Bloggers in general are not photographers. But, they regularly need photography. Many simply inhabit inexpensive or CC-Zero stock photography websites to find images to attach to their content. Pretty much everybody owns a camera these days, though, even if it’s just the one in their phone.
This video from COOPH with blogger & YouTuber Jenny Mustard shows you how you can get some great results very simply. They’re pretty effective examples that even beginners should have no time getting to grips with.
As you can see, the suggestions offered aren’t really all that complex. They’re about creating a cohesive and pleasing composition. A way to take your images up a small notch to create a bit more impact.
1. Add something organic
Adding something organic to an array of inorganic objects creates a natural aesthetic. It gives some harmony to your image and helps prevent it from looking too clinical.
2. Use symmetry
Symmetry creates order and balance. People like order and balance, so such compositions please the eye.
3. Use asymmetry
That being said, asymmetry can also have its benefits. Sometimes using asymmetry can’t be helped. Perhaps your subject is something that just doesn’t mirror very well. The key, though, is still balance. Negative space can help to put more emphasis on the subjects. For a blog image, it also gives you somewhere you can potentially add a title or other text to the image.
4. Desaturate the background
No, we’re not talking about a full on selective colour here. Don’t do that. Please. But desaturating the background just a little helps to calm it down and prevent it from being as potentially distracting. With your subject untouched, it can really help to make them pop out.
5. Create a colour splash
A bit of colour in an otherwise monotone image really helps draw attention to the image and the subject. Our eyes are naturally drawn to bright and colourful things in a sea of drabness. Using plain backgrounds can really make those vibrant colours stand out.
6. Adopt a colour scheme
Also sometimes known as “Go ham with the spray paint”. Not always, though. Sometimes you will get lucky and just happen to find the right colours of props to match your chosen colour scheme. But creating an image such as this based around a single colour, again, creates harmony. It helps to calm down a busy scene, while still being very effective.
You’ll also notice that there’s a slight degree of symmetry used in the above image, too, balancing the image further.
7. Think outside the frame
Photography is as much about what you exclude from the composition as it is about what you keep in. This technique takes that to the extreme. It’s cropping where we’re told we’re not supposed to crop, yet it still works. It creates a little intrigue and mystery, because we know what should be there, so we can’t see it. Our imagination fills in the blanks.
It might not win any awards, but it’s a good concept to illustrate a post. We can all see exactly what the subject’s doing, and it doesn’t feel uncomfortable.
Bonus extras!
Jenny also created a second video on her own channel offering up 6 smartphone photo tips to help up your game on Instagram.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-n-4WRGFimI
Whether you’re a beginner or more advanced photographer, there’s some great tips between the two videos. For those just starting out, it’ll hopefully inspire you to try out something new. If you’re a little more experienced, they can help rein you back in. To start thinking more about the image and less about the gear.
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