Chasing the Insights Show Notes
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Chasing the Insights Podcast Is Live - Click Here to Listen.
Congratulations for taking steps toward taking better photos for your social media and business.
Every day is an opportunity for something great to happen...
Chasing the Insights Podcast with Vince Warnock & AngiePattersonPhotography.com - November, 2022
Congratulations on taking action toward your social media and business presence through photography! Here are your quick takeaway podcast notes:
- What is your subject? Is it your product, merchandise, or a photo of you for social media or a business brand? Regardless of the subject, make it obvious.
- Consider the feeling or mood you want to create – what’s the story? Fun, creative, professional, a stationary photo, or one of action? Come up with ideas to best capture the feeling you want to portray.
- The photograph of yourself for social media or business. How do you want to be portrayed – more formal wear, semi-formal, casual, and relaxed, adventurer, in a setting that means something to you and your business brand? Pay attention to details such as ties, suit jackets, creases smoothed in clothing, and strands of misplaced hair that can be distracting unless you’re going for the more carefree look.
The Photo Shoot
- Clean the lens of your equipment.
- Observe the lighting throughout the day. Avoid harsh light and shadows whenever possible, take advantage of bright cloud cover, and experiment with the softer light around sunrise and sunset. If you’re indoors, use the natural light by a window, using a white card-like item to reflect window light onto your subject if necessary.
- Rule-of-Thirds (or guidelines). Unless the subject fills the frame, avoid placing it directly in the center when surrounded by other details in the scene. If you’re photographing a landscape, the guidelines recommend against the horizon line going through the center of the frame. Choose the main area - sky or land and fill the frame with two-thirds of it instead of half and half.
- Camera orientation. Horizontal, or landscape, orientation is better suited and accepted for most social media platforms. While you’re in the photo shoot, I suggest you take vertical photos for when you may prefer a vertical or portrait orientation.
- Move in closer. Instead of using the zoom feature on your camera to have the subject appear closer, you may decide to move closer to your subject instead. This is especially recommended when using phones, as zooming does not render the best quality.
- Clear, crisp photos. Steady the camera using a tripod whenever possible; press the camera shutter release button gently – halfway down to autofocus and then press down to take the photo. When using a phone, tablet, iPad, etc., hold it with two hands and close to your body for more stability instead of at arm’s length with one hand. For selfie shots, keep the phone as steady as possible.
- Change the approach and angle. For self-portraits, experiment with the angle of your body by turning sideways slightly and comparing it to a straight-on approach. Take pictures turning in both directions, as there will be a slight or more noticeable difference, and you’ll likely prefer one angle more than the other. When including groups of people, ensure everyone is visible from the camera’s angle. Avoid positioning people behind the other; offset for a more pleasing composition. Be on the lookout for distracting objects.
- Camera or smartphone? Be aware of situations that may crop up when low-resolution social media photos do not have sufficient resolution and quality unless taken with a suitable camera. Benefits of using a good camera include more control over lighting, special effects, higher resolution (how much detail is retained within an image), ease of self-timers, and remote control for self-portraits or when you want to be in the photo, and better flash, including external flash use.
What’s Your Subject? Check the Light Focus on the Eyes Hold the Camera Steady Have Fun
