4 Tips to Take Your Photos from 0 - 10 ASAP
I want to live my life like a movie.
I want to capture photos and videos that share a story. I want to show authentic moments of laughter, movement and joy. I want to have some oomph to my work, some emotion. Basically I want to show my work to my kids one day and have them marvel in awe at how fun I was (am).
For starters, I have strayed away from your stereotypical photos (head-on with a smile) and moved towards more artistic shots. They challenge my creativity and push me to try something new which I LOVE!
So how do you do that?!
STEP 1: MOOD BOARDS
This is KEY. You need to be inspired, and part of that is finding spaces that give you those creative butterflies. Ya know, the ones that make you wanna snap pics until you drop! So, if you live in a city, start by Googling “The Best Places for (coffee) in (Minneapolis)” and see if anything inspires you - odds are it will. If it doesn’t, try getting out & driving around. I scout locations everyday on my drive to work that I want to shoot at later!!
Now, bear with me, but I think it’s also time for you to make a physical mood board.
So old-school, I know. I swear this has changed the game for me when shooting campaigns. Plus it keeps my creative juices flowing baby!!
Whip out your scissors, and J-14 magazine & get to snippin! Hahah totally kidding, but I do create a document with photos from inspiring photographers then print it out to have with me on shoot days. I swear it’s a game changer!!
P.S. You should totally follow ya girl!!
STEP 2: Burst, baby
The next step towards killer photos is to stop with the stiff poses. I know we all have like 2 go-to poses that we know and love, but it’s time to cut that out. See ya never. Bye friend.
So, instead of staying still to get your surefire model-esque angle, it’s time to move ya booty!!!
I’m sure you all know this by now, but if you are trying to catch movement, you are going to need a fast shutter speed. But, since I can’t always lug around my DSLR, I use the burst feature on my iPhone. I keep moving no matter what, looking towards the camera, then away, walking towards the camera, then back, maybe even throwing in the cha-cha slide if I’m feelin’ frisky
It’s definitely going to take a little bit of time to sift through these photos but I promise they will be much more interesting than your average headshot.
Step 3: Add some props
Okay listen up!! Props change the game.
A.) They give you something to hold on to B.) They add an element of interest that you wouldn’t otherwise have.
Now here’s the thing. Most beauty bloggers these days use purses or cool hats as a prop but honestly, that’s just not what feels natural to me. I personally always find food to be such an easy & cute sidekick!! You can hold it up, bite into it, reach for it, anything really! Plus, you can eat food after, a double whammy! WAHOO!! (brb deducting that from my taxes)
Step 4: Keep it cool (or warm)
One of my all-time favorite parts of photography is editing. It is SO fun to see a photo before and after an edit.
I’ll let you in on a little secret… I have been using Lightroom for years now.
I have tried several different packs of presets made by my favorite creators, by my tried and true are the Jaci Marie Presets. They totally fit my warm vibe & vibrant colors. If you are on a tight budget, definitely use the free Lightroom app but if you can afford it, I recommend getting the Adobe Photographer’s package. It’s like $10/month and completely changed my editing game.
