This also translates to the blog world. Anything looks better when it’s photographed well. So, what if you don’t have an awesome camera? That’s ok. I took a series of pictures to show you the different looks I get with two different cameras. One is my Nikon D50 SLR (about $700, with accessories) and the other is a Canon digital point & shoot (about $150 camera.) All of these pictures were taken of the same subject, in the same light, on the same day, in the same location.
Nikon D50 with Speedlight Flash.
This is how I take almost all of my pictures. I was very anti-flash (and you’ll see why in the pictures below), but then I e-mailed with my brother’s friend, Blake Gardner, who is a professional photographer, and he gave me some tips on using a flash correctly. I use a diffuser and also “bounce” the flash off the ceiling and it creates this great light. (It’s not bad to get photography advice from one of the best head shot photographers in LA, huh?)
Nikon D50 without flash
I also take a lot of pictures using this method, but the problem is that I have to wait for a sunny day and the right light to get a great photograph. On a gray day like this, the picture looks a little blah.
Nikon D50 with camera flash 
Canon digital point & shoot with camera flashJust when you thought it couldn’t get worse… So, this just emphasizes that you can take bad pictures with a cheap camera as well as a good one.
Canon digital point & shoot without flash 
Same exact picture as above, but I have adjusted the fill flash, saturation, brightness & contrast using Adobe Photoshop Elements.
This shows you that you can do wonders with an inexpensive point & shoot camera and some photo editing software.
Bottom line – You don’t have to drop $1000 on a camera to get good pictures. You can buy a low end digital point & shoot, use it correctly, help it along with some software and have gorgeous eye candy for your blog, Etsy store, or website.
Other photography tips
1.) Stage your pictures. Think of having a “photo session” with your craft, furniture piece, or room. Try different arrangements, pull things from other rooms and pick a nice back drop.
2.) Take your pictures in your brightest room at the best time of day. You’ll want your subject to have lots of indirect sunlight.
3.) Take tight close-ups and get a lot of different angles. Sometimes a piece looks totally different when you look at it sideways or from over head.
My mom and I just got back to my house this evening and we are dying to pick through all of our attic finds. However, we are pooped and will leave it for tomorrow. I can’t wait to share it all with you! I also have some amazing thrift store finds and a few more tutorials. So much to blog about, so little time.
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What a great and valuable post…Thanks!
Thank you for sharing these tips. I don't have an expensive camera at all and no photography training so I appreciate your advice. Your photos are always gorgeous!
I suck at taking pictures…seriously. I suck…. All of it goes right over my head…. I DO love all those pictures of my tray (which I got today btw). I had some really crappy tests done at the cardiologist today, and it cheered me up so much when I got home and found it here….My sweet hubby unpacked it and held it up for me… I can't wait to feel better and put it in my living room. thanks so much!
Thank you for sharing all of this info with us Miss Mustard Seed!
I do need the help. I just received my new camera for Christmas a few days ago and I am so excited to learn more and take better photos for my blog. It's the new Canon G-11. It's a little complicated for me right now but I plan to study up on it thoroughly.
If you have any more tips I would love to hear them.
Many Blessings, ~Melissa
Great and much needed post. I'm always directing people over to picnik for their free online photo editing, it can make a huge difference in how your photos look.
Anne
Great tips. I'm pretty hit or miss with my pictures. Often times it's due to time constraints and having to take my pictures at night after work when I have to use the flash.
Thanks for taking the time to blog about this helpful advice.
Jane
Oh, I soooo needed this post. Many times I have commented on my blog how photography is not my forte. Thank you so much for the tips. Good photos do make all the difference.
I know exactly what you mean, sugar! Come look at what I can do with a little Canon PowerShot 990. I have given a tutorial on photography but no one seems to really care if their photos are bad. I keep telling them "set your lighting"! That's probably the best advice I could give. You'd be surprised, or maybe not, at photos I've seen with $2,000.00 cameras that are hideous because they don't take the time to read the instructions on lighting, distance and settings. Sad, but true, chick! I think your instructions are truly great, sweetpea.
xoxo
Connie
thank you for the tips, I have a Canon power shot camera and it takes pretty good pictures especially outdoors. I have read on blogs a lot about taking pictures in natural light and without the flash and I have been trying to take this advice when possible.
Thank you for the fantastic advice . I am learning how to take better pics and this truly helped.
Helpful! Thanks for sharing! I would love to improve the quality of the photos I post on my blog.
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Awesome post. I've experienced those growing pains too – looking at photos I put on my site/shop/myspace from years ago is EMBARRASSING!
Looking forward to more attic photos
Great post…I was wondering about the speelight..I'm considering getting one, any tips?
Great tips for great pictures! Thank you! Unfortunately, I have to add into the mix that I am a shaky-handed person to begin with. I finally figured out how to turn my flash off {thanks, Son!} but I find they come out blurry. I'm still playing around with my Canon, but I don't think my pics are going to get much better!
Great information! Thanks! I'm a beginner Cannon Rebel user and its taking some time to learn the ins and outs of getting a nice shot. Another great tip to save a little money is to use Picassa from Google to edit photos. It's free and it does a great job of adjusting the lighting, contrast, etc. Many times, a photo taken without flash that seems blah, only need a little boost of faux editing light. Again, wonderful post that many of us need!
Thank you so, so much! I am in desperate need of photog 101…I'm going to practice your tips.
Thank you for sharing! This is truly my biggest struggle when we are staging and photographing our furniture! We have to do it at night when we are off our day jobs & it's always a very difficult task! However, we are getting better & with more tips like this – hopefully one day we will have gorgeous pictures like you!
I have a very similar camera – the Nikon D40. 18-135 mm lens, and an external flash 400. The flash is the best! I love bouncing it off the ceiling, and it is tremendous with indoor photos. Tremendous!!! Great post. Any idea how the D50 differs from the D40? I've got my eye on the D90 (maybe in two years or so, I'm too cheap to spend the cash). It has video also!! Drooling.
Terrific post today! I too have started learning that the flash makes everything look worse. I try to plan my photoshoots around daylight, turn every house light on and turn the flash off. Sometimes it works sometimes, not so much. But I'm working with at $150 camera! Good pictures mean so much. Yours always look fabulous!
Lisa
great tips! keep these cominng miss mustard seed!
Great tips. Thanks!! I always have issues with the flash thing. My house is too dark. How do you "bounce" the flash off of the ceiling??
Stephanie
Thanks for all the great tips. I'm going to try them all out.
Thanks for the tips. I am new to the whole blog thing and have been frustrated with the photos I took. I learned too that no flash is better. I have a cheap camera that I have been playing around with but never though to use my iPhoto editing software! I do have an SLR but all those buttons are intimidating – need to learn how to use it!
This was so helpful to me. Thank you so much.
xx-Gina
Thanks for the tips.
I can tell the difference in the pictures from when we first started our website and the pictures I'm taking now. I'll be a pro before I know it!!
Crooked, the tray is crooked in every photo…
Sorry, OCD speaking.
Great post! Very helpful! Good pictures are so important! I really enjoy your blog (and great pics!) and I featured it in my post this week and on my blog roll.
Can't wait to see more!
Amy
http://customsewingbyamyj.blogspot.com/
Hi there! What a great post! So many valuable tips! I have a Canon Rebel XT and really need to learn how to use the different features.
Blessings,
Sandra
This post was seriously fascinating and I keep coming back to read it again.
I hate using my flash but we have a lot of cloud cover here in winter and it makes taking photos hard! I am inspired to work harder at it though.