Photography Tips for Bloggers: The Basics

Today, I’m happy to welcome Kelley to Craft Buds. Kelley is a both a blog friend and a real-life friend of mine, and I was lucky enough to score her as my wedding photographer five years ago!

Kelley has established herself as a go-to products photographer, shooting inspiring images for many Etsy shops and food photos for magazines. She shoots weddings in and around the Indianapolis area and blogs at Kelley Jordan Photography. Without further ado, here are Kelley’s four top photography tips for bloggers.

1. Lighting, lighting, lighting.

Not only is this key to a good photography, but when it’s done right, the viewer will know exactly what you’re trying to say with your image. The best part is, you don’t need fancy lights to create an interesting image.

First, pay attention to your light source. Compelling lighting is usually angled and not directly from above or front.

Forget about using a flash. This will flatten the image and take away the interesting details of your subject. Instead, put your subject near a window or larger light source. Even professionals take advantage of available natural light.

2. The composition of your image.

The composition of your image will either draw attention to or away from the subject. Don’t clutter the space with too many props or a busy background. Think simple.

Also, move around the subject to get every angle. Don’t be afraid to take lots and lots of pictures. You never know- the last one when you are standing on the table above your subject may be the perfect one! Get in close, take a step away- explore all of the possibilities.

Also, pay attention to the steadiness of your hand. If you don’t have a tripod, set the camera on a table, pile of books, etc. to get a straight image.

3. Pay attention to color.

Complement the subject with an appropriately colored background or props. For example, if you are photographing a red book, don’t use a red background. Instead, consider green or blue to make the book pop. Remember learning about complement colors in elementary school? Red to green, orange to purple, and yellow to blue. Use this as a guideline.

Another element of color is white balance. Notice how much the color changes when you use a 60-watt light bulb or natural light. Even basic editing programs like Picassa have white balance correction capabilities that will improve the feel of your image and make the subject more true to life.

4. Study photos that catch your eye.

Take note of the lighting, composition, color, styling, etc. As you observe the images around you, you’ll see elements that you can experiment implementing in your own photography. Have fun with it!

If you’re in the market for a digital SLR camera, check out these tips on choosing a basic DSLRs (comparing Canon and Nikon) and understanding lenses from Jessica over at Somewhat Simple.

Thanks for joining us Kelley!

Click on the photo to be whisked away to her awesome photo blog.

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