The secret about my photos & my personal photography tips
One of the most frequently asked questions this past year has definitely been “How do you take your photos?”. This question, along with questions about what equipment I use for my photos, and how I edit them are asked on a frequent basis and I receive a lot of sweet compliments from you about it. Although I’d love to wrap myself around all those lovely words, the credit for most of the photos shown is not my own. Some of you might already know how lucky I am to be with an enormously talented photographer who’s taking basically all of my outfit shots, and also most of the landscape shots I love posting in my gallery. So the secret is out now.
The equipment we use is definitely not something I would recommend to anyone who wants to start with photography, or who’s just doing it as their hobby. Also, it’s definitely nothing you need to have in order to take lovely photos for a blog or Instagram account. Investing in really good camera equipment is mostly very pricey, but taking good photos as such does not have to be. Before I met Patrick I was very fascinated by photography already and I remember how I got my first DSLR camera from my parents for Christmas a long time ago. Back then, I did not have anyone who could properly explain to me what to do with that beast of camera, which was so full of potential. I thought with the right equipment it would be easy to take great photos… but of course I was proven wrong right away. Only because I had a great camera, it didn’t mean I could take great photos. I know how I got quite frustrated about it very soon, so I’m writing this post to encourage everyone not to get frustrated about photography, but to find joy in it and search for beauty through your lens. No matter what camera you have – even if it’s an iPhone you’re taking your photos with – with a few tips and tricks you can get so much out of it!
I’m by no means an expert in photography, so I can only tell you my very personal tips when it comes to learning and improving one’s photography. Before investing into an expensive camera body or a new lens, it’s helpful to understand how photography actually works. What helped me most was to start using my camera in the M (= manual) mode. This means that you have to learn how to put your settings manually and it helps you to define your photography style. Furthermore, it’s a great way to understand the three most important technical adjustment of a picture – aperture, ISO and shutter speed. Or to start off easier, use the A or Av mode, which means “aperture priority”, so your camera sets shutterspeed and ISO on it’s own. Tip: If you want your photos to have this kind of ” bright blogger style”, use a low aperture (like f1.8) so you get lovely blurred out backgrounds.
I’ve also gathered a list of my favorite photography posts of other bloggers which I find very helpful:
1. 3 Steps To Amazing Blog Photography – by The Wonder Forest
“It’s extremely important when you’re trying to start growing a successful blog to focus on your brand and its visual representation. Photography is not the only component of that, but it is a large one. That’s why today I’m going to go over exactly how to start off with blog photography when you’re a beginner, whether you want to go all in with a DSLR, or even if you’re just planning to use your iPhone.”
2. The Only Two Photography Tips You Need As A New Blogger And Biz Owner – by Rebecca Jacobs
“I can remember feeling so lost, looking at the photos on my camera roll, and then looking at the outfit photos on fashion blogs. “What are they doing so differently?” Or going from my Instagram to somebody else’s perfect flat-lay and thinking “why don’t my photos look like that?”
3. 5 Tips For Bright, Neutral Winter Photos – by A Girl, Obsessed
“The biggest struggle for bloggers during the winter months is definitely getting bright, airy photos that are neutral in tone. Cloudy winter weather means dull lighting and blue-ish photos, plus the daytime is shorter so there’s even less time to get good photos than normal. Over the years (and after a lot of trial and error), I’ve learned a few tricks that really help to achieve the same airy look I get during the summer months without making the photos appear washed out or distorted.”
If you’re interested in photography and want to see more of Patrick’s work, his wedding portfolio or some more shots of recent shootings he did with Vicky, Kathi, Nina or Sonja, check out his website and blog.
At this point I’d like to give him a big shoutout again for doing such an amazing job with all the photos and also for having so much patience with me, explaining everything about camera settings, photography and editing.
I’m wearing:
ZARA – sweater
H&M – blouse
CLOSED – skinny pusher jeans (on sale!)
ISABEL MARANT – sherling boots
CHLOÉ – Drew bag
sooo wunderbar! Die Fotos sind der Hammer & die Tipps nehme ich mir gerne zu Herzen 😉
xx Alena
lookslikeperfect.net
Deine Fotos sind wirklich immer atemberaubend – was für ein Glück, dass du so einen begabten Freund hast 🙂 Die Verlinkungen sind auch super hilfreich – vielen Dank dafür <3
xxx
Tina
http://styleappetite.com
Richtig toller Beitrag, danke für die Verlinkungen. Ich habe Patricks Bilder vom Anfang an bewundert und sie werden auch immer besser! Ich bemühe mich von Tag zu Tag verbessern und weiterbilden und ich denke, dass ich auch schon einen Fortschritt gemacht habe, aber mit diesen Tipps komme ich sicher noch weiter!
Liebste Grüße,
Sandra / http://www.shineoffashion.com
https://www.instagram.com/sandraslusna/
Wundervolle Tipps ! Dein Outfit ist mega schön – vor allem deinen Pulli finde ich sehr schön. 🙂
Ich wünsche dir ein schönes Wochenende.
Liebste Grüße
Marie
http://www.whatiwearinlondon.com
Tolle Fotos und super Tipps!
Alles Liebe,
Dorothea
http://justambitious.com/
danke für den super Post!!
sag und welche Kamera würdest du einem “Anfänger” empfehlen?
alles Liebe und vielen Dank schon mal,
Lisa
Hi Lisa,
das ist immer so schwierig zu sagen, weil es total davon abhängt, was du mit der Kamera vor hast.
Möchtest du gerne eine Spiegelreflex Kamera? Ist es dir wichtig, dass es eine Vollformat Kamera ist? Hättest du lieber eine digitale Kamera? Ist es dir wichtig, dass sie klein und handlich ist?
Da bräuchte ich fast ein paar mehr Infos von dir, damit ich mich trau da eine Empfehlung abzugeben 🙂
Liebe Grüße,
Nina
ich würd mich über eine Antwort seeehr freuen ☺
Liebe Nina,
die Fotos sind (wie immer) wunderschön.
Benutzt du Lightroom Presets? Wenn ja welche?
Alles Liebe
Liebe Iris,
vielen Dank!
Patrick hat mir für die Instagram & Blog Fotos eigene Presets gebaut. Die verwende ich eigentlich bei allen Bildern…
Geplant ist es, dass es diese bald auch zu kaufen geben wird 🙂
Ich halte dich am Laufenden!
Liebe Grüße,
Nina
Die Bearbeitung ist wirklich toll, großes Kompliment an Patrick! Besonders schön finde ich das Licht in deinen Bilder, wie die Sonne von hinten durchschimmert, das sieht einfach wunderbar aus. Ich würde mich sehr freuen, wenn es bald deine presets zu kaufen gibt! Liebe Grüße aus Leipzig und viel Spaß in Australien 🙂 Ich habe mein Herz zwar an Neuseeland verloren aber Australien ist genauso schön.
http://www.lostandlayers.com