During my first year writing AGO, I used stock photos for several of my blogging- and lifestyle-type posts. While this was great for saving time from having to take a bunch of photos, I felt like it took away from the creativity and style of my posts. After trying to figure out a way to remedy this, I decided to start taking my own stock photos that could be used for several different posts. I feel like this is a great options for most bloggers, so I thought I would share my top 5 tips for creating stock photos of your own.
CHOOSE SIMPLE SUBJECTS
The best stock photos are simple and only include a few subjects, at most. When setting up your photos, try to keep a good balance between interesting and busy. You want your photo to be eye-catching, but you don't want it to be so busy that the eyes have a hard time focusing on what the photo actually is.
TRY DIFFERENT ANGLES
When taking your photos, try as many different angles as possible. Get above your subject for some flatlays, try shooting on the same level for some really cool depth-of-field shots...get creative and have fun playing around with every idea you can come up with. Different angles will work for different subjects, so practice is your best bet in this case.
SHOOT A VARIETY OF SUBJECTS
Whatever the topic of your blog, try using props and items that tie in with what you usually write about. For me, that means beauty products, notebooks, jewelry, flowers, blogging supplies, and little everyday necessities. If you're stuck for ideas, try looking through stock photos on Pinterest. Also, you can practice with little trinkets and things you have laying around your house.
LEAVE EMPTY/WHITE SPACE
If you're going to be writing something on the photo for your post, you'll definitely want to leave some empty/white space when taking your shot. This also helps with the composition of your photos, and allows for them to not appear so busy and chaotic. I've learned that nailing the balance between white space and subject is something that becomes easier over time, so don't worry if your photos aren't up to par with what you're envisioning right off the bat.
FOCUS ON YOUR BLOG'S STYLE
My last tip is to really focus on the style of your blog when setting up your photos. You've probably noticed that standard stock photos are extremely vague and "bland" - the good news is that you can infuse your photos with as much creativity and style as you want! Since these are photos created just for you and no one else, they can be more specific to your blog's style and feel.
Do you create your own stock images for your blog?
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