Top Tips For Taking Blog Pics

Excuse the play on words there, but today's post is going to be all about the top tips to help you take pictures for your blog. These are some of the things I find helpful to think about when I've got my camera out, ready to snap a few photos for my posts and want to achieve the best imagine I can. I'm nowhere means a professional photographer or anything like that, I'm more like a beginner who has learnt how to take photographs properly, since I started blogging and is always trying to improve!

Plan ahead - With anything in life, planning ahead is essential to getting the best results! When it comes to taking photos for my posts, I always find I achieve better looking pictures, that not only look half decent, but also reflect my post well, if I have an idea of how I want it to look. I'd recommend jotting down some ideas, maybe draw a little doodle of how you want things to look or just making sure to keep a good mental image of the end result you hope for. If you're stuck for an idea, it's always great to look for some inspiration to help you. Once you're clear on your concept, gather all the bits and bobs you're going to need to create your photos. This could be a location, props, backgrounds etc.

Tip: Also I would suggest checking the weather to see when natural lighting is going to be the best. There's nothing worse than taking photos in crap weather!!! 

Be patient - One thing I always struggle with when taking photos is having a lack of patience. I always just want to get the perfect shot in a few photos and be done. Not because I don't like enjoy taking them, but because my perfectionism gets the best of me. Although I have been getting so much better at this recently. It doesn't matter if you have to spend 10 minutes or even half an hour, taking pictures of the same thing again and again. Try different angles. Try different arrangements. Try different settings on your camera. It's always good to have a wide selection of photos to choose from. Once you get them on your computer to edit, I always find they look slightly different anyway. I end up liking the ones I originally hated.

Play around - As mentioned, it's ok to try different things within every few shots. If the way you have organised your photo doesn't look too good, then change something round and keep repeating this processes until you're happy with how everything looks. I like to do this anyway, even if I am happy with the shots. It just gives you the chance to have a bit of variety within your photo selection and you also get to experiment. This just adds to the whole enjoyment aspect of taking the photographs!

Lighting/Angles - When it comes to taking my blog photos, I prefer to use natural lighting as opposed to artificial. I think photos just look a lot fresher with natural lighting and I find there's always that orange tinge when using artificial. But that's just personal preference. I think finding the lighting which suits you best is essential. Once you've got the hang of lighting, you're already half way there to achieving the best photo. Pick a space within your home that brings in the most light. The more light the brighter the photo. This will probably be near a window or a door.

Tip: Try to avoid your shadow from appearing in your photos or any reflections if possible!

Angles are also important. Again it's all about experimenting. Flat lays have become increasingly popular when it comes to taking photographs. You see them everywhere. Pinterest. Instagram. Blog's. This is a really simple angle to take photos from. Everything is taken from a birds eye view and if arranged in a certain way, it can look really effortless! To do this, I like to use a tripod to help me or stand higher than whatever it is I'm photographing. Then, I will take the photos from facing downwards. Alternatively, there are many other angles you can chose to take your photos from and can help you to figure out what style/theme you want your photos to have. Whether this is side on, taken from the height of the products or whatever it may be you decide to go for.

Props/Backgrounds - In the midst of planning your photo, you are going to want to think about the props and background you might chose to use. Having an assortment of different backgrounds and props, can really help you to create versatility within your photographs between each post. But making sure they correspond with what your post idea is about is essential.

You don't have to spend a fortune on blog backgrounds or props. Finding backgrounds is actually really easy to do. You don't need to have a white surface lying around your house for you to use a white backdrop in your photos. Using simple things like paper, card, a foam board or even just a shelf bought from a DIY store can be used to create a white background. If you want a more patterned based back drop, a really simple method to use is by finding an image of Google that reflects that type of background you want, print it off on an A4 piece of paper and there you have it! Other free alternatives could be using a blanket or throw you have lying around your house, a pillow or bed cover you might have, any books or magazines, wallpaper samples, wrapping paper, notebooks and even clothing from your own wardrobe could be used! If you're willing to spend a little bit of money, it's always great to have a look on Amazon for some background boards or even just purchasing a few wooden floor samples from a DIY store like B&Q!

The same applies for when picking props for your photos. It doesn't have to be hard to find props. You could literally use anything as long as it reflects your post well. A list of examples could be, jewellery like rings or necklaces, stationary, magazines, books, nail varnishes, make-up, accessories, your phone with case, a make-up bag, flowers, ornaments, photo frames, dishes, craft pieces, seasonal bits picked from the outside like leaves or pine cones, fairy lights, small sweet treats, candles and there's simply so much more! Have a good look around your house for objects. I'm sure there will be something around that will be great to use.

What are some of your tips for taking blog pictures? Do you have any ideas you'd be willing to share with the rest of us?

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