This Summer my friend Kate and I hosted a free photography workshop for local bloggers to help them elevate their photography skills. We offered some light fare and asked that they bring their cameras along so that we could offer hands-on help, the kind people usually need most! Today I’m sharing with you some of the photography tips for bloggers from our workshop in hopes to help you elevate your blog photography.
1. Learn the basics, practice.
Improving your blog photography doesn’t just involve tips to shoot for a blog post, but it also includes improving your photography overall. You should always use the best gear you can get your hands on, whether it’s a simple iPhone or nicer SLR, and then learn how to use it well. This post will teach you some of the basics of photography. Once you’ve given that a read, practice, practice, practice! The more you practice, the better overall you will be able to compose your photos and apply that to your blog.
2. Make a shot list.
So you’re working on a blog post and need photos for it, what do you do? First thing is first, create a shot list filled with what types of photos you think would represent that post best. Is it a post about your shoe collection? It should probably include photos of shoes. Your photos should give your readers or followers a hint at what the blog post is really about. I like to make a checklist for each blog post and be sure that the images are relevant.
3. Choose a good location.
What type of location do you need for photos? Should they be inside or outside? For evenly-lit photos, find places with good natural lighting that is not in the direct sun or too harsh. If your style is very minimal, you may prefer a plain white backdrop. You can achieve this look easily with some simple foamcore or a sheet. You can also hang any other type of fabric or blanket to use as a quick backdrop. If you’re shooting outside (like outfits), aim for early morning or later evening when there will be less shadows in the photos. If you’re shooting interiors, direct overhead sun is best for not letting any spill too bright into the windows.
4. Use styling to your advantage.
I keep a small basket of random props good for blog photos. It contains little bowls and extra stuff that might help set a tone better in a photo. Before each photo shoot, I gather my supplies and try out a few options before actually photographing. Lately I’ve been focused on decorating my home so that I can use almost anything from it as a prop. Turns out, it’s making me happier to work from home as well, ha.
5. Always edit images.
Editing can be as light as cropping a photo, or as heavy as extending a background. It’s up to you. Choose a consistent theme for your blog regarding color and lighting. If your brand is very bright and colorful, you’ll want to reflect that in your images. When you save your images, be conscious of file size so it doesn’t add too much to your blog load time.
How do you do photos for your blog? Do you have any other tips to share?
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