Happy Wednesday, everyone! Today’s blog post is going to be a fun one – we’re going to be talking all about photography! Taking pictures is something I have always enjoyed and have gotten a lot of practice with since launching The SK Way back in April. Over the past six months or so, I have experimented a ton with different camera settings, editing techniques, etc. and have finally found a method that I like! If you are a fellow blogger and/or photography enthusiast, I wanted to share some easy tips to help you learn more about the process.
As a disclaimer, I am not an expert! I still have a lot to learn and my pictures are by no means “perfect” – and they don’t have to be! One of the biggest things I want to stress in this post is the importance of finding your personal style and being confident in your work. There is no “correct” way to take a picture, but if you are looking to learn some new things, you have come to the right place 🙂
What I Use
I personally use the Canon EOS M50 camera. I traded in my previous camera for this one over the summer and I love it! It is not too bulky, and is very user friendly. It is definitely on the more affordable side when it comes to DSLR cameras, so if you are looking to upgrade, I could not recommend this model enough! I enjoy photography even outside of blogging so it made sense for me to invest in a nicer camera. That’s not to say that a fancy DSLR is required for great pictures, though! I have seen plenty of successful photographers and bloggers who just use their iPhone – it’s all about what you are most comfortable with.
As for editing, I recently upgraded to the desktop version of Adobe Lightroom. This purchase, again, was a personal preference, but if you enjoy editing and are looking to dive a little bit deeper into photography, I definitely think it is well worth the investment!
Finding Your Style
This is so important! I have always admired photos, especially for blogging, that are light, bright, and natural. I personally don’t like it when my pictures look over-edited so I struggled a lot in the beginning to find a way to make my photos match what I had envisioned. I am now starting to get the hang of things which has been so much fun!
Pinterest is a great place to look for ideas – if you like warm tones, cool tones, creative edits, etc., there are so many different examples to pull inspiration from. Once you have found a style that you like, it’s time to make it happen! Editing definitely helps, but I have learned that setting up the shot is the key piece to the puzzle.
The Shot
I recently learned how to shoot in manual mode/raw format and I will never turn back! My roommate and good friend from college was a huge help and showed me how to change the different settings on my camera – let me tell you, it was a game changer (thanks, Ro!) If you use a DSLR camera to take your pictures, here are some helpful tricks I learned:
- Aperture: This is often referred to as the “f-stop”. It is the opening in the lens where light travels through. By adjusting the aperture, you can change the amount of light that enters. The lower the number, the brighter the picture. The lens that came with my camera allows me to set the aperture as low as 3.5 (shown as F3.5 or f/3.5 in other models). I know some other lenses allow for even lower settings for portraits, but this is the “lightest” setting on my camera.
- Shutter Speed: I never quite understood what shutter speed was until now, but it essentially represents the amount of time the image sensor in your camera is exposed to light. By adjusting the shutter speed, you can adjust the amount of exposure in your photos. This number is typically expressed as a fraction (ex:// 1/50) but follows the same trend as aperture – the lower the number (denominator in this case) the more exposed your photo will be!
- ISO: This setting will adjust the overall brightness of your photo. You can leave this on AUTO and it will select for you based on the lighting in your surroundings, but I will sometimes adjust it depending on where I am. This setting shows an opposite trend – the higher the number, the brighter the picture.
If you prefer to use your phone for taking pictures, I am a huge fan of portrait mode in addition to the regular photo setting. Phone cameras these days are getting better and better. Here’s an example of an iPhone blog photo:
Whether you prefer to be behind the camera or in front of it, I have found it best to place your subject with their back to the sun. This will eliminate glare and help to reduce shadows. I have also found that shooting after 12pm is best for the most even lighting. I read an article not too long ago that noted the hour or two before sunset as the perfect time for taking golden hour photos 🙂 Also, don’t be afraid to snap some pictures if it is slightly overcast! This kind of weather works really nicely for photography since you won’t have to worry about the sun or your location as much.
Editing
Now that you have your shot, it’s time for my favorite part – editing! I have so much fun with editing and there are so many ways to get creative. I usually adjust the white balance if needed, increase the exposure, reduce the shadows, and correct any tones if needed. I try to keep it as simple as possible which has really helped to streamline my routine. Whether you use a free app on your phone, or Adobe software, play around with the different settings and see what you can come up with!
Here is an example of a recent photo taken and edited with the techniques I mentioned in this post:
I hope you enjoyed this behind-the-scenes look into my photography process. Taking pictures is just that – a process. At the end of the day, if you are enjoying it and you’re having fun, that’s all that matters! You don’t necessarily need to have the fancy equipment or the “perfect” edits to make your photos look professional or to create something you are proud of. Find what works best for you and make it your own – it’s all a part of the fun 🙂
Thank you so much for reading! Stay tuned for some exciting announcements coming soon…
