The square is dead: what Instagram’s 4:5 shift means for creators, brands & businesses

The shift from square to 4:5 profile images on Instagram marks the end of an era. While this change might seem subtle, it highlights a larger trend in social media: platforms dictating aesthetics and forcing creators to adapt to ever-changing rules. But what does this mean for your creative freedom, and more importantly, for the assets that truly matter — those you own on your website?

Perhaps our creativity has been shaped by this all along, with squares and reels, and this abrupt change just illuminates how creativity and the purpose of creating content has become so dictated by the main platforms, rather than from a place of radical and authentic expression in whichever perspective feels most aligned.

In this post, we’ll explore how Instagram’s format change limits creative expression, so of the issues instagrams shifts to 4:5 poses, why your website remains your most valuable digital space, and how to maintain your storytelling style amidst shifting platform demands. While we are here, let’s also question the hard truth of whether you’re investing in a visual identity that serves your brand’s future rather than just chasing the latest social media trends. Did that make you shuffle in your seat?

The 4:5 shift: What Instagram wants from creators

Instagram’s move to favour 4:5 images reflects the platform’s desire to maximise screen real estate, particularly on mobile. Portrait orientation fills more of the viewer’s feed, boosting engagement metrics like likes, comments, and shares. While this might work well for Instagram’s bottom line, it imposes creative constraints on photographers, artists, and brand storytellers.

The death of square compositions

For years, the square image format has been synonymous with Instagram. It seems they’re intent on stripping it of all the things that made it unique. The enforced shift to 4:5 disrupts this creative flow, steering creators towards a one-size-fits-all approach. The result? More conformity to platform norms.

Here are some of the issues Instagram’s shift to 4:5 poses for photographers and creators

1. Loss of Creative Freedom

Square compositions encouraged unique framing and forced creators to think outside the box. The shift to 4:5 limits this creative challenge and pushes everyone into the same portrait-oriented mould.

2. Disruption to Existing Feeds

Creators with beautifully curated square grids now face an inconsistent aesthetic as 4:5 images dominate and disrupt the visual harmony of their feeds.

3. Cropping Challenges

Images shot with other compositions (landscape or full-frame) require awkward cropping to fit 4:5, often cutting out key elements of the shot.

4. Impact on Shooting Styles

The 4:5 format pressures creators to shoot primarily in portrait orientation, narrowing creative possibilities for other formats like landscape or panoramic photography.

5. Inefficiency in Workflow

The need to create platform-specific crops adds extra steps to editing, resizing, and exporting workflows, increasing time and effort for each post.

6. Unsuitability for Websites and Portfolios

4:5 images rarely translate well to other mediums, such as websites, blogs, or printed portfolios, where square or landscape formats are often preferred.

7. Loss of Context in Visual Storytelling

Cropping to 4:5 often removes background elements or supporting details that contribute to the storytelling of an image.

8. Increased Demand for Platform-Specific Content

Creators are forced to produce content tailored to Instagram, detracting from time spent creating versatile assets that work across multiple platforms.

9. Devaluation of Timeless Formats

The focus on 4:5 fuels a trend towards disposable, trend-driven content, sidelining formats that prioritise longevity and versatility.

10. Pressure to Conform

Creators feel compelled to adapt to 4:5 to stay relevant on Instagram, even if it conflicts with their artistic style or brand identity.

11. Reduced Accessibility for Previous Work

Older images in square or landscape formats may no longer perform as well on the platform, discouraging creators from sharing or repurposing archival content.

12. Impact on Community Engagement

Audiences accustomed to square grids may find the new format jarring, potentially reducing engagement and connection.

13. Shift in Visual Trends

Overemphasis on portrait-oriented compositions risks homogenising photography and diminishing diversity in creative approaches.

14. Alienation of Landscape Photographers

Photographers who predominantly work with landscape orientation are increasingly sidelined, as their work doesn’t fit the preferred format.

15. More Platform Dependency

The change reinforces reliance on Instagram-specific content strategies, making creators more vulnerable to future platform shifts.

This shift highlights the broader issue of creating for rented platforms rather than investing in assets that work across all mediums, including websites and print.

The impact on website assets

When creators shoot exclusively for 4:5, it’s easy to forget that this format rarely translates well to other uses. Websites, which often favour landscape or square formats, suffer from this narrow focus. A 4:5 image might dominate on Instagram, but it’s less effective when incorporated into a blog, homepage, or portfolio.

Your website: The space you truly own

Social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook are rented spaces. You don’t own your audience or the platform, and changes can happen overnight, as we’ve seen with TikTok bans in the USA, algorithm updates, fact checking falling so owners can cosy up to politicians with their ‘masculine energy’ (looking at you Zuck!) and platform implosions like X formerly known as Twitter. In contrast, your website is the digital space you control, everrrrrrrything. It’s your home, your anchor, and the place where your brand can truly thrive.

Why format versatility matters

Your website is where your storytelling has no limits. Unlike social platforms, you’re not constrained by image sizes, ratios, or fleeting trends. By prioritising versatile formats during brand shoot, I shoot landscape and portrait images with an editorial eye, always thinking about how the image could be cropped or how composition will allow for text to be overlaid, so you have a tailored bank of assets that work seamlessly across your website, blog, newsletter, and social media.

Building a bank of assets

When was the last time you updated your website’s images? Are your current visuals aligned with your brand’s identity and story? Investing in professional photography and videography ensures you have a library of evergreen assets that adapt to any platform or medium. This way, you’re not tied to a single platform’s demands but have content that serves your long-term goals and they drive traffic to YOUR site, not engagement of eyeballs on someone else’s, squares, coughs, 4:5 rectangles!

Maintaining your unique storytelling style

Amidst these platform-driven changes, staying true to your visual identity is essential. Your brand’s storytelling shouldn’t be dictated by Instagram’s latest whims but should reflect your values, aesthetic, and purpose. By working with me, we’ll create versatile visual assets that are tailored to your brand’s story and designed to thrive across multiple platforms, including your website, blog, and social channels.

My focus goes beyond capturing beautiful imagery, I’m committed to supporting the bigger picture by creating content that aligns with your mission and resonates with your audience on a deeper level. Whether it’s showcasing the heart of your sustainable business, amplifying the impact of purpose-driven projects, or creating a cohesive brand identity, I’m here to help you maintain authenticity in an ever-changing digital landscape.

Tips for preserving creative freedom

• Shoot for multiple formats: Capture compositions that work across 4:5, square, and landscape ratios. This ensures versatility for social media, websites, and print. {Pssssst inside scoop – landscape compositions are the most versatile and why I have always shot more of these to deliver in collections to my clients, because I got your back for the long haul.}
• Focus on your audience, not algorithms: Create content that resonates with your ideal clients and aligns with your brand, rather than chasing likes or views. {Sorry, not sorry to ask: have you built a business on sand, pouring all your energy into content creation for apps, while neglecting what you actually own, your website?}
• Prioritise timeless over trendy: While it’s tempting to follow social media trends, focusing on timeless storytelling ensures your visuals remain relevant. {Spoiler alert: the most timeless content isn’t dictated by fleeting trends but by storytelling that’s crafted to outlast the noise, like the thoughtful visual assets we can create together.}

Diversify your digital presence

Relying solely on social media puts your creativity at risk. Expand your reach by:

• Creating a blog to share behind-the-scenes stories.
• Building an email newsletter to connect directly with your audience.
• Craft a content and marketing strategy that is focused on broader exposure than an all your eggs in one 4:5 rectangle box approach.

Are you ready to reclaim your creative freedom?

Instagram’s 4:5 shift serves as a wake-up call. Instead of letting platforms dictate our creative choices, it’s time to rewild your content and take control. Start by investing in creating visual assets that prioritise versatility, longevity, and alignment with your brand’s story.

Book a session with me to capture digital assets — both photo and video — that deliver compositions for every platform, ensuring your content feels fresh, timeless and adaptable to your website, blog, and beyond.

Conclusion: The square is dead, but your creativity isn’t

While Instagram’s shift to 4:5 images limits creative freedom, it’s a reminder of the impermanence of social platforms. Your website remains your most valuable digital asset, offering the flexibility and control that social media simply can’t. By focusing on creating versatile, timeless content, you can maintain your unique storytelling style and build a brand that stands the test of time. Click here to read more about how we can reclaim our creativity in 2025.