Find that LIGHT!
Two of my favorite quick lighting tips are about finding the perfect shade and how to deal with your location when there ain’t no shade around!
To find the perfect shaded area, take a look around! Say...you’re near a building and the building is casting a shadow on the pavement. Great! Let’s work with that! Finding the shade is the first step. The second step is what makes it perfect - don’t stand underneath any overhang! So let’s say the building has an awning, that’s a no-go! The perfect shade is when you can see the shaded area on the ground below you, but there’s nothing directly above you! So that applies to tree branches, awnings, tunnels, etc!
When I took a lighting course, they called this tip “Peter Pan lighting” because if you think of Peter Pan, his feet are always attached to his shadow! If there isn’t any shaded areas around from a building or a tree, find your shadow! Now, face it! When you face your shadow, you’re avoiding looking into the sun which causes our fave squinty eyed looks! SO if you face your shadow, you’ll be good to go. This shot may appear dark at first when taking it on your phone, but you can lift the shadows when you’re editing on any app by sliding the toggle bar to the right!
Let’s talk COLORS!
It took me awhile to really figure out how to do this on the ‘gram but coordinating colors is seriously going to take your feed from great to flat out FABULOUS. If you’re a business, try focusing on your branding colors or the look and feel you want to convey! My new branding colors are shades of blue and blush and if you look at my feed right now, I’m really trying to highlight those colors by showing off clients that have chosen to wear those colors to a session!
If you’re a blogger or content creator and you take mostly flatlay photos, try incorporating pieces that bring out those brand colors! So for MK with Audra, if she wanted to take a picture of a book she’s reading on her marble coffee table (and yes, I know she has a marble coffee table) maybe she’d throw in a pink bookmark or open up a pink lipstick and show it off to the side!
PRESETS!
Oh Presets… When I first started my photography company, I thought presets were considered cheating but boy was I wrong! Every photographer has their own preferences, of course, but a majority of the photographers I work with and love are constantly sharing their preset tips! Presets are editing settings that have been designed to be used on any photo to create a consistent look and feel! So, aside from paying careful attention to the colors you’re showing off, you can also utilize presets to create a consistent brand! Presets can range from a few dollars to hundreds of dollars depending on where you’re buying them! If you’re using them for a personal page, I’d suggest looking over on Etsy to find a preset you’d love to use! When purchasing a preset, they always come with instructions for use and how to use them both mobily or on your laptop.
BUT WHAT DO I WEAR?
Let’s talk shoes. And clothes. And what to WEAR when taking photos for the ‘gram! Or your website or to the coffee shop on a Tuesday! I’m always a fan of getting dolled up, I don’t need a reason. It was basically how my fiance knew that I’d dress up the day we got engaged. He didn’t even have to try to get me to wear something nice - he knew if we were going on an outing, I’d wear something cute! It makes me FEEL good to LOOK good, ya know? So that’s what I want for you, too! When picking out an outfit for a photo session, find clothes that feel like YOU! For me, that’s twirly dresses, and heels and maybe adding a little curl to my hair. For you, it may be ripped jeans, your fave band tee and a pair of booties. Whatever it is, make sure you feel AMAZING in it! The kind of outfits that make you put on Beyonce while standing in front of the mirror. THAT’S what you should wear.
POSING
Okay so you found the light, you bought the presets, you picked out the perfect outfits. Now...what do you do with your hands? I’m so tempted to say “act natural” here but I feel like whenever I hear that, I immediately want to crawl up in a little ball or make funny faces like a complete weirdo! So I won’t say that..but one way to “act natural” is to keep it moving! If you follow me over on the gram, half of the photos of me are literally me twirling. I love twirly dresses, I love twirling or dancing around so when I have photos taken of myself - that’s what I do! I’ll walk towards the camera and do a little twirl, or just spin around like a little kid until I get dizzy! Keeping your body moving is a sure fire way to loosen yourself up and get ya feeling more comfortable in front of the camera. In no time, you’ll be working those vogue faces that I know you got underneath there girl