How I Take and Edit Blog Photos

This is different from my usual content, but I get asked often about blog photos. How I take and edit them before posting etc. Way back when, I wrote this post for the first time. I was fairly new to the blogging game and thought I knew everything there was to know. Boy was I wrong.

So I wanted to do an updated version, to show where I started off and where I am now.

Let’s take a trip down memory lane…

There was nothing inherently bad about any of these blog photos. They were good for where I was at the time. But there’s always something that can be improved on. My current goal is to try and make something mundane and ordinary, appear more expensive. Think bougie on a budget.

At the time, here’s how I edited my blog photos…

VSCO cam > Facetune 2 > Instasize. I always whitened my photos within an inch of their life because I loved the bright, overly exposed look. Heavy on the contrast.

Read more; How I Edit My Photos | FAQ’s 

A look at my current photos

I’m not saying my photos now are the best in the world, but they are a definite improvement. I go for less stark, crisp white tones and more of a warm, cosy vibe. I still use all the same editing apps; VSCO cam and Facetune 2. I use Instasize to loosely plan out my Instagram feed, but no longer add white borders to my photos.

Since last year I also purchased a ring light on Amazon. I didn’t get a proper one, just a simple £30 situation with a tall tripod fixture. It has three light settings, cool white, light warm, and deep warm. It doesn’t get used in every one of my photos, but it helps me get the right lighting on overcast dull days.

Tips and tricks

• If you use your phone to take photos (like me) then clean the lense before taking photos. A wipe down with a dry cloth will suffice, nothing too fancy. This makes a world of difference! Do you know how much dust and dirt accumulates on your phone throughout the day? A lot. By wiping your camera, you’re giving yourself a better chance at getting a clear shot.
• Utilise props. I’ve got a whole bunch of bits and bobs lying around that I use as photo props. I don’t buy them specially, it’s just I’ve got in the house. You can use anything in the right way. Pillow cases, jackets, even old scraps of wallpaper… They can all make a great backdrop for any photo.
• Experiment with editing. Play around with different filters, lighting, shadows, highlights. The slightest adjustments can make all the difference!
• Take several variations of the same photo. I never snap a quick photo and post it. For every one photo I put online, there’s another eight that never see the light of day. I try different angles, arrangements of props, backgrounds, the lot.

My favourite tools

• The grain tool on VSCO cam. I like a soft, vintage vibe in my pictures at the moment. I up the grain on my pictures to 2.0-3.0 to achieve this.
• Facetune 2’s defocus tool. I don’t have a professional camera so when I want to get a blurred out background, this is what I use. It creates a stark contrast between background and foreground, and has a handy erase tool so you can decide what is/isn’t blurred out.
• Picsart has a super handy removal tool that allows you to cut out unwanted items from your photos. It’s a premium feature that you have to pay for, but can come in handy for photos with something distracting in the background.

I’m not saying that my current photos are the best in the world, but they’re definitely a step up from what they were! After all, progress not perfection right?

Do you like my old or new editing style better? Have any questions for me about photo editing? Let me know in the comments below.