My top tips for photography!

When I started out doing any sort of photography, blogs are where I went for inspiration, hints and tips and help (mostly)! I used other photographers work for inspiration and it helped me shape my own style! I tested and tried different styles out by recreating other photographers work before I was able to create my own with my own ideas! I still use work off of sites like pinterest to inspire my photography but I use my knowledge to add my own twist.

Lighting is key! - Always keep on eye on how the lighting will effect your models skin tone, what shadows it will make appear on their faces, whether they will be squinting from the sun etc! When I’m photographing I am constantly thinking of ways to incorporate what I want in the background with how I will get a natural and flattering lighting on their face! Also if shooting in a studio I am able to create almost anything I want! I can create all different types of atmospheres in the studio just by using lighting!

Here I used a black backdrop and 1 soft box light, by facing the light only very slightly at the model face I was able to capture the shadows onto her face.

Angles. This one can be tricky most of the time the idea is to get a flattering angle of the model. You can also can use angles to create different feelings towards the final image. For example if you use an off angle where the model is obviously off-set, this can create an uncomfortable feeling for the onlooker. Also as below by using this angle, I was able to create a sense of that its the couples big day and they are the most important for that day!

By laying on the ground I was able to capture this shot of the couple with the house behind them and the flowers from the grounds in the foreground.

Don’t delete anything! - I am a firm believer that you can create some magical work with the images you might not like so much on your camera screen! Photos always look different on the computer screen than they do on the camera! You never know, one of your best shots from that shoot might be the one you delete whilst on the shoot!

I especially never delete photos of animals, as although on the small screen on the camera they may look a little blurry one open on PS or LR you may realise it isn't as blurry as you thought you are able to fix this problem whilst editing.

Don’t be afraid to try different things. If i hadn’t of tried something different 6 years ago (like picking up a camera!!) I wouldn’t be where I am today! I would probably still be waitressing in the same cafe that I had been since I was 12! I also had NO idea what I was doing (I am just being honest here, all I knew what to do was point and press the button!) when it came to photographing one of my first ever jobs, which by the way was a wedding, I just tried it and fell in love with it! (sorry, cheesy moment!)

By standing directly in front of the sun I was able to capture this image of the trees, the 3 stood to the left tree and that sun flare!

Enjoy! If you don’t enjoy what you’re doing why do it in the first place? I absolutely LOVE what I do. The adrenaline rush you get from the beginning of a job to the end, its like you’re a superhero! I’ve never walked so fast than I do when I’m at a party or a wedding! It's like I’m a different version of myself doing the thing I enjoy more than anything! I love meeting all the different people, getting to know different people.

I was very lucky to have such a lovely day when I was photographing this gorgeous bed and breakfast! I was also lucky the sun was shining directly over it!

If anything this blog post is to help someone out dip their toes in the world of photography and hopefully fall in love with it as much as I did! It’s an amazing thing, and I have been very lucky for my little business to grow so much over the past 6 years!

Thanks for reading,

Em x