Joe Edelman
When I started blogging in 2008, I couldn’t afford to keep my site bristling with professional photographs from sites like iStock. And cheaper options like Canva didn’t exist. So I took my pictures with an inexpensive Hello Kitty camera my mom stuffed in my stocking one Christmas.
For a camera that was practically a toy, I felt frustrated trying to figure it out. The instructions were no less difficult to understand as they read more like legalese than directives. But when I learned how to use it, I had a blast experimenting with photography.
Flash forward thirteen years. I find myself blogging again. Only this time, cyberspace has evolved into a photographic cosmos. Practically everyone is a photographer on social media, and e-commerce depends on photographs to sell everything to everybody. Blogs are no exception.
In my conversation with photographer Joe Edelman, we talk about how regular bloggers and content creators like me with limited experience can take impressive photographs that tell stories. Here are my six takeaways from our conversation:
- Always know your Why. Why are you taking this picture? What story are you trying to tell, and what message do you intend to communicate?
- You don’t need a fancy camera. You can take captivating photos with your cell phone. Learn your camera’s features and capabilities. Use them to your advantage.
- Pay attention to the details. Focus on your subject, and only include things that are important in your photograph. Anything else will be a distraction.
- Keep your lighting simple. The fewer light sources you’re working with, the easier it will be to photograph your subject. North-facing windows are excellent light sources for daylight hours. And inexpensive foam boards from a dollar store make great reflectors to reduce shadows.
- Use camera angles to tell a story. Low angles convey power and authority, while high angles convey vulnerability. Consider the story you’re telling. Experiment with different angles and see which one is most effective.
- If your subject is wearing glasses, position the lighting slightly higher than where they are looking to avoid reflecting on their lenses.
How do you tell stories with photographs?
