Aesthetic Photos: What Are They and How to Make Them? (+ Download)

The Photos aesthetic They have become a phenomenon among users of social networks such as Pinterest, Instagram or Tik Tok.

Although the term does not ring a bell, you will have seen a lot of photographs with this type of aesthetic in portraits, product photography, fashion, gastronomy and even decoration.

Whether you know exactly what you have come to look for, or if you don’t know what photography is aestheticin this article I will explain what it is, I will leave you with inspiration photos, I will explain how you can get this type of images or what are the best filters to give your photographs that touch so characteristic of this type of photos.

So let’s go into the world of aesthetic images 😀

What are aesthetic photos?

aesthetic images They are images where, mainly, the aim is to enhance the beauty and aesthetics of what appears in them.

Within this type of photography, you will find many different styles, from photographs with pastel tones to photographs with a more gothic tint, grungyor style photographs vintage.

They coincide in their taste for aesthetics and, in general, are inspired by styles from the 70s, 80s and, above all, 90s.

The motifs or themes of aesthetic images are varied: from product photography to portraits and landscapes.

They all have something in common, they are usually made to be consumed by social networks; especially on InstagramTikTok and Pinterest.

What characteristics do aesthetic photos have?

  1. Photographs where pastel tones predominate.
  2. Glossy photos.
  3. colored neons.
  4. Led lights.
  5. Letters.
  6. Vintage style: noise, low contrast, warm colors.
  7. Computer letters above the images.
  8. Clothing, makeup and hairstyles taken care of and in favor of a common aesthetic.
  9. Gothic style photographs.
  10. Minimalist compositions with natural light and natural elements such as flowers and plants.
  11. Filters or emojis of hearts or butterflies, glitter, etc.

Image by @lenkalul On Instagram

As you can see, the photograph aesthetic in turn encompasses a multitude of styles, always bearing in mind the search for a joint aesthetic that is pleasing to the eye.

aesthetic photo gallery

As in photography, an image is always worth more than a thousand words, I leave you with a gallery of aesthetic photos so you can find inspiration.

You have already seen that this type of photography encompasses all kinds of images, from portraits to products, through landscapes and even architecture, since aesthetic is a term that encompasses an entire lifestyle, not just photography.

aesthetic style photos

How to achieve aesthetic style images?

To take aesthetic style photos, the first thing we must keep in mind is that the objective is create an aesthetically pleasing image, where everything that appears in it looks beautiful and pleasing to the eye.

To do this, we must ensure that the image is balanced and harmonious; the elements that appear must have an aesthetic thread that unites them.

Here are some tips that will help you get great aesthetic photos:

  1. Take care of the background, there is nothing worse than an image that seeks beauty in which a trash can sneaks in the background 😉 .
  2. When making a portrait, make sure that everything in it complies with the principle of aesthetics, the hairstyle, the clothes and the setting must be careful and harmonious:
    • Keep in mind to generate possible clothes (outfits), that this type of current is based on a mainly 80-90s style. Wide jeans, over plaid shirts, high pigtails, etc. Look for inspiration on social networks.
    • The gothic style is also representative of the aesthetic current.
  3. Anything that adds beauty to the image is welcome in this type of image; any scenario is likely to end up being an aesthetic photography if you take care of the elements that appear in it:
    • Food photography: add natural elements such as plants, etc. It is interesting that the image, beyond food, in turn transmits a story, a lifestyle. A picnic in the countryside, a cup of coffee next to a book and a flower, etc.
    • landscape photography: warm-toned sunrises and sunsets, long shadows, etc.
    • Architectural photography: harmonious facades of pastel colors, with flowers, interesting shades, etc.
    • Product photography: Pastel colors, brightness, shadows, warm light or vintage filters… All in favor of an aesthetically beautiful image.
  4. When in doubt, a good dose of homogeneous natural light and a minimalist composition are safe bets.
    • Remember the rules of composition to locate your protagonists.
  5. Use the diaphragm aperture to control the depth of field. If you want more area in focus in the image, stop down (high f/ value).
  6. Look for a fresh, young, immediate, smartphone style 😉 .

I leave you a dose of inspiration in video format with which you can see how to create this type of images in a very simple way.

In this case, it focuses on fashion style photographs:

Aesthetic photos for Instagram

Whether you’re looking for an aesthetic-style photo for your Instagram profile or creating a pretty Instagram feed for yourself, this oh-so-trendy look might be what you’re looking for.

  • On Instagram, remember to compose in square format. Here are some square composition keys that will help you stand out in this type of image.
  • play with filters offered by Instagram, as well as its basic settings: brightness, contrast, structure, warmth, saturation, color, shadows, highlights, vignetting, etc. Remember that you can modify the intensity of each filter to obtain less exaggerated results.
  • Look for homogeneity in your feed: try to make it look balanced, orderly and visually attractive.
  • take care of the composition: Look for interesting and creative points of view. Turn to knolling, for example, when you want to do something creative.
  • Find your own style: It’s okay to investigate, soak up the style of others, but in the end, try to be yourself, the network is full of the same photos, don’t want to be one of the crowd 😉 .

Example of an aesthetic feed on Instagram: @ariellevey

Filters for aesthetic photos

If you are looking for filters for your aesthetic photos, these are the most used and complete applications to finish giving your photos this aesthetic:

  • vsco: Well-known for all those who enjoy editing their images from their mobile. It has tons of filters and creative tools. It is surely one of the most used by content creators and even has its own community.
  • picsart: This app has a lot of creative options to get aesthetic photos. Filters, text editor, background remover, stickers, double color exposure, remove objects, collage, etc.
  • after light (iOS and android): It has more than 130 ideal filters for aesthetic photos to choose from, textures, layered overlays and more than 20 advanced tools.
  • Kuji Cam: With more than 180 filters and a multitude of effects such as textures and lights. It also has very good user ratings.

aesthetic profile photos

You are not going to apply the aesthetic style to your ID photos but you can do it in your profile photos on social networks, I recommend that you take a look at our linked article, where you will find not only aesthetic profile photos, but ideas of all kinds to get the image that best represents you.

What do you think of the aesthetic world?

Whether you want to get content for social networks, create a profile, or decorate your house with these types of images, I hope you have found inspiration and motivation to enrich your photographic baggage.

Oh, don’t forget to share, surely more than one photographer thanks you. Staying up to date on trends is not always easy 😉 See you in the next article!