My Blog Photography

As you know, I joined this awesome Blog Network called: Beauty Blogger Headquarters.  The ladies there have so many awesome things to share with me and others - it's so great.  January's task is to discuss the ins and outs of your Blog Photography so I'm excited to share with all of you what it is I do to take my blog photos.   As you all know - I don't only Blog but also have a YouTube channel, so if time permits - I will definitely add that info in as well.

What camera(s) do you use for your blog photography?

 I have been getting a bit busy lately with my normal business, so I have been taking most of my photos using my Camera Phone, which is an HTC Evo 4g.  I've had this phone for about 2 years and I'm looking at upgrades but it sports an 8 megapixel camera which takes pretty good pictures.  If I'm looking to take a quick photo and get it up on Instagram - I'll use my phone.  If I have good natural lighting - it can definitely take an awesome picture.  The photo with my Tarte Haul (to the left) was taken with my camera phone - but lighting was a little funky that day so it was not as clear and vibrant as I would like and some of the colors may be slightly distorted.  But you can definitely get the just of what I was photographing.  

---

The photo to the right was also taken with my camera phone.  But lighting that day came in nicely through my window and game the photograph a great crisp color.  The colors are pretty much spot on.  In both images I did not edit these as they were  uploaded straight to Instagram and do not have any filters administered.  I wanted these images to show the products as best as possible.  As you can see, lighting means everything. :)

Now for those of you that didn't know - before opening up my business HoneyXO (formerly ICC) I was and still currently am a Professional Wedding and Portrait Photographer.  I don't use the cameras that I use on a shoot for my blog - but I do use professional glass (photog speak for lenses).  Right now I'm using my Nikon D60 DSLR (love Nikon) or my Canon Rebel EOS XSi.  Both of them I've had for a few years but they are kept well so they have lasted me a while.  I know I need to be upgrading soon and have my wishlist of goodies I want.  I use the following lenses for each camera: 18-55mm and 55-200mm - both of which were my standard kit lenses.  From time to time I do use my 700-200mm, 35mm, 50mm and my all time favorite the 24-70mm (all of which are my pro lenses so I don't use them often).   I use my Nikon and Canon mainly for my makeup photos and my portraits.  The color is crisp and nothing beats a Nikkor Lens (or at least that's my opinion. lol).  The 2 images below were taken using my Nikon D60.  The one on the Left was taken indoors after the sun had set.  My lighting in the living room during that time was Halogen lighting.  The Picture on the Right - taken outside at about 5:30pm when the sun was just about to set.  Lighting was ideal for photographs because it was not bright at all where I took the photo.

What type of lighting do you use? Natural light, indoor light, studio lamps, etc.?

If I had my way all the time, I would use natural lighting.  As a Photographer, I photograph my clients on location and always in natural lighting.  But - there are so many times when lighting just cannot be helped and you have no choice but to use artificial light.  So I will use a desk lamp (especially when using my little DIY Light box) that has a natural light bulb or a 70 watt bulb, regular white light.  I change the light bulbs around as I feel I need to depending on the situation.  While studio lamps are great to use - they can be a hassle to store and I just don't have the room.  I also use a cool chargeable flash light from my husband that is a Stinger DS LED flash light.  The bulb is strong but it's also a white light and I add a little tissue diffuse on the end to diffuse the light and keep from the image being so harsh.

Do you use a specific background?

When it comes to taking photos of products, etc. - I like to use either a white background or my damask fabric.  I like the white background best because it really does bring out so much more detail and doesn't distract from the product.  But - sometimes I need a larger surface so I opt in to use the damask print fabric which I use as a backdrop for my videos and portraits as well.  When it comes to portrait photos - I really enjoy using the reddish brown wall that's outside of my house.  This area is ideal not only for it's background but for the lighting.  It adds texture to my background without taking away from the image and of course, the lighting is almost always ideal there depending on the time of day.  If I absolutely cannot take photos during the day - then I use my white door as my backdrop in some of my photos and take them inside.

What is your top photographing tip for a beginner blogger?

Hmmm... this is a hard one, because if you want me to answer as a blogger- my tip for a beginner would be to know your lighting... and I say this by means of your Shadows, where the lighting hits your object and of course the type of lighting you use.  But as a photographer I will say that the number one tip I could use after seeing so many photographs from bloggers, makeup artists, etc. is to LEARN YOUR EQUIPMENT.  I see so many lovely ladies taking photos for their blogs or even doing videos and they have top notch equipment that would make any Photographer drool.  But many of them don't even know how to use the equipment at all which results in poor quality images.  Take the time to learn about your equipment and what it does.  If you can't figure it out then practice and of course - YouTube is a great place to go to learn from techies that can lend a hand in that department too :)  Know how to engage your macro settings and learn how to create natural bokeh in your images if you want to.  These things are what makes photographs unique and eye catching.  I have to admit - when it comes to my blog - I'm pretty lazy when it comes to photos.  I spend so much time photographing clients that sometimes I forget that I need to spend as much time with my blog photos too.  Take your time and hone in on your craft.  Make that piece of expensive equipment happy that you took the time to learn more about it and how to use it.  As many of you know - I'm a Lifestyle blogger, not just beauty.  And, while I do enjoy editing my images for Artistic Value, I also love when I can showcase awesome art without the editing.  This images (below) was taken of my son Isaiah when he was just under a year old.  While I did edit the image to give it an HDR type affect - the bokeh in the background was all done with the camera and lens.   I think there are so many bloggers out there that have such great equipment but they treat it like a point and shoot camera from the 90's.  This way - instead of always editing your images you can also add a certain type of pizzazz and rock out your photos. :) And, of course - this will mean that you will be taking show stopping photos that are In Focus, crisp and clear. 

 For fun: If you could upgrade your photographing equipment today, what would you buy?

Oh - I do have a list of cameras I would love to add to my photog arsenal.  But the thing about cameras and their accessories is that they are just like computers - practically obsolete the minute the get purchased.  If you take care of your equipment it can last a long time, I still have my old Manual Canon Rebel SLR (which is film) and it still works and my D60 is over 4 years old.  But - I'm still researching what cameras will be good and slightly universal for what I am looking to create. :) 

Hope you all enjoyed this post.  Let me know if you have any questions.
xoxo
Honey

Oh - one more thing. I will post pictures and update on my DIY light box. lol it's funny and goofy looking but it gets the job done. :) I was trying to get this post up quickly - so I failed in that department. lol