I get asked a lot " how do you take your photos"
Well to answer that lemme give you a grief little background.
I used to post on Instagram at random, thru a random filter and maybe a frame on it ( remember when that was a thing ? ) Then I started coming across feeds of people I didn't know, I was reluctant to press 'follow' because I thought, this person doesn't know me, they will think I am some weird stalker. Quickly I realized that the reason they had these beautifully curated instagrams was the fact that they wanted to attract people just like me.
So I thought , if these people could do it why couldn't I ?
( disclaimer : By know means do I have all the right answers and in no way I think that you should do exactly what I am,
people like variety and people like YOU so tailor this info to how it can fit to your goals and your vision. )
So to start I wanna give you some picture tips I learned that have helped me:
1) So first tip, WIPE YOUR LENS !!!!
I can't stress this enough, our phones are in our hands ALL day long.
Even tho you can't immediately see anything on your camera lens its there.
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| )Top - dirty lens / Bottom - Clean lens) |
SO grab the corner of your shirt and just give the lens a little wipe. Here is a perfect example.
I was quickly trying to snap a pic one morning,
looked back at the photo, wiped the lens and re took...
check out the difference.
2) Lighting is KEY
This is beyond important. Good lighting is the start to a good photo.
I shoot 95% of my photos outside because you can't get better lighting then nature's sunlight.
The times of the day I like to shoot are, before 10 am or at Golden Hour.
( Definition : Golden Hour is the period of daytime shortly after sunrise or before sunset )
I know this time won't be ideal for everyone so keep this in mind when you're shooting. If you can't be during these times going in full shade where there is still a lot of light is ideal. You don't want awkward shadows all over your face of what you are trying to capture, the shadows will be distracting.
If you are taking a photo indoors open the windows and get that natural light in, Face the light so that it lights up your face !
3) Take a lot of pictures
I once asked my husband to take a photo of me, he took 2... by the time I looked at them we were in the car leaving the destination. I had one photo with my eyes closed and one where I was blurry.
So make sure the person taking the photos knows to keep taking them, take a bunch.
Move while they are taking them, put your arm on your hip, pretend to laugh, move your foot from in front of you to the side. Pretend Tyra is coaching you from America's Next Top Model telling you to do different poses and of course "smeyes' smiling with your eyes
Moving around while they take the photos gives you different poses to pick from, nothing is worse then having 20 photos and they ALL look the same. By taking a lot you can look back and say, having my arm angled like that made me look skinnier, or when i tilt my head that way I look angry. Whatever the case may be, it'll help you learn what looks flatter you.
AND what I always say is, if you think you took too many photos, take 5 more. ( you can always delete them)
especially when kids are in the picture it can be unpredictable.
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| (this girl is a goof ) |
4) Be Smart About Your Background
Ok, if you go to my instagram at www.instagram.com/misstanyajean you will see a theme here. I prefer a background with nothing going on. A lot of what I am trying to focus on is the details in the jewelry and I don't want a busy background to take away from that.
(This does not mean you should find a blank grey wall.)
But just be conscious of your environment in the background when you take your photos.
Remove excess clutter and distractions, if you're at the park there is a soda can on the ground in the background of your shot, throw it out. little things like this will keep your viewer focused on what you want in the photo.
Even when I take my pictures here
( this is my garage door BTW)
Sometimes I get the handle in there.
If I couldn't have avoided it I will edit it out ... which is step 5 !
5) Edit but don't OVER Edit
Ok I say this with caution. There are some GREAT editing tools out there to make your pictures go from OK to AMAZING... but use them wisely and in moderation. You still want to look like YOU.
So many people buy presets and filters. I am not a fan of those, I don't think one preset is great with every photo, and it can distort the actual colors of things in the photos.
The photo editing tool I use is Facetune It does cost a few bucks but I literally use it on EVERY ONE of my pictures. Whether it is to smooth a wrinkle out of my top. Patch out the garage door handle outta the picture, or whiten my teeth, you can even re shape or detail things in the photo.
If you don't wanna pay for an app, go into instagram and before you post the photo hit edit, it will give you a bunch of filters to choose, hit the word EDIT in the lower right hand corner.
This is where I will lighten the photo, add contrast or warm, and increase or decrease shadows and highlights. Just sliding those editing features around can change the picture and really make it pop.
And the end result.....
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| www.instagram.com/misstanyajean ( TA DA ! ) |
Ok, I know its not perfect. But you can get a great photo that tells your story even when not everything is perfect.
Take the time, take a lot of shots.
If they aren't perfect, edit, crop, patch out imperfections, and lighten them up.
Embrace your crazy life, people love to see the real you.
XO,
Miss Tanya Jean
Please feel free to leave me any comments here or on my instagram if you want me to go into detail about any of these things any more
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