BLOG PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS - Sophie Hannah

Do you take your own blog photographs like me? I thought I’d put together some helpful tips on ways you can improve your blog photography or things that have helped me to create them.

1. Invest in a good camera
I first started shooting my blog photos on my phone – I know! They’re awful looking back at them, but at the time I was so pleased and it worked for me. However over time as I’ve progressed with my blog I’ve thought about the quality of my photographs and how I can improve them. I then started shooting my blog photos on a DSLR I had from University. It was ok to start with my with being 5 years old, it was very slow. I then invested in the Sony A5000 camera and fell in love with the quality instantly. It takes beautiful photos, especially close up, so for me doing lots of hair and beauty snaps it was great. It’s even got wifi so you can transfer your photos to your phone instantly. I also recently purchased the Canon G7X Mark II camera as I wanted something else that was good for videos and I had heard that every YouTuber had it.

2. Tripod
This might sound like an obvious one, but some people might take their chances by balancing their camera on a wall. We all know what can happen though if it falls off… Invest in a tripod, it’ll save your life! If your boyfriend or girlfriend isn’t around to take your blog photos then a tripod is the next best thing. They’re easy to set up and do exactly as you say! They’re also great if you want the background in each photo to be exactly the same too.

3. Full length and close ups
With blog photographs you want to capture the whole outfit or the whole product you’re talking about in a variety of different shots. I always shoot full lengths, the front, the back, the sides and then do a few close up and detail shots. This will give you a nice amount of images to create a blog post with and your reader will be able to see in detail what you’re talking about.

4. The background
Don’t shoot against something that’s too busy and distracts away from your outfit. Most of the time it’s best to keep your background simple. I tend to opt for trees, fences, brick walls or even shooting down the street with a blurred background. I do sometimes go a bit crazy and shoot against graffiti walls, but it’s only if it works with the outfit.

5. Lighting
I find it’s always best to shoot in natural lighting as you get better results. You can notice when someone has shot with a flash and unless you know how to create cool photographs with a flash, I’d say keep it simple. You need less equipment if shooting in natural lighting too. If you’re like me and shoot with a tripod outside, then I always try and find spots where the sun isn’t too bright. Sometimes my photos get too over exposed if I’m right in the sunlight so I try and find some spots of shade or wait for the clouds to go in front of the sun. Never shoot with your back to the sun, as the light will be coming in front behind you and the front of you will then be shadowed; unless you want that look of course.

I hope these tips have helped you or given you a few ideas for when it comes to shooting your blog photographs!