Blog Photography Tips... (For Beginners)

I have only been blogging for 6 months, but I have always had an eye for photography. Beautifully put together photographs that capture your eye. While checking out a product on Google before I bought it, I realised that if I had gone off of the pictures and not the review, I would never buy the product. And that is a real pity.  Visually appealing product photos is what sells the product 90% of the time. When you see an advert for a product on TV or in a magazine, the images are what captures you before the information about it. How it is presented is what sells you in the end. 

I thought I would put together a list that would help make your photos better and make your readers want to buy the products, rather than be put off by it. These are the steps I go through when taking photos. P.s I know the camera you use is important, but these tips work for me and I use my iPhone. 

Lighting

This has to be one of the most important things about taking a photo of a product.  Natural light is by far the best. Next to a window, outside or on the balcony, whatever floats your boat as long as it is natural light.  But just don’t take photos at midday. The light is way too harsh. I found the best time is between 10 am – 11 am and in the later afternoon.  

Another great tip is to use a reflector.  You could either buy one or if you want to save money you can make them. I use two different ones. I use a silver one, which I made out of cardboard and aluminium foil. And two white ones, which I made out of artist canvas boards and white paint.  These help to reflect the natural light and bounce it onto the products, so there will be no harsh shadows.

Sorry about the quality, these pics were taken last night. I forgot to photograph them on the weekend. :) 

If you need to take the picture at night, I would suggest buying soft boxes from a photography site. Or if you are like me, you can buy lamps to take pictures at night. Just make sure the bulbs are natural light.  But my best bet would be to wait till you can use natural light.

Props

So you have the light right, but the picture still seems a bit bland? The magic answer is PROPS! Props are what bring your pictures to life. Whether it be flowers, candles, books, bowls or ornaments, these items will make your product pop. Just don’t use all the props at once.

Look at your product and then decide what items to use. If you know that a facial scrub was made out of lemons and sugar, why not use those items strategically to sell the product. Is your product made of honey? Use honey comb or a bee ornament to show it.  What colour is the product? Either use shades of the same colour, or a complementary colour to make the item stand out.  Whatever way you choose, just don’t overdo it. Make sure it accentuates the product.

Backgrounds

This may seem like a minor thing, but having the right background will either make or break your picture. I love to use a white background, just to keep it clean and fresh but whatever you decide to go with, must not take away from the product.  It needs to enhance the product. That is why I love to use the white background.

One of my other favorites that I have seen other beauty bloggers using is marble plates or backgrounds.  They looks so amazing and super easy to achieve. You can either buy a marble plate or you can go to your local Builders Warehouse or your local hardware store. There you will find that sticky laminated plastic; we used it to line out our cupboards with. They have it in all different colours and textures. Buy the marble one and cover an artist’s canvas board with it. Viola, you have a beautiful marble board to use as a background.

Composition

So you have the lighting down the props chosen and your background picked, now what? Now comes the fun bit, choosing how you will arrange them. This is where you can let your imagination run wild. Just have fun.  There are so many different ways you could place your product and props. Once you have decided on how you want to display them, it is time to start taking the pictures.

One of the most common ways is called Flat-lay.  Basically taken from above. This works great and I use it for most of my pictures. But don’t be limited to just taking from above. Take from all different angles. And take loads of photos. Don’t just take one and think it will do. Snap away. I take about 50 from each angle just to be sure. 

Another big thing is that you have to make people want to touch the item. You have to show them the texture of the product or show them how fluffy the head of the brush is. Make the reader want to go out immediately and buy the product.

Editing

You now have a few dozen photographs but they still seem to be missing something, right? That’s where editing comes in. If you are lucky enough to have editing software like Photoshop, this is where you can create magic. If you don’t, there are a few great sites on the web that you can use to edit your pictures for free, like PixMonkey and Pixlr.

I use Photoshop CS6 (although I am still learning). I like to adjust the layers. Getting the white balance just right, so the photos don’t look yellow. I also like to apply another layer and add soft light.

Once you are ready to post them on your blog, make sure you post them as big as you can. I always make them extra-large on the blog. Nothing worse than small picture which you struggle to see the products. Also don’t make them larger than the width of the blog. Pictures over the side bar are not attractive. Just play around and preview the page before you post.

These are just some of the things I do to make the products seems more alluring to the reader and potential buyer. I’m not claiming to be the best blog photographer (I know for a fact I am not) but I thought sharing some tips would be helpful.

Here are some blogs to have a look at: (Their photography is amazing!)

Mollie Manning
Superficialgirls
Forever Amber
Ellie Love
Every Little Thing
Milk Bubble Tea
Pink Peonies
Arum Lilea

Do you have any tips that you use for product photography? Do you love beautiful pictures?