Monday, 21 September 2015

Blogging Behind The Scenes : How I Take My Blog Photos

Photography is a huge part of blogging. No matter what anyone else says - photography can make or break a blog in my opinion.

I've been very conscious of my blog photos since starting A Yellow Brick Blog and I'm sure I'm not the only person who has felt this way.
Looking at other bloggers, their amazing set-ups (crisp white, gorgeous lighting, pretty flower arrangements... you know the drill) and their awesome camera skills I've not felt great about my own work alot of the time! (Silly I know but comparison just comes naturally to me!)

It's only been the last few months or so that I've started to feel 'okay' about my photos and that's all down to my new little set up I've put together.

A few people who I know in 'real life' have said to me "your flat looks so lovely, so white and pretty" - to this I cannot help but laugh. It is incredible how much influence one photo can give.... as you can see above all it is is a cheeky bit of thick white card.

That's right - it cost me £5 and has lasted me for MONTHS! All I do is pop this onto my ottoman in my lounge, push it up against the wall and - Bobs your uncle, the perfect backdrop to pop anything onto!
I use a soft box light alongside this as lighting truly is key when it comes to blog photography - it really does transform a picture. 
Normally the light is facing the wall not to the side as the photo above shows. (I just wanted to show you it all in one photo)
 This light was from Amazon but I actually bought it off of a lovely blogger who had two but really only needed one - so it was a total bargain and has totally changed the way I do my photos! One of the best things now is that I don't have to wait for daylight - I can take photos whenever I want - which is great as I am at work 5 days a week adn evenings most of the time are more practical! 

With this plain backdrop I really can transform it into anything - I've used everything from books to candles to hairbands to help create an aesthetically pleasing backdrop for the products (or whatever it may be) that I am photographing and I really do try to mix it up!

The camera I use is the Canon 700D which is a DSLR and I LOVE it! One of the best investments I've ever made, I'm still learning constantly with it though as I'm no professional ha!
A few of my photos with my new set up....

So there we have it, there's your sneak peek into my blog photos and what goes into making them..... I'm sorry if the illusion has been ruined for some of you!

Let me know what you thought of this post - I'd love to do some more 'behind the scenes' type posts!
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23 comments

  1. Love these behind the scenes photos! Photos are the bane of my life, I definitely need to invest in some cardboard :P

    Danielle's Beauty Blog

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  2. I love posts like these!! Question, how many light bulbs does your soft box have and what is the wattageof them? I've been wanting to get soft boxes as I work during the day too! Thanks Hun :)

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  3. very interesting! I know I need to buy one of those light as its the key to beautiful pictures like yours, I think recently have been ok but winter is at our door step and soon it will be pitch black by the time I come back from work.

    http://allornothing-blog.blogspot.co.uk/

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  4. This is a great idea!
    Charlotte // charlottespicks.blogspot.com

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  5. Lighting is so important when it comes to taking blog photos! x

    Gabbi | Bloglovin | http://gabbiparker63.blogspot.co.uk

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  6. I do the same ish. Really need to invest in a light box!

    Pam xo/ Pam Scalfi♥

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  7. The white cardboard is a great idea!


    Leonie ♥ Lo On The Go

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  8. I'm very conscious with my blog photos too (and very unsatisfied) so I love knowing how other people do it!

    Be | lovefrombe

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  9. Love this post, Kirstie. Your photos always look amazing and it's something I'd really like to start focusing more on.
    I do love it when blogger share their "behind the magic" info :) Yes please to more x
    Gillian  xx  EyelinerFlicks

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  10. Definitely need to invest in a soft box light myself, now that the days are getting shorter! Such a great trick of the trade.

    Rachel | www.currentlyrachel.com

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  11. This is lovely and makes me want a soft box now. I usually take my pictures on my balcony and it turns out pretty but I'm going to get heatstroke one of these days from it.

    Jackie | fashionxfairytale |

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  12. The 'piece of card' trick is truly inspired- I had never even thought of that! Such great tips; worded beautifully. It's lovely to see the time and effort put into your photos/blog in general (and it pays off!). I can't wait to see your blog expand further and gain even more followers, because you truly deserve it. I wish you the best of luck for the future

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  13. "I'm sorry if the illusion has been ruined for some of you," you're such a doll to apologize for something like that!

    I love your photos, I think that they're beautiful and I think you do a great job!

    x

    Shree

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  14. I'm also very conscious of blog photos-this post really helped me!
    http://awaywithwildfox.blogspot.co.uk/

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  15. Ooh, a soft light is something to think about! I remember not being super conscious of how I took photos when I first started my blog, so long as they were in focus and generally uncluttered -- I started with my phone and worked up from there!

    Do you find that you get a lot of shadow using the soft box? I take my photos in the bathroom, as it's got a white bench top and it gets a lot of natural light (which I obviously depend on), but I've only got a relatively slim window of opportunity before I get a lot of shadow. I'm wondering if having or improvising a soft box would help eliminate this!

    Shae xo
    Diary of a Beauty Padawan

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  17. I love this! I'm always marvelling at how every blogger has such fabulous pristine white surfaces and now I know the hack!
    Lizzy | by Lizzy x

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  18. As a backdrop I use two pieces of white A2 cardboard which are extremely cheap and useful when taking photos! I think that I need to invest in some lights now!

    Sarah | What Sarah Writes

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  19. I actually love this! You never would of guessed! I definitely need to purchase some form of extra light as my house is extremely lacking and I only have one part of my house I can take pictures! Amazon to the rescue!

    Jess @ www.JuicyyyJesss.co.uk

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  20. great tips! i should definitely invest in some white cardboard x)

    theleeday.com

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  21. I'm always looking for different ways to improve my blog photographs so this was such a helpful post!xx

    Lissy ♥ lissyslife.com

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  22. do you know how much one of those soft light boxes are?
    I love this little set up

    Jacksons Cup of Tea | Personal Style and Lifestyle blog

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  23. I'm still not 100% happy with my blog photos, but I'm a perfectionist and it's very hard to please me haha! I have a question, what lens for your Canon do you use?:)

    http://www.cojograab.com

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