Original content trumps all other content. Agree? If not, you’ve probably not hit the sweet spot with content creation yet. With the use of smartphones, we can take photos, edit them, animate them, add things to them and create some stellar content for social media.
99% of my Instagram content is from photos I have done, or photos I have staged and forced my boyfriend, a friend, or a coworker to take for me. I’ll gather some props, I’ll check the lighting and I’ll experiment. By no means am I amazing but I do get compliments on my content! Working at an agency, I work with an amazing photo team that includes a photographer, off fugure stylist and editor. Surrounding myself with pros has certainly helped me up my content game. Don’t believe me? Look at my feed! Scroll back to 2017 and earlier.. it’s laughable! But the transformation is real.
So how can you take better photos without a fancy camera or without years of experience? A few things! By no means is it super easy. It’s something that comes with practice and lots of practice. I’m still learning new tricks and tips myself!
Here are some tips..
Lighting
The biggest thing to consider is lighting! You’re not going to get that stunning look by shooting in a dark, hotel conference room with no windows. You could achieve the look by adding in lighting set ups but who has time or money for that?
Instead, look for a window with natural light. I like shooting my flatlays in the same spot every time (around 10:30-11am) Not only does this help with keeping the photos looking the same but it also makes editing much easier and quicker. And obviously, you won’t always have control of the lighting situations if you’re shooting on the fly. Make the most of what you have for lighting. Look for natural light (sunlight, moonlight), artificial lighting (street lights, lamps, candles, etc.) or a mix of both when you can.
Props
The game-changer! Creating branded content is so much easier with props. Shop for fun items to add to your collection and then look at what you’ve got and create a set up for whatever you are photographing. Think of the subject and then add to it! Add life to your photo with plants, your hand or even food. Pay extra attention to incorporating textures and brand colors. These elements will improve your photos but don’t overcomplicate it. You can add depth by adding items with some height to your photo as well. When in doubt, hire a prop stylist!
Edits + Presets
Editing photos on the go is simple! One of the cool things about photography from your phone is that you can also use editing apps from your smartphone. I love using Snapseed + Lightroom Mobile. With Lightroom, you can use presets.
A preset is pre-configured settings that are custom designed to achieve a certain look or style of your photo. With just one click, your photo can be altered to have a certain pre-determined look.
Templates
Lastly, don’t be afraid to create your own templates. Stick to a few and experiment! If you’re releasing new products or sharing client reviews, make a testimony for those. For those who aren’t graphic designers, check out Canva. It’s a great starting place but other places to look for templates include Creative Market and Envato.
Or, hire a graphic designer! They’d be happy to work with you to create some user-friendly templates that will help make creating content from your phone so much easier.
Grow with me and let’s continue to create better content!
