BLOGGING PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS ::: 3 WAYS TO GET THE PERFECT LIGHT FOR YOUR PHOTOS

First, please check the gallery of the opening images and you would see the difference in the photos. As we go along on the blog, I will share some helpful photography TIPS I have learnt on my 4 years plus of blogging. Some of these things I learnt on my own, by trial and error,  some I learnt by asking questions from the professional photographers I work with and others I learnt by continuous practising…..

Image One – taken in the Winter under natural light at about 6pm. No flash used (unedited image)

Image two – taken early Spring under natural light at about 2pm. No flash used but sunny (unedited image)

Image three – taken late Summer under natural light at about 1pm (unedited image)

Anyone who sees the images above may be wondering why my skin looks so different in all the photos. The difference is all in the light. Let me explain:

In image one, you would notice that my skin looks really dark. Almost as dark as Lupita Nyongo’s skin.

In Image two, you would notice that my skin looks light or fair. Almost like a fair dark skin tone woman.

In Image three, you would notice that my skin looks cooler than image two but not as dark as image one.

Photography TIPS to Get Those Perfect Blog Photos

If you live in a country like I do, you may expect something like this: rain in the morning, sunshine in the mid-morning and then rain again. What I mean is that here in Ireland, the weather is very unstable. However as a Blogger, I still have to do blog photos outdoors. Here are some photo tips I have used and would recommend:

1. Work With The Weather

One of the things I do before planning a photo shoot is that I check the weather forecast. I consult the weather guide of the location we would be shooting at. If the weather is forecasted to be good in that area, that is when we go on and do the photos. This is because I do not do photos as we go, I do marathon photos – i.e. we shot up to 10 outfits in a go. Working with the weather helps you maximise your shooting day.

If you are a Blogger but lead a busy life style, doing marathon photos may help you put out more contents to your readers and help you grow your blog.

Back to the weather, shooting or doing photos under natural light when the weather is good is the best way to achieve natural looking images with the right amount of light, warmth and saturation. So, target good weather for your photos.
 

2. The Camera Setting

I have a Canon 700D. It is a DSLR. This is a mid-range camera and I bought a while ago. You may or may not have a DSLR but whatever camera you use, it is important to know your camera settings. See, it took me more than 2 years to actually master using my Camera. It takes time to figure these things out but when you do, it would look like – WTH, because it becomes easier.

Here are some camera TIPS to try:

Shot your images in RAW format. You can do more with the editing. In this case, you can increase or reduce exposure on your image, increase or reduce saturation, increase or reduce brightness and on and on. If you shot on automatic, you can’t really do so much when it comes to editing your images.

Take as many pictures as possible under the same light and then different settings e.g. ISO 200 with exposure at 4000 for example and on and on. Adjust your camera as much as you want so you can then choose the images you want after your photo session. Also, take pictures from different angles, take landscape and then take portrait. While on the photo session, take as many images because what you see on your camera may not be what you see on your computer screen. Having many photos to choose from may save you the pain of not having good images to use.

Lanscape

Portrait

As you see from above, we have picture taken in both portrait and landscape. These gives you variety to use. If you want an image that is closer to the view, portrait is best, especially for Fashion Blogging whereby every detail of the look is important to the reader.

3. Reflectors

Reflectors are like mobile light for your photos / images. The reflector lights up any object (thing) or body (person) where it is focused on. If it is positioned by your hair, it lights up or brightens up your hair. For example of my legs below…..

In that picture, although I moisturised very well, you would notice that my legs have some shine that is almost golden. It was the effect of the reflector. The reflector lightens up and makes an object it is focused on shine.

Advantages of the Reflector

1, It lights up your picture.

2, It makes the object of focus shine.

3, It is light, easy to carry around (it is almost like a paper so you can fold it)

4, It comes in gold, silver, black, white and many other colours.

Disadvantages of the Reflector

1, It is possible to make you squint in photos. The reflection of the light can be over powering. See for example the image below, you will notice that I had a big squint on my forehead. It is the effect of the reflector.

2, If used wrongly, it can emphasise spots, acne and things you really don’t want to focus on.

However, you would notice that my face, hair and blouse was lit up. I love the reflection it gave my skin on this image. 

Difference between a picture taken with & without the Reflector

Without the reflector

Picture is not as bright but okay. You will notice that there is also no shine on my skin or clothes.

Picture taken with the reflector

How to Use a Reflector Effectively

One of the best photography tips I have learnt is to take pictures in the golden hour. Golden hour is when the sun sets and when the sun rises. To get the effect of golden hour without golden hour, use a reflector………

1, To use a reflector, ensure you start by practising first:

It can make images or pictures too golden. One of the TIPS Christian shared with me on the day is to use the silver side of the reflector because it is not as harsh.

The golden side can be too golden on a cool skin tone. On my skin tone, it was fins because I have a warm skin tone.

Also you have to play around with it first to see how it bounces light to your subject (thing or person). Most importantly, avoid reflecting direct sunlight on your subject; this can be too hot especially it is is on your skin.

2, There are different sizes

If you are using a reflector to take your photos, start out with a smaller size or version. Although reflectors are light, they can be a pain to use on a windy day because they blow around like feather or leaves.

3, Your Subject can hold it for you

Because reflectors are light weight, the person you are photographing can hold or carry it for you if you are shooting just the face or shooting at a very close range.

Using a reflector is a good way to light up and soften the light reflection on your images or photos. I enjoyed the effect it had on my skin when we used it.

I want to thank you so much for stopping by and for reading. I do hope you found the post helpful and that you learnt one or two new tips to apply to your blogging photography. Do you have any photography TIPS & TRICKS you can share with us? Please sound off in the comments below.

Now, Say Cheese 🙂

Mojisola