5 TIPS TO HELP YOU PREPARE FOR A BLOG PHOTO SHOOT

. BLOG PHOTO SHOOTS: A 101 GUIDE .

One of my favourite things about writing my blog is the photography, planning and shooting imagery for my features and creating a visual story which brings to life my editorial. Because I blog everyday some of my content is more everyday, but for some features like this Ted Baker feature I really like to plan something a little more special.

But even if it’s an everyday outfit kinda shoot, there’s no denying the photo shoot takes and requires some serious preparation and consideration. Today I thought I’d share 5 things to do to prepare for a blog shoot.

. 5 TIPS TO HELP YOU PREPARE FOR A BLOG SHOOT .

#1 FIND A LOCATION

Back when I started my blog I just used to shoot looks on my street before or after work, and whilst that was fine then, nowadays I like to try and shoot in locations that really bring to life my outfit or that help tell the story of what I’ve been up to. When I’m not simply shooting whilst I’m out and about or away, I always try and find a location that offers a simple but beautiful back drop. Fortunately living in west London this means I don’t have to travel far, but I always try and seek new locations or spots so that I give my blog a little variety.

#2 WEATHER

The weather can make or break a photo shoot, so always try and plan your shooting time around the weather. This isn’t the easiest in the UK with temperamental weather that changes by the hour, but knowing the day is due to dry, or trying to plan around when the suns due to come out can really make your shoot a little smoother. I shoot mostly on Saturday or Sunday and I always try and plan my photo shoots around when I’m likely to get the best weather – because the weather can affect so much of your imagery, especially your lighting.

#3 KIT PREPARATION

The amount of times I’ve gone out to shoot only to realise I forgot to charge my camera, or I left my remote at home or my memory card in my computer. It’s a bloomin’ nightmare and wastes so much time. Now I always ensure everything is charged, set up and ready to go the night before I do a shoot. Preparation is key.

#4 PRE STYLE

In the same vein of turning up to a shoot with no charge, I’ve also tried to many shoots without properly trying an outfit on before hand. And oh boy have they been disastrous. It’s easy to throw your clothes in a bag and be on your way, imagining what the ensemble may look like in your head. Sadly in reality it never looks quite like you’d imagined – and so ensuring you’ve tried on everything before hand is a big tip that I can share from previous experience.

#5 RELAX

The best photos are always capture when you’re relaxed, or unknowing. So finding a photographer, an outfit and a location that makes you relax are key ingredients to making your photos beautiful and natural. I always try and get my sisters to help me shoot when I’m back home or Jase or my tripod when I’m in London, I feel comfortable in front of them (I’m well used to the tripod and random stares now) that I can relax and shoot images that look and feel natural and not awkward or forced.

I always admire imagery that’s caught in the moment, and so for me, I want to try and shoot more natural editorial features in the future, and being relaxed is critical to do that.

So there you have it, 5 tips to help you prepare for a blog photo shoot, from 4 years of trial and error. I’d love to hear your routine and process, do you have any other tips? If you want more photography tips you can read all of my tutorials HERE.