Image: Cynthia sitting on the edge of the fountain by the 
Library of Congress between the House and Senate buildings

Along with hot tips for burning belly fat, my social media algorithms insist on showing me reels of tiny girls with "10 Tips & Tricks to Take Amazing Instagram Photos." I know they’re offering to make me more attractive while boosting their own clicks, but I started to wonder: Could these influencers help my activism? Was what I perceived as shallow actually great marketing advice to help me spread the word about global health?

Image: Cynthia in front of U.S. Capitol 2009
Photo by Richard Smiley

For 15 years, I’ve been coming to advocate on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. with various global health advocacy groups almost every year. I have over a decade’s worth of pictures of me in front of the U.S. Capitol! My early pics look like 1980’s vacation photos of my youth. As I crossed the Capitol grounds on the way to the House and the Senate with my ONE Campaign group this week, my teammates helped me experiment with Instagrammer tips.

Let’s see what happens when a 51-year-old mom applies tips from glamorous influencers about how to make pictures more interesting and flattering!

This first photo is what you DO NOT want. From a publicity stance, we can’t see the organization logo, so it’s not helping to build awareness of the cause. From a composition angle, we cut the top of the Capitol off. The activist has a closed off posture with a unhappy, disagreeable face. Even if your Hill meeting didn’t go well, your face doesn’t have to tell that story!

Image: Cynthia shows what not to do in a Hill photo

This next one is the standard photo most people expect to see. I bet 95% of my Capitol Hill day photos look like this. Nothing wrong with it. Nice smile. Nametag and jacket are moved aside so people can see the logo. But every activist has this picture. Can we improve on it to be something that will cause your friends to stop scrolling on social media, read your post, and maybe even take an action to help your cause?

Image: Cynthia standing in front of US Capitol with arms at her sides

Okay, enough waiting...here it is:

5 Tips & Tricks to Make Your Hill Pics Pop!

#1 Photographer shooting up

Ask your photographer to get down low on their knees and shoot up. (Thanks, Jorge!) Show us that swag bag with your logo right out front to tell us who you are and what you stand for. I think a blend between these pictures of Angela Pancella and I would be exactly right. She looks more natural, but you can see the logo better in mine. Either way, the angle on the shot is already a bit more interesting.

#2 Swing a bag

Get this carefree, confident look by rocking back & forth on your feet while swinging the bag & taking action shots until you get a great one. Logos on both the bag & T-shirt are visible with a cheerful face on the volunteer! It looks silly when you're doing it, but the pictures turn out well. The foot closest to the photographer stays put. When your foot farthest from the camera steps forward, swing the bag forward. When it steps back, swing the bag back. FYI, the Instagrammer I got this tip from says that swinging the bag forward will hide your tummy if you are self-conscious about it. I don’t know much about that, but Angela and I modeled both options to for you to choose from.

#3 Find a Friend

Find a friend and strike a pose! Lobbying should be a team sport. We’re more powerful together, so grab a colleague and strike a dynamic pose that shows how much fun you’re having.

Image: Cynthia and Angela smiling and holding out hands together

Image: Cynthia with Shot@Life volunteers Aaron and Srihitha

#4 Add a New Level

Get down low along with your photographer to add an unusual level. These look confident and really focus attention on your location and your organization’s logo.

Image: Cynthia squats down in front of the US Capitol

Image: Cynthia seated on the Capitol steps looking down at the camera

#5 Feature a Different Architectural Feature

You don't HAVE to have a picture in front of the Capitol building to show you're lobbying in D.C. Find a different interesting feature to set you apart from other activists, like this fountain in front of the Library of Congress. Sitting on the edge of a wall with a leg up looks casual and adds interesting angles to the picture. Prominently display your organization's logo and wear sunglasses to look cool, especially if you’re facing into blinding sun. Look off-camera and add a filter for extra coolness points.

Image: Cynthia sitting on the edge of a fountain at the Library of Congress

Now that you know how to get some great photos, you'll want to share them with the world to spread awareness of your issues. Be sure to tag your organization. Better yet, tag your policymakers with a message reminding them of your request "thanks for meeting me -- counting on you to help end AIDS in our lifetime!" etc. (Thanks, Meredith Dodson of Coalition for Human Needs, for reminding me of that!)

Good luck with your photos...and good luck with your meetings!!

Image: Book cover

Buy an autographed copy of "From Changing Diapers to Changing the World: Why Moms Make Great Advocates and How to Get Started" at my website www.changyit.com or order it from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or any independent bookstore!