Now I am by no means an expert photographer. Just scroll back to some of my original posts and you’ll see that my pictures were often taken in bad lighting and most probably out of focus. But I feel I’ve come a long way in two years, which is why I wanted to share with you all my tips on how to take better blog pictures.
When I started blogging back in 2012, I didn’t know what a DSLR was. I took all my pictures on my trusty iPhone. But after a while I noticed that my pictures never looked as good as other people’s blog pictures. I don’t know about you, but the first thing I notice about a blog, is the pictures. It’s what draws me in and makes me want to read more. So I decided to practice and teach myself a little bit more about photography so I could create some really lovely looking pictures for my blog.
Most of what I’ve learnt has either been through trial and error, or through Google. For instance, now I will only take blog pictures in the mornings using natural light. I’ve learnt that I get the best light in my room in the mornings, and as I work full time, this means my weekend mornings will be filled with blog photography. Unless you have fancy studio lighting, natural light is the best light to use when taking blog photos. It adds a brightness and clarity to your images that indoor bulb lighting just can’t compete with.
Over the last few years, I’ve also worked at improving my background for blog photography. I used to take photographers wherever I want, never really paying much attention to the background. But now I plan exactly what I want in each photograph to frame the picture. You can read more about my blog background ideas in this post.
I’ve recently decided that it’s time for me to invest in a DSLR. I’ve been using my Samsung WB250F for just over a year now and while it’s a great filming camera, I want something a little more substantial for my blog pictures. Now if you do use a DSLR, don’t just rely on using it in automatic mode. Try and learn how to balance the shutter speed, aperture and ISO to create the pictures you desire. When using mine, I prefer to overexpose my pictures. This creates a brighter and whiter picture. For others, you may want to under expose the picture or take the picture in natural light to reflect what you’re trying to photograph.
Taking better blog pictures doesn’t just involve a fancy camera. It requires a bit of inspiration as well. I’m forever trawling through magazines, Pinterest and other blogs to find sources of inspiration. From how a high end fashion magazine is choosing to photograph lipsticks to how my fellow bloggers are setting up their images. Inspiration is everywhere. And finally, practice really does make perfect.
Whether you’re trying to shot the perfect outfit of the day picture, or you want to capture the lipstick at the right angle, photography is a skill that is learnt through practice. And as I said at the beginning, I am by no means an expert and will be continuing to practice over the coming year. So these have been my tips for taking better blog pictures, what are your tips?
This is a great post, I really need to improve my photos. I’ve got a DSLR and really need to learn how to use it more. I had my first one for when I was doing Photography at college but I’ve forgotten a lot of what I learned!
I was the same, but I found that Google was my saviour when it came to teaching myself photography again x
Great tips. And I totally agree, you need inspiration more than a high tech camera!
Annabel ♥
Thank you x
Some great tips and thank you for sharing them. I too take my photos on my Phone and I probably need to work on them more.
Sometimes the pictures on my iPhone can look better than the ones I take on my professional camera! x
We started our blog just over a year ago, I had no idea how to take good pictures and I’ve still loads to learn, thanks for the advice!
No problem, hope this helps! x
I never knew what a DSLR camera was when I first started blogging either. I was lucky enough to get a Canon DSLR this Christmas and I’ve been pretty hooked on photography and learning all about it since, but like you said, I’m not an expert. It’s all part of the fun though, learning whilst you go along! xx
Exactly, the fun is learning and developing a photography style that works for you x
Background can make a lot of difference to final shot. I started to experiment with some coloured handmade papers and I am pleased with the results at times 🙂
I’ve not tried that before, thank you for the recommendation x
This has been very helpful and i shall be putting it to use 🙂 thank you
No problem x
Ive turned into such a perfectionist with my photos, the time i spend taking one photo is unreal haha!!
Eilish
I’m the same! I never knew I could take 100s of photos of the same thing and not be happy with any of them x
No problem, glad you’ve found the post helpful x
I’m glad I found this post! Some really good advice! Thanks! xx