Blogger tips

Photography Tips For Your Blog

Welcome back to another Blogger Tip Tuesday’s post. Today we are talking about photography tips for your blog. You might have read my previous posts, 5 way to get more readers, How To Start a Beauty Blog and How To Cover An Event You’re Invited To As A Blogger (Not as a Guest). So if you enjoy this series, then make sure to subscribe and sign up for my newsletter so that you can read new Blogger Tuesday Tips posts.

I am in no way a professional photographer and I have no training in that field either. Nor is it a hobby of mine, but I am certain that I can share a few helpful tips on how to get simple and beautiful photos for your blog. You don’t need a course in photography to get this right, but do continue reading so that you can see what makes good blog photos.

Everyone has their own style when it comes to photos. So keep that in mind. I am not going to be writing about your style or a style of photography but this is more of a nudge in the right direction as to what is you can see on all pro blogger blogs.

pic 4

Equipment

I know that a lot of bloggers are telling you that you need a DSLR camera and I will tell you the truth, you do not need it at all. That DSLR camera will not give you magical pro photos. I remember once a friend of mine that was a MUA wanted pro photos of her clients after she did their makeup. I told her, you can get the most expensive camera but if you do not know how to use it, the pictures will look the crappiest mobile phone photos, of course this is what happened and then she returned her camera. The thing is do not buy that DSLR camera unless you are willing to learn about photography. People do not understand that you have to buy the camera’s body and certain lenses which will help you get better pictures. So getting a DSLR camera just for you blog is crazy expensive. It’s a whole other thing if you are going to use that in your everyday life.

Even though DSLR camera really do product amazing pictures, I do not think that you have to go out and buy one on the spot when you start blogging. Leave that camera until your blogger is bigger and more well known, if you even want to buy it then.

Another camera which you can use is a smaller normal hand held cameras, for example, I read this very good article online, best budget friendly camera for 2015. All those cameras are at a very affordable price and you will get for sure amazing pictures.

If you find that you do not want to buy a new camera just for you blog, then you should look into getting a mobile phone for your normal everyday needs which has an excellent camera. In this way you will combine the two needs plus you will not break the bank. Luckily, more and more mobile phones today offer excellent cameras, so your choices are many.

pic 1

Lighting

After we established that you do not need an expensive DSLR camera, we can focus on what matters. Lighting. Lighting is the most important factor in taking a nice photo. The main mistake many people make when taking pictures of products is that there is not enough light. If you take photos with the sun behind the object, the object will be in the shade and it will not be in focus nor will you get a clear shot. How to fix this? Turn on your flash, but make sure that you do not catch the sun’s glare. When taking photos, it’s best to take photos away from the light. This will guarantee that the background falls into the shadows, while the main object is in focus.
When it comes to flash, it’s an option I personally do not like using unless it’s absolutely necessary. I think that it is best to play around with the light which you are using and if you notice that you cannot get a clear and focused shot, then use a flash. A flash will make sure that your object is well light and in focus. I do not recommend using a flash if you are using a studio light or if you object is already on direct light. A steady hand on continuous light goes a long way.
Natural light vs studio continuous light vs flash, an eternal dilemma. If you can use natural light, use it always. If you are not able to get natural light then I recommend using a studio continuous light or any continuous light to imitate natural light. It will give you the same effect but in a more controlled environment. Flash is the last thing you should “reach for”. Flash can also wash out the color of the object which is in focus. It’s important to know how strong your flash is this will help you determine how far away from the object you have to be.
pic 3

Photo Composition

When it comes to photos, you always have to make sure that the main object is in focus. You can choose a loud background or a simple background. This is a personal preference. Everyone has a different style of photos on their blog. Photo composition is more about a personal touch. So if you are choosing a loud background, you want to make sure that everyone in the background is a bit blurring or not in focus. I personally do not like loud backgrounds since I find them to look cluttery, but this is my own personal opinion. The main thing is that the main object is in a very clear focus. Also the write angle of the object is important so that the object doesn’t look distorted

pic 2

Editing

Not a fan of editing to be honest, but if you must, then the only editing you should do it focus on the exposure and cropping or if you are making a collage. You should keep it simple and avoid it at all cost. Editing is very time consuming and unnecessary if you take your time taking your photos. Rather take 50 photos for one shot then reach for editing. Usually people over edit their photos and you can see it, so this is why I do not recommend editing at all unless it’s a matter of cropping or making a collage. If decided to edit you have many free online tools or even on your mobile phone which will help you edit, such as Photoshop, Pixlr and many more.
pic5
Stay tune for next week’s topics how & why you should watermark your images.
Feel free to share your photo tips too.
Thanks for reading!

One Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.