6 Ways To Get Great Instagram Photos On Your Lunch Break

The other day I forgot my wallet and I was left scratching my head as to what to do on my lunch break. Sure I could have just worked through it, but I feel like breaks are given for a reason. Step away from work, stop looking at the computer and recharge yourself to make it through the rest of the day. I work in a cubicle, so I really enjoy some fresh air and a good stretch of the legs. 
I drove myself to the park just down the street from the office. I was in a fitbit workweek hustle competition at the time and thought I'd try and get a leg up on the competition by taking a long walk. On my walk, I stumbled on these little unicorn trees and snapped some pictures on my iPhone. 

I sat down, pulled up the A Color Story App, did some tweaking to the photo and voila I had content to post on Instagram. 
If you work in an office similar to mine, you probably don't have access to the same props and backgrounds for great instagram shoots that you do at home. After that day in the park, I decided to brainstorm some ways that I could be a productive instagrammer on my lunch break. Here is what I came up with! 

1. Find a park to go shoot

Like the photo above, you don't need a DSLR to get a great photo. You just need an iPhone and some great editing software. 
2. Find street art to photograph

Who says you have to be physically standing in front of the wall for it to be a great street art photo? Head to a neighborhood known for the street art and snap lots of options. Save the ones that don't make the cut for later. The vast majority of my Instagram isn't "instant." I'll post one photo I like now, then edit and save the others for a few weeks or even months down the road.  
3. Take note of architecture

Simple pictures of historic buildings, skylines and striking architecture generally do great on Instagram. Keep in mind the angle you're shooting. I like the photos that have 70% - 80% sky, and 20% - 30% of the building like the photo above. 

4. Use your trunk as a photo studio 

This might sound crazy, but keep a photo studio in your trunk. I drive an SUV so it's the perfect large flat service to lay out a background or backdrop and a few props to photograph. You've got plenty of space and all of the natural light you could possibly want! Backgrounds I've used in the past include blankets, scarves, foam core white poster board and even something as simple as graph paper.  

5. Hit up the Grocery Store's Flower Section or A Farmer's Market

I'm kind of torn on this one because it always feels like I'm cheating by doing this, but take photos at the flower market or farmers market. Everyone else is doing it... you should too. Peer pressure.6. Look up hashtags for your city, see what other people are doing + where they're shooting

You don't always have to be snapping pictures to be productive. Spend your lunch break sitting in a park, eating Subway and looking up hashtags relevant to your city. Get a plan of attack on where you could go to get some photos in the future. Maybe you go over the weekend, or maybe you go on your next lunch break. For Dallas, here are some hashtags I follow... try using these and replacing Dallas or DFW with the name of your city.
InstaDFWInstaDallasDallasBloggerDallasEatsDallasDrinksDTXStreetIGTexasDallasFoodieDallasStreetArtDaylight and natural light is a precious commodity when it comes to instagram, so you gotta do what you gotta do to get great photos to post. This is especially true in the winter months when Daylight Savings Time ends, and it gets dark before you get home from work. Do you have any other tips or tricks to maximizing your lunch break to get great Instagram photos?