Did you know that:

• Content with visuals get over 94% more views
• 90% of information sent to the brain is visual and,
• The average person only reads 20% of text on a web page

So, if you want to 

• Connect with potential buyers or,
• Increase your following on social media
  

You are mad not to use images to tell your story. 


I know, because I get more than 300% engagement from Tweets with images than without.

But, and this is a big one.  

If you want to get ahead, then you must post GREAT images.

As the competition gets hotter then you need to be on fire! 


Oh no, I hear you say,

• I don't have the money to buy expensive equipment, and 
• I can't afford to pay a professional photographer. 

Well I'm going to show you how you can, with just your...


smart phone


Look at these 2 photos 


Which one was taken on a DSLR and fancy lens costing over £3k, 
and which was taken on a smart phone, in this case my Samsung Galaxy S5?
 

 
Tip: I have kept the colour palette simple with tones of grey and used complimentary colours red and green to zing out.

I gather random stuff all the time to use in photography.

• wood, 
• slate, 
• baskets, 
• metal sheet, 
• interesting bowls, 
• paper...the list goes on.  

Nothing costs much, if anything at all.






We're shooting a candle in an apple so we need it to look like evening.
(I am shooting this at 11am in the morning btw) 

• I painted a wooden board matt black 
• The background is an old dark grey steel tray 
• I placed the apple on 2 pieces of slate and arranged some bay leaves around it 
• A basket in the background adds a bit of detail, later I add some pine cones
  

Can you tell?

Now I'm not saying that a smart phone is better than a fancy camera, 
I love my Canon 5D Mk III

But, if you are strapped for cash, just starting out, I want to show you how you don't need to spend lots until you can afford to.

Here are the 3 magic words:

1. Props
2. Light
3. Composition

Light makes or breaks a photograph.  

Natural light is easy to use and looks great.  I much prefer to shoot using natural light.  

Here is my set up.  

Looks simple?  

It is.  

No studio, just the corner of my kitchen next to a window.  

I use thin drapes to control how much light I let into the room. 

TURN OFF ALL artificial lights and use absolutely no flash.

 

I like this composition but, 

I'm not happy with the brightness of the in-phone image so I do the following using my phones photo-editing tools (you can download great apps for free to do this too)

1. Reduce brightness
2. Reduce saturation
3. Use a slight vignette filter to soften and darken the edges of the image

That's it!  

This is the smart phone image, did you guess right??

TIP: use a large piece of card to reflect some light onto the other side of the subject

To be sure, I will have more mega pixels with my DLSR, which will be good enough to use in magazines and advertising, but...

It's a no brainer.

©Lynn Keddie

1   Stop using auto
  
Instead dial onto aperture priority  or shutter priority and experiment.

2   Understand your lens
 
If you have more than one lens, choose one and go out for an hour or so, shoot 40 or more shots varying the way you use that lens.  Go home, take a long hard look at the results on your computer screen and see what you can learn.  

3   Photograph a willing subject 

Ask a friend if they will model for you.  Say you will need them for about 1 hour and then photograph them.  Work out how you will pose before hand. If you are using natural light, make sure you chose somewhere that has interesting light, diffused if possible.

4   Clean your equipment

Keep your kit clean.  Use a lint free cloth  I like Pec*Pads. Keep your bag dust free and organised. Regularly download images from memory cards then format to erase them. Keep a cloth in your bag to wipe your camera if it gets wet. Always keep a lens hood on your camera.

5    Set up a still life  

Place your subject close to a natural light source, frame and shoot.  Experiment with different apertures and camera angles.  Try fruit, musical instruments, bottles anything really.

6   Move (pan) the camera 

While you are shooting a subject either sweep it up or to the side when you press the shutter. Alternatively, zoom the lens in when you shoot, you may need a tripod. Experiment its great fun.

7    Try light painting   

In Winter, when there is more darkness than light try this. Set your camera up on a tripod.  Set to bulb. Click the shutter and stand with a torch 10 feet in front of the lens.  Make a picture with the torch, after say 60s. Depress the shutter again and look at the results.  Keep trying adjusting the shutter speed till you get the right effect.

8   Use a tripod 

Essential for longer exposures they are a bit cumbersome to begin with, but I wouldn't be without mine.

9   Use a neutral density filter 

Useful to darken skies and balancing the light over a whole frame.  It doesn't affect the colour.

10   Share your photos

• With friends, 
• on Facebook, 
• Twitter, 
• Pinterest, 
• Istagram
  

...the list goes on and will probably get longer!  Ask for feedback and give feedback to others.  It is about sharing after all.

©Lynn Keddie


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