Inside The World Of Instagram Husbands
Of course, it’s not only Insta gurus roping in their other halves to take snaps for the ‘gram. In fact, there’s an entire Facebook page, ‘Boyfriends of Instagram’, dedicated to revealing how much effort goes into nailing social media snaps – with some men even putting their lives at risk to get the perfect shot of their partner.
But for many influencers, an Instagram husband isn’t only someone who knows your best angles, they can be part of a lucrative business plan – a photographer/model partnership creating daily content and reaping the benefits from advertisers.
While some don’t reveal who’s behind the lens, UK lifestyle blogger Monica Beatrice Welburn, aka The Elgin Avenue, is open about her Instagram husband, Oli (soon to be her real-life husband as the couple got engaged last month). One of her most popular blog posts, entitled ‘How To Train Your Instagram Husband’, sees the pair both give advice on the subject.
“There’s one person in my professional and personal life, who rarely gets the public credit he deserves: my Instagram husband,” she wrote in the post. “Having an Instagram Husband is not only helpful, but it’s basically an essential when it comes to getting those shots. Otherwise it’ll be a mirror/selfie situation forever more.”
Welburn adds that an Instagram husband doesn’t just mean a boyfriend, husband or better half – it can be any person in your life who’s willing to take up the role: “For years my girlfriends in London were tasked with taking a million photos of me on my iPhone, and now Oli gets the pleasure!”
instagram.com/monicabeatrice
instagram.com/monicabeatrice
instagram.com/monicabeatrice
Speaking to SL this week, the blogger revealed having her partner take on the role of Instagram husband has actually made them stronger. “It's so lovely to share that element of my work with one another,” she said. He takes a real pride in creating great images, and I like that we get to hang out together whilst doing it.”
And as for the benefits work-wise, she reveals it’s been a real plus and helps her to create more regular content: “There have been so many occasions when Oli has stepped into the role of photographer, and there's no way I would have captured as much share-able content without him over the years.”
So does he actually enjoy being an Insta spouse? Welburn says he loves it. Although she does add, “Admittedly there have been times when I'm sure he would have preferred to have tucked straight into his food without me photographing it.”
Essex-based writer and influencer Amelia Perrin, author of upcoming book Into It, also sings the praises of her Instagram husband, aka her boyfriend Jake, who has a background in photography. “He says he can tell when we met because my Instagram content started getting so much better,” she told SL. “Before I met him I was stuck at 9k followers and ever since he's started taking my photos I've surpassed the 10k mark.”
Perrin reveals it’s not only the quality of her photos that have improved – thanks to her boyfriend’s professional cameras – but that he helps her scout locations, plan outfits and takes shots of multiple angles so she’ll have extra content to post: “Basically, he's a better Instagrammer than I am. All credit to him.”
Like Welburn, Perrin says her partner loves his new role (this seems to be the secret to a functioning Insta marriage), again only citing food photos as the downside: “I know these are a pain in the arse to sit through because you want to eat your dinner while it's hot”. She says he takes pride in knowing he helped create her popular content: “When I get comments about how nice the photo is he always texts me like ‘Look at the comments! I took that!”
As for what it takes to become an Instagram husband, both Perrin and Welburn believe patience is vital. “I think they have to be an understanding sort of guy,” Perrin adds. “Being 'Instagram famous' is pretty lucrative nowadays, so Jake understands why it needs to take time and planning. If your boyfriend is stuck in the past or believes it's frivolous, they probably won't have the patience for being an IG husband.”
instagram.com/ameliaperrin
instagram.com/ameliaperrin
instagram.com/ameliaperrin
Want to up your photo game? Read Amelia Perrin’s top tips for training an Instagram husband…
1. As an IG husband, he shouldn't be taking photos all the time, but he should be taking them when you look cute and are least expecting it – candids are the best.
2. Tell him to ‘shoot in thirds’. It's a photography guideline rule, meaning he should try to get a nice amount of you, the background and the sky in the shot. The iPhone even has a grid mode if you want to get really technical.
3. Get your partner to take lots of photos – continually taking them as you move and pose differently. You don't need a fancy camera, an iPhone will do, but quantity is key. You're bound to have one postable one amongst 300 crappy ones.
4. Show your partner the photos you like and explain what makes them good – a nice background, it being symmetrical, your body looking good etc. From there he’ll get to know your angles.
5. Praise him in return. I guess it's like training a dog really.
And for the man’s point of view? Check out Oli’s advice on becoming an Instagram husband…
1. Don’t expect to eat food when it’s hot. A coffee cup is a prop not something to drink.
2. Be prepared to take the blame if a photo looks bad, regardless if your fault or not.
3. You are a human clothes rail.
4. Expect a ten-minute walk to take up to an hour.
5. Despite all of the above, it’s an awesome job. And it’s rewarding to be a part of the process.
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