If you decide you want to include photos to go along with your content, here’s some simple tips and tricks to make your pics even better so you can draw more readers in! You don’t need to own an expensive camera or a host of lenses, either…

Learn how to use you camera

Whether you’re using your phone or you’ve picked up a starter DSLR to practice with, sitting down and getting to grips with the settings is the first step to beautiful photos. If you’re using a camera,  keep it on auto at first to see what your photos come out like, then start to learn each of the settings.
In a nutshell:

Aperture (the f. number): this controls how in-focus your photo will be. Lower aperture = lets in more light, less of the photograph will be in focus (for beautiful background blur). Higher aperture = reduces the light, more of the photograph will be in focus.

ISO: light sensitivity. If you’re taking a photo in a bright area, you’ll lower the ISO for clear, sharp images. If it’s getting dark, increase your ISO so you can photograph without putting the flash on. This can cause ‘noise’ (fuzziness) on your photos, so you’ll have to play around with this one!

Shutter Speed: Another one to master, as a low shutterspeed can cause motion blur but for every day blog photos, you may not need to use this one much.

Getting your composition right

Ever seen that perfect blog shot or Instagram pic and thought you’d like to take photos like that? Well, you can! It’s all about composition. Look at your favourite bloggers and see what elements they use to put their photos together. Is it a good background or do they just lay everything out perfectly? Get inspired and then create your own, unique content with great composition in mind! Practice makes perfect, we promise.

Get a few props (or get creative)

If you want to take those dreamy flatlays, then pick up a few props or get creative and use what you already have. If you’re taking a fashion pic, add in a watch or some jewellery to fill in any blank spaces and to add detail. If you’re taking a beauty photo, put some makeup brushes in the background or your makeup storage behind. You can pick up simple props – for example, hair grips, costume jewellery, pretty books – without spending too much money if you’re savvy about it!

Learn how to edit

Photography is half camera settings and half editing. Whether you’re using photoshop or a simple online editor like picmonkey, you can easily edit your photos to make them look the best they can! Simple tricks like balancing colour (if your pics are too blue or red), upping the brightness or contrast or adding simple text can make a huge difference to your photos. You can edit your Instagram pics on your phone easily too – we love using 'Facetune' and 'Snapseed' (free) for amazing editing facilities at our fingertips. Again, you’ll have to play around and practice to truly hone your skills, but blogging is a creative process, you’ll get there!