My Do’s & Don’ts:Blogging Photography

Greetings Darlings !

Today’s blog post is sponsored by Lady Grey Grey. Yes, that is her :

Nope I haven’t gone mad. I am just too damned excited about this new wig, and do not have the patience required to wait for a proper shoot to whip it out! [I sound like a dodgy bloke don’t I?]. Plus I totally reckon that the grey gives me the credibility I am currently losing by taking ages to post.  Everybody waits and listens to Gandalf, no? There!

Today’s post is about some blogging photography tips and tricks I have learnt whilst running this blog. And yes, I am totally aware that the first two pics on this post are utterly terrible – and grainier than a non-retouched Kardashian arse.

Let’s start shall we? * smacks scepter baguette on the floor*

1- DO Get a New Tri-Legged Pet: the Tripod !

Whether you are using an actual camera or a smartphone, the tripod is your answer to :

a) Alien head shots – ie that wierd angle / bulby close up of your cranium, making you look like a (glamorous) conehead.

b) Rather cool but legless pictures – You made all this effort to doll up, and you aren’t showing these badass heels? (yes Barack, we know you got them! *wink back at ya*)

You can get tripods for mobile phones on Amazon or for proper cameras for less than £20.

Example : This tripod is £13.99; I haven’t used it but it has plenty of reviews which seem positive. That section has a lot of tripods, so why not have a look? I am using a DSLR camera, and I have a Manfrotto tripod as the camera is quite heavy and needs proper support.

Most, if not all cameras have a timer these days to allow you to perfect that pose and get a full frame shot of your outfit!

Yas! Strike THAT pose honey!

2- DO Pay Attention to Details !

a) That pair of Spongebog Squarepants panties drying in the corner of your room? Begone or your credibility as a glamorous queen of darkness will !

So many times I have taken a picture, only to notice once on my computer that there is a wire or something sticking out (no spongebog or random butt nekkid dude, may I add). Sure, you can edit things out (I recommend you download Photoshop Fix on your phone – AMAZING!), but better capture the perfect picture first, no?

b) That Apple watch on your wrist? Well if you’re doing a witchy shoot, and it is not the witching hour …. then remove that goddamn watch ( and yes, *I* DID THIS)

3- DO Use Your Imagination !

a) Backgrounds: using a variety of backgrounds doesn’t have to be a mission! For instance I use sofa throws to get texture in the background.  In my latest pics I have used a velvet throw hanged over a rail … So if you thought I was in Dracula’s boudoir, sorry I was in my living room! (PS : I will do a full blog post for that one)

b) Outfits :  I am the first to vandalise online alternative website for the latest goodies … but you can get SO many cheap, awesome props for shoots on Ebay! Think : fans, gloves, flowers etc … My flat is now looking like a theatrical goth emporium, but it gives me flexibility for my pics.

4 – DO Take Multiple Shots At Various Angles !

a) So you have caked the make up on stronger than The Mask, squeezed your twins into that corset … to take a singular, one dimensional selfie?

Girl, no.

Move the tripod around, move yourself around, do portraits, hip length, full length… So you have a myriad of options for your blog post or insta posts!

5 – DO Download Photo Editing Apps !

One thing I will never do, is edit a photo so much I don’t look like myself …umm…

What I will do however is fix the lighting,  give the photo a vibe, accentuate the contrast especially to show jewellery.

Many apps for editing exist which are awesome !

1. Photoshop Express
2. Pixlr Express
3. And for instagram, tools to resize the photo to a square without compromising your pic, for instance : No Crop Pic For Instagram

So here it goes, these are my top basic tips for that snap 🙂 I will do a more technical post in a few weeks – because we need to talk about lighting, distances and all that jazz! But I will leave this for now.

What do you use for your photos? 

Until Next Time, Yours in Dark Glitter & Spikes,

🖤Thunderella🖤

xxx