Blogger Tips-Equipment

Ok so I’m gonna put this out here, I’m not a professional photographer by any stretch of the imagination. However, I do have a good eye for taking visually appealing pictures. Since I launched my blog last year, I have learned a ton.  I have also garnered a very loyal following via Instagram; some have sent me direct messages inquiring about tips for photography and the type of equipment I use as they too are interested in blogging. With this post, I’m going to keep it very basic because I don’t want to overwhelm.

Half of the pictures I have taken myself and the other half has been via professional photographer. In terms of me taking my own photos, my trusty tripod and remote have allowed me to take pictures inside and outdoors without having to rely on anyone else. All I do is prop my camera on the tripod and get the correct angle; then I use my remote to flick away. I’m still not 100% great at manual settings for pictures so I use a lot of automatic settings.

Truth be told, when I take my own pics I have used both my Canon and iPhone Max. Recently I took the picture of my living room with my iPhone and posted it on Instagram; I’d like to think that no one knew the wiser.

In terms of lenses, I wouldn’t get carried away. I would recommend using the lens the comes with the camera at first. In fact, I’ve only recently invested in a 50mm lens so that I could get a bokeh effect with some pics. So I recommend one taking his or her time and starting slow.

I’d like to offer a few tips that I have learned on my own in my one year of blogging, and also a few from some dope photographer friends I have.

Lighting – Take pics in the natural day light or in a well-lit room. Dark pictures don’t allow for any onlooker to see detail and people like to see details.

Sharpness – Ensure that the lens is in focus and not blurry.

Cleanliness – Ensure that your background is clean. Honestly, I’m not a part of the Molly Maid company so no judgement here.  However, I have seen some pictures on Instagram where people have clothing in the background and on the floor. Instagram is visual and no one wants to see an unmade bed and dirty clothes on the floor. People look for inspiration and so people may scroll by your picture onto the next person, if they see a mess.

All and all, people like to view good quality images. In a future post, I’ll go into apps I use for editing, etc. Please see the equipment I use below. Chow for now.