 with a New Blog
• 6 Types of Blogs that Make the Most Money

Over the Shoulder Photo Ideas

1. Looking out a bright window
2. Watching your kids play outside
3. Cooking at your stove
4. Looking at your laptop screen
5. Standing looking into your bedroom, homeschool, or music room

Hands-Only Photo Ideas

1. Writing in a planner
2. Holding fresh flowers or a plant
3. Turning a page in a book
4. Playing an instrument (i.e. hands on guitar, piano)
5. Mixing ingredients in a bowl
6. Folding or hanging up laundry
7. Organizing something related to you niche (kitchen tools, books, clothing, etc.)
8. Fingers on a computer keyboard
9. Holding a phone open to a screen of something you’re promoting

Here are some prop ideas for hands-only photos:

• Pretty desk accessories – this organizer is super cute and really helps to clean things up! I also have this rose gold accessory set in my office and use it daily – it photographs really nicely too.
• Nice stationary – I recently got this Bible journalling set and use it with my teaching supplies as well

More tips for Instagram and blog photography:

• How to Photograph Great Flat Lays in 10 Easy Steps
• 120 Instagram Story Ideas (When You Have Nothing to Post!)
• 365 Instagram Post Ideas: Plan Your Feed for the Next Year
• Ultimate List of Instagram Photo Ideas You Didn’t Know You Needed
• 150+ Best IG Caption Ideas for Selfies, Friends, and More!

Walking Away Photo Ideas

These types of photos create movement and feel natural.

1. Walking down a quiet path
2. Walking toward the ocean
3. Walking into a room in your home
4. Going on a run
5. Walking down an interesting hallway
6. Walking through fall leaves or snow

Flat Lay No Face Photo Ideas

Flat lays are gold on Pinterest and Instagram.

1. Morning Bible study: Think coffee, your Bible, highlighters, and pens
2. Work from home mode: Laptop, notebook, glasses, headphones, and a pen
3. Homeschool mom: Books, pencils, journals, and art cards
4. Music lesson materials: guitar, music book or laptop, picks, capo
5. Camera gear: Your camera, extra lenses, memory cards, bag
6. Recipe ingredients: for sourdough, it might be something like your starter, salt, flour, and water
7. Weekly planner spread: your planner, computer, candles, glasses, and flowers

Silhouette and Shadow Ideas

These are simple to create but they feel artistic and unique.

1. Silhouette at sunset
2. Shadow on a white wall
3. Shadow holding a coffee cup
4. Silhouette playing guitar
5. Your shadow on the pavement of a very bright day outside

More Tips for Taking Beautiful No Face Photos

Here are a few things I always do when it comes to taking photos for my blog and Instagram stories.

Use Natural Light – I set up my photos near a window and let in as much light as possible. But like I said, our home is still fairly dark so a ring light really helps create a brighter more beautiful image that doesn’t need a lot of editing later on.

Use Simple Backgrounds – you want your audience to be focused on the focal point of your image not distracted by things around it. Choose a spot that’s clean and bright or use a white poster board if you’re creating a flat lay.

Batch Your Photos – this saves so much time and allows you to create a ton of photos at once. When you set up for a flat lay or selfie shot, make sure you take 10 to 15 photos of that scene. As you shoot, change the orientation of objects in your flat lay, move your position or even change your shirt a couple of times to make your photos look a little different each time.

This is huge for a platform like Pinterest where you constantly need to create fresh images for your pin backgrounds.

At the time of writing this, Pinterest still favors original human created images and many people avoid clicking on artificially generated ones. I know I crave authenticity and won’t visit sites like this either!

Choose a Consistent Color Palette – this is more important for social media than it is for blogging but a consistent color palette will help your blog feed look more consistent too.

I tend to choose neutral colors with hints of pink, green, and wood tones since they’re feminine and earthy.

Choosing three or four colors that constantly show up in your photos looks great and will help you to establish a type of branding for your images. This will help readers and followers recognize you when you appear on their news feeds and will look beautiful on a grid style layouts.

More tips for Instagram:

• Free Instagram Course: Proven Tips to Grow Your Profile
• 20+ Cute and Free Instagram Story Templates to Get Your Followers Engaged
• 10 Free Get to Know Me Instagram Story Templates

Final Thoughts on Creating Faceless Photos

Don’t keep procrastinating creating content until you “feel ready” to show your face online – you don’t need to do it all!

Start with your hands, a cup of coffee, your guitar, or even your homeschool table and consider how your content can add value to readers and potential followers – because the most important aspect of content creation overall is the value you bring!

I’d love to hear which of these ideas was your favorite and even check out your Instagram feed.

Feel free to give me a follow and share your thoughts in the comments below.

Happy photographing, friend!

– Nikki