Tips & Tricks // Camera, lighting & how i take close ups.

Hi dolls.

Okay, so this is going to be a highly requested blog posts. I get asked multiple times a day about how I take my pictures, what lighting I use and what camera I take my pictures with, so I figured I should just write a full blog post about it all! (:

 Camera:

 The camera I currently use is the Canon 700D also known as Canon rebel t5i. I use the standard lens that comes with the camera, which is an 18-55mm lens.

One of the most important things about getting good pictures is knowing how to use your camera properly and all the settings it offers. Using the standard settings on your camera is never going to take the best pictures that your camera is capable of taking.

 Read the manual:

 Everything you need to know is in there! That may sound like the most useless advice ever but so many people take a quick look at the instructions, and then throw them away and say they couldn’t find what they needed in it. Google will also be a great friend when it comes to figuring out your camera.

 Adjust the ISO
& Exposure:

The ISO and exposure feature is a lifesaver and the most important thing to learn on your camera in my opinion. Turning up the ISO and adjusting the exposure will make your pictures appear brighter – this is super important to do if you have bad lighting as there’s nothing worse than badly lit pictures. With the ISO turned up a bit you can take pictures on overcast days or late afternoon when the sun is starting to disappear (at least here in Denmark). Having your camera on Auto instead of Manual will most likely give you dark pictures unless you have great natural lighting or professional studio lights. Be careful of turning up the ISO too high though, as you pictures will start to look grainy then – I keep my ISO on or below 800 at all times. The exposure can be adjusted to your own liking in regards to your light or your ISO setting but again, turning it up too high will make your pictures grainy so if you find you need to turn both things up too high for your lighting to be bright enough I’d highly recommend investing in some studio lighting or simply taking pictures while there’s good natural lighting.

Lighting setting:

Most cameras have the option to choose which light setting you’re in; Daylight, overcast, fluorescent, in the shadow and such. If you have trouble with everything looking too warm and orange in your photos then this is something you need to adjust.

Lighting:

I use different lighting for my pictures. During the day I’ll usually just stand in front of my window and use the natural lighting – however its been too dark and rainy in Denmark lately to be able to do that. On darker days or during the evening/night (I’m always more inspired at night) I’ll use my ring light. The ring light that I use is a Walimex 75W ring light and has day light bulbs so it gives a nice neutral light instead of that orange one that a regular lamp will give you. It’s also super bright so I can use it at any time of the day – even at night with no other lighting on.

How I take close ups:

 Another highly asked question is how I take close up pictures of my eye makeup, especially the ones with three photos in a row.

My camera has a flip screen so I can see exactly where I’m pointing my camera, which makes things 10000 times easier. If you don’t have a flip screen or you’re using the back camera on your phone then use a mirror to see where you’re pointing the camera at or you’ll end up with pictures of your hair, the room behind you and everything BUT your eye.

What I do when taking my ‘3row pictures’ is that I point my camera directly on my eyes – not from the left or right but directly on. The flip screen really comes in handy here.

That was it guys – I hope you found this post helpful and that you’ll be able to try this out and hopefully get some good pictures of your makeup (-;

Stay tuned and follow me on Bloglovin’ for my next ‘tips & tricks’ post in which I’ll share my favorite editing programs and Apps!

Please keep in mind that I’m no expert in cameras – I”m simply sharing what I’ve personally learned since getting my camera and the things that works for me. If you have any tips about the T5i camera, please leave a comment and let me know!

 Love, Laura. 

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