This couple exposed the reality behind 'perfect' Instagram photos

Bloggers Lauren Bullen and Jack Morris, who are paid six figures to travel the world, recently shared the unedited versions of their flawless Instagram photos

The original photo (doyoutravelpresets/Instagram)

Travel bloggers Lauren Bullen and Jack Morris are the latest Instagram stars to expose the reality behind their “perfect” lives.

Bullen, 24, and Morris, 26, started sharing the unedited versions of their travel photos on a new Instagram account in August. The couple, who have over 4.5 million followers combined, earn a six-figure salary for traveling the world. Morris was once paid $9,000 for a single post on Instagram; Bullen has been paid up to $7,500 for a post.

But the two recently told The Daily Mail just how much time and effort goes into their stunning, carefully staged shots.

First, the bloggers start the editing process with one of their “presets,” a selection of customized image settings the two have saved in Adobe Lightroom. Click the arrow to the right in the photo below to see the unedited version.

“I don't use any mobile apps or filters,” Morris told The Daily Mail. “If a photo looks a little dark [...], I sometimes tweak the edit just on the pre-post Instagram editor.”

“I usually look for a preset that looks the best as it naturally is, and the first thing I will do is come over to the exposure and increase it,” Buller added.

For example, the unedited version of the first photo above is much darker — so dark, you can barely see Bullen's face.

In addition to brightening up their photos, Morris and his girlfriend also tweak the colors in each image to make sure they pop.

Bullen tends to increase the temperature and tint of the image to make it more warm and vibrant. “I like the yellows to be popped out a bit because it helps with the sand, my hair, and the yellow of the palms,” she explained.

In the second picture above — the original, untouched version — Bullen's blonde hair and tan skin do not stand out as much. She also decreases the saturation in photos so her skin doesn't appear to have too much of an orange hue.

On the other hand, Morris increases the saturation in a photo to 100% in order to identify which color he wants to emphasize. For example, if a photo has a slight orange tint, he increases the blue tint to “make certain aspects of [that] image pop,” the Daily Mail wrote.

“I normally put a greeny orangey tint in my shadows to give it that vintage effect,” Morris added. The orange hues in the unedited version of the first photo, for example, are much more muted than in the second.

“I also look at the grid and try to plan the next image to make sure it works well with the rest of my recent feed,” Morris told The Daily Mail.

Lauren likes highlighting orange and green tints in her photos as well, especially for shots of sunrises and sunsets. For example, here is an edited photo of the couple watching the sunset in Bali, Indonesia, next to the unedited version.

Editing the colours in a photo can make a huge difference in the mood, tone, and quality of the image. For instance, the water in the edited Instagram post below looks bright turquoise, and like it was taken on a warm, sunny day. However, the unedited version reveals that the water is much duller on camera. The original photo looks a bit less inviting and idyllic.

Colours aside, Bullen also tries to even out shadows and highlights to add depth. “When a photo is taken in the middle of the day, it's quite harsh lighting, so I usually like to bring the highlights down and the shadows up,” she explained. For example, look at this edited photo of Bullen holding an ice cream cone next to the original version, in which the road behind the ice cream cone is actually cast in shadows.

Back in August, the couple shared a video of their entire editing process on YouTube. The two are also selling their custom Instagram presets, which can be used on any photo, on their website.

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