The Live Snap Love Blog
YOUR SPOT FOR PHOTOGRAPHY TUTORIALS, TECHNIQUES, INSPIRATION AND MOTIVATION!
The Exposure Triangle in Photography
So if you'd been wondering what the exposure triangle in photography is, then you're in the perfect place!
Because in this video / blog post I'm going to explain what exposure is, the three elements that control it, and how they all work together in something called the exposure triangle, to help you get perfect photographs!
And as a bonus, I'll be showing you how you can put all this together in practice to take better photos, so be sure to read or watch right to the end :)
As usual, you can choose to watch the video below, or keep scrolling to read a transcript….
Best Lens for Child Photography? My 3 Fave lenses revealed!
What’s the best lens for child photography? That’s one of the questions I’m asked all the time, so today I'm going to go over my personal three favourite lenses for child photography!
I'm going to tell you what I like about them, what I use them for and what I don't like about them too.
10 Tips For Taking Awesome Christmas Morning Photos
Christmas morning can be a really hard time to photograph - there's usually a flurry of activity, less than optimal lighting, plus of course you're trying to be involved in the day too!
So today I have 10 tips for you covering everything from camera settings, to lighting to practical advice that's going to help you create awesome memories of your Christmas morning.
Simply watch the video below, or if you prefer to read, then keep scrolling as you can see a full transcript of the video too!
You can find all the links mentioned in the video underneath too!
Shaped Bokeh : Create Your Own Bokeh Filter!
Learn how to create shaped bokeh in this step by step tutorial, where you'll learn how create your own bokeh filter with just some black paper, scissors and sellotape!
Shaped bokeh is where you change the circles of light you would normally see background to shapes, such as heart shaped bokeh, or star shapes bokeh or even festive Christmas tree bokeh! Basically you can create any shape that your little heart desires, and all you need for this is to make your own DIY bokeh filter.
Christmas Light Photography (3 Ways to Photograph Christmas Lights!)
Learn Christmas light photography with these 3 ways to photograph Christmas lights in and around your home!
So we're getting into the holiday spirit here at Live Snap Love, because today I'm going to teach you how to photograph Christmas lights, by showing you three different ways that you can capture Christmas lights in and around your home.
How to Get a Blurry Background in Photography
So this video is all about how to get that blurry background in your photos so that your images look more professional, and so your subject just seems to kind of pop off the screen!
Regardless of what camera you have, what lens you're using, if you follow the steps laid out in this video, then you are going to get images that have an amazing blurry background.
So I'm going to break this down into four simple steps, but be sure to stay right until the end of the video because I got an extra bonus tip for you that's going to give you more dramatic looking blur.
How to Use an Expodisc For Exposure & White Balance
In this week’s blog post and video, I’m going to show you how to use an expodisc to set both your exposure and your white balance.
For those of you that might not know what I’m talking about, an expodisc is a handy little tool that makes it really easy to set a custom white balance, so you get the best and most accurate colour in your images.
Why are my photos grainy (and how do I fix it?)
One of the biggest problems I hear from new photographers is that they are struggling to understand why their photos are so grainy - and what they can do about it!
I totally get how frustrating it is, believe me. Back when I was using my Canon Rebel, a lot of the time my photos would look grainy, and simply wouldn’t have that same sharpness that I could see from other photographers, which to put it mildly, is freaking annoying.
So that’s the problem we’re going to address today - why your photos are grainy, and most importantly, what you can do to avoid or fix the problem!
What do the numbers on a camera lens mean?
What do the numbers on a camera lens mean?!
If you’ve been asking yourself that question then you are in the perfect place, as today we’re going to be talking about what all the numbers on your camera lens means, and how you can use this information to decide which lens might be best for you.
So if you've been looking at lenses online, or maybe you already have your lens and you just don't understand what all these numbers actually mean, stick around. as by the end of this post, you'll know exactly what the numbers mean and you'll know how your lens is going to perform!
Ready? Let’s dive in!
12 Tips for Photographing Toddlers
Photographing toddlers can be really hard!
So in this post, I'm giving you my tried and tested tips for photographing toddlers that will help you put them at ease, get great expressions, and hopefully nip any tantrums in the bud so that you can capture some great photos of your toddler!
I'm also going to give you some BONUS tips for camera settings for photographing your toddler, so be sure to watch right to the end of the video (and grab your FREE aperture priority cheat sheet below the video - it’s 8 pages of pure gold.
Click play to watch the video, but if you prefer to read, scroll on down for a transcript!
4 Myths That Are Stopping You Getting The Photos You Want
The number one frustration I hear from photographers is that they struggle to get the images they see in their head, or at least consistently! Sure, they may luck out from time to time and snag a great shot, but they can’t repeat it, and their photos never end up quite looking the way they wanted them to…
If that’s you too, then you are not alone! I literally spent years feeling the exact same thing, so believe me when I tell you that I totally get where you’re coming from :-)
There are usually the same key areas holding you back, and stopping you getting the photos you want - and it’s usually because you believed a certain myth around photography. One that allows you to stay in your comfort zone than take the steps you need to take to get great photos.
That’s why in this blog post, I’m going to set the record straight about what it takes (or more specifically what it doesn’t take!) to get the photos you want - and what myths might the ones holding you back…
Why you need to stop using ALL the AUTO functions of your camera
When we think about AUTO mode in our cameras, we usually just think about the mode that allows us to balance our exposure, since, well, it’s the one called AUTO :-)
But your camera has lots of automatic functions that you’ll want to move away from, so in this week’s blog post, we’re talking through what they are, and most importantly, why you want to stop using them!
Now, don’t get me wrong, there are times and situations where you MIGHT want to use some of these automatic features - but honestly, those times are few and far between, so let’s check these out, so you know what to stop doing….
How to Shoot in Manual Mode (+ a manual camera settings cheat sheet!)
I’ve spoken a lot about just how darn important it is to learn how to shoot in manual mode if you want to get great photos, and today I want to teach you how to do that - step by step!
Yep, that’s right, for all you AUTO (or semi-auto!) lovin’ folks out there, you’re going to take the first step in taking control of your camera, by learning how to shoot in manual mode!
So, grab your camera and let’s get started!
5 Steps to Getting Great Photos
It’s so easy to feel overwhelmed when learning photography - let’s face it, there is SO much to learn, and so much information available online that you can sometimes feel like you’re drowning in information.
But the truth is, although there is definitely a lot to learn, if you can focus on just five key areas in photography, you’ll get better photos. And if you are new, they can even be done one after the other, as you want to layer on the knowledge, not take random pot shots from each area and try to fit them together (doesn’t work too well!)
So today’s blog post is what you need to focus on to become a better photographer. Do just these five things, and by the end, you’re photos will look freakin’ amazing, I’m telling you.
Must Use Camera Settings for Portraits
Although I’m a big fan of unposed “lifestyle” or documentary images, I can’t deny that i love a good portrait shot too!
So this blog post, we’ll cover the best camera settings for portraits using natural light - either indoors or outdoors.
Please note that if you work with studio lighting, or use flash, your settings are going to look different from the ones below. But since I love natural light, and I’m guessing that most people who read this blog use natural light, that’s what we’re going with :-)