lately i've been doing some styled photo shoots on the side to really to expand my portfolio and not have the stress of a paid shoot. getting creative and making a photo a piece of art is what photography is all about! when i do styled shoots, i keep in mind the details and i plan ahead the style and mood i am going for.

here's some tips from the top of my head to help you out --

1. find a model that fits the style you are going for. this is crucial! get out there and ask friends of friends if you have to. for the most part, people are flattered to be asked to model and are more than willing to help.
2. network with others (ex: florists, hair stylists, photographers, etc.) remember to credit their work when you feature your images. doing a styled shoot together through networking is also a great way to get yourself out there, as always.
3. plan ahead + define the style. i brainstorm some ideas of photos i want based on the location, model and style. you have to know what kind of style you are going for... it's a styled photo shoot! inform your model of the style so they are prepared. ask if they have any clothes that match that style as well. if not, usually i have something in my wardrobe that fits and i'll use that if needed.

happy friday!

-- if you have any more questions about doing a styled photo shoot, i will gladly respond in the comments below!

it's one of the most important days of a bride's life and she's put a lot (time + money) into looking her best. here are 3 tips to making sure you get every detail within the session!




1. start farther away to get the bride warmed up to the camera. if her groom is nearby, have her look over at him and you'll definitely get a genuine smile. you can have her turn her back to you to get a full length photo of the dress in the back. another pose i do is having the bride take a few steps back and slowly walk toward me while looking down, to the side and back at me when i tell her to.

what do you use to edit your iphone/instagram photos?

i use the awesome VSCO camera app! just like i use their film editing presets for my own photography images, i decided to try out their app and instantly fell in love with it. it comes with set filters for you but what i mostly use is the exposure, saturation, fill light, and crop tools to edit my photos (and there's more options as well!). i'm kinda OCD about my images that i post on instagram, so i'm glad i have this app handy.




 past posts related to photography:

+ My Favorite Lens
+ Q&A / photography for beginners
+ My journey to photography
+ Be yourself, Everyone else is taken
+ Posing couples 

let's talk about the 50mm lens. if you are just starting out in photography, this lens is the number one lens i recommend! especially for portraits. if you're already into photography and have the 50mm then you all know how magical it is. the lower the aperture (f/1.2 for Cannon users and f/1.4 for Nikon users) the more bokeh, or blurred background, you'll get which creates creamy skin tones and sharp eyes. my 50mm is on my camera about 80% of the time. the nice thing about this lens is that it's affordable! if you're debating over the 1.4 or 1.8, it's worth it to fork out some more money and get the lowest aperture for the best bokeh in your images. 

i've had a lot of requests on writing more about my photography tips and tricks. so therefore, all your dreams are coming true! i am starting a new series, Simple Photography Tips, to help all you bloggers, photographers and anyone with a camera. if you are a beginner to photography, i have answered questions relating to you here. i'll be posting new tips to the series as often as i can. if you ever have any questions and would like me to add it to the series, please comment with your questions below!

past posts related to photography:

+ Q&A / photography for beginners
+ My journey to photography
+ What's in my bag? 
+ Be yourself, Everyone else is taken