How to Post Multiple Pictures on Instagram Landscape and Portrait: A Comprehensive Guide to Sharing Your Best Moments on Instagram

Sharing multiple photos with differing orientations (landscape and portrait) on Instagram can be a bit tricky due to how the platform standardizes aspect ratios within carousels. When you select several images for a single post, Instagram forces all photos in the carousel to adopt the aspect ratio of the first image selected. For example, if your first chosen image is vertical, every subsequent photo—whether originally landscape or portrait—will be presented in the same vertical format, often resulting in unwanted cropping or padding. To post both landscape and portrait photos together while retaining their original appearance, consider these steps:

1. Organize your images and decide on a consistent crop before uploading. Tools such as VSCO, Canva, or Snapseed allow you to add borders to images so they fit within a common aspect ratio (commonly 4:5 for portrait or 1.91:1 for landscape).
2. When creating your post in Instagram, tap the “Select Multiple” option (icon with overlapping squares).
3. Choose either all landscape or all portrait as your primary orientation, then crop or add borders to the other photos to match.
4. Preview your carousel, ensuring all images appear as intended without losing important content.

As a designer, I find that consistency and visual flow make a significant impact, especially when displaying a carousel of images meant to tell a cohesive story or showcase a project. Before posting, I often use visual planning tools that let me lay out and preview the arrangement—a major timesaver, especially in professional portfolios. Speaking of planning, the room planner tool can be incredibly helpful for interior design presentations, allowing you to preview layouts much like pre-arranging your images for Instagram.

Tips 1:

When editing for consistency, use a neutral border color (like white or black) that matches your Instagram feed aesthetic. This minimizes distractions and keeps the viewer’s focus on the main images.

FAQ

Q: Can I post portraits and landscapes mixed in a single Instagram carousel without cropping?

A: No, Instagram standardizes all carousel images to the aspect ratio of your first selected photo, so you must crop or pad the other images to match.

Q: What is the ideal aspect ratio for an Instagram multiple-image post?

A: The most commonly used aspect ratio is 4:5 (portrait, 1080 x 1350px), as Instagram allows the largest image display for this size.

Q: How do I add borders to my photos to fit the same crop?

A: Use editing apps like Canva, VSCO, or Snapseed to add borders and maintain original image orientation within a unified size.

Q: Will adding a white border make my carousel look inconsistent with my Instagram feed?

A: It depends on your feed theme. Using the same border for all images helps maintain consistency, but you may want to test different colors for your unique style.

Q: Is there any way to automatically plan and preview my Instagram post layouts?

A: Yes, third-party apps and designer tools offer grid previews and layout planners, helping you see how images will display before posting.