Hii friends! 🥰 Welcome to the first episode “Snap and Edit” – a brand new photography series where you’ll be introduced to passionate photographers, different photography styles, scenic photoshoot locations, and practical tips on how YOU can improve your craft too! 📸 Be sure to subscribe (& hit the bell for notifications) to join me on this journey! Let’s learn and grow together! 🥳👊🏻
SUMMARY OF SNAP & EDIT: EPISODE ONE
🎥 Videographer & Video-Editor: Melinda Tse
📸 Photographer & Photo-Editor: Simran Sahni
Location: Kleinburg Village, ON.
Theme: Casual, Autumn Fashion
Posing Tips:
1. Create movement
The first tip is to create movement! Walk, run, spin, move your hands, turn your body… these are just a few things that you can do to loosen up and not appear as stiff on camera!
2. Don’t care about what other people think
It might feel weird to pose in public (especially if you don’t know what you’re really doing like me), but the more you do it, the more comfortable you’ll become & honestly, everyone appreciates a good picture. I’m sure that’s why you’re here too, so as Simran said, “I used to be sooo shy at first, but then I was like, “f**k it. I want that picture. And then I just did it.”
So if you want something badly enough, you have to let go of fear of judgement. Just do you, and you’ll come to realize that most of the time, people don’t care about you as much as you think haha. So just do it!
3. Relax your hands
When we become tense in front of the camera, this reflects poorly in our posture and the camera. The biggest tip I can offer when you’re feeling uptight is to take a deep breath, and relax. For your hands especially, be sure to loosen up the tension in your fingers. Think “soft hands” and that will make all the difference!
4. Switch your position every few seconds
Relating back to creating movement and relaxing, switching your positions is just a good way to not become too stiff in one pose. This might be difficult if you don’t have a set of poses in mind to switch around to, so I would recommend doing your research to see which poses you like, trying them out, and seeing what feels the most natural and comfortable for you. This is something I’m still working on myself, but a few of my current go-to poses are: walking and smiling, pretending to brush my hair, and looking down (or up). Super simple, but it works!
5. Play around and have fun
I think the biggest fear we have when we’re in front of the camera is looking stupid or making a fool of ourselves. This negative thought is what causes tension in our body, and makes us strive for “perfection” on camera. But what we don’t realize is that when we strive to be “perfectly presentable,” we end up holding back parts of who we really are – and that action alone is what stifles our true personality from shining on camera.
6. Play with your outfits or props
If you’re confused with what to do with your hands, the easiest suggestion I can give you is to use your outfit (or props)! For example, you can put your hands in your pocket, on your hood, or pretend like you’re fixing your hat. The next step is to look down, look up, look to the side, smile… just keep moving around and do different motions! When you have fun with the process, there’s bound to be at least one good photo that you’ll love!
Photography Tips:
1. Review the photos before moving on
Every time you’re doing a shoot, ensure that you review your photos before you move on. There a few different reasons why you need to do this. The first reason is to double check that your settings are correct (white balance, exposure, and focus). The second reason is to see how you can improve a photo (incase there’s a shot that you like, but it just needs a little bit of tweaking), and the third reason is to ensure that you are happy with what you have before moving on to the next location.
2. Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want
When I first started out in wedding videography (or becoming more serious about photography), I had trouble voicing my opinions because I either didn’t know enough back then, or I subconsciously felt like a kid and couldn’t gather up the courage to voice my opinion because I felt like they weren’t valuable. However, now that I have more experience… I’ve come to understand that my opinions are valuable, and I’m not as afraid to speak out anymore because I know more of what I want.
So my biggest tip to you is to remind you that your opinions are valid. Don’t be afraid to speak up or suggest ideas if you have something better in mind. Artists loves to create, collaborate, and do the best possible work, so help each other out and try out new ideas.
3. Shoot until you’re happy with a shot
This refers back to reviewing your photos before you move on. There’s no point in doing a photoshoot and leaving with nothing that you’re happy with, so keep at it until you’re happy with at least one shot!
4. Prepare multiple outfits to maximize content
If time permits, it’s a good idea to prepare different outfits for the photoshoot. This way, you can mix up the vibes and maximize the amount of content you can capture. Before I shoot, I always like to plan my outfits ahead of time and also see what matches the vibe of the photoshoot location.
5. Be aware of your surroundings
Depending on where you’re shooting, this is super important. In our case, watching out for cars when we’re taking pictures on the road is the number one thing haha. Aside from this, it’s also knowing how to use your surroundings.
6. Don’t be afraid to remove stuff
In this episode, Simran removed her scarf and gave it to me while I was taking photos of her. I added this tip because it not only refers to articles of clothing, but also taking away phones in your pockets or any distracting elements in the background. Removing stuff is a way to clear out what you don’t want or need, and I think it’s super important in order to get a clean shot too.
Anyways, that wraps up my six posing and photography tips for Snap and Edit: Episode 1! I hope you guys enjoyed the video and found this blog post helpful. I really enjoyed the entire process, and I’m excited to continue sharing and growing with you guys on this journey! Let me know in the comments below if you have any feedback or suggestions on how to improve. Thanks so much for watching and reading, and I wish you all the best in your photography journey! 🥳👊🏻
