As far back as I can remember, the camera has always been my friend. Whether it was taking pictures myself or posing in them, I just loved it. I find a certain kind of excitement when a camera is in my hand. My love for the camera has helped me snap the most stunning pictures for my blog and Instagram.
I will be honest, I am nowhere near a professional photographer. Nope, not at all. I know nothing about those manual settings and changing frame speeds or whatever. Camera jargon is gibberish to me. *laughs* Let me tell you, you do not need to be a professional to take beautiful pictures for your blog or social media. All hail for the pros out there who give us photography goals but what about us normal people who know nothing? Never fear, for I have discovered some tips and tricks for us 'noobs' to get us through the day! These five super simple tricks have helped me up my photography game and my pictures have wowed everyone who sets eyes on them. Easy, simple, and effective - promise!
Finding Creative Backgrounds
Ever since I started paying more attention to improving my photography there is one thing I've found that is most important for pictures: the background! A simple little thing, such as a mug or even a tiny little paper clip, can be made to look super awesome if placed against a good background. When I first tried researching what people were using as backgrounds I found links referring me to paid backgrounds. Nope, not for me. Truth be told, you don't need to purchase backgrounds for the basics. Just look around you and keep your creative hat on while you do so. I see pretty photography backgrounds every where I go. Against trees, pretty curtains, granite counters, wooden shelves or tables or benches ... and on and on my list goes. Let me show you two examples.
In the photograph above I've ventured outdoors to snap this beautiful picture of my Fall Foliage cupcakes. It was perfect to use the color changing tree as the background because it tied in with the theme of my cupcakes! I even love taking pictures of things against paintings or simply pretty walls.
In this one I've used my girly frilly curtain as the background for my Hippity Hoppity Bunny Bum cake. I wanted the center of attention to be my cake so a white curtain with minimalist cute ribbon details was perfect for the job.
Creating Beautiful Backdrops
Of course a tree or a beautiful wall aren't always available right in front of you. When a background isn't there, create one. To create backgrounds I have used anything and everything - not even kidding. Some of the stuff I've used includes scarves, dupattas (umm, longer scarves sort of), bed sheets, curtains, cushions, handbags, sofa seats, skirts, pajamas, place mats, rugs, table runners ... and so on! Really, all I do is prop up a good display and create my own beautiful backgrounds. Let me show you three of my favorite examples.
There's a mini studio I've created for myself. I've propped up my sister's purple dupatta over presentation boards and then placed a pretty Desi handbag against it. This is my little set up to do a photoshoot of my cake called 'A Dainty Delight'. And now brace yourself ... here's the picture I've taken using my little DIY set up ...
Easy peasy and look at how professional it looks! I've had people ask me if I had professional photoshoots done for this cake. Trust me, I just explode into a fit of laughter. If you'd seen me sitting there on the floor with a dupatta set up ... you'd laugh too!
Here's another example where I've used my skirt as a background. I've propped up my skirt on my storage ottoman and then placed two house figurines against it. And now, get ready for another big WOW! ...
The New Home Cupcakes Collection. Stunning results using just a skirt and those figures!
Check this one out. It's a super bright and happy picture with so many colors and such a pretty look to it, right? Well guess what I've used to create this background? A greeting card and my apron. You know one of those large sized greeting cards they sell in stores? I used that as a background and the pink ruffle cupcake base is my baking apron. You can do wonders with photos if you just be creative!
Using Natural Lighting and the Shining Sun
I've been laughed at pretty often because I'm crying about catching the natural light coming through the windows during the day time for my pictures. I have taken pictures in normal lighting at night too but my favorite is natural daylight. If you don't believe me take a picture of something in daylight and somewhere regular and you'll notice the difference. Of course some things need the special effect where daylight goes against you (for example if you're looking for a darker effect or need a golden-ish look) but in most cases the best photo comes in natural light. I also love playing with the shining sun. It's perfect sometimes to create a dramatic scene. Time for examples!
The perfect example of a classic shining sun moment! Look at the magic those rays perform in pictures. It's like a scene right out of the movies.
I want you to look at this picture very properly. This is a picture of my Harry Potter Ford Anglia replica. It just came crashing into a tree inside the Forbidden Forrest. Notice how awesome the shining sun looks. Notice the tree and the branches and the leaves. Notice the details and the shadows. Done? Now I'll show you how I snapped this picture.
Tell me you're not laughing. This is how I snapped that beautiful picture which you just saw. The entire living room was dark when I found a little patch of the carpet where the sun was shining directly. It was perfect because I wanted it to look real with shadows and all. I've propped up my skirt over my niece's toys! *laughs* Look close enough and you'll see the furry tail of Gubby's bunny on the right. There's also a hidden inflatable octopus pool toy under the skirt on the left. The tree is actually a hut thingy my sister bought from the dollar store for her DIY fairy garden and the twigs are what was left of some floral decorations after I'd taken the flowers off them. Anything works if you just be a bit creative and use all kinds of lights in your favor.
Even an iPhone Camera Works
Believe me, it does. I do own a DSLR camera set on auto mode but time and again I have taken awesome pictures using just my iPhone. I focus on three things: the arrangement, the angle, and the lighting. If I get these three right I have a pretty picture ready. Tweak the brightness and contrast a bit (more on that later) and you're done. You don't need a professional camera all the time. I'll show you examples. All of these pictures have been taken using my iPhone. No DSLR involved at all!
This and the other thirty plus pictures I posted for the Potterific July challenge on my Instagram were all taken with my phone. Isn't it beautiful and dramatic?
This is an example of what I said about angles. A good low angle of the Starbucks cup makes it look so focused and emphasized. Taken with just my iPhone.
Tell me that isn't beautiful? It's a typical Insta/Pinterest kind of a shot, isn't it? I took it using just my iPhone. The iPhone actually has super awesome features which I love experimenting with.
Once again, the angle and the lighting. I took this with my iPhone. It was an innocent little tiny leaf in a beautiful shade of red on my car's window. I just couldn't resist. I just found a perfect moment and captured it with my iPhone camera.
Props Save Your Life
They're the Powerpuff Girls of your life. Props. They're always there to save the day no matter what kind of picture you're taking and where. Can't live without them, honestly. I think the arrangement in a picture - of the background, the object you're highlighting, and the props - is key. It's all about sprucing up your presentation with props. You already saw props in some of the examples I showed earlier; the tree in the Ford Anglia picture and the houses in the New Home cupcakes for example. Let me show you a couple more examples where props turned my pictures into outstanding beauties!
Props used: A roll of burlap and bananas. Result turns out so classic bakery like!
Props used: Magazine cuttings, cut out flowers, and leaves. Look at how stunning the arrangement looks and it adds more highlight to the beautiful Kindle carry case which I've photographed.
Props used: A gold bow ornament. Simple yet so elegant and beautiful.
Props used: Henna cones. They create the 'mehndi' 'henna' theme which these cupcakes were all about. Looks so traditional and pretty!
I keep an eye out for potential props wherever I go. Mostly it is Target's Bullseye Playground where I find the cheapest and prettiest props. For example in the pictures above you can see the adorable rainbow, the burlap flowers, the tiny glass jar with a cork lid ... all have been collected from Target's playground. Just keep an eye out for them everywhere and it should work.
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There we go. These are my five most important secrets of taking the beautiful pictures you see on my blog and social media. The philosophy is to use anything, everything, anywhere, everywhere for taking pictures. Know no boundaries. Get on the floor if that's where the tiny stretch of natural light is falling. Stand on top of chairs or sofas if that's where you can get a perfect top view shot from. Do whatever it takes. I'm no expert which is why, coming from me, these tips and tricks are absolutely honest and fool proof.
Oh and one last thing: Editing. Brightness, contrast, and color saturation. Tweak these once you've taken your beautiful shots and you'll see the difference for yourself. I have a basic editing software on my laptop to do that, and it's free and came with it. Play around with editing to see which kind of effects you like and always remember, Instagram filters are your best friends! *laughs* I don't think anybody can get perfect pictures just like that, we all need a little editing. So when I'm posting a picture directly from my phone I use Instagram for editing too.
Practice, a creative eye, and experimentation. That's what you need to perfect your pictures without spending heaps of money on stuff or photography courses. Just be with your camera and know no limits. I guarantee, if I can do it without any professional help, so can you! Good luck!
A master class in photography would not give us more creative tips and examples. Thanks, Sara!
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome Suzanne <3
DeleteI love the the post I will have to try some of the things you talk about in the post with my pictures.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I'm sure you'll love the little tips and tricks I mentioned :)
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