Many bloggers start out taking their own photos for their blogs. It takes quite a bit of trial and error to figure out the technical aspects of photography, let alone the creativity. Whether you have an iPhone, a DSLR or a point and shoot camera to shoot with it’s important to know how to use your equipment and what techniques will give you the best quality images. Below I touch on a few tips that will help you the next time you are out batching your style posts for the month.
Shot by me in collaboration with blogger Marjani Aladin.
If you are shooting your blog photos with an iPhone here are a few no-brainers to follow:
Shot by me in collaboration with blogger Marjani Aladin.
Use your camera’s grid.
In your iPhone’s camera settings turn on your grid. This helps you align and compose your photos. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had crooked or ill-composed photos. Those could easily have been fixed with a little guidance from a grid. The same can be turned on in the viewfinder of many DSLR cameras.
Dont zoom.
According to iPhone Photography School, zooming with your iPhone is a horrible for photos and destroys the quality of the image. Maybe the new iPhone 7’s may be the exception to this but in general the iPhones don’t actually zoom, they just crop into the image and blow it up, leaving you with blurry, pixelated images. If you want to zoom closer on your face or get details shots of you accessories just get closer. Use nature’s zoom.
If you are shooting your blog photos with a DSLR here are a few handy tips:
Shot by me in collaboration with blogger Marjani Aladin.
Your lenses matter.
A good starter lens for taking your own photos is a 50mm. A zoom lens is also an easy go-to and allows for you to shoot farther away or more close up. Many entry level DSLR camera kits come with a standard 18-55mm zoom lens which is perfect for shooting farther away as well as close up for a nice portrait.
Shot by me in collaboration with blogger Marjani Aladin.
Lighting also matters.
Pay attention to your lighting conditions and keep settings consistent. Whether you are shooting on auto or in manual mode make sure you keep the settings the same to have the same lighting across your images. If you are a style blogger and are shooting in the same area for multiple looks there is no need to fiddle with the camera settings every two seconds. The only exception would be if a cloud moves and the sun comes out or your golden hour shoot is losing or gaining too much sun. Just be mindful of changing light.
Shot by me in collaboration with blogger Marjani Aladin.
A tip for both iPhone and DSLR users alike:
Use a tripod/self timer remote
If you’re shooting your own photos make sure you have your tripod on standby. I use this one. A self-timer remote will also come in handy so you don’t have to run and pose quickly after hitting the shutter button.
Shot by me in collaboration with blogger Marjani Aladin.
At the end of the day utilize the resources that you have such as your smartphone camera or DSLR. These newer smartphones such as the iPhone 7 have better zoom capabilities for detail shots, better settings for lighting and even the iPhone 7 lets you shoot in RAW, allowing you to better edit your photos without losing image quality. You can also look into purchasing an entry level DSLR or mirrorless camera if you don’t have access to your own. These days you can find an inexpensive one for less than a few hundred dollars that will allow you to take great quality photos. I remember when I bought my Nikon D3000, which was entry level at the time, for around $300 or less. Pair it with a sturdy tripod and self timer remote and you’ll be good to go.
If you’re struggling with how to create quality photos for your blog or business leave me a comment below and let me know how I can help. If you’re based in Atlanta I offer a blog photography package here for fashion, beauty and lifestyle bloggers that need their looks shot. Don’t be shy and send me an email.