Five Things I’ve Done to Improve my Photography: Guest Post by Pearl

*pops in* Hello, friends! 

It’s Pearl here–Taking over Anna’s blog. I stole the keys and got in for a super special occasion. Please don’t tell her I snuck in and published something. 

I just have some things I’m excited to discuss with you. Photography. Or more specifically, how I’ve improved my photography, and how you can do it too. Sound amazing? I’m so excited to dive in before Anna gets back and finds out about me. . . 

Okay okay, I’ll be serious. Let’s get started! 

*Note for those of you who are concerned – Anna knows and volunteered for me to post on her blog ‘cause she’s amazing. I’m just trying to mess with you. :D* 

Now. . . I am definitely no expert on photography, but I have definitely learned a bit in the year and a half I’ve carried a real camera, and more in the years full of quick snapshots. So. . . here are 5 things I’ve done to improve my photography. 

1.  Invested in a good camera 

{photo original to this post} 

You can do a lot with whatever camera you have around, even iPhone cameras are especially advanced nowadays and can take pretty good photos. When I first started, I used my mom’s nearly 14-year-old Canon EOS Rebel. It worked. To an extent. After I had saved up a bit, I decided that it was time to invest in a ‘real’ camera. After doing a lot of research and talking to various people, I chose a new Canon EOS Rebel T7 from Amazon, along with an 18 – 55 mm lens. I also have a 75 – 300 mm lens that’s nice to have but works best with a tripod. I mainly use my 18 – 55 mm lens but I do plan on getting a set of Macro lenses in the future. Anyway, I love the setup I have right now, and I’m quite glad I took the plunge and invested in a good camera. 

2.  Thought about lighting 

{photo from this post} 

Lighting is one of the keys to being able to take a great photo, in my opinion. You can have a gorgeous setup, but the photo can turn out dark, and when you try the flash (see below), it just looks. . . weird and not at all what you were hoping for. Natural lighting from the sun and outdoors is my favorite kind of lighting. I usually go out onto our sunporch for most of my indoor photos since it gives me good lighting but I don’t have to go outside. If you set up your photos like this – light source >> you >> object – you’re bound to get a better photo. I don’t have a ton of knowledge on this subject as I’m still very clearly learning, but there are tons of tricks out there that you can use. (And if I did try to share them all, this whole post and probably a few after would be full! I don’t think Anna wants me here that long. :P) 

{photo from this post} 

3. Learned to avoid using flash 

Flash pretty much looks terrible unless you have fancy flash equipment. So, I’ve realized that shooting in good light (see above) is so important. Turning off the flash and focusing on finding lighting that works improved my photos like crazy. {first photo with flash, second photo without} 

4. I practiced. A lot. 

I’ve taken so many different photos, and that’s why I love that I have a digital camera. Shooting, checking the photo, and then adjusting is a great way to learn. 

Did that work? No. What about this? Erm. . . no. What if I move here? 

Yes. 

Just experiment and see what works! You can always go back and delete the photos that turned out awful. 

5. Began to notice the little things 

There is so much beauty around me. And you. The Creator of the world didn’t create a boring or plain world. . . He created a world full of beauty. Of elegance and pretty things. Even if you think you live in a boring place, there are beautiful things around you. You just have to look a little closer. 

It could be the sunset you see as you’re on your way home or the flower that’s growing behind the bush in your backyard. I was just on a walk when I saw this spider web and noticed how gorgeous the lighting was at that moment. 

Look for the little beautiful things. 

 And there we have it! 

I hope you enjoyed this post and I could enlighten you about photography a bit! If you have any other questions, don’t be afraid to ask in the comments below. I’d love to have you check out my blog if you’re interested in seeing more of my photos. 

Thank you so much for reading, and please have a lovely day!

Pearl Christine is a Jesus-loving historical and contemporary fiction writer who writes to glorify and serve her King. When she’s not writing, you can find her lost in the woods with her camera, in the middle of another creative project, spending time with her seven siblings, running, or writing and decorating letters. You can find her at her website, pearlchristine.com, where she talks about all things creative.

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