If you’re not a photographer or if you don’t have a “photographer’s eye” but still want to take pics to make your blog post or social media platform more appealing to others, below are some basic core values that will help you along the way.
- BACKGROUNDS— my space is very small and there are not a lot of “well decorated” areas that I can use as backgrounds to take attractive pictures. My go to background has been stacked books, burning candles, decorative pillows or other home décor items. If you live in a home or any well decorated area then you have lots of options but if you’re a college student or if you live in a small apartment or you’re renting a room take a look around and see what you can use to take your amateur photography skills to the next level.
- CLOSE UPS—in addition to the above, taking close up shots of your items are another trick you can use to make your object pop or appear more appealing and to highlight the details of the item. Months ago, I wanted to take a picture of a body scrub I purchased, to post on my Instagram page but nothing was working so I took the lid off and took a close up shot of the body scrub itself. This will also work for some food items (some shots I took below that’s posted on Instagram).
- ANGLES—taking pictures from a variety of angles gives you options to choose from and in some cases it makes your photos more esthetically pleasing especially if you’re taking pictures of something simple. Below is a picture I took of the dry brush that I use for Instagram. To read my opinion on dry brushing, check out my post here.
- ATTENTION TO DETAILS—this is really important. Sometimes we get so caught up in how great the picture turned out and fail to realize that there is a stack of papers in the background or in my case, the Clorox disinfecting wipes (see below). If you’re taking a food pic make sure that there are no sauce or gravy on the sides of your plate or bowl. Similarly, if you’re plate is chipped or if the manufacture sticker is still on it make sure that’s not captured in your pictures either.
- JUST SAY NO to paper plates—I know these are incredibly popular because of convenience but unless you’re at a BBQ, baby shower, or a birthday party paper plates should not be used as your plating if you’re posting the pic on your social media platforms. It’s just not pleasing to the eye. Additionally, not everything needs to be posted on social media but if you have to or want to, make sure you follow the tips I’ve outlined in this blog.
There’s a HUGE difference between this:
And this:
I posted the picture below on instagram a while back because I planned on making a vegan meal. The pic of the vegetables is beautiful but the picture of the finished product….not so much lol. I tried taking the pic from different angles, I used filters, etc. but the plating still looked thrown together, so I did not post it. I wish I still had the picture so I could show it to you as an example, but I deleted a while back.
- FILTERS—i’m a fan of filters but they should be used to enhance your photos not completely transform them. When I use filters, I pay attention to how they transform the colors in my photos. For example, if you’re trying to sell an item or if you’re posting a recipe with the final product, make sure that there is not a big difference between the actual color or overall appearance of the item in your photo when compared to the picture that’s been filtered.
- HAVE FUN—these are only suggested rules to follow especially if your blog and social media platform is used for business purposes but don’t forget to have some fun with it. Don’t overwhelm yourself trying to capture the perfect pic. Again, not everything needs to be posted and sometimes you may have to improvise and use a pic online, just remember to give the website or author credit for their work.
I hope this was helpful. All the pictures I shared that were my own was taken with my iPhone XR. I use filters from Instagram or the live collage app. I’m sure there are better options out there, but these work well for me.
Was this helpful? Let’s chat!
~~Tam33ks
Tag me in your Instagram post if you used any of my tips on social media I’m @tam33ks
Self-Care At Forty 