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Hey all. I know oily people love to share shots of their oils but often times the pictures are so cluttered or the bottles so blurred the intent gets lost. I am going to share some simple things you can use at home to help with that and then I will show you all how I have always done it and you can choose which technique works best for you to start taking great oily photos.
DIY: Use White Space
I am a huge lover of simple photos with lots of white space. What’s the simpliest way to start? A poster board or white board (I personally don’t like dealing with the glare off a white board but lots of people use it).
The Rule of Thirds
The poster board is going to be your photo canvas and the chair you are going to stand on and shoot down on the photo so make sure it is sturdy! Now, imagine your poster board has a grid similar to the one below and arrange your items into 1/3 of the canvas. you don’t have to be exactly within 1/3 but try your best
You could arrange these anyway you like but you are attempting to create plenty of space for text which you will add in whatever app you most prefer. For me that is PicMonkey.
DIY Correct Shadows or Add More Light
If you are getting a lot of dark shadows you can use a common item in your kitchen to help in 1 of 2 ways. Grab a roll of paper towels and use it to either block light coming in casting a shadow or move your canvas in front of a sunny window and hold the paper towels on the opposite end of the window to bounce light back on the subject to brighten it up.
The Little Less DIY Way to Better Photos
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As a blogger this light box is the best $42 I have ever spent. It creates a canvas of red, blue, white and black quickly and easily. I linked you to some pictures I have taken on the blog with the different colors. It blocks shadows and also allows me to add light where needed. It comes with a phone holder and the lights and folds up to the size of a trapper keeper when I am not using it.
Since I don’t always have access to my light box when on the go and shooting oily pictures I try to use the Rules of Thirds and a really good phone camera for those times. Right now I am loving the Droid Moto Z with the extra battery mod* to make sure I can always snap an oil shot in the moment and upload it quickly via the Verizon network. I then use a great app like WordSwag or OVER to add text!
I hope these quick tips help you to up your oily picture game!
*Disclosure: As a member of the Verizon #VZWBuzz team I am compensated for my honest reviews of products.