Taking photos seems to be the most daunting aspect of blogging for newbies. I’m excited to share a few tricks that I’ve picked up over the years that allow you to take quality andconsistent images no matter who’s shooting you.
MY CAMERA & KIT
Right now I shoot with the Canon EOS 5D Mark III. It’s a professional DSLR full-frame camera, which means that it does not crop the image seen through a lens. I also use three main fixed lenses including the 35mm 1.8, 50mm 1.4, and 85mm 2.8. These are all mid-range to high-end lenses with my 35mm being the most affordable and PERFECT for Instagram images. (It’s the widest lens and captures a lot of image at a closer frame — great for flat lays or ¾ outfit portraits.)
YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A PRO PHOTOGRAPHER
What’s great about this decade is the prevalence of smart phones sporting built-in hi-resolution cameras. If you own a phone that a hi-res front facing camera, this is actually all you’ll need to start out. Let me know if you’d like to read a separate post on iPhone exclusive blog posts.
TAKE GREAT PHOTOS EVERY TIME
The key to becoming a trustworthy, popular blogger is to create consistently good content. YOU are the visionary and art director behind your blog, so no matter who is taking photos of you, with the right framing, light and composition, your images will be stunning! Here are some tips to take beautiful (and flattering) images every shoot:
1. Look for a Clean Backdrops. A clean backdrop will allow the outfit and details to pop and draw the eye. Here is an example: 
2. Find Your Light. If it’s early morning you can shoot from nearly any direction. After about 10 am you’ll want to place the sun to your back and then use manual settings to set exposure for your skin and any white wardrobe pieces.
Example of a sunset photo during “magic hour” when the direct sunlight has a soft, flattering effect (photo 1), versus a shot with the sun behind me (photo 2):
3. Shoot from a Low Angle or Straight Across. Shooting from a low angle will make you appear taller in the image. Shooting straight across from your subject for closer shots still feels editorial and doesn’t give you that “MySpace” effect.
Example of Low Angle on the left and straight on the right:
4. Use the Rule of Thirds. This is a good rule to follow if you want a clean, relatable post. The rule of thirds refers to your composition when placing your subject in frame compared to the background. For example, with a full body portrait, if you wanted to center someone to the left of the frame, you’d want to split the frame into three parts (in your mind) and place your subject in one of those spots.
Example of filling up 1/3 of the image with your subject:
…. Head on over to Shopping Links to read the last THREE photography tips.
I agree with most of your advice here, but I would add that anybody who wants to create images with impact and, even more importantly, stopping power would do well to go look at the work of well experienced and successful photographers and artists.
To name a few, photographers Joe McNally, Joey Lawrence, Annie Leibovitz, painters Jan Vermeer, Seurat, Manet, Picasso.
Looking at how they deal with composition, colour, texture, and especially light can be extremely educational and valuable to anybody creating images these days.
So true! I think that for more advanced bloggers this is super helpful. 🙂
Amazing tips. I am an aspiring photographer, I really need all the tips that I can get.
Glad to help love 🙂