Re-Post for the wonderful peeps at Reviewer’s Retreat this week! 😉
Last week I was honored/scared to death to help present a session on how to create pinnable pics for Pinterest with Piera and Stacie. Why? Well, I am by no means a professional photographer. Never have been and probably never will be. But, I absolutely love to create beautiful pictures and try to educate myself on the ins and outs every day. I would love to take a class but I am really just to cheap to do that so I will stick to my friend Google.
So, why is Pinterest important? Well, if you are a blogger then Pinterest is something you need to learn more about every day. I have seen an increased amount of traffic all due to Pinterest. Granted, the things I am posting are very relevant to Pinterest, but I would argue that just about anything could be Pinterest worthy (within reason). So many people are using their Pinterest accounts as visual bookmarks that are easily categorized. We are such a visual society so there is no wonder why Pinterest has become so popular.
Here are the 10 tips we provided for getting your blog Pinterest ready:
Turn Off the Flash!
Seriously. Just don’t use it. In the end you will have more natural pictures that you are proud of.
Use Natural Light Whenever Possible
Natural light is my best friend. My husband often asks me why I am carrying our dinner to the front porch. Well, to photograph it of course!
Find Your Spot
It is going to save you a lot of time and energy in the long run if you locate the perfect place in your house to shoot. Mine is in the dinning room right beside our two big windows. I pull the curtain back and I even have a table for displaying my food, crafts, products, etc.
Set the Stage
Remove any clutter from the surroundings. Photos will look better when you have no distractions. I actually use two pieces of white poster board. I put my item on one piece and prop the other piece up beside in order to reflect light. It’s like a poor man’s light box! Also, get creative when staging your items. Think about new ways to arrange your food or fun plates to use.
Change Your Perspective
Go beyond the standard picture. Sometimes if you squat below or stand above you get a really interesting perspective. Don’t be afraid to experiment and fill your screen.
Consider Composition
What emotion are you trying to capture? Maybe you need a more off center photo? Maybe a candid picture would portray the event better.
Shoot the Details
Think about what you want people to really see. Maybe there are some really quality details of the product or the dish that you think should be highlighted. Maybe you are trying to tell a story (collages).
Take A Lot of Pictures
Sometimes I will shoot about 15 shots before I feel like I have the perfect image. Of course, if I was a professional this wouldn’t be an issue. But, in my opinion, the more you take and experiment the better you get.
Practice!
Again, make sure you are practicing your skills and googling how to use your camera. If you have the money or time maybe invest in a local community college course on how to take better pics.
Edit and USE TEXT!
My number one tip for having Pinterest ready pics is to use text on your photos. When someone pins your picture you may not have the assurance that they are going to put a caption with it. If they do, it may not be something that helps that photo become pinned again. Use text that describes concisely what the picture is all about. You can use free editing programs like Picmonkey.com and Picasa.com in order to make your photos more beautiful and add text.
Are you a company or brand and less of a blogger? Well, you can use Pinterest to your advantage too! Infographics are a great way to market as well as tell a story. Depending upon what your company is there are many creative ways to use Pinterest. Be inspired by some of my favorites: Lindt Chocolate (of course), Today Show (great interaction), Parenting (creative), Travel Channel (so many beautiful pictures from around the world), Real Simple (like a FREE extension of their magazine).
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Alice (@mumsmakelists) says
Great tips.
Would love for you to link it up at my new Empty Your Archive link party which is a chance to dust off great posts from your archive – there is a particular focus this week on Pinterest – would really love to see you there, Alice @ Mums Make Lists x
Shelly says
This is such a good post! Thanks for sharing your tips.
Felicia says
Thank you so much Shelly!