Guest Post: 8 Tips for Better Blog Images, Part 2

Much thanks again to Christine @ Photographic Ramblings of a Photo Nut for sharing her professional knowledge and tips. (In case you missed it, click here for Part 1).

 










 5.     Change Your Perspective!
Images starting to look the same? Even boring, or too familiar? Change where you shoot from. Pros rarely get the killer shots shooting from eye level.  Find your subject or scene, decide what the most important feature is, then get above it, slightly below it, shoot from the ground up, or shoot along the length of it. The award winning image above is of a much photographed historical location, but instead of including the whole building the way most people see it, I shot from beneath one of its most beautiful elements and found a whole new perspective. Give it a try!
 

 









6.     The Golden Hours!
If you’re going to shoot outdoors for any reason, the ideal time is during the “golden hours”. The first light in the morning until about 10 am and the last light of the day until about a half hour after sunset starting from dinner time depending on the time of year. This is when you get the warmest, nicest light from the sun. Skin tones are softer, and scenes have a magical quality.
 

 















7.     Use Portrait Framing More!
Look back through your picture files. Most people hold their camera at eye level and lengthwise. Turn your camera on its side more; it’s not just for people portraits. Composing a shot in your lens on the vertical creates a different energy and adds a new dynamic. The example above demontrates this. I chose to compose this way to accentuate the pillars on the chapel, the lines of the architecture, and include some of the brooding sky. And it works!
 

 










8.     Keep it Simple! The best way to compose is to find what you really want to feature, then shoot it. Don’t try to include so much into the scene. This only creates more distractions when viewing the shot and a viewer can get lost in the image, totally missing your intent. This goes hand in hand with tip #3. The example here is a massive stack of baskets at the market. I remember I tried to include the entire 12 foot high stack, but to do so meant other things started seeping into the composition and the shot was no longer about the baskets.  I also began to lose the details I was drawn to. The end result still tells you this is a cool stack of baskets, but is simple, more powerful, and has great detail.
  
There you have it, 8 ways you can improve your blog images without having to buy new gear or use general pics from stock. My very deep thanks to Tracy, for letting me shed some light on this topic and being asked to be a guest on one of my favourite blogs! 

Whether needing images for the latest exercise, the best recipe, or your latest family outing, my wish is that you now feel confident enough to get shooting!  

Have fun and thanks again!

Christine 
C. Duncan's Photography