4 WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR BLOG PHOTOGRAPHY WITHOUT SPENDING A CENT

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If there are two things (I think) I know a little bit about it’s photography and living off a very small budget. One of the commonly asked questions here on MTA is about the photography so I thought I’d share some quick tips that’ll instantly improve your blog photos without spending any money at all!

I thought I would firstly set the scene at where I was to where I’m at now. When I started blogging I used a very good point and shoot camera given to me for my birthday, next up came a borrowed (from my parents) Canon 500d with just the standard lens. Last year I was lucky enough to be given vouchers for Christmas and my birthday that went towards a Canon 600d kit which I’m still using today. I also have two additional lens, a tripod and lighting all that I’ve slowly purchased over my two years of blogging. What I’m getting at is you don’t need all the fancy things right away and there are so many other ways to improve your photography before splashing the cash!

LIGHTING

A common thought amongst bloggers is that you need pro lighting but natural lighting is your best friend. Ask anyone who has experience with both and 9 times out of 10 they will say that they prefer the softness of natural lighting. The first left-hand photo of the photos above is off my flatlay without a window open, without considering my camera settings and with only the office spotlight lights on. Change a few factors like opening the blind, moving my flatly closer, changing my camera settings and using an old lamp with a white globe in (with baking paper attached with a scrunchie over the top to diffuse the light #lowbudgetgig) we have a gorgeous bright photo. Learning your camera settings and play around with setting up your photo.

The scenario with the second photo is shooting into the light rather then away when holding an object. You can see is the second shot the photo is brighter and more true to colour which is very important, especially when shooting beauty products like lipsticks etc. Now the photo shooting into the light isn’t horrible because I have a fairly good lens but I think that in the second the product is bright, the focus and it’s more appealing on the eye. Never underestimate the power of natural lighting because if I could shoot everything in natural light I would!

COMPOSITION

This is a fairly basic element to a photo that can make or break a photograph. I think a well-balanced, full photo is always more eye catching. On the left most of the perfumes are to the right and it’s slightly confusing to the eye because you’re unsure where too look on first impressions. On the right the products are quickly distributed making the photo appear full. This takes time to learn what works for you and what you personal style is so play around with it! I personally like to play up angles of products and props in photos but everyone is different. Making your photos look well-balanced will make all the difference… I often change around where products are 2-3 times before I’m happy with the composition!

PROPS

You don’t need to spend up big on props for photos but they can make an image look much more appealing for a reader when scrolling through their feed. On the left the photo just includes the products that NEED to be in there. I’ve gone and added some bobby pins, hair clips, a plate from around home, a brush and a magazine to make it look more interesting. None of those things serve any purpose other then being there too look pretty and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Magazines are a popular choice and you can get so many different backgrounds from one magazine! Using rugs, product packaging, cool plates/cups, candles, polaroid photos, jewellery - there are so many things that can make a photo look amazing and all of which you probably having laying around at home!!

POST EDITING

Last up is post editing which I think is very forgotten about when it comes to photos. You don’t need Photoshop to edit a photo and make it look incredible! In fact, I advise hanging off on Photoshop unless you have a bloody long time to learn about it - I still don’t use it. I have used Picmonkey and it has everything you need even in the free version. (I now use a paid for program called Pixlr which is $20 a year). On the left the photo is a nice photo but clicking up the brightness and cropping it down so the products are the main focus makes a huge difference. I never do anything else apart from add text occasionally but but those things make all the difference. This really can change a photo if you have a poor lighting situation - never write off a photo before you edit it!!!

I hope this helps some of you bloggers or aspiring bloggers with your photography! Please leave any questions in the comments and I’ll do my best to help you out (currently enjoying a glass of wine on the couch… Love you Friday!)

What are your top tips for improving your blog photography?

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