Shoot like a Pro, Spend like an Amateur

Drool-worthy, gooey mac & cheese, a perfectly lit overhead shot of a carefully styled smoothie bowl, a model in the middle of NYC without a shadow on her face and a whimsical gust of wind tousling her hair… We’ve all seen (and oogled) over these shots in an Instagram feed, scratching our heads as to how this, say,  fashion blogger, executive and mother of 3, has the time and the ability to take professional quality photos in-between diaper changes and emails. She’s no professional photographer and doesn’t own all the top gear (neither do most of the content creators in your social feeds!), so how does she do it?

We asked the LMS Chief Creator, Tim Lambertson, for some tips and tricks to help influencers like you take their photo skills from amateur to O.M.G! Here’s what he had to say:

 

Iphone? A-OK

I don’t have a fancy camera, just a smartphone. Can i still take quality pics?

Yes, absolutely!  The quality and technology capabilities in smartphones these days is truly amazing. A few weeks ago I dug out my old Canon camera only to find out that it was only 10 megapixels and that my Samsung Galaxy S6 Active was 16. (What?!)  Additionally, I have done food photography and photoshoots in the field with nothing more than an iPhone – worked great! And much lighter to carry around, I might add.  Advancements in phone technology on the new iPhone such as depth effect are a great resource for those that do not have a professional camera, like a 5D Mark III or better.    

 

Poorly lit to so LIT!

How can I take better pictures outdoors? The sun can be tricky.

Shoot like a Pro, Spend like an Amateur
Photo by Ben White

You are going to want to follow the basics.  Make sure your subject is not backlit or your shot will be too shadowy, make sure your subject is not in direct sun or your shot may be too overexposed. As often as possible, shoot during the ‘Golden Hour’ (an hour of ‘golden light’ shortly after sunrise or before sunset), or on cloudy, overcast days for the best natural (aka free!) good lighting.  If that’s not possible, use diffusion to limit the amount of direct sun on the subject.

*Diffusion is a material that allows less direct light to shine on the subject. It can be white diffusion paper rigged overhead between 2 C stands or it can be Rags, Flags or Sunbounce kits. Want to get crafty? A very sheer white curtain or sheet can often do the trick, too!

 

Shake it up, baby!

I’m looking to add some creativity to my feed. What can I do other than a standard picture?

I love cinemagraphs aka ‘living photos,’ where just one part of the image is moving. They are fun, quick, relatively easy to create and very impressive in your feed.  All you need a modern smartphone and photoshop, and you have the potential to create something really engaging. Check out this video for an easy how-to. Stop motion is also an attention-grabber! Though a bit more time-consuming..

Got an App for that?

What are the best editing apps and tools you use?

For me, nothing beats Adobe!  I like both the traditional Photoshop on my Mac and the Photoshop App.  Additionally, when shooting I like to run everything through Lightroom. Stop Motion Studio, Blur Image and Photo Director are some other favorites I recommend! Anyone can self-teach themselves how to best use these tools and there are tutorials all over for specific features you may be interested in. Spend a little time researching and you’ll be a pro in no time!

Let’s get in formation!

I often can’t get composition right – what are some guidelines I can follow?

There are really no hard and fast rules of photography and art is very subjective. But I would say for me, a few composition rules I follow are:

  1. Balancing the elements in the photo – Placing the main subject of the photo off-center can often lead to a more interesting photo for the viewer.  You can add in other elements in the foreground, but perhaps out of focus, so the eye is drawn to the subject.
  2. Depth is also a huge element for me, especially with food photography.  Whether it’s a bottle in the foreground or a kitchen towel and flowers in the background, the depth of the photo (specifically what elements are in focus vs what has blur) makes for a more dramatic photo.  
  3. Finally, Framing – when taking shots you will often find that there are natural borders available to you. A doorway, two trees in the distance, the edges of a table can all serve as organic ‘frames’ to draw the eye to the focus.   

 

Have more questions about how to shoot like a pro? DM us on IG or reach out to lj@wearelms.com and we’d be happy to help you out or update this post with additional insights! Want to connect with other influencers and learn more from LMS and our awesome clients? Join the LMS Inner Circle today – here!

Lauren Jones
Lauren comes from a background in media and journalism, with a history of working with small businesses. Throughout her career, she has managed blogs and social media content for various businesses to grow, curate and educate their audiences. As a freelance and staff writer, Lauren has contributed to multiple online and print publications, many local to her home state of North Carolina. Lauren is a lover of traveling, Thai food and extra large dogs.

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