Photography Tips for Better Blog Photos

One of these days I'm going to write a post and title it: The 10 Things I Wish I Had Known When I First Began Blogging."  If I ever write that post, "master the manual setting on your camera" will be at the very top of the list.   In fact, it will probably be #1 on that list.  As proof, let me give you exhibit A, this picture of my guest room below.

Not only did I share this photo of my guest room, along with other dark photos of this room, they are THE pictures you'll find if you tour this room under the category Home Tours/My Nest/Guest Room.  Sad.  I'll try to be kind to the Susan of three years ago, but {palm slapped to forehead} what was she thinking?!

When I took that photo above, I actually thought that was a good photo.   Hard to believe, isn't it?

I now know the reason the photo came out this way in the auto setting was:  1. The camera saw all that light pouring in through the windows and created a greatly underexposed picture. 2. Light bulbs give off yellow light and the lack of cyan/blue makes a lot of indoor shots appear yellowish.

Here's how this room REALLY looks in real life.  It's not the dark dungeon previously portrayed, but you would never know that from that first pic.  I can't go back and redo three years worth of photos but I can promise you from here forward, things will look much more realistic and less "dungeony."

How can you improve your blog photos?

In addition to not settling for sub-par photos like I did for so many years, there are some other things you can do to improve your photos.

Years ago I purchased Photoshop Elements online. PE isn't the "professional" high-dollar version; it's much, much less. PE sat on my computer for a long time because I really wasn't sure how to use it.  I recently upgraded to Photoshop Elements 10 and I still don't know how to use the majority of what it has to offer.  I hope to change that this year.  In the meantime, I have begun using some of the easier photo editing options in PE.

My goal in this post is not to explain how to use Photoshop Elements.  Whole books have been written on that topic, plus, I'm still trying to figure it out myself.   I just wanted to share a few of the "tricks" I am using in that program in case you are not aware these features exist in a lot of the free, online photo editing programs.  If you know these things exist, you can seek them out in the photo editing program you use OR you can purchase Photoshop Elements 10 for around $70 online at Amazon and have at it.

By the way, I just discovered last night, there's a free photo editing program by Adobe Photoshop available HERE.   It's called Photoshop Express Editor.  I just added it to our growing list on this post called, 14 Free Photo Editing Sites, Picnik Alternatives.  You can use it to make the usual photo fixes/corrections, as well as "decorate" your photos with some fun effects, captions, thought bubbles, etc...  I'm not sure how many of the typical "photoshop" options it has, but it looked like a neat program.

So, what fun things can you do in Photoshop Elements 10?

Well, if you foolishly had the outlet cover near your front door changed to white when you added a porch to your home (who does such things...whistles, looks up at sky) and now it threatens to horn in on a photo of your porch decorated for Christmas...

You can make that baby disappear!  Outlet?  What outlet? :)

You can take a photo that's a bit dark and unfortunately once again showcases the infamous outlet, along with the added feature of an electrical cord...

...and lighten the photo while making the electrical cord go bye-bye.

Or, just make the whole outlet vanish for good.  Is it cheating?  Well, sort of...but in a good way.  Think of it as a service to your readers/viewers.  You're removing elements that add nothing to the scene and might actually detract or ruin an otherwise pretty picture.

You can also take a photo of a fall table setting that came out a bit dark and shadowy before you learned more about using your manual settings on your camera.. ;)

...and lighten it up a bit.  You sometimes lose a bit of the clarity, though, so use these editing features carefully.

From time to time now, I'm going back and taking old photos posted on BNOTP...

...and lightening them up some.  But nothing can ever replace taking a photo with the right camera setting at the start.  It really is worth taking the time to learn how to use your camera in the scary "M" setting.  Very rarely will the light be just as it should be for the picture you wish to capture.

Like beach themed table settings?  You can view this tablescape and other beach themed table settings HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.  Or, click on the Tablescape heading at the top of the blog and scroll down to "Beach Themed Settings."

It really is exciting...capturing the true feel of a room or space.  And it isn't as hard as it might seem. If I can began to take better photos with the limited knowledge I have, you can do it, too!

One of my goals for 2012 is to take more photos like the ones I've shared over the last few days.  These were all taken in manual setting.

Valentine's Table Setting:

Love Songs Valentine's Tablescape:

Guest bedroom decorated for Valentine's Day:

Again, I still have soooo much to learn and I'm spending a ginormous amount of time sorting through pictures to find the very best to post.  But I'm loving it.  I've caught the photograhpy bug and I have a severe case.  Guess you could tell that, huh?  :)

Have a wonderful weekend dear friends!  See you on Monday for Metamorphosis Monday!

Pssst: If you've found this post helpful, would appreciate so much if you give it a +1 in Google. You'll find the +1 button at the end of the post. Thanks so much in advance!


Looking for more blogging tips?  Check out these posts:
14 Free Photo Editing Sites
9 Tips for Better Blog Photos
Make a Blog Button for Your Blog
Label Photos for Pinterest
Type Accent Marks, Currency/Math Symbols & Unique Punctuation for Blog Posts
Photography Equipment I Use