Instagram has far surpassed the days where we simply shared some fun photos with our friends and family. As a powerhouse for all things business, marketing, and creative endeavors, the platform houses tons of potential for anyone who is willing to invest some time and energy into using it.
If you’re a photographer looking to boost your Instagram following and find the right hashtags for photography on Instagram, this article is perfect for you. Creative niches on Instagram such as photography have become incredibly saturated, making it much harder to get noticed, no matter how great your shots are.
Even if you’re not a professional photographer, any brand or business using Instagram for their marketing or expansion efforts should also know what hashtags will help your content pop and gain more reach. You’ll have to take some photos of some sort to feature on Instagram, so this list can also help you as well.
As photographers, your content obviously needs to stand out as a cut above the rest of amateur content creators, so that’s something to keep in mind when you are creating your content, regardless of which photography hashtags you choose to use.
In this article, we’ll discuss the best photography hashtags to help boost your content’s reach, engagement, increase brand awareness, and attract new followers to your Instagram profile. Let’s get started!
How Hashtags Help You Get More Instagram Followers
Hashtags are one of the most important parts of Instagram reach. If you want your content to be seen by people who don’t follow you, it’s important that you use different photography hashtags so that your content will get in front of the right people.
Hashtags were first used on Twitter in 2007 and ever since they have become a staple for all different social media platforms in order to make content discoverable. The idea is that users post their content using relevant hashtags and that content then gets categorized into feeds, making it easier for users to find the type of content that they’re looking for.
When you use hashtags on Instagram, that’s exactly what happens. Therefore, it’s important for you to have a good understanding of which hashtags are being searched or frequently followed by your target audience and then use those hashtags on your content, increasing the chances that your content will be discovered.
It can be particularly important to use photography hashtags if you’re trying to get your photos discovered; many people may want to look for different photos on Instagram, and the only way they can find the ones that they’re looking for is to do a hashtag search.
The great thing about this is that when you use the right hashtags, you’ll be able to increase the amount of Instagram users that see your content, leading to more engagement on your posts even if they don’t follow you.
Of course, if the user likes what they see, they may be inclined to follow your account, boosting your number of followers as well.
Let’s check out all of the best photography hashtags on Instagram.
Best Hashtags for Photography on Instagram
Now that we know hashtags create more visibility for our Instagram content and can help gain more reach and engagement for content, we’re ready to find out which hashtags will best help you get there.
We’ve categorized 99 different hashtags in the sections below to help you easily find some hashtag suggestions for your particular photo type, giving you more opportunities to reach new users on Instagram. So, without further ado!
1. Fashion Hashtags
One of the most popular niches on Instagram is fashion, and for that reason many different people may be seeking the right fashion hashtags for Instagram. The most commonly-known fashion hashtag is #ootd (outfit of the day), but what else can you use to get your content seen?
Here are some of the best tags that you can implement to get your name out to different people in the industry and increase your reach in the fashion world:
Best fashion photography hashtags for Instagram:
- #ootdinspo
- #weworewhat
- #fashionphotographers
- #fashionphotos
- #fashionphotoshoot
- #butmakeitfashion
- #fashionpicture
The fashion hashtags available on Instagram, due to the extreme popularity of the niche, are heavily used and saturated. You may consider attaching some keywords that define the style or the niche featured in your photo so that you can set yourself apart and get into some other targeted hashtag feeds.
2. Travel Hashtags
The travel niche has become one of the biggest sensations of the Instagram platform. After all, who doesn’t want to satisfy their wanderlust through seeing beautiful photos of their most sought-after destinations?
For this reason, travel photographers, bloggers, backpackers, and travel services alike have all flocked to the platform to try and increase their visibility and reach the right audience. You can stand out from the crowd of millions by using some of the best Instagram hashtags for travel.
It can be quite tough to get your content seen otherwise, as many people are coming out on a daily basis and trying to make something of their travel content on Instagram in hopes of more sponsorships and travel partnerships.
Here are some of the best Instagram travel hashtags to get your content noticed:
- #travelphotographyoftheday
- #travelphotography📸
- #travelphotographs
- #travelphotographydestination (change the destination to the location of your shots)
- #travelphotographyclub
- #travelphotographersociety
- #triptodestination (change the destination to the location of your shots)
Again, a best practice here is to include more specific hashtags from the place that you visited; if you’re a hotel, hostel, restaurant, etc. hoping to capitalize on tourism and new customers, include tags related to that niche as well.
If you need help pinning down those more specific hashtags in any niche with real performance and usage data from the official Instagram API, check out Task Ant. They make finding the perfect hashtags easy, and you can even create sets for easy posting.
3. Portrait Hashtags
Portrait photography is without a doubt one of the most popular types of photography in general, and especially on Instagram This includes not only professional photos, headshots, and glamor shots, but also the simple selfie!
For that reason, it’s increasingly important to have the right Instagram hashtags for portrait photography that will get your content in front of relevant users. They should be specific enough to get in the right hashtag feeds.
While the hashtags below aren’t perhaps the ones you may expect to see, you should keep in mind that it’s best to avoid overly popular hashtags. If a hashtag has millions of posts that include it, you’re not going to be likely to see any benefit from using it.
Your photo will be pushed down the hashtag feed so rapidly that no users will be able to see it before new content is uploaded. What’s more, you will be seen by a more general audience as opposed to users that fit within your target demographic. It’s better to use more specific tags to help you get seen.
Instagram hashtags for portrait photography:
- #portraitphoto
- #portraitphotographers
- #portraitphotography
- #portraitperfect
- #portraitphotos
- #portraitsphotographer
If you’re posting selfies, you can still use these, but may consider using a specific tag like #fitnessselfie or #businessselfie; you can substitute the first word for anything related to your content and/or niche.
4. Wedding Hashtags
Wedding photography is a pretty broad niche that can include many different styles of shots, including portraits, group photos, events, landscapes, and so much more. There are tons of ways that wedding photographers capture their clients’ special day, and there are just as many photographers that want to be the one that couples choose.
There is a lot of competition in the wedding industry, and having a strong Instagram profile that works as a type of portfolio for your work is especially important. The hashtags we’ve curated for you here will boost reach, engagement, and hopefully clients for the next wedding season.
Here are the best wedding photography hashtags for Instagram:
- #weddingphotoideas
- #weddingphotojournalism
- #weddingphotographers
- #weddingphotograph
- #weddingdayphoto
- #weddingphotographer
- #weddingphotoinspiration
You can also include your location in some of these tags so that you can get reach to local clients, for example: #weddingphotosNYC.
5. Sports Hashtags
Including games, events, physical activities, and games, sports photography is popular on Instagram and can offer you a lot of reach when you use the right hashtags. Sports photographers that can capture the action of sports in interesting and effective ways can help set your content apart.
Sports photography is a very diverse niche, so there are tons of different ways you can customize your hashtags to reflect the particular type of sport or event you photographed. Many sports hashtags are also overused, so this can be a valuable adjustment to make.
Keep in mind that not only do you get high-quality content from photographers and photojournalists in this niche, but you also have the amateur sports photography photos coming through from bloggers, lifestyle influencers, and more. This adds to the competition for each hashtag.
Best Instagram hashtags for sports photography:
- #sportsphoto
- #sportsactionshot
- #actionsportphotography
- #sportsphotos
- #sportsphotographers
- #sportspicks
- #hockeyphotos (change it up for whichever sport or event you’re photographing)
6. Aerial Hashtags
Drones have become a very popular way to take photographs these days, and it’s amazing what they can do. You can take amazing shots from angles that many people could only dream of accessing, and this makes the content stand out, getting people’s attention as soon as they see it.
Now, how can you get more people to see your photos so that you can amplify your opportunities on Instagram? Our hashtags for aerial photography is one excellent way.
Here are the best Instagram photography hashtags for aerial photos:
- #dronephoto
- #dronegram
- #aerialphotos
- #aerialshots
- #aerialphotographer
- #droneshots
7. Architecture Hashtags
Photos of buildings and cityscapes have become increasingly valuable as a content staple on Instagram, and architectural photography can definitely get you noticed. People love to see photos of unique buildings as well as the skyline of their city and other favorite cities.
The following Instagram hashtags are a great guide no matter if you’re shooting building exteriors, bridges, cityscapes, interiors, monuments, green spaces, and more.
The best architecture hashtags for Instagram include:
- #buildingphoto
- #cityscapephotography
- #architecturephoto
- #bridgephotography
- #buildingphotography
- #architecturepicture
- #architecturephotos
8. Generic Photography Hashtags
If you’re not really sure where your photos fit in terms of a specific niche, or you have a wide range of different photographs that you frequently feature, you may benefit from understanding some generic photography hashtags for Instagram.
This is also beneficial if you want to get your content out to a wide range of users and don’t have a specific focus in terms of a target audience. While we recommend you always try to find a specific target and niche, these can be a great supplement.
Best generic photography hashtags for Instagram:
- #ruleofthirds
- #dslrofficial
- #photographersoninstagram
- #photographersofig
- #zonephotographer
- #reflectiongrams
You can use these hashtags in conjunction with any other hashtags you’ve identified for your specific niche. That way, your content gets seen by many different people on the platform. You can use up to 30 hashtags in your posts, but more on that later.
9. Food Hashtags
Food photography is also one of the most attractive content types on Instagram and the field itself has become super popular due to the power of Instagram marketing. If you’re looking for tips on food prep, recipes, the next best restaurant to visit, and so much more, Instagram food content will get you there.
If you’re an Instagram food photographer or a professional food photographer, you need to find a way to give your content a competitive edge and stand out from the other delectable content offerings. Here are some of the best hashtags to help you do that.
Best Instagram food hashtags:
- #foodphotography
- #foodphotographystyling
- #foodphotographers
- #foodphotographie
- #foodphotographytips
- #foodphotosofinstagram
- #instafood
10. Black and White Hashtags
Black and white photography can be incredibly powerful and moving if you get them right. It’s one of the oldest styles of photography and has remained one of the most popular throughout the years. When your signature style includes monochrome photos, these hashtags can help you to reach the right audience.
Best hashtags for black and white photos on Instagram:
- #blackandwhitephotographylovers
- #blackandwhitephotos
- #bwphotograph
- #bwphotooftheday
- #blackandwhitephotoshoot
- #bwpics
- #blackandwhiteimages
11. Nature Hashtags
Another wide range of photography styles and subjects, nature photography basically illustrates the beauty and wonder of natural elements that happen outdoors. This can include things like wildlife, landscapes, agriculture, and much more.
All of these different types of nature photography genres can easily have their own hashtags. After all, a wildlife photographer is different from a landscape photographer. Not only that, many everyday Instagram users love to take nature shots, which means that you’re going to have a mix of both amateur and professional content.
Consider using hashtags that relate to your specific type of nature photography as well as describe what the subject of the photo is. In addition, there are some general nature photography hashtags for Instagram that can help you get noticed.
Best Instagram nature photography hashtags:
- #naturelandscape
- #naturephotography📸
- #naturephotograph
- #naturepicture
- #wildlifephotographer
- #naturephotographyday
- #photosinnature
12. Fitness hashtags
Another popular niche on Instagram is the fitness niche. While there aren’t as many professional photographers dedicated to fitness alone, there are plenty of photographers that have clients who want them to take photos of them in the gym, doing events, or working out.
This is also important for content creators who post fitness content; they’ve become fitness photographers of sorts and may be wondering what type of hashtags can work best to get their content noticed aside from the traditional fitness hashtags.
Here are the best fitness photography hashtags for Instagram:
- #fitnessphotographer
- #fitnessphotogp
- #fitnessphotography
- #fitnessphoto
- #gymphoto
- #gymphotography
- #gymphotoshoot
13. Product Photography Hashtags
Another very important type of photography when it comes to Instagram for business and creators is product photography. If you’re trying to increase your marketing efforts, you may need to have professional photos taken of your pictures, or you may be learning how to do it yourself.
If you want to get more reach for your product photos or want to get your product photography seen by relevant brands and businesses, you can select some of the following hashtags to increase your reach on Instagram.
The best product photography hashtags for Instagram include:
- #productshot
- #productshots
- #productphoto
- #productphotographer
- #productphotographytips
- #productphotos
14. Beach Photography Hashtags
Ah, who doesn’t love to see an incredible beach in the middle of their workday while browsing through Instagram? Beach photography can sometimes be mixed into many different niches (see travel, wedding photography, nature) depending on the type of content being featured.
Even still, because they’re a type of brand on their own, we wanted to share the wealth when it comes to hashtags for beach photos on Instagram. You can capture the attention of your target audience with beach photos, leading them to your profile and getting them to check out what other content offerings you have.
Here are the best Instagram hashtags for beach photos:
- #beachlifevibes
- #beachlifestyle
- #beachphotographysession
- #beachphotographer
- #lifeisabeach
- #beachphotographyday
15. Auto Photography Hashtags
Last but not least, some photographers focus their efforts on four-wheeled subject matter, including cars, trucks, and other types of autos. This can also include motorcycles as well as boats.
You may want to get your content out to auto lovers or generate interest in your photography efforts to help clients take photos of their classic cars, or even attract big companies to hire you for their promotional shoots.
Here are the best auto photography hashtags for Instagram:
- #autophotography
- #autophoto
- #autophotos
- #sweetride
- #motorcyclephotos
- #carsofinstgram
#carsofinstagram has almost 30 million posts, so it may not get you much notoriety; when you remove the first “a” from Instagram and put simply #carsofinstgram, you’ll only be up against roughly 35k posts, which gives you a better chance of being seen.
How to Put the Best 99 Photography Hashtags to Good Use
Ready to implement your newfound hashtags but aren’t sure where to start? Now that you know which Instagram photography hashtags you want to use, we’re going to give you 5 useful tips for creating a winning hashtag strategy on Instagram.
Do A/B Testing
A/B testing is really important to understand whether or not a hashtag or hashtag set is working. When you do A/B testing, make sure that your content is very similar so that there aren’t other factors that play into getting it more reach or engagement.
Post similar content types with similar visuals and subject matter; use different hashtags on each piece of content. After about a week, see how each post performed and check out via Instagram insights the amount of reach, impressions, likes, comments, etc. that your post got.
That can help you to determine which hashtags are working better and which ones will continue to get your content out to more relevant users. This is also a useful strategy when trying to decide which type of content and photographs actually meet the desires of your target audience.
Use an Instagram Hashtag Tool
We mentioned this in the section about travel, but if you missed it, consider using a hashtag tool to help you find the perfect hashtags for your Instagram account. The guide that we’ve put together here is a great place to start if you want more reach, but taking it one step further and analyzing what’s working in your niche can be invaluable.
Task Ant is widely regarded as the best Instagram hashtag tool because it uses official data from the Instagram API to show you exactly how many users are using which hashtags and which ones will work best in your niche.
You can filter your searching and compile the perfect selections of hashtags for your content, and then organize them into sets for easy posting later on. You can have multiple sets for all different types of content that you create and post to your Instagram account.
Using a hashtag tool combined with the tags on this list will help you to get the best bang for your buck out of your hashtag strategy on Instagram.
Find the Right Place for Your Hashtags
Hashtags typically go in your Instagram captions, but there are different places you can put them. You can weave them into your captions, spreading them out, or you can put them all at the end of your caption in a clump.
You can also put them in the first comment of your Instagram post after it goes live; this is especially useful if you want to minimize the appearance of your hashtags and don’t want users to see them when they read your captions.
Consider how many hashtags you want to use; this is also a good thing to test out when you do A/B testing. You can try out different locations to put your hashtags and also the quantity in different tests to see which strategy ultimately brings you more reach and better results.
Include a Branded Hashtag
Branded hashtags are very useful on Instagram, especially when you want to gain some user-generated content from your followers and supporters as well as generate interest in your profile through a branded campaign.
Some famous Instagram hashtag campaigns include:
- #ShareACoke (Coca-Cola)
- #ThrowMeBack (Expedia)
- #MyCalvins (Calvin Klein)
- #LetsDoLunch (Domino’s Pizza)
- #TweetFromtheSeat (Charmin)
- #BodEquality (Old Navy)
- #HMxME (H&M)
These are just some examples, but it can be an excellent way to show that your brand is professional and exciting as well as generate content from users who include your tag in their content. You can search your hashtag and find all of the different posts that use it, which is great for featuring users on your profile and creating enthusiasm around your brand and products/services/launch/etc.
Don’t underestimate the power of a branded hashtag! You can easily incorporate this alongside the other hashtags you choose and also don’t forget to put it in your bio so that users know what they should tag. Invite them to tag you!
Final Thoughts: Best Instagram Photography Hashtags
All in all, Instagram photography hashtags can be incredibly useful when you know which ones to use and which ones to avoid. If you only use extremely popular tags with millions of content for users to see, you’re not likely to increase your reach.
You should also consider using a hashtag tool like Task Ant if you want to expand the quantity of high-performing Instagram photography hashtags that you use. Don’t forget to do A/B testing to see which ones work best and where you should put them.
If you follow these hashtag tips and make good use of the best Instagram photography hashtags, you’ll enjoy better-performing content and higher levels of visibility.
Looking to get more Instagram followers along with increased exposure? Check out Growthoid and amplify your reach!
