My working theory is that photos that get the most likes on Instagram for a personal account are selfies or portraits of users with differentiating factors. Photos that get the most likes are those that 1) Have warm/Brighter Lighting that accentuates and puts the focus on the face, 2) Make the viewer ask a question (where are they? What are they doing? Who are they with), and 3) Have a centered subject with the empty space filled up by scenic, interesting, or differentiated background. Lighting makes or breaks the eye catching effect of a photo which in turn affects the number of likes you get.
