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| The blurry background that you see behind me is known as the bokeh effect. This effect places the focus on the main subject without competing with the background. |
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| You can achieve the bokeh effect several ways via photo shop and camera filters. I use a 50mm F1.8 camera lens, details below. |
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| The small details you can pick up with a 50mm lens up close can be scary, but so good for outfit details. |
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| If weather permits, take your photos outdoors. Natural light is your friend in photography. |
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| My hubby bought this vintage Kodak camera for me over the weekend. So fun! |
Hello everyone! I get a lot of emails asking about my photography and what type of camera I use. I am not a professional photographer by any means, it's only a passion of mine. I usually take my own photos for my blog with the help of a tripod and a camera remote. I've learned a few things through trial and error and wanted to share a few tips to help you achieve beautiful photos for your blog too. Here is how I get my photos to look pretty professional coming from a rookie:
Camera: You have to invest in a really good camera. I use a Nikon D40. It's an older camera and there is a newer digital version out now, but it is a lot more expensive and this one works just fine. I found the key to professional looking photos is really in the lens.
Lens: I use a Nikon 50mm F1.8 for all of my photos. If you want to achieve that blurry background with the focus on the main subject, also known as the bokeh effect, you will need to invest in this type of lens. The lens runs about $200 and up depending on your camera make and model. The F-Stop with a 1.8 minimum will give you the bokeh effect.
Photo Editor: I use Photo Shop Elements to edit and re-size my photos. It's pretty easy and gives you many options to add or change the filters and runs about $75. There are many free photo editors online that work pretty well too, try Google's PicMonkey. Blogs are all visual, so blow up your photos to the largest size that your blog platform allows. Mine are 700 pixels wide. Use the same width for all of your photos to keep your blog visually clean and consistent.
Today, I am linking up with these fabulous ladies:
Treat Yo'Self, Three-fer Thursday, Working Girl with Style, Tres-Chic Fashion, Look What I Got, Casual Friday, What I'm Loving Friday's
and
I am Co-Hosting All Things Thursday link party with Kati of Glitz and Gold and Elise of Hunters of Happiness!
"All Things Thursday” is a weekly fashion/personal style link-up between Glitz and Gold and Hunters of Happiness. These girls are amazing and both have beautiful blogs. If you’re linking up with #AllThingsThursday, Kati of Glitz and Gold and Elise of Hunters of Happiness are hosting the link party. Check out what the hosts have been up to this week:
Remember to follow All Things Thursday Pinterest board. We will pin the looks of those we feature!
Now... read the guidelines below and then:
LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!
This is so helpful! I'm always looking for ways to make my blog pictures look better. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI'll have to share this post with my hubby, the photographer. Right now we simply use a Ipad for the shots. For some reason it works. But we have been talking about investing in another camera.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tips! I've been thinking about investing in a new lens. :-) I love the skull ring!
ReplyDeleteHi Glenda! The iPad and the iPhone have come a long way and are actually really good for taking photos! The beauty of the having a camera like my Nikon, is that it let's you get more creative with your photos, such as using the bokeh background, which lets you be the main focus of the photo without fighting the background. It's not a cheap hobby, but it is worth every penny of your investment. I've had mine for about 5 years now and just keep adding new lenses and accessories for fun! You are doing a nice job with your blog, so don't make that man of yours run out and spend tons of $$, hehe :) Thanks for stopping by! xo
ReplyDeleteHi Alli! Thanks so much for stopping by! I will sharing more photography tips as I go that are not as expensive, but this post covers the bulk of it! xo
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this, it's so helpful! I recently invested in a new camera and need to work on my picture taking skills now!
ReplyDeleteThe lens makes a huge difference! Thanks for stopping by Monique!! :)
ReplyDeleteHave fun taking photos Kate! Thanks for stopping by! :)
ReplyDeleteGreat tips! I use a Cannon 50D mostly with a 28-135 lens because I struggle with the 50mm when I'm using a remote taking pics of myself. But, I'm good with it working with others. Bokeh has been impossible using the self timer or the remote any tips?
ReplyDeleteHi Cookie! The 50mm lens with the f1.8 is a challenge when using a remote, it seems to have a mind of it's own when it comes to focus. I was told the the wider the lens (1.8) the harder it is to work with. I took the pics in my post with a remote and the bokeh looks great in these, but not all pics turned out. I looked blurry in some pics when the background was clear…you just have to keep snapping pics until you get those shots you are happy with. I took about 20 pics for this shoot and selected the ones that looked best. The clarity and the detail the lens picks up makes the challenge so worth it! Thanks so much for stopping by!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the photo tips! I'm visiting from Treasure Tromp and so glad I did, because this was really helpful:)
ReplyDeleteHi Kari! Thanks so much for stopping by! xo
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