Behind the Scenes Styling Tips // Paper & Stitch

Good forenoon! Today, I'm sharing the second installment of Backside the Scenes (a styling tips and tricks serial). And I accept to say, I am and then glad that you are forth for the ride with this new column. You're the best! Seriously.

When it comes to your product shots and DIYs, having options (and lots of them) is a very good affair. That might mean shooting objects from varying angles, using several different backgrounds until you observe the right one, trying out different lighting, and taking tons of photos.

All of these things add up quickly, photo-wise, which means you take the opportunity to whittle down your selections to the best of the best before sharing it with readers or potential customers.

So let me give you a quick example…

When I photograph a DIY, and fifty-fifty when a professional photographer shoots my DIYs for me, there are at to the lowest degree 100 photos. And you know how many I cease up using in a typical post? Commonly 10-15. Or less! So it's safe to say, I take style more than photos than I actually need every fourth dimension I shoot a DIY. Just I do that considering I want to choose the very best ones to share, non just the merely 10-15 photos I ended up taking that item day.

And I am willing to bet that that is true of the bulk of bloggers, photographers, and stylists that you lot know and honey too. There is a reason for information technology. Trust me. It'south because even if you lot have no idea what y'all are doing, eventually, yous'll stumble upon something that works for you. And as yous get more comfortable with the process, you showtime trusting your instincts more than and relying less on trying annihilation and everything at whatever given time. Until then, though, options are your friend! Your BEST friend. I mean, y ou guys should probably go alee and become one of those broken heart necklaces and phone call it a day.

So here are some options for you lot to go along in heed when styling and photographing products and DIYs"¦

ane. Take LOTS of photos. So you're probably thinking 'how many photos do I Actually need'. Honestly though, there is no set number, so simply exercise what feels right to you. That said, I would error on the side of excess rather than non enough.I think Sarah took fifty or 60 finished project shots from this cake topper DIY and I ended up using seven out of those 50 or 60.

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two. Try unlike angles. Photograph your project or product from all angles – overhead, side view, iii/4 view, etc.

I tried plenty of dissimilar angles and environments for this DIY sandal project, until I finally constitute something that worked. It'southward tough when you're really wearing the shoes AND the i photographing the project. Merely whatever. A lot of the time, that'due south merely how it is, so y'all curl with it. Side Note: I didn't even end up using these photos in the finished tutorial because they didn't match up with the story I wanted to tell.

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three. Utilize various props and/or backgrounds. Only don't go crazy. Play around with different textures and sizes for props. Bonus points if yous can toss in a couple of the supplies y'all used to complete the project or production for a couple of the last styled shots. Equally for backgrounds/backdrops, don't be afraid to incorporate pattern and color every now and and so. Neutral backdrops are great, just you lot don't have to use them every time.

I liked the thought of flower confetti in the embossed geo favor bags better than cherries, but when I photographed them, it was a no brainer. The cherries photographed actually well and were the perfect color compliment to the moss blueprint background. The blossom petals? Not so much.

So those are my behind the scenes tips for today. Take your own secrets to styling, setup, etc? Share 'em in the comments below.

And if youre looking for more ways to create beautifully styled, share-worthy tutorials, check out my Skillshare class, The How To on How Tos: Creating Compelling Tutorials for your Blog.