My Photography Tips

I would not consider myself an expert in photography, but I wanted to share some tips with you anyway as to how I create photos that I am proud of. I am not a professional photographer, I just take my photos around my room on my phone but I have come a long way since starting my blog in terms of my photography skills. Also, these tips apply mostly to photos for blogging and instagram but may be different for you depending on the personal style of your photos. In this post I will tell you tips that have improved my photography and that you may also find useful. 

White Backgrounds

This one is pretty self explanatory. I have found that consistently using a white back drop for my photos makes them look cleaner and more professional. It stops colours clashing and focuses the attention on whatever object is being photographed.  The background could be a white wall in your house or the top of your white desk, I sometimes use a white sheet with also adds texture to the background. As long as it is well lit, it will work.

Props

Particularly whilst photographing books, I find that having appropriate props to go with the book creates more interest and insight in the photo. In a blog post with multiple shots of the same book, I like to mix up the camera angles and props slightly whilst sticking with the same colour theme so that the photos are consistent together.

Use Natural Light

This is more important than you might have first thought. Although using lamps and lights indoors also work for photography, I find that it is best to open doors and windows to use natural light. Often, lamps and direct sunlight produce shadows or glare in your photos so keep in mind where you are setting up your photo as well. I find that sometimes when it gets late or during winter when the sun is not so bright, I use a combination of natural and electrical light for a well lit photo. 

Filters

I feel like filters can be dangerous things sometimes, but they can also be quite helpful. Downloading an app like "VSCO Cam" is very useful in creating your own filter for your photos. I recommend using a subtle filter which keeps your photo's natural colours and makes it more visually appealing. I have saved my own filter which can vary from photo to photo. It consistently brings the saturation and temperature down and the exposure, clarity and contrast up. This means that all my photos are well lit with contrasting dark areas and cool tones that still look natural.

Negative space

When taking photos for my blog, I keep the "Rule of thirds" in mind. Dividing the picture into nine and keeping roughly two thirds of the picture as negative space. This means that your picture will not look crowded or busy and give it a simplistic feel

Those are all of the tips I have for you and I hope that you found them useful. If you want to see more of my photography, I have an instagram account which is @inkpotblogger where I post photos of my favourite books and photos from my blog. Thanks for reading this post!

~Inkpot Blogger