5 Steps To Creating Custom Blog Photos

When I first entered the world of blog photography, I thought, "Yes!!! This is my calling!" This is where my heart is. I love creating custom stock photos for creative business owners. Having been a creative individual my entire life, I just understand the creative mindset. Hiring a professional to do your photos is costly; I totally get it. So allow me to share with you a few tips on how you can get started with your own custom blog photos.

1 | DEFINE YOUR BRAND

Honestly, your photos are going to look really basic if you don't have a well-defined brand. You need to know what your color palette is, what your business is about, what you want your company to reflect. Do not start any photo snapping until you have your branding solidified. Think of this step as the foundation you would lay when you're building your house. Walls don't go up until the foundation goes down.

2 | LOOK OUTSIDE THE BOX FOR PROPS

You know what the best thing about props is? Everything can be used as a prop! I'm not kidding you. Sure, there are lots of items out there that are not photo-worthy for your gorgeous blog photography, but keep your eyes open. You might be overlooking something that is pretty great just because they don't fit the definition of a prop.

3 | START SNAPPING

Now just start snapping. Play around with flat lays and vignettes and take photos. Take test shots to see if you've got the white balance corrected or if the light is properly exposed. Then look to see if the props are styled according to how you would like. Do not rely on your eye for styling alone because the camera sees things very differently. You may not have it styled perfectly, but with practice you'll get there.

4 | PERFECT YOUR PHOTOS

Here's a trade secret: no professional photographer sells their photos straight out of the camera. Every image taken has gone through an editing process to some degree. How much editing all depends on the image itself and also the artistic eye of the photographer. So, make your photos perfect by enhancing the photos before you post them.

5 | CREATE A LIBRARY

Finally, create a new folder on your computer and store all your new custom blog photos here. Now, when you need a photo for your blog post, you can pull it from this folder!