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Tricks to Take Your Own Photos

PHOTOGRAPHY

If you are a budding photographer, this post is for you.

If you are on a super tight budget but want family photos, this post is for you.

If you have a good camera, a good base knowledge of how to photoshop and just want some cheap tricks to do your own newborn, family or self photography….this post is for you.

 

Here are some of my top tips when it comes to saving a buck but still having great photos.

Tripod & Remote

For large group photos that I need to be in, I always use a tripod and remote.  In our Panama City Beach photo above, you can see it in my hand under LJ.  And in our big redneck family photo, you can barely see that my hand is holding something.  That would be the remote…it’s tiny.  I have a Canon 5D Mark II and use a wireless remote to snap the photos.  First line up everyone so that you know they are within frame, set the camera to remote setting, and click away.   The remotes are really inexpensive.  This remote is under $10.

Reflector/Filter

Shooting newborns or headshots?  Invest the $20 in a reflector.  I have that exact one and it is amazing what a difference a little filtered light does for a photo.  The photo above is straight outta the camera of dear sweet Isla.  Isn’t she just the most yummy baby ever born?!  And those black edges is the rim of the reflector.  I set her up on a large ottoman in front of double windows and the reflector filters the light so that she has this glowing white background that doesn’t cast harsh shadows on her perfect bum.  I can simply clone the black out in photoshop when I do the rest of the post processing.
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Chair + Boppy Combo

For all my boys, I didn’t hire a photographer to shoot their newborn photos.  I probably should have.   It’s not so fun to crouch on the ground with a fractured tailbone.  Thanks a lot Weston 🙂  But at the time, I was trying to save money.  Ok ok…that’s my mentality all the time.  And usually I am alone with the newborn…so I have to figure out how to shoot and hold up a blanket and be aware of safety all at the same time.  Usually I do a lot of flat surfaces – rug on the floor, in the middle of the bed, etc.  But there are other times when you want a cute sleeping photo and this is when I use a big armchair and a Boppy.  I simply put the Boppy in the chair pushed all the way in with the opening toward the back of the chair.  Then I drape the entire chair with a blanket and put the baby in the hole.  It doesn’t always give the smoothest results (like having an extra set of hands would) but it’s safe, it’s easy and I don’t need to turn into an octopus.

Wood + Textiles

Both wood and fabrics are really cheap and easy ways to make a great backdrop.  I try to use them a lot because they are readily available.  A barn is a great backdrop for family photos…let’s hope they wear clothes 🙂  You have seen me use fabrics as backdrops.  We even used an old pallet for Weston’s pictures above.  It was simply a large couch cushion draped with a blanket in front of a pallet.  And below, I used a scrap of fabric to swaddle LJ and laid him on plastic that looks like wood.  Yup…it’s a cheap vinyl backdrop made to look like wood.  You can get a wood backdrop for $12….not as expensive as refinishing your floors to get a cool weathered look!

White Roller Shade

Speaking of backgrounds…here is a simple and inexpensive way to create a plain white backdrop…hang a white roller shade.  You can use it in front of a window, lay it on the ground or drape it over a chair.  It makes that seamless backdrop that is perfect for the photobooth effect or for that disappearing white backdrop.  (Here is a tutorial on photoshopping that white backdrop).  I have also used white fabric before (a sheet is the hardest to work with but cheapest….white flannel fabric is the best – open your garage door half way, clamp it to the end, and drape on the ground).

Household Items & Accessories

I have literally used everything in my house for photoshoots….everything from baskets that normally hold magazines to blankets from our bed to chunky knit scarves.  Each item can be reimagined in a different way.  This is especially useful for newborn photoshoots.  And if you are into hats for newborn pictures, check out the annual Big Red Balloon Sale at Gymboree (I think it’s semi-annual) to get $1 hats or headbands.  Other things that work well are pashminas, sparkly accents, ribbons, feathers, and even rugs make great backdrops for your new squishiness.

Other cheap tricks and suggestions –

  • subscribe to Photoshop for their trial period…it’s free!
  • get an inexpensive 50mm lens
  • buy cheap cheesecloth at your local grocery store to make a newborn wrap
  • trade photos for products on etsy
  • use poster board for product photography
  • set up your camera for exposure and just have a friend come over to press the shutter!

 

There are a bazillion ways to save money when it comes to photography – I truly believe that everyone can afford a good photo!  What are your best suggestions for saving a buck or two and still being able to document these fleeting moments?  I’d love to hear them!

 

p.s.  TONIGHT at 9pm, my curated collection with Joss & Main goes live!  Ahh!  I hear that I am getting a sneak peek of everything together this afternoon – I will definitely share it as soon as I get it.  I would hate for y’all to miss you because supplies are limited!

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Comments

  1. Awesome tips! The remote link didn’t work for me! I’ve got a tripod, but I’d really love a remote for my DSLR.

    And I haven’t read your blog outside of Feedly until today… love the new design!!

  2. The link for the camera remote you used to take your family photos is not working. Any possibility I could get a working link for it? We are getting ready to take our family photos too and we never hire anyone to do them. This will be so much better than using the timer for each and every photo. Ugh… 🙂

  3. the link to the remote doesn’t work, help! thanks for the tips Katie!! your pictures always look great! want to come on my next family vacation and do all the work? 😉

  5. Great tips! I shot my daughter’s newborn photos and just propped up our bedsheets on a pillow for the background. It was easy and she felt comfortable in the bed so she slept the entire time.

    ps. the link for the remote didn’t work.

  6. This is awesome advice! I am doing my first newborn shoot this weekend for a friend. I am basically just a person with a decent camera who likes taking pictures. I will definitely be using some of these ideas. Thanks Katie!

  7. I am looking for a remote, but your link above isn’t working. Would you mind sharing brand/where it is from?

  14. Thank you!!!! I’ve been looking at buying a DSLR for a while now, and while the remote was something I was keen to purchase, I hadn’t even thought of a reflector, what a difference they make tho, no harsh light!

  15. Thanks for the tops Katie! Is Isla your new niece? She’s gorgeous. I have an Isla too 🙂 beautiful name!

  16. Thanks for the tips Katie! Is Isla your new niece? She’s gorgeous. I have an Isla too 🙂 beautiful name!

  17. While it might not work any better than regular with kids added into the mix, you can set your camera to take the photo a few seconds after you press the remote button, which allows you to move your hand to a more natural position.

  18. Oh yes – I definitely do that but I am not always thinking “hide the remote”. Usually I am thinking “suck it in, smile, not too big, don’t look weird.”
    xo – kb

  23. I love when you do photography posts! My family thought I was crazy when I got the remote for my camera!

    I can never learn enough about photography! Thanks for the pointers!

  25. I LOVE your photo tips! Your photos always look so professional and now that I have a little one, I’m trying to soak up as many of these tips as possible because I want amazing family photos like you have. KEEP THE TIPS COMING!!! I already bought the reflector and remote. 🙂

  27. Wow! I am really bad at photography but you know, if you’re a blogger, it becomes a must for you to learn photography and hence I am doing the same. I’m trying to learn photography and I literally read up only about photography in my free time these days and I always look for such personalized articles where I can actually learn from experience.
    Thanks for such a great article. 🙂

  28. At the end you mentioned trading photos for products on etsy…could you expand? That sounds more up my ally! Thanks for all your tips, they really help spark some ingenuity. 🙂

  29. Contact the etsy owner if they have a great product and see if you can arrange a trade! You get free products and they get the rights to use your photos on their site. It’s how a lot of folks get free pictures if their photography skills are not stellar but their items are!
    xo – kb

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