Last month, you might have read my blog improvement post, where I said that I was really hoping to better my blog photography. Since then, I’m hoping that you’ve been seeing better quality photos in my posts, and also on my Instagram as I’ve been making a real effort with this one particular area. After all, a pictures worth a thousand words, right?
Here are the steps I’ve taken:
Learning my camera
A shiny new camera does not an amazing photographer make. I never studied photography at school or anything, but a few years back my dad bought me a book on food photography which taught me a lot about manual settings on cameras, but since then I’ve fallen prey to the Auto+ setting and everything I learnt went out the window. As well as my DSLR, I recently bought the Sony A5000 compact, which gave me the boost to go back and learn how to get the best out of my camera through exposure, aperture and shutter settings, and I’m falling in love with photography all over again.
I’ve also found that since using my cameras to their full potential, I’ve been needing to edit photos less as I’m actually happy with what I’m taking!
Switching up my backdrop
I’ve always been a bold and bright kinda gal – my brief encounter with a marble background didn’t stick – so I’ve stuck to a plain white desktop as my go-to photo space. Sure, it makes for nice simple photos, but I was falling out of love with it a little, and starting to think my photos a little blah, so instead I’ve got a lovely new wooden worktop which has not only given me more space, but more versatility in my photos as I can switch from flatlays to upright shots with ease
Using gadgets
My biggest saviour in the last few weeks has been the remote shutter control that I bought from Amazon. Finally I can get in-focus outfit shots (YAY!) using the nifty little remote that connects to a little unit that plugs right into my camera via some sort of frequency, and at the push of a button I can focus and take photos from a distance. Game changer.
Always putting myself into photos
No, not literally, but showing my personality in every photo is what gives them a style that’s unique, whether it’s using a Disney plate to photography my makeup on, or having gerbera daisies in the background, it differentiates my photos from others and prevents them from looking staged and stiff. It also makes blog photography way more fun.
Giving myself time
Because I’m a planner and a scheduler, I always know what posts I’ve got coming up, so I can allot a chunk of time out of my week for taking all my photos, meaning I don’t have to rush the morning that a post is due to go live to get an image for it. I also tend to bulk-shoot photos when I have great lighting (especially for Instagram), or if I get a sudden burst of creativity, I’ll sometimes take a bunch of stock photos that I could apply to a range of posts as back-ups. Having the time to take good photos just makes the whole experience more enjoyable.
I’ve really been trying hard and I hope it’s shown through!
Lottie Does 