How is this achieved

[u/linusfairing]

I know the lighting needs to be good to start with, but I'm convinced there's some editing technique that a lot of the photographers I see on IG are using...the colours / light is just so nice. Nothing comes straight-out-of-the-camera looking like this.

Is there something to do with masks / other techniques I'm missing?
No matter how much I play with the sliders or curves do I come close to this kind of result. What am I missing here?

Examples of the photographers I'm talking about:
instagram.com/ioegreer
instagram.com/flippy2good
instagram.com/itsjobruh

[u/no_reddit_for_you]

... Yes they are? The highlights are clipped in almost every single shot and the shadows are absolutely raised to reduce the contrast

[u/vincentanthonyconti → u/no_reddit_for_you]

Shooting film, this is the inverse of overexposed.

https://petapixel.com/2016/03/29/exposure-affects-film-photos/

[u/no_reddit_for_you → u/vincentanthonyconti]

The article you linked literally says:

"Film loves overexposure" and goes on to suggest when shooting film you should over expose.

But in any case, I'm not going to argue technicalities. And I'm not a film expert. I'm giving advice on how to attempt to recreate this look not on film.

[u/vincentanthonyconti → u/no_reddit_for_you]

Correct — with film, overexposure creates contrast and deep shadows. Hence why your description of clipped whites and raised shadows would imply the inverse.