Welcome back to our 6th and final week of our blogging tips series! Today’s topic is photography and photoshop!

Back before the digital age, I had a Cannon AE1. It was manual and I had to set up the shutter speed, aperture and ISO on my own. It used 35 mm film and I developed my film in a darkroom my Dad set up for me in our basement. Sadly, I do not remember much from the days when manual settings came naturally to me from my photography hobby. Now I use a Cannon Rebel with a 18/55 and 75/300 zoom lenses. I originally bought it to document my daughters events, family photos and such but it’s also what I use for my blog photos. Most often I use the timer function and the automatic settings.

No matter what type of camera you use, lighting is critical. You will always get the best results with natural light. You want bright light but not too bright. If the sun is overhead it will wash you out and you’ll get shadows. I find that early morning or late afternoon is the best time to take photos, otherwise find a shady spot. Overcast days are also your friend because you can take photos almost any time of day.  For indoor photos, photograph near a window where you get plenty of natural light. Using artificial lighting will give your photos an orange or sometimes greenish tint depending on the light source.

For editing, I used Picasa for years, however it is being phased out and being replaced by Google Photos. Google Photos is free and it gives you unlimited high quality storage and organizes your images by date. It’s easy to crop, straighten, and adjust the lighting, contrast, and color. To create collages, I use PicMonkey and Canva. Both are free online photo editing sites where you can edit, touch-up, create collages, and add graphics and overlays. They also offer premium features that you can purchase.

For photography help, I go to Google or Pinterest but have also found helpful tutorials here and here.

Now on to the blog hop! Click here to visit Erica and Brooke from Pumps and Push Ups next and learn their thoughts on Photography and Photoshop!

I hope you enjoyed this series and found it helpful!

Click here if you missed week 1, What to Know Before Starting a Blog

Week 2, WordPress vs. Blogger Platforms

Week 3, Social Media

Week 4, Affiliate Programs

Week 5, Resources for Help

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