Photography Frequently Asked Questions & Answers
I receive A LOT of questions about my photography!
So I thought it would be fun to do a rundown of some frequently asked questions about my photography, my equipment and favorite ebook resource!
*This post contains affiliate links.
Q: Do you shoot your own photos or does somebody else do them for you?
A: I actually shoot my own photos. I’ve had a love for photography that goes back years. In college, I actually took a ‘film’ photography class with my first camera, a Canon AE-1.
Q: What sort of camera do you have/use?
A: I use a digital camera, a Canon 5D Mark III (but any digital camera that has a macro setting will show the details that I achieve).
Q: What is your favorite lens?
My ‘workhorse’ lens is the Canon 50mm, 1.4 lens. It’s the lens that I use the most by far! Here are some shots using my 50mm lens.
First appeared in my Easy Strawberry Vanilla Layer Cake.
First appeared in my DIY Painted Kitchen Rug.
First appeared in my Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies.
First appeared in my Free Printable: Valentine’s Day Gift Tags.
Q: What lenses do you use?
About 90% of the photos you see here on the blog are with my 50mm lens (noted in the answer above). But here are two lenses that I also occasionally use…
When I’m shooting full rooms or really small postage-stamp sized spaces, I use my wide-angle zoom lens, my Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L.
First appeared in my Spring Home Tour.
First appeared in my Small Powder Room – One Room Challenge Reveal.
When I’m shooting portraiture or my kids playing sports, I tend to use my Canon 85mm f/1.8 lens.
First appeared in Merry Christmas.
Q: Is there a photography book that you recommend to help me learn how to photograph?
Yes. If you want to take your OWN beautiful food, product and still life photos – those drool worthy ones you see on Instagram and Pinterest – I’ve got EXACTLY what you need!
A while back, I came across photos by Stephanie Studer of LifeCreated and I literally fell in LOVE with her photo style aesthetic. Why? Because it’s so me and because it’s so me, I know it’s so you too! Her style is bright, fresh, airy, and detail-oriented with a storytelling nature. Here’s a few of her photos:
Well guess what? Stephanie has a photography e-book called “Simple & Styled: A Guide To Shooting Still Details On Your Own. This ebook guides you through food, products, still life and interiors. I’ve read it from cover to cover (98 pages) twice already and now consider it one of my favorite resources in photography.
Unlike other boring manuals and not a lot of ‘meat’ courses, this e-book actually includes pretty visuals and layman’s terms. She talks about everything from how to identify your brand and style in a photo, storytelling, prop searching (that doesn’t break the bank), tools and tricks she personally uses, and how to make images blog friendly. I love all of the before and after shots! AND with or without a fancy camera – hello phone camera users!
Stephanie’s a teacher and an encourager. Her images will inspire you. And her personal story of how she started reminds you ‘we all start at chapter 1, not chapter 20’. But learning from her knowledge and experience, we can move from chapter 1 to 20 a lot quicker and a lot cheaper (which of course resonates with my frugal side).
REMINDER: you want your audience to feel and react to your photos. Start communicating the feeling and reaction you’re going for! Whether it means buying, doing, eating something or going somewhere, you want your image to result in action!
Stephanie explains you don’t need to be afraid of not having a ton of time, because it can be done when you make the time. Don’t let the fear of cost weigh you down, because you can start with small, simple and thrifted items that you find in your own home. If you’re open to trying and growing, this guide is for you!
I highly recommend this e-book if you’re looking to up your own photography skills and start showcasing drool worthy photos on your blog, Instagram and other social media channels.
JUNE ONLY SPECIAL: Steph’s ebook is on sale for $45 the entire month of June – get it HERE, while it’s on sale! (reg $65) scroll to the bottom of her page.
Ok, I think I’ll stop here! If you have any additional photography questions, feel free to comment below and I’ll try my best to answer!
This looks like an awesome resource, Tana. Thanks for sharing! My main frustration right now is with Lightroom. Every time I resize my images they export extremely pixelated. I change the width to 620 and leave the height empty, and the quality is just so bad. If I don’t resize, the images look great. I don’t understand what I’m doing wrong. I know all my images should be a consistent width so I’ve just let it go, but it has bothered me for so long. Thanks so much for any help you can give.
Hi Andrea! Before I jump in to answer, just know that if you resize within Lightroom to fit your blog size, you WILL lOSE some of the clarity – this is why I ONLY resize within Photoshop. With that said… ‘extremely pixelated’ tells me that you’re not exporting with the correct settings in lightroom. Try these: FILE SETTINGS; jpeg, quality 80, sRGB, do not check limit file size. IMAGE SIZING: check resize to fit, width & height, w at 625, do not check con’t enlarge, 72 pixels per inch. OUTPUT SHARPENING: check sharpen for Screen, amount is standard. Note: I’ve tested lots of variations and this one I just explained is the best I’ve found.
Love all your tips. You’ve helped me come soooo far in the photography world. Thanks, sister! XOXO!
You’re so welcome. Glad they’ve helped! Right back at ya – xoxo