A guide to the most Instagrammable places in Sheffield

Caring for your Instagram feed is a full-time commitment. If the number of likes on a photo never goes through that beautiful transformation between a list of names to a glorious number, you might as well consider yourself a failure. You’ve let down your followers, your ability as a photographer, your well-crafted online persona. But most of importantly, you’ve let yourself down.

So here’s a guide of the most ‘instagrammable’ places in Sheffield, bound to get you bare likes and make everyone think you’re ten times more functioning and cooler than you actually are.

Botanical Gardens

The botanical gardens are basically the Garden of Eden for likes. Each inch is so photogenic you’d have to try hard to not get a good pic. The gardens offer you an array of insta-ops from the classic pavilion shot, to a more ambiguous landscape perfect for a moody caption to get back at a boy that made you cry last week. Bonus points if you can find the secret bear pit, bound to rake in the likes. Aim for an early start for the perfect golden hour lighting, your dedication will pay off!

A fool-proof location, as long as you don’t over-filter it.

Endcliffe white walls

This may seem like an odd choice, but if you’re looking for a good spot of a simple outfit pic or fake ‘candid’ portrait, look no further than the side wall of your grotty first year flat block. A distracting background will only smother the main feature – you.  Also, the white will brighten the photo and make it more versatile for any insta theme imaginable. Easy likes just as long as you’re not afraid of looking like a dick while someone watches you from their window. However for this one you’re going to need a friend willing to humour your vanity.

The Peaks

Want everyone to think that you’re active and always seizing the day? Take a trip to the peaks and snap some nature pics for your feed. You’ll be spoilt for choice with all the hills and rivers and, you know… trees. Ideal for the easy, non-offensive, non-controversial insta bound to get decent likes.  Pro-tip: take loads of pics to use later as fillers for your feed when you’re too hungover to leave your room.

If you’re feeling bold and want a double post, head to Hathersage and stop off at the Hathersage Social Club. The menus come on vintage record sleeves and their waffles are #foodporn worthy. Food envy likes are always reliable.

Independent cafes

Don’t fancy the journey but still want to make your followers wish they had what you have? Stroll into the city and go to basically any independent café and you’re sure to get an insta-worthy pic. Coffee and baked goods will always photograph well, otherwise throw a little more money at your feed and order an insta favourite, avocado toast, only then can you join the big leagues. Big hitters includ Marmadukes for a classic birds-eye latte art shot, or Upshot Espresso for well curated decor and a Frenchie, which is bound to get you at least double the likes. And Steamyard’s Instagram is the stuff of dreams.

Street art

If you don’t think you’re arty enough, let Sheffield do all the work for you. Sheffield is rife with street art, take a five minute stroll and you’re bound to find some. Stop still for ten seconds, aim to get a perfectly blurred passer-by just entering the shot, and boom, you might as well put ‘photographer’ in your bio. A good go-to is the mural on backfields, extra likes for having a couple in the pic rather than simply in the caption. Resident street artist Phlegm is a sure fire way to gain some likes too, found down Division Street, the back of Rare and Racy, or next door to Upshot Espresso.

Winter Gardens

Banana print is forever edgy so why not get a pic of the real thing by heading to the Winter gardens, the botanical garden’s artier, tumblr-ready sister. Beautiful in all seasons, and especially perfect for a rainy day. Another fool-proof, like-guaranteeing location as who doesn’t love plants on their feed?  Get a friend to snap a nonchalant ‘oh I’m just looking at this plant really intensely’ pic of you for added aesthetics.

Uni buildings

But if all you want to do is the bare minimum for the maximum reward, stick to the familiar uni backdrop. Remind people that you’re a student for the hundredth time with a classic picture of firth court with the caption “my uni is better than yours”. Or go for a sleek, symmetrical shot of the Jessop west architecture as a subtle brag that arts and humanities degrees will forever be cooler. Any building is sure to get likes from your uni friends at least, as long as it’s not the diamond.

Anything can be instagrammable with a half-steady hand and a good editing app. But if you’re still using the default insta filters, you’re destined for mediocrity.