How to Make Instagram Reels Like a PRO — Six Figure Photography Podcast with Angela Shae
If you've been putting off showing up on Instagram because creating Reels feels overwhelming and time-consuming, this episode will give you a practical, burnout-proof system you can start using this week.
Table of Contents
00:00 — Introduction & guest Angela Shae
01:45 — From wedding photographer to burnout to Social Templates
06:38 — Finding trending audio without wasting hours
10:20 — Organizing your camera roll for consistent BTS content
14:15 — Recommended tools: Flow app and ManyChat
17:25 — The Hook, Value, and CTA framework for every Reel
20:11 — How to capture BTS when clients don't want to be filmed
22:33 — Batching content and letting go of perfectionism
Why Reels Matter for Photographers Right Now
Instagram's algorithm is actively pushing Reels to new audiences, making it one of the most powerful free tools a photographer has to attract clients who have never heard of them. But for most photographers, the problem isn't motivation — it's the sheer amount of time and mental energy it takes to show up consistently. In this episode of the Six Figure Photography Podcast, host Ben Hartley sits down with Angela Shae, founder of Social Templates, to break down a repeatable, low-stress Reels workflow built specifically for creative entrepreneurs.
The Asset Organization System That Changes Everything
Angela's first piece of advice is deceptively simple: stop letting your camera roll become a graveyard of unused footage. Instead, create two dedicated albums on your phone — one for "Reel Content" and one for "Behind the Scenes" — and immediately after every shoot, drop your top three to seven clips into those albums. This one habit eliminates the paralysis of staring at thousands of photos and not knowing where to start. The goal is to always have a ready-made library of content so that creating a Reel never starts from zero.
The Three-Part Framework Every Reel Needs
Angela breaks every successful Reel down into three components: the Hook, the Value, and the Call to Action. The Hook — the first one to three seconds — is the most critical. It must stop the scroll, either through a striking visual or on-screen text that speaks directly to a pain point or question your ideal client is already thinking about. The Value section delivers on the promise of the hook, whether that's a quick tip, a transformation, or a peek behind the scenes of your process. The CTA then directs the viewer to take a specific next step, such as commenting a keyword to receive a link via ManyChat automation.
Beating Burnout Through Systems and Batching
One of the most common reasons photographers abandon their Reels strategy is burnout from trying to create something new every single day. Angela's antidote is batching: set aside two focused sessions per week to plan, film, and schedule your content rather than reacting to the pressure of daily posting. She also emphasizes that "done is better than perfect" — raw, authentic footage of you working, thinking, or setting up a shot often outperforms highly polished cinematic content because it feels real and relatable to potential clients.
Your Takeaway
This week, create two albums on your phone — "Reel Content" and "BTS" — and commit to dropping three to seven clips into them after your next shoot. Then use Angela's Hook, Value, CTA framework to turn those clips into your first batched Reels. You don't need to be a video editor. You just need a system.