“You don’t take a photograph, you make it” – Ansel Adams
We know you know there’s more to taking a picture than just pushing a button. But, we also understand it’s hard to know where to start when it comes to fancy blog photos.
Last week we brought you some of our best smartphone photography advice. This week, we went straight to some of our favorite blogger photogs and asked them, “If you could give one piece of photography advice to a beginner blogger…what would it be?”
We received a ton of great advice and are so pleased to share it with you, our loyal readers!
So, here you have ‘em – photography tips for bloggers by bloggers!
Diana of Diana Elizabeth
Invest in a good camera! There are many affordable entry-level DSLRs, or consider a mirrorless camera, that’s what I often use and travel with because they are compact so you can put in your purse. If you have the time, learn how to use manual mode, it will make your images out of this world!
Kate of Cookie and Kate
My best advice is to use natural light! Avoid artificial light at all costs. The more light sources, the more shadows you’ll have to contend with.
Gwen of This Fashion is Mine
“The photographs uploaded into a blog post should follow a similar ‘style’. This doesn’t mean you have to take them all in the exact same place. You can be creative and try new things, but all the images in one post will look more like a set if they follow the same ‘rules.’ This helps your blog aesthetic and it may set it apart from others. For example, you might decide all your photos will be taken against a white wash brick wall with reduced saturation or you may prefer bright, bold and striking images. You might have a particular vintage fashion style and want all your photos to illustrate your personality. For this, you can always apply the same filter for a vintage feel.”
Gina of Skinnytaste
“Always use natural light and play around with different angles to see how the food looks best. Also, I like to stick with plates that are white, neutrals or blues. Other colors compete with the food.”
Courtney of Click it Up a Notch
“Have you noticed that some of your images seem more yellow than others? This is especially true of the images you take at night with overhead lighting. This is caused by your white balance being incorrect. The camera tries to guess what the white balance should be but your best bet is to take control of that feature. Either use one of the white balance presets your camera offers or you can use the custom white balance setting and set it yourself with a gray card. My favorite method is using Kelvin for white balance. If your camera has this option it is much easier. Set it around 3300K when using overhead lighting and around 5200K when using natural light.
Learning to use different composition methods will help to make your images more interesting. Resist the urge to put your subject in the dead center of your image. Instead, view your image as if there was a tic tac toe board over it. A grid with nine squares. Place your subject on either the top third, bottom third, right third or left third, along the imaginary line of the tic tac toe board. This method is called the Rule of Thirds. It is one of the first composition guides you learn in photography and can quickly improve your images.”
Radhika of Just Homemade
“Do not give up. Keep making pictures. Learn by observing the photographs taken by the best.
Lighting is key to making great pictures. Where there is good light, there can be great pictures.”
And there you have it – from natural to camera models to believing in yourself – it’s confirmed, photography is MUCH more than just pushing a button. So, get started today and we’ll be asking for your expert advice in no time!
Or, if you’ve got advice for us today – please leave it in the comments section! We are always on the look out for new tips and tricks!
A big thank you to all the bloggers who provided their expert advice. And luckily for you, readers, there’s more where this came from. Be sure to check out all blogs included here for more advice on how to make your blog “picture perfect”!
