Hey all, how's you?

Photography is one of the most important parts of blogging. Photos can make or break a post and can be the be all and end all of your blog looking professional or not. But have no fear, Matti is here to help. On this post I'm going to run through some tips I've picked up over the 2 years I've been blogging.

This is quite a rambly post since photography is something I love to talk about so forgive me and grab a cup of tea or a beverage before hand.

So first, I'm going to state the obvious when I say 'well, the main thing you need in photography is a camera' no shit, Matti! It is true, though. The most important thing for decent photography is a decent camera.

Now, I know what you're going to say - "but Matti I don't have enough money to buy myself a fancy camera! Plus, I don't even know if I'm that invested in blogging..." - and I hear you. I use my phone to take most of my blog photos (iPhone 5S by the way) and that work's great once you know how to make the most of what you have. Obviously, the dream for a lot of bloggers is to have a Canon EOS 80D, I mean, I'd kill for one! Alas, like many other people, I don't quite have the funds in my piggy bank to buy one, or even a DSLR camera in any shape or form, so you've got to learn to get the most out of what you do have.

1/ Know Your Stuff

One of the things that's going to help you the most is learning about everything you're handling. If you do have a DSLR camera, then read the manual (don't lie to me and say you already have, I don't believe you for a second!) and find something that you can photograph to practise. If you have different lenses to the one that comes with the camera, learn about them too. The secret to this is just read up. You'll have more than enough material on the internet to help you out.

Another thing you should probably read up on is photography techniques and how to master them. Where the best place to take your photos are, how the light affects the photo (especially when you're alone taking outfit photos and you're having to rely on the thing on your phone's camera that does the thing with the light (that's the professional term)). I have a folder with about 50-odd posts in my "Blogging" collection on Bloglovin'. You can find that here if you're interested.

2/ Background

The perfect background depends on what kind of photo you're taking. It also depends what kind of blog you have. If your blog is very pink and kiche and girly, add some fluffy shit; if your blog is minimalistic and very clean and white, then I'd suggest a clean white background (the BILLY bookcase from IKEA is perfect for that) with minimal props. Each blogger's photography style is very particular to them, their blog and it's design. Just have a play around with backgrounds, props and that kind of thing until you find something you're satisfied with.

3/ Lighting

Even if you're using a shitty camera, or even your phone, if you have good lighting, it really can change a photo. It improves the quality and makes your photo pop a lot more. Plus, (obvious alert) it will make it easier to see the product you're promoting if the lighting is good.

4/ Cropping

So you've got the photo, the quality is good, the props and backgroud are on fleak and the lighting beautiful - now how should you crop it? What are the right dimensions for a blog photo? Well, again, this is down to preference, but I tend to use the "Square" feature on the iPhone camera as I quite like the Instagram-type feel but really you can make it whichever dimensions you'd like.

5/ Editing

When it comes to editing, there's a fine line between well edited and too edited. It's an art form, truely it is. This art, however, I can sadly not teach you. You just have to sniff it out yourself. I use either PicMonkey or Fotor, depending on if I have wifi and my mood.

If you guys have any other questions about blog photography then don't hesitate and I shall enlighten you as best as I can, and as usual I encourage any other bloggers or photography buffs to share your wisdom in the comments section.