How to Take Great Photos While Social Distancing, Part 2
Hi! 👋
We’re back with part 2 of “How to Take Great Photos While Social Distancing.” We hope you find these tips and video tutorials helpful! So let’s get back to it. Make sure to check out Part 1 for my guide to the basics.
2. Hire a Photographer
I realize that we can’t take photos in multiple locations with lots of clothing changes, but I have heard a lot about the #thefrontstepsproject and I wanted to share it with you. #thefrontstepsproject started in Massachusetts but isn’t ending there. I’ve even seen Facebook posts from friends who are photographers struggling to maintain business during the corona virus pandemic, and I think this is a great way to support local businesses, get some great front and back cover photos for your booklet, and capture some memories from a really impactful moment in our lives. The photographers all stand at least 6ft away from clients and it’s a quick 5-10 minute photoshoot (usually, check with your local photographers!). You could ask the photographer to extend that a bit (maybe 20 minutes or so!) and do a clothing change. I bet they’d meet you in your backyard (but 6ft apart!) to change the scenery a bit too.
For now, we think this is one of the best options for taking good quality images. That being said, we realize this is an ever-evolving situation and lockdown guidelines may change. We also realize that social distancing requirements are different for each state. Please check with your local photographers to see if this is something they are still participating in!
Just look at how much personality are in these photos. I love the bright blue door and the idea of taking photos from your windows. Don’t forget to get some good pictures of your pets! Photos taken from #thefrontstepsproject on Instagram. Follow them for more inspiration!
3. Tell a Story in your Home
I was interviewed by RG Adoption Consulting and while I realize that you can’t go out in public and tell your story, I think you can still tell your story from within your home. Think about things you like to do in your house and take photos there. Do you love cooking? Take photos of you cooking. Do you love knitting? Take some pictures of you knitting in a chair with some natural light. Do you love taking your dog for walks? Go for a walk and snap some fun photos.
“I love that you [Becca at RG Adoption Consulting] call it the story book process because I think of my job as the story teller.”
4. Get Creative
I stumbled on a Youtube creator Kutovakika and I wanted to share a few of my favorite videos with you. I think she has some wonderful tips on getting creative self portraits. She has some DIY photo shoot ideas too. Make sure to follow Kika on Instagram to see her beautiful self portrait photography!
How to take photos of yourself- SELF PORTRAIT tutorial
Stabilize
Frame your shot
Shoot and get it sharp
Nail the pose
Take a top down photo
10 Photo Background Ideas
Plain wall
Wallpaper (hack: gift wrap paper!)
Window
Floor
Book backdrop
Parks
Beach
Colorful wall
Doors
Street or alley
10 Self portrait ideas when the camera doesn't love you
Stand far away from the camera
Put your back into it
Make it a cover up story
Crop the head away
Play the supporting role
Look down
Focus on your favorite feature
Change the angle
Use props
Smile!
How to take beautiful CREATIVE SELF PORTRAITS (selfie tips)
Part 1: How to come up with ideas and concepts
Use emotion as inspiration
Build a character (build your character!)
Dress up and get inspired by what you wear
Use your imagination
Part 2: Practical tips to take beautiful selfies
Take time to get the camera angle right
Pose like you mean it
The face
Using natural light
5. Organize your Photos
Last but not least! If you're home and have some time on your hands, it's a great idea to tackle the chore of organizing your photos. This will also help you collect your photos for your adoption profile book. Here’s a great link with tons of detail and organization tips. Think about how you back up your pictures too! I would hate for anyone to go out and shoot and put in a bunch of hard work, only to lose your photos because they weren’t backed up properly.
That’s a wrap!
I hope this helped! I can’t wait to see what you all come up with. Don’t forget to read Part 1 if you are just tuning in. Stay well folks!
