For most newbie bloggers it can be a little be daunting starting a blog, most of us have limited resources and it can be really hard to produce high-quality content without the high-quality gear to go with your blog. I'm currently trying to curve my spending habits and save some money before heading back to university again, so currently don't have the funds to really be forking out for a DSLR - although when I'm moving to university, I'm planning on buying one (and maybe starting a YouTube channel) ... but we'll see.
Other than using stock photos - like the one I've used for this post, the best tip I have is to make use of the things you have already and for most of us, we have an iPhone and when used to it's fun potential can give you some great images for your blog! Here are a few of my tips:
Other than using stock photos - like the one I've used for this post, the best tip I have is to make use of the things you have already and for most of us, we have an iPhone and when used to it's fun potential can give you some great images for your blog! Here are a few of my tips:
Utilise natural light
This goes for any of your photos taken with an iPhone or a camera, you must make the most of your natural lighting. Now Spring is finally here, it's easier for us full-timers to come home and take some evening photos with actual light HURRAH. Ideally take your photos near to a large window, ensuring your photos are going to be the best quality they can be. There's nothing worse than a dark, grainy photo taken with flash...
Use a clean background
If unfortunately like me you don't have marble surfaces in your home, then the next best thing is to pick up a large piece of white card and use that for your photo backgrounds. I picked mine up from The Range for a couple of quid, and this has been great for upping my photo game. If like me, you're a little obsessed with marble, you can pick up some sticky back plastic from Amazon for a small fortune and add that to your card - et voila, a fancy blogger background!
Use the Grid setting
The Grid is arguably the most useful photography tool when it comes to the iPhone. It simply displays two horizontal lines, and 2 vertical and divides the camera space into 3 equal parts. This is a great tool when playing about with flat-lays and trying to make the most of negative space and playing with textures. Let's be honest, who doesn't look a basic blogger flatly? Simply head to your settings - Photos & Camera, and turn the Grid slider on and snap to your heart's content!
Fix the focus and exposure
One thing which is great about the iPhone is how easy it is to control the focus and exposure. Simply tap on the screen and this can adjust where you exactly want the focus - great when wanting to highlight a specific product! There's no faffing about in your camera settings with your DSLR, clueless trying to understand what you need to change, it's all done with a tap of the finger!
Snap away!
The beauty of the iPhone is that you can take as many photos as you want! When selecting the best from those 200+ selfie shots, I use the little heart at the bottom of the screen to save it into my favourites, so they're all stored in an easily accessible place: a handy tip when trying to decide your favourite photos.
Use the in-app editing
The iPhone is great when it comes to editing your image, naturally I use tend to play around with the exposure and contrast - to make my image the brightest and cleanest it can be. I'm not a huge Photoshop guru, so a few edits on my phone and I'm pretty happy with the results. When it comes to Instagram, I tend to edit my photos in VSCO Cam (like everybody else.) This app is great because it has so many filters, can can help you stick to an Instagram theme, if that's your jam.
I hope these tips were helpful to a few newbies, or even a few oldies. Let me know if you have any other tips, I'm always on the lookout for new tips and tricks with my iPhone!
Love,
Follow My Bloglovin'
If you liked this post you might also like my 40 Thoughts of A Newbie Blogger or even How I Got Grey Hair!
If you liked this post you might also like my 40 Thoughts of A Newbie Blogger or even How I Got Grey Hair!
