Taking Better Blog Photos

Taking great photos is definitely not a strength of mine. I really struggle to get the light right, to place my items in the right spot and to style them. When I'm taking photos of the girls or myself wearing something, my general rule is take HEAPS and hope that a couple of pics will come out alright! Sometimes I get lucky, but other times I find it really tricky, especially during winter when light is very gloomy. I would consider this one a lucky one:

The first ever picture I put on my blog was this one of some pyjamas I made Anna. The picture is from the first blog post I wrote.

OMG. So bad - out of focus, on a hideous background (a floral vinyl tablecloth that was a hand me down from my Nanna and I use it when the kids are eating). Photo styling was clearly not a concept I had considered at this point! *dies of embarrassment*

I've come a long way and have been able to take photos like this one, which according to Pinterest has been pinned over 14 000 times! Amazing!

It's an OK picture, but it's not perfect. The dining chair shouldn't be in the side of the picture. It's no secret that a great image will drive traffic to your blog. I also have a small Etsy shop, and the same rules apply - the better your images, the more your products will stand out to customers, and the more sales you will have.

I've pondered the idea of photography classes in the past but I've shied away due to the price, often several hundred dollars and a commitment of time which I often can't make work due to my husband's unreliable work hours.

There are some great online resources such as blogs like Digital Photography School and other creative bloggers who write the occasional blog post sharing their tips on photography. The only problem is sometimes you have to delve through a lot of irrelevant information to find what you are looking for. So I was quite excited when I got an email the other day from Craftsy sharing details about their new photography courses.

I've decided to enrol in the class 'Shoot It: A Product Photography Primer*' It sounds perfect for the types of photos I take both for the blog and for Etsy. It's also on sale at the moment so it's a great time to enrol.

My goal for the next few months is to really improve my photos, so I'm not so reliant on editing in PicMonkey. I have a Canon EOS 500 that I use for my blog photos (although occasionally I will use a picture from my phone!) I do try to use other settings than Auto, but I feel like I've got a great camera and not much idea how to use it, so I'm looking forward to learning more about that too.

I'd love to hear your best photography tips  - I need as much advice as I can get!

*I'm a member of the Craftsy affiliate program.