In all aspects of life, I am as transparent as possible. I give it my best to share all things from all angles. Even before my blogger days, I have always enjoyed taking pictures and documenting moments. I was that girl in college that walked around with a digital camera and asked strangers to snap a quick photo. I went through my Facebook albums earlier today and I realized I have always documented my journey. It was not until recently that I decided to take the leap of faith and start a blog. I am so glad I did, but what I quickly realized was that I needed to take my picture game to the next level!
I have gained a new appreciation for photography over the past year. I will never forget about a year ago, two of my friends asked me to take a picture of them, and with little effort I snapped a picture of them with their iPhone and I gave it back to them to view. They looked at the photo, then back at me and laughed. They said that it was flat out bad. I remembered rolling my eyes and thinking, “Man they are picky!” I never in a million years thought that would have been me one day!
One of my really good friends, Sarah, is a big-time wedding and lifestyle photographer here in Louisiana. She has really opened my eyes to an entirely new outlook on photography. I could literally listen to her and her photography tips all day, and I am sure she gets annoyed with me always asking questions, but I ask anyways. JNo, but really, she’s the sweetest! She is our go-to photographer, we usually have a professional shoot with her every 2-3 months, and for all events, we pray that she’s available to capture those special moments. Her work is impeccable, and it fits my family and I’s style flawlessly. There is nothing better than a sharp, crisp and artsy image that tells our story.
Aside from the shoots with Sarah, when we travel as a family, I usually find a photographer that is interested in collaborating in the area we are visiting that best suits our style. Instagram and hashtag play a huge part in how we find the photographer we end up working with. Who uses google search these days anyways? Instagram hashtags are actually how I ran across one of the top photographers in the Florida area, Jenna Loomis Photography. I saw her work on her Instagram page, and knew, instantly, that I wanted to work with her! She was a pleasure to work with and made my entire family feel as though we’ve known her our entire lives. I was so amazed once we got our images back, she blew me away!
So what happens when we aren't taking professional pictures? My husband, a family member, or maybe even a complete stranger are the others behind the camera. Since they aren’t professional photographers, it’s usually hit or miss haha. I’m not too picky, unless its my husband or my mom doing the snapping. Furthermore, I usually get them a quick tutorial on how to capture a great image using my iphoneX. I will share that below! Like I mentioned earlier, I have always been one to document my journey, and with blogging I realize how important it is. Afterall, pictures are worth a thousand words.
HOW TO TAKE A GREAT PHOTO WITH AN IPHONE X:
1. LIGHTING:Make sure the lighting is right. You don’t want it to be too bright or too dark, if the sun is out, it’s always best to find a shaded area. A shaded area will reduce shadows in the image and will provide a nice soft light that makes for a gorgeous shot.
2. PORTRAIT MODE: If the lighting is good, then portrait mode will be your best friend. You want to avoid low light situations when using this setting. This particular iPhone setting gives that blurred background effect, which accentuates the subject. If done correctly, you can totally get a professional grade image.
3. POSITIONING: Positioning is just as important as lighting. The subject that is being photographed should be facing the light. Although backlight makes for a super dope image, an iPhone camera has limited capabilities, and doesn’t perform as well when the light is behind the subject. You also want to make sure that you keep the subject separate by a couple of feet from the desired background, so the boca effect (blurred background) can take place.
4. BE STILL: Whoever is doing the photographing, once “natural light” turns yellow, and the subject is in focus, you want to take the picture while keeping your hand as steady and still as possible with the subject being still as well.
If you follow these steps and practice, you’ll be able to take gorgeous pictures straight from your iPhone (As long as it is an iPhone 6s plus or newer). So, no…I don’t live with a professional photographer, but you will rarely catch me without my iPhone or Sony a5100 camera. So many people ask why I do it. I do it all because I enjoy it. I enjoy being transparent and telling our family story. We have worked so hard to get to where we are, and every time I get a sweet email, DM, or text/call saying that our story has inspired them in some way, I know it is all worth it! I hope you know that whatever you want in life, it is yours!
Thanks so much for reading, I appreciate it more than you know! See you next time.
XOXO,
Brittney Fusilier
