5 tips to take better nail pictures

Taking a nailfie can be really difficult, especially if you work mobile. Capturing a beautiful manicure is a huge part of what we do for use on our social media platforms and to advertise our services. 

1. Lighting

Lighting will make all the difference to your pictures. Being mobile nail tech means this can be one of our biggest obstacles, but a good daylight lamp or ring light will help hugely. Failing that, some good natural light will really brighten up your pictures. 

2. Editing 

We don’t want to over edit the pictures so they look fake; we want to keep our clients expectations realistic of what we’re capable of. I always edit my pictures using Adobe Lightroom. It’s a fab little app that’s available on mobile as well as desktop and iPad. I always like to take the redness down a little bit to make sure the clients hands are of an even skin tone. You can pick out certain colours and really make them pop too if they’re not translating well on screen. 

3. Prep and prime 

Taking a good nailfie starts with the essentials. Make sure your cuticle work is flawless, trim any hangnails and make sure you have a good base to start. When it comes to finishing your manicure application make sure you rehydrate the skin, but don’t leave any excess products on the hands and around the nails, as it doesn’t show up well in photos. Rehydrate with a slick of cuticle oil and dry wipe with a clean lint free pad, especially around the nail folds as the oil blurs everything, which doesn’t showcase the perfect lines and manicure you’ve just done.

4. Personal branding 

If you look at the biggest accounts on Instagram they all have their own vibe to them. Finding a style that’s distinctively you will help you stand out on your clients feed or help new clients recognise your presence on the platform. Remember, a clean simple background will make sure your audience isn’t distracted from the nails. 

5. Props

This is one that I don’t do often and I guess would coincide with branding. I know a lot of manicurists who have props on hand, be it flowers, fur or a branded crystal. I like to include them when they’re relevant to the manicure I’ve just done.

Emma Robyn is a mobile nail technician. See her work on Instagram at @emmarobynnails.