RO:
Dupa cum v-am promis revin la tema " blogging tips" si azi voi vorbi mai pe larg despre imaginea unui blog de personal style . Insa voi detalia in mod special tot ce tine de fotografie, atat partea artistica, cat si cea tehnica. Ceea ce veti citi aici nu este un curs de fotografie propriu-zis, ci cateva tips-uri de baza in ceea ce priveste blogul de fashion si mai exact modul meu de lucru. Vizitand zilnic zeci de bloguri, pot sa spun ca primele 3 secunde sunt definitorii in a iti face o idee despre un blog , iar un header dragut ma va convinge sa dau scroll in jos ca sa descopar si restul. O interfata foarte incarcata si colorata poate fi obositoare, de aceea va sfatuiesc sa " keep it simple" , indiferent de stilul fiecarui blog .
Ininte sa trecem la tips-urile foto propriu-zise, cateva sugestii generale despre imaginea unui blog :
- un background foarte incarcat distrage atentia de la imaginile principale, va sugerez ca acesta sa fie alb, fie in nuante pale de gri.
- in niciun caz nu scriti alb pe negru, chiar daca vi se pare cool combinatia la prima vedere. Acest lucru oboseste foarte mult ochiul.
- nu folositi fonturi incarcate sau ciudate , dificil de citit .
1. PREGATIREA PENTRU SEDINTA FOTO
-acasa, incercati sa va studiati intr-o oglinda mare corpul si vedeti ce pozitii va avantajeaza, nu suntem modele, asta e clar. Ideea e sa aratati bine si sa scoateti hainele in evidenta.
- asigurati-va ca va plac toate elementele tinutei, ca va vin bine . Nu va pozati in piese la moda dar care nu sunt de fapt, stilul vostru. Pentru ca se vede...
2. CAMERA FOTO & LENTILE
- nu aveti nevoie de cea mai performanta camera, stati linistite, insa fara un DSLR n-o scoateti la capat. Fiind fotograf de meserie, folosesc un Canon 5D Mark II si il iubesc la nebunie! Insa este un aparat profesional cu care eu imi castig existenta, nu l-am luat special sa imi fac poze pentru blog, ok?
- fiecare cu preferintele sale, fie Canon sau Nikon ... e ca si cum ai alege intre BMW si Mercedes :) , alegeti ce va place :) Acestea sunt branduri de top, unicele pe care le recomand!
- lentile : pentru blog eu folosesc doar obiective fixe si anume 85mm (1.8) si 50mm (1.4)
- pentru fotografiile in exterior nu folosesc blitul .
3. LOCATIA
- este un factor foarte important, care trebuie sa intregeasca povestea pe care vreti sa o spuneti cu intreaga voastra tinuta.
- in Bucuresti, cel mai des aleg zona din Centru Vechi , Calea Victoriei, Splaiul Independentei. Deja stiu fiecare coltisor si cu toate astea mereu gasesc cate un unghi sau o perspectiva noua pentru poze.
- evitati arterele foarte aglomerate, pe unde trece multa lume. Nu va veti putea concentrala pozat, plus ca nu vreti ca in fundal sa aveti alte personaje care vor atrage atentia.
- aveti grija cand va pozati in parcuri sau in locuri foarte verzi. Verdele din copaci se reflecta pe fata si rezultatul final poate parea usor verziu. Deasemenea pozat in spatiile foarte verzi pot crea iluminat neuniform din cauza petelor de lumina/umbra.
- aveti grija ca fundalul sa fie dragut, insa nu foarte incarcat, sa se potriveasca tinutei voastre ( stiu ca suna deja extravagant, insa conteaza sa existe o armonie a stilurilor)
- coloritul si tonalitatile din fundal trebuie sa va scoata in evidenta tinuta. De exemplu daca sunteti imbracata in alb, nu va pozati in fata unui perete alb, si asa mai departe. Daca aveti un imprimeu incarcat pe voi, alegeti un fundal la polul opus.
- aveti grija ca pe fundal sa apara cat mai putine elemente parazite cum ar fi : masini, stalpi , cosuri de gunoi,etc.
- aveti grija cum va pozitionati in legatura cu fundalul . Nu de putine ori am remarcat ca va iese din cap un stalp sau un copac :))) Mi se intalmpla si mie destul de des:))))))
- ideal este dupa ce ati ales o locatie, faceti cateva poze de proba. Analizati-le impreuna cu fotograful si vedeti daca va plac toate aspectele. Abia atunci faceti restul fotografiilor.
4. LUMINA
- un element esential in ceea ce priveste atmosfera fotografiilor. Lumina naturala este prietenul vostru, daca stiti cum sa o folositi.
- nu exista o ora perfecta pentru a face poze, ci o pozitionare corecta fata de aparat.
- daca este soare, nu va pozitionati cu fata spre el, ci invers (adica in contrejour). In acest caz aveti grija ca sa aveti lumina destula spre voi ( lumina reflectata de alte suprafete luminoase)
- aveti grija ca atat voi ( personajul principal al pozei) cat si fundalul sunt uniform luminate , cu aceeasi intensitate , sa nu existe umbre sau fante de lumina ciudate. Mai jos aveti exemplu de do &donts .
- daca vremea este cam trista sau innorata, puteti recurge la un mic ajutor pentru a scapa de acele umbre accentuate pe fata ( lumina difuza de sus scoate in evidenta toate imperfectiunile pielii) si anume o blenda. Este vorba de o chestie din material textil care functioneaza ca si o oglinda, pozitionata corect poate lumina foarte frumos fata, a da sclipire in ochi si a elimina toate umblele nedorite.
5. SETARILE CAMEREI
- de obicei eu lucrez doar in modul manual. Daca preferati full auto , nu va asteptati la foarte multe...Ceea ce voi descrie mai jos nu este un etalon, ci strict stilul meu de lucru.
- Prima setare pe care o fac este formatul pozei. Daca nu lucrati in Raw, optiunile procesarii ulterioare sunt destul de limitate ( detalii generale despre raw-jpeg aici ). Sa presupunem ca majoritatea dintre voi lucreaza direct in jpeg.
- de obicei fac fotografii ziua, cand este lumina suficienta ( fie noros sau soare), rareori noaptea , deci setarea ISO la mine este mai mereu pe 100 (mai multe detalii despre ce inseamna ISO aici )
- unica mea setare automata este white balance-ul (detalii aici ). Asta pentru ca la conversia ulterioara raw-jpeg mereu o modific. Voua ( celor care lucreaza direct in jpeg) in schimb va recomand sa o setati undeva intre 6000-7000 K, pentru o atmosfera mai calda.
- Aperture ( detalii generale aici ). Daca suneti norocoasele posesoare a unui obiectiv fix de 50mm (ideal pentru streetstyle), este simplu: setati A nu mai mult de 1.8 sau 2.0 . Aceasta setare este cea care creeaza acel blur in fundal si scoate personajul din prim-plan in evidenta. Cu cat A creste , detaliile din fundal devin tot mai clare ( ceea ce nu va doriti ). Aveti mai jos exemplificarea.
- ultima setare este Shutter-speed-ul ( detalii generale aici ). Este simplu : dupa ce ati facut toate setarile de mai sus, afara e soare, iar fotografiile de test va ies cam " luminoase" atunci miscorati timpul de expunere , ceea ce inseamna de fapt sa mariti numarul afisat pe ecran. Deci , daca il aveati initial pe 1000, schimbati-l pe 1600, sa zicem. Vedeti ce iese dupa si tot asa. Luati in calcul ca display-ul aparatului poate fi inselator, recomand vizionarea fotografiilor in umbra, nu direct in soare, pentru ca toate fotografiile va vor parea intunecoase, cand de fapt ele sunt ok.
6. UNHIULATIA & INCADRAREA
- un singur sfat : ca sa pareti mai inalte si mai slabe, cereti fotografului sa va ia de jos ( din genunchi). Daca va va poza de la inaltimea sa ( a capului) , corpul va parea deformat , capul mare, picioarele scurte, etc.
- aveti grija cum cadrati. Ideea e sa nu taiati capete, picioare sau mai stiu eu ce. Detalii despre incadraturi aici .
7. PRELUCRAREA FOTOGRAFIILOR
- pentru cei care lucreaza in raw nu cred ca mai este cazul sa explic prea multe.
- pentru restul ( care lucreaza direct in jpeg) , lucrurile sunt simple. Photoshop-ul e de baza. Luminozitate, contrast, crop, color correction, retusul imperfectiunilor pielii, adaugarea unui logo subtil , miscorarea pozelor si cam atat .
- mai nou, aplic anumite filtre din instagram uneori.
-la final , inainte de a urca pozele pe blog, redenumiti-le cu un titlu sugestiv si usor de indexat ( goolge-seo).
- am observat ca multe dintre voi postati cate 10-15 poze cu acelasi outfit. Ok, este foarte plictisitor, va asigur! Stiu ca e foarte greu sa alegeti si va plac aproape toate pozele. Dar trebuie sa postati doar cele mai bune imagini, adica maxim 7 poze!
1. PREGATIREA PENTRU SEDINTA FOTO
-acasa, incercati sa va studiati intr-o oglinda mare corpul si vedeti ce pozitii va avantajeaza, nu suntem modele, asta e clar. Ideea e sa aratati bine si sa scoateti hainele in evidenta.
- asigurati-va ca va plac toate elementele tinutei, ca va vin bine . Nu va pozati in piese la moda dar care nu sunt de fapt, stilul vostru. Pentru ca se vede...
2. CAMERA FOTO & LENTILE
- nu aveti nevoie de cea mai performanta camera, stati linistite, insa fara un DSLR n-o scoateti la capat. Fiind fotograf de meserie, folosesc un Canon 5D Mark II si il iubesc la nebunie! Insa este un aparat profesional cu care eu imi castig existenta, nu l-am luat special sa imi fac poze pentru blog, ok?
- fiecare cu preferintele sale, fie Canon sau Nikon ... e ca si cum ai alege intre BMW si Mercedes :) , alegeti ce va place :) Acestea sunt branduri de top, unicele pe care le recomand!
- lentile : pentru blog eu folosesc doar obiective fixe si anume 85mm (1.8) si 50mm (1.4)
- pentru fotografiile in exterior nu folosesc blitul .
3. LOCATIA
- este un factor foarte important, care trebuie sa intregeasca povestea pe care vreti sa o spuneti cu intreaga voastra tinuta.
- in Bucuresti, cel mai des aleg zona din Centru Vechi , Calea Victoriei, Splaiul Independentei. Deja stiu fiecare coltisor si cu toate astea mereu gasesc cate un unghi sau o perspectiva noua pentru poze.
- evitati arterele foarte aglomerate, pe unde trece multa lume. Nu va veti putea concentrala pozat, plus ca nu vreti ca in fundal sa aveti alte personaje care vor atrage atentia.
- aveti grija cand va pozati in parcuri sau in locuri foarte verzi. Verdele din copaci se reflecta pe fata si rezultatul final poate parea usor verziu. Deasemenea pozat in spatiile foarte verzi pot crea iluminat neuniform din cauza petelor de lumina/umbra.
- aveti grija ca fundalul sa fie dragut, insa nu foarte incarcat, sa se potriveasca tinutei voastre ( stiu ca suna deja extravagant, insa conteaza sa existe o armonie a stilurilor)
- coloritul si tonalitatile din fundal trebuie sa va scoata in evidenta tinuta. De exemplu daca sunteti imbracata in alb, nu va pozati in fata unui perete alb, si asa mai departe. Daca aveti un imprimeu incarcat pe voi, alegeti un fundal la polul opus.
- aveti grija ca pe fundal sa apara cat mai putine elemente parazite cum ar fi : masini, stalpi , cosuri de gunoi,etc.
- aveti grija cum va pozitionati in legatura cu fundalul . Nu de putine ori am remarcat ca va iese din cap un stalp sau un copac :))) Mi se intalmpla si mie destul de des:))))))
- ideal este dupa ce ati ales o locatie, faceti cateva poze de proba. Analizati-le impreuna cu fotograful si vedeti daca va plac toate aspectele. Abia atunci faceti restul fotografiilor.
4. LUMINA
- un element esential in ceea ce priveste atmosfera fotografiilor. Lumina naturala este prietenul vostru, daca stiti cum sa o folositi.
- nu exista o ora perfecta pentru a face poze, ci o pozitionare corecta fata de aparat.
- daca este soare, nu va pozitionati cu fata spre el, ci invers (adica in contrejour). In acest caz aveti grija ca sa aveti lumina destula spre voi ( lumina reflectata de alte suprafete luminoase)
- aveti grija ca atat voi ( personajul principal al pozei) cat si fundalul sunt uniform luminate , cu aceeasi intensitate , sa nu existe umbre sau fante de lumina ciudate. Mai jos aveti exemplu de do &donts .
- daca vremea este cam trista sau innorata, puteti recurge la un mic ajutor pentru a scapa de acele umbre accentuate pe fata ( lumina difuza de sus scoate in evidenta toate imperfectiunile pielii) si anume o blenda. Este vorba de o chestie din material textil care functioneaza ca si o oglinda, pozitionata corect poate lumina foarte frumos fata, a da sclipire in ochi si a elimina toate umblele nedorite.
5. SETARILE CAMEREI
- de obicei eu lucrez doar in modul manual. Daca preferati full auto , nu va asteptati la foarte multe...Ceea ce voi descrie mai jos nu este un etalon, ci strict stilul meu de lucru.
- Prima setare pe care o fac este formatul pozei. Daca nu lucrati in Raw, optiunile procesarii ulterioare sunt destul de limitate ( detalii generale despre raw-jpeg aici ). Sa presupunem ca majoritatea dintre voi lucreaza direct in jpeg.
- de obicei fac fotografii ziua, cand este lumina suficienta ( fie noros sau soare), rareori noaptea , deci setarea ISO la mine este mai mereu pe 100 (mai multe detalii despre ce inseamna ISO aici )
- unica mea setare automata este white balance-ul (detalii aici ). Asta pentru ca la conversia ulterioara raw-jpeg mereu o modific. Voua ( celor care lucreaza direct in jpeg) in schimb va recomand sa o setati undeva intre 6000-7000 K, pentru o atmosfera mai calda.
- Aperture ( detalii generale aici ). Daca suneti norocoasele posesoare a unui obiectiv fix de 50mm (ideal pentru streetstyle), este simplu: setati A nu mai mult de 1.8 sau 2.0 . Aceasta setare este cea care creeaza acel blur in fundal si scoate personajul din prim-plan in evidenta. Cu cat A creste , detaliile din fundal devin tot mai clare ( ceea ce nu va doriti ). Aveti mai jos exemplificarea.
- ultima setare este Shutter-speed-ul ( detalii generale aici ). Este simplu : dupa ce ati facut toate setarile de mai sus, afara e soare, iar fotografiile de test va ies cam " luminoase" atunci miscorati timpul de expunere , ceea ce inseamna de fapt sa mariti numarul afisat pe ecran. Deci , daca il aveati initial pe 1000, schimbati-l pe 1600, sa zicem. Vedeti ce iese dupa si tot asa. Luati in calcul ca display-ul aparatului poate fi inselator, recomand vizionarea fotografiilor in umbra, nu direct in soare, pentru ca toate fotografiile va vor parea intunecoase, cand de fapt ele sunt ok.
6. UNHIULATIA & INCADRAREA
- un singur sfat : ca sa pareti mai inalte si mai slabe, cereti fotografului sa va ia de jos ( din genunchi). Daca va va poza de la inaltimea sa ( a capului) , corpul va parea deformat , capul mare, picioarele scurte, etc.
- aveti grija cum cadrati. Ideea e sa nu taiati capete, picioare sau mai stiu eu ce. Detalii despre incadraturi aici .
7. PRELUCRAREA FOTOGRAFIILOR
- pentru cei care lucreaza in raw nu cred ca mai este cazul sa explic prea multe.
- pentru restul ( care lucreaza direct in jpeg) , lucrurile sunt simple. Photoshop-ul e de baza. Luminozitate, contrast, crop, color correction, retusul imperfectiunilor pielii, adaugarea unui logo subtil , miscorarea pozelor si cam atat .
- mai nou, aplic anumite filtre din instagram uneori.
-la final , inainte de a urca pozele pe blog, redenumiti-le cu un titlu sugestiv si usor de indexat ( goolge-seo).
- am observat ca multe dintre voi postati cate 10-15 poze cu acelasi outfit. Ok, este foarte plictisitor, va asigur! Stiu ca e foarte greu sa alegeti si va plac aproape toate pozele. Dar trebuie sa postati doar cele mai bune imagini, adica maxim 7 poze!
- setati in layout-ul blogului sau template-ului ca pozele sa apara cat mai mari. Eu le am la latimea de 700 -600 pixeli. Nimeni nu va intelege nimic dintr-o poza minuscula.
- nimeni nu este perfect. Stiu ce inseamna sa faci 100 de poze si doar in cateva sa iesi ok, iar daca e una care iti place un pic mai mult, sigur e neclara sau e cadrata prost :) in acest caz decat sa puneti poze unde aveti ochii inchisi sau mai stiu eu ce nenorocire, nu mai postati! ( aici se incadreaza si pozele care sunt defecte atat tehnic, cat si estetic).
- fiti critice. Autocritica va va ajuta sa nu cadeti in penibil, ca dupa aia sa nu luati personal toate comentariile nenorocitilor aia care sunt invidiosi , de fapt :))))))
Mai jos aveti un exemplu de procesare basic, pas cu pas. Insa nu este o reteta universala. Pentru postarea respectiva, am cautat si m-am jucat mult pana am ajuns la rezultatul final. Recunosc ca il ultima vreme filtrele Instagram creeaza dependenta! sunt usor de folosit, sunt gratuite si pot da o alura deosebita anumitor poze care par fade.
As I promised I’m back on "blogging tips" and today I will talk in more detail about the image of a personal style blog. But I will detail specifically what is related to photography, both the artistic part and the technical one. What you will read here is not a photography course itself, but a few basic tips regarding fashion blog and more precisely the way I work.
Visiting dozens of blogs daily, I can say that the first three seconds are crucial in making an idea of a blog and a nice header will convince me to scroll down to discover the rest. A very busy and colourful interface can be tiring, so I advise you to "keep it simple", regardless of the style of each blog.
Before we move to photo tips itself, some general suggestions about the image of a blog:
- A busy background will detract from the main images so I suggest that this will be white or in pale shades of grey.
- In any circumstances you should not write white on black, even if you feel that is a cool combination at first. This thing greatly tires the eyes.
- Do not use strange fonts, loaded or difficult to read.
- nimeni nu este perfect. Stiu ce inseamna sa faci 100 de poze si doar in cateva sa iesi ok, iar daca e una care iti place un pic mai mult, sigur e neclara sau e cadrata prost :) in acest caz decat sa puneti poze unde aveti ochii inchisi sau mai stiu eu ce nenorocire, nu mai postati! ( aici se incadreaza si pozele care sunt defecte atat tehnic, cat si estetic).
- fiti critice. Autocritica va va ajuta sa nu cadeti in penibil, ca dupa aia sa nu luati personal toate comentariile nenorocitilor aia care sunt invidiosi , de fapt :))))))
Mai jos aveti un exemplu de procesare basic, pas cu pas. Insa nu este o reteta universala. Pentru postarea respectiva, am cautat si m-am jucat mult pana am ajuns la rezultatul final. Recunosc ca il ultima vreme filtrele Instagram creeaza dependenta! sunt usor de folosit, sunt gratuite si pot da o alura deosebita anumitor poze care par fade.
Ei bine, asta a fost pe scurt ce am avut de zis la capitolul fotografie de stil personal.
Sper ca nu am fost prea tehnica si am fost pe intelesul tuturor ! Daca aveti intrebari, nu ezitati sa intrebati :)
Va pup si va doresc o saptamana superba!
Silvia
EN:
Visiting dozens of blogs daily, I can say that the first three seconds are crucial in making an idea of a blog and a nice header will convince me to scroll down to discover the rest. A very busy and colourful interface can be tiring, so I advise you to "keep it simple", regardless of the style of each blog.
Before we move to photo tips itself, some general suggestions about the image of a blog:
- A busy background will detract from the main images so I suggest that this will be white or in pale shades of grey.
- In any circumstances you should not write white on black, even if you feel that is a cool combination at first. This thing greatly tires the eyes.
- Do not use strange fonts, loaded or difficult to read.
1. PREPARATION FOR THE PHOTOSHOOT
- Home, try to study yourself into a large mirror and see what position puts in advantage, we are not models, that's clear. The idea is to look good and to put your clothes into perspective.
- Make sure that you like all the outfits and those they are right for you. Do not take pictures in fashion pieces but which are not actually your styles. Because it will be easy to see…
2. CAMERA & LENS
- You don’t need the most advanced camera, be cool, but without a DSLR you will not be able to do it. Being a professional photographer, I use a Canon 5D Mark II and I love it! But it is a professional device with which I earn my living, I didn’t buy it especially to make pictures for the blog, Ok?
- Everybody has its preferences, either Canon or Nikon ... it's like choosing between a BMW and Mercedes :), choose what you like :) These are top brands and the only ones I recommend!
- Lens: for the blog I use only 85mm lens (1.8) and 50mm lens (1.4)
- For pictures taken outdoor I don’t use the flash.
3. LOCATION
- It is a very important factor that must complete the story you want to tell together with your entire outfit.
- Avoid crowded areas whit lot of traffic. You will not be able to concentrate on taking pictures, plus you don’t want to have in the background other characters that will attract unwanted attention.
- Be careful when you posed in parks or in green areas. The green colour of the trees reflects on the face and the final result may seem slightly greenish. Also posing in very green areas can create uneven lighting due to the points of light / shadow.
- Make sure that the background is nice, but not very busy, to match your outfit (I know that already sounds extravagant, but it matters in order to create a harmony of styles)
- Background colours and shades needs to highlight your outfit. For example, if you are dressed in white, do not take pictures in front of a white wall, and so on. If you have a busy print on your outfit, choose a background that is the opposite.
- Make sure that in the background appears as few stray items as possible such as: cars, poles, trash cans, etc..
- Watch as you position yourself in relation with the background. Many times I noticed that your head sticks out of a pole or a tree :))) It often happens to me too :))))))
- It is ideal that after you have chosen a location, to take a few test photos . Analysed them together with your photographer and see if you like all the aspects. Only then start doing the rest of the photos.
4. LIGHT
- An essential element in terms of pictures atmosphere. Natural light is your friend, if you know how to use it.
- There is no perfect time to take pictures, but a correct positioning towards the camera.
- If it is sunny will don’t face yourself towards him, but vice versa (in contrejour). In this case, make sure that you have enough light towards you (light reflected from other surfaces)
- Make sure that both you (the main character of the picture) and the background are evenly lit, with the same intensity, that there are no shadows or strange light slits.
- If the weather is a little gloomy or cloudy, you can use a little help to get rid of those sharp shadows on the face (top diffuse light highlights all skin imperfections), namely a blende. It is about a textile thing that works like a mirror, positioned correctly can bring a very nice light on the face, a twinkle in the eye and helps eliminating all the unwanted shadows.
5. CAMERA SETTINGS
- Usually I work only in manual mode. If you prefer the full auto mode, do not expect too much ... What I am about to describe below is not a standard, but strictly my style of working.
- The first setting that I make is the picture format. If you dont work in Raw, the subsequent processing options are quite limited (general details about raw-jpeg here). Let's assume that most of you are working directly in jpeg.
- Usually I take pictures during day time when there is enough light (either cloudy or sunny), I rarely do it at night, so the ISO setting for me is always on 100 (more details about what ISO here)
- My only setting is Automatic white balance (details here). That's because I always change the subsequent conversion of raw-jpeg . Instead for you (those working directly in jpeg) I recommend to set it somewhere between 6000-7000 K, for a much warmer atmosphere.
- Aperture (general details here). If you are the lucky owner of a 50mm fix lens (ideal for streetstyle) it is simple: set A to no more than 1.8 or 2.0. This setting is the one that creates the blur effect in the background and puts the foreground character in perspective. As A increases, the background details become much clearer (which you do not want).
- The last setting is the shutter-speed (general details here). It's simple: after you have done all the above settings, it's sunny outside, and test shots are coming out a little bit to "light", then shrink the exposure time, which means to increase the number actually displayed on the screen. So if you had it originally on 1000, change it to 1600, for example. See what comes after and so on. Take into consideration that the device display can be deceiving sometimes, so I recommend to view the pictures in the shade, not in directly in the sunlight, because then all the images will appear dark when in fact there are ok.
6. ANGLES & FRAMING
- Just one tip: in order to look taller and skinny, ask the photographer to take pictures from down (to stay on his knees). If it will take pictures from his height ( head level), your body will look deformed, with big head, short legs, etc..
- Be careful how you frame. The idea is not to cut heads, feet or something else.
7. PROCESSING PHOTOS
- For those of you who are working in raw I don’t think that I need to explain too much.
- For the rest (who are working directly in jpeg), things are simple. Photoshop is the prime tool. Brightness, contrast, crop, color correction, retouch imperfections, adding a subtle logo, decreasing the pictures size and that's about all.
- More recently, sometimes Instagram applies certain filters.
- At the end, before uploading the photos on the blog, rename them with a suggestive title and easy to be indexed by Google (Google-seo).
- I noticed that many of you are posting like 10-15 pictures with the same outfit . Ok, it is very boring, I assure you! I know it's very difficult to choose and you like almost all the pictures. But you have to post only the best images, that mean a maximum of 7 photos.
- Set the blog layout or the template in such a way that the pictures will appear bigger. I have set them up 700-600 pixels wide. Nobody will be able to understand anything from a small picture.
- No one is perfect. I know what it means to take 100 pictures and only a few to come out ok, and if it's one that you like a little more, for sure it's blurry or has a bad frames :) in this case instead of putting pictures where you appear with your eyes closed or something like this better do not post at all! (it is available also for photos that have both technical and aesthetical flows).
- Be critical. Self-criticism will help you not be awkward, because then you do not have to take personally all the comments of those bastards which are actually jealous of you:))))))
Above you have a basic example of processing, step by step. But this is not a universal recipe. For this post, I searched and played a lot until I got to the final result. I admit that lately Instagram filters are becoming addictive! They are easy to use, are free and can give a special allure to some pictures that can seem faded otherwise.
Well that was on a short review what I had to say in terms of personal style photography.
I hope that I wasn’t too technical and I made myself understand! If you have any questions, feel free to ask :)
Many kisses and I wish you a great week!
Silvia
- Home, try to study yourself into a large mirror and see what position puts in advantage, we are not models, that's clear. The idea is to look good and to put your clothes into perspective.
- Make sure that you like all the outfits and those they are right for you. Do not take pictures in fashion pieces but which are not actually your styles. Because it will be easy to see…
2. CAMERA & LENS
- You don’t need the most advanced camera, be cool, but without a DSLR you will not be able to do it. Being a professional photographer, I use a Canon 5D Mark II and I love it! But it is a professional device with which I earn my living, I didn’t buy it especially to make pictures for the blog, Ok?
- Everybody has its preferences, either Canon or Nikon ... it's like choosing between a BMW and Mercedes :), choose what you like :) These are top brands and the only ones I recommend!
- Lens: for the blog I use only 85mm lens (1.8) and 50mm lens (1.4)
- For pictures taken outdoor I don’t use the flash.
3. LOCATION
- It is a very important factor that must complete the story you want to tell together with your entire outfit.
- Avoid crowded areas whit lot of traffic. You will not be able to concentrate on taking pictures, plus you don’t want to have in the background other characters that will attract unwanted attention.
- Be careful when you posed in parks or in green areas. The green colour of the trees reflects on the face and the final result may seem slightly greenish. Also posing in very green areas can create uneven lighting due to the points of light / shadow.
- Make sure that the background is nice, but not very busy, to match your outfit (I know that already sounds extravagant, but it matters in order to create a harmony of styles)
- Background colours and shades needs to highlight your outfit. For example, if you are dressed in white, do not take pictures in front of a white wall, and so on. If you have a busy print on your outfit, choose a background that is the opposite.
- Make sure that in the background appears as few stray items as possible such as: cars, poles, trash cans, etc..
- Watch as you position yourself in relation with the background. Many times I noticed that your head sticks out of a pole or a tree :))) It often happens to me too :))))))
- It is ideal that after you have chosen a location, to take a few test photos . Analysed them together with your photographer and see if you like all the aspects. Only then start doing the rest of the photos.
4. LIGHT
- An essential element in terms of pictures atmosphere. Natural light is your friend, if you know how to use it.
- There is no perfect time to take pictures, but a correct positioning towards the camera.
- If it is sunny will don’t face yourself towards him, but vice versa (in contrejour). In this case, make sure that you have enough light towards you (light reflected from other surfaces)
- Make sure that both you (the main character of the picture) and the background are evenly lit, with the same intensity, that there are no shadows or strange light slits.
- If the weather is a little gloomy or cloudy, you can use a little help to get rid of those sharp shadows on the face (top diffuse light highlights all skin imperfections), namely a blende. It is about a textile thing that works like a mirror, positioned correctly can bring a very nice light on the face, a twinkle in the eye and helps eliminating all the unwanted shadows.
5. CAMERA SETTINGS
- Usually I work only in manual mode. If you prefer the full auto mode, do not expect too much ... What I am about to describe below is not a standard, but strictly my style of working.
- The first setting that I make is the picture format. If you dont work in Raw, the subsequent processing options are quite limited (general details about raw-jpeg here). Let's assume that most of you are working directly in jpeg.
- Usually I take pictures during day time when there is enough light (either cloudy or sunny), I rarely do it at night, so the ISO setting for me is always on 100 (more details about what ISO here)
- My only setting is Automatic white balance (details here). That's because I always change the subsequent conversion of raw-jpeg . Instead for you (those working directly in jpeg) I recommend to set it somewhere between 6000-7000 K, for a much warmer atmosphere.
- Aperture (general details here). If you are the lucky owner of a 50mm fix lens (ideal for streetstyle) it is simple: set A to no more than 1.8 or 2.0. This setting is the one that creates the blur effect in the background and puts the foreground character in perspective. As A increases, the background details become much clearer (which you do not want).
- The last setting is the shutter-speed (general details here). It's simple: after you have done all the above settings, it's sunny outside, and test shots are coming out a little bit to "light", then shrink the exposure time, which means to increase the number actually displayed on the screen. So if you had it originally on 1000, change it to 1600, for example. See what comes after and so on. Take into consideration that the device display can be deceiving sometimes, so I recommend to view the pictures in the shade, not in directly in the sunlight, because then all the images will appear dark when in fact there are ok.
6. ANGLES & FRAMING
- Just one tip: in order to look taller and skinny, ask the photographer to take pictures from down (to stay on his knees). If it will take pictures from his height ( head level), your body will look deformed, with big head, short legs, etc..
- Be careful how you frame. The idea is not to cut heads, feet or something else.
7. PROCESSING PHOTOS
- For those of you who are working in raw I don’t think that I need to explain too much.
- For the rest (who are working directly in jpeg), things are simple. Photoshop is the prime tool. Brightness, contrast, crop, color correction, retouch imperfections, adding a subtle logo, decreasing the pictures size and that's about all.
- More recently, sometimes Instagram applies certain filters.
- At the end, before uploading the photos on the blog, rename them with a suggestive title and easy to be indexed by Google (Google-seo).
- I noticed that many of you are posting like 10-15 pictures with the same outfit . Ok, it is very boring, I assure you! I know it's very difficult to choose and you like almost all the pictures. But you have to post only the best images, that mean a maximum of 7 photos.
- Set the blog layout or the template in such a way that the pictures will appear bigger. I have set them up 700-600 pixels wide. Nobody will be able to understand anything from a small picture.
- No one is perfect. I know what it means to take 100 pictures and only a few to come out ok, and if it's one that you like a little more, for sure it's blurry or has a bad frames :) in this case instead of putting pictures where you appear with your eyes closed or something like this better do not post at all! (it is available also for photos that have both technical and aesthetical flows).
- Be critical. Self-criticism will help you not be awkward, because then you do not have to take personally all the comments of those bastards which are actually jealous of you:))))))
Above you have a basic example of processing, step by step. But this is not a universal recipe. For this post, I searched and played a lot until I got to the final result. I admit that lately Instagram filters are becoming addictive! They are easy to use, are free and can give a special allure to some pictures that can seem faded otherwise.
Well that was on a short review what I had to say in terms of personal style photography.
I hope that I wasn’t too technical and I made myself understand! If you have any questions, feel free to ask :)
Many kisses and I wish you a great week!
Silvia
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