6 Tips for Taking Better Outfit Photos

fashionlush, Tips for Taking Better Outfit Photos, style blogger

Hey hey hey guys. Everyone have a good Memorial Day weekend?

Mine was the best ever, cause my new nephew came into the world which was just about the most amazing thing I have ever experienced!! It’s a good thing this happened on a long weekend cause I needed that extra day to nap & come back to earth. Little guy made us wait through a few sleepless nights (& also, my sister is like the most amazing/strong person ever!) but he is home now & just the most dreamy dude ever… with SO much hair!!!

I feel like you guys are all my best friends, so I am so excited for you all to see him when he is ready for his big debut!!

In the meantime, I am sharing some of my top tips for taking better outfit photos, cause really… the whole thing is a science. Read on & shop this look below (ft. my absolute favorite jeans ever).

fashionlush, Tips for Taking Better Outfit Photos, style blogger

my top tips for taking better outfit photos

1. Location: I am a freak about location. You can’t just shoot anywhere & expect it to come out great. You have to determine the aesthetic you are going for before you start taking photos. I like my Instagram feed to have depth, be a little moody/dark, & of course- I am not a big fan of color. SO, I try to shoot in places that fit all of those requirements.

It takes a lot of driving around, but I suggest when driving around & finding spots you love- mark them on your maps or jot down the address… so next time you shoot, you have some places to pick from & save time. If you guys look at my outfit posts, you will recognize a few of the locations are used a few times. I keep my fave spots in rotation.

2. Timing: A location won’t be anything if the light isn’t good, so that is where timing comes into play. I like shooting in the shade, but while it’s still sunny out. If it’s a grey day it’s not the best for shooting cause photos can come out a bit drab, but shooting directly in the sun is a bit aggressive… so it’s all about finding that fine medium.

If you live in a town with tall buildings, a downtown area, that is great cause you can find a lot of shade but if not… golden hour is your best bet! I know people love golden hour for the golden hues, but since I have a cooler feed… I am not using it for that kinda lighting, but more for just finding shade while still having a good light on my face (cause you always shoot with the sun on you, not behind!).

3. Posing: ahh POSING. This is always the hardest for me cause, well, it can be awkward taking 500 photos of yourself & not get a bit tired of moving around but you gotta MIX THINGS UP. Stand up, walk around, sit down, lean against a wall, just keep moving so you can get plenty of variety.

I suggest doing some research on poses & using Instagram’s new save feature to create a folder of poses (is anyone else OBSESSED w/ the fact you can save photos on the gram?! GENIUS) so that when in doubt, you can check out some of those poses & recreate the ones you like.

Also, some basic tricks- don’t keep your arms too close to your body or they will just look bigger than they are & also try to keep your legs spaced apart. I know these sound kind of superficial, but they work to make you look leaner… which is crucial cause a camera really does add 10 lbs.

Why does the camera actually does add 10lbs? Well… it’s because all lenses (even on your iPhone) are a tad bit dome shaped so it distorts the image a bit. In editing they do have lens correction in Lightroom where you can literally flatten out the image to reflect how you ACTUALLY look. This article does a stellar job at explaining what it is & how to fix it!

4. Oil it up: this is a new trick I am now obsessed with & now I never go to a shoot without my favorite golden glowing oil. Rub it on your legs, arms, and collarbone. It adds dimension to your photos & makes your skin look extra glowy and fabulous.

5. Always be Tan: & on that note, get a tan! Being tan does WONDERS for photography. I am currently loving this tanning lotion & also am a huge fan of Sally Hansen’s leg makeup. I keep the Sally Hansen spray in my little blogger bag… just in case my legs are looking a bit pasty before a shoot!

6. Post Production: at the end of the day, it’s all about the edit. No matter how perfect the backdrop & lighting are, you still need to do your editing to fix any colors, tone down any warm hues (atleast for me, I make it very cool!), & even Photoshop out any distractions (i.e. a cigarette butt on the ground or a nasty orange street cone). I suggest shooting raw (your photographer should already be doing this) & first doing your color corrections in Lightroom & then moving the photo to Photoshop for any of your last minute corrections (i.e. removing the cigarette butts!).

fashionlush, Tips for Taking Better Outfit Photos, style bloggerfashionlush, Tips for Taking Better Outfit Photos, style bloggerfashionlush, Tips for Taking Better Outfit Photos, style blogger

wearing: GRLFRND ‘Natalia’ jeans | cropped white sweater (sold out- similar here & here) | Acne Jensen boots (sold out- similar) | LV mini backpack | LV belt (vintage score from Etsy- similar style here) | yellow purse pouf | Quay Santa Fe sunnies

[ PHOTOS BY ARIELLE LEVY ]

2 Replies to “6 Tips for Taking Better Outfit Photos”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *