At the risk of losing potential clients, here’s another way I believe you can improve your own photos, a few free tips – no sign-ups, no hard-sell promos etc. I’m comfortable with helping where I can as life is about shared help and experiences, isn’t it?

So once more I’m going to show you that you don’t actually need to employ a photographer to help you with your own brand photos if you don’t want to.

Instagram is the king of the social media visual world. Having great images on this platform can really make a big difference. So let’s see how we can give you a few simple ways to make the best of what you can do yourself. Either with a camera or a phone.

As a photographer, I see Instagram as a form of business card, somewhere where I can reach out to potential new clients. It’s like the notice board in your gym or local shop, but in a way prettier, way bigger and more far-reaching way. It’s free – at least it is right now – and whilst you could get grouchy about stuff like algorithms and the sheer size of the beast the fact remains that when used well it gives you one of the biggest free to use ways to market you’ll probably ever encounter…

NATURAL LIGHT

I’m a huge fan of using natural light in your photos rather than artificial light. Artificial lights can flatten an image, create horrific shadows and wash out colours too if used badly and to be honest it’s incredibly easy to use artificial lights badly too. So forget the lights in your house, office and even the camera flash. Natural light is produced by the sun. It’s frequently beautiful, soft and more than enough for most needs when it’s used well.

If you want to shoot indoors then some of the best places to find this light, even on a dull rainy day, is near a window. Watch how the light falls through the day and see how the shadows fall. If you don’t want atmospheric shadows in your photos then work at the time when there aren’t any. If you want shadow then use the time when the sun creates the most dramatic options.

If you want to shoot outdoors then try and avoid being in direct sunlight. It’s a harsh horrid light at the best of times. Seeking out a piece of ‘open shade’ is ideal. Open Shade is an area that’s in shade but right on the edge of where the light source is coming from.

Here you’ll find a consistent light that’s super flattering too.

THE RULE OF THIRDS

The Rule of Thirds is a really simple, hugely effective method used to help create engaging and balanced shots. Today pretty much all cameras, including your phone, will have a setting that overlays a grid onto your screen. The grid is made up of two horizontal and two vertical lines which ultimately splits your screen into a 3 x 3 grid and creates 9 identically sized parts.

By using the grid you can work on just where best to place the main object you are photographing. If you want to centralise your object then this is perfect for getting that easily. However one of the most used methods photographically is to place the main object on the intersection of 2 of the grid lines. That could be the eyes of a person or a dog, or maybe food on a table, a package being shipped or a tree on the horizon.

ANGLES AND VIEWPOINTS

What angle you shoot your photo from can have a huge impact on how it’s seen and engaged with. I bet most of you simply lift the camera to your eye, point and shoot. Well, I’m saying try not to do that.

Experiment with shots directly from above (such as the classic flat lay angle) or get down low and ‘squat for the shot’. Play with your angles and how what you are shooting then appears with its background. The tiniest of changes of angles can really make something pop out at you, it’s quite surprising.

I’ve said this before but if you truly take some time out of your day to play with your photography like this and you’ll continue to find new ways to help define you, your brand and or the product or service you offer.

I hope these 3 really quick and simple tips have given you a bit more confidence to explore with your own camera or phone.

Give me a call or drop me a message if you’d like me to help you build a strong library of images you can use every day on your social media channels or website. Images that will engage your potential customers, remind your existing customers why they choose you and to promote an ongoing story that’s relatable and interesting for all.

Rachel x