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Tag: Photography

How to Avoid Being a Photo Faux Pas

How to Avoid Being a Photo Faux Pas

December 3, 2018July 15, 2022 Clairemont InternBlog, Professional Development, Public Relationsphoto tips, Photography, Public Relations, Raleigh Public Relations Society, smartphonesLeave a Comment on How to Avoid Being a Photo Faux Pas

Do you ever stress about the “photography skills” line of your resume? In a world of ever-improving iPhone cameras and easy access to photo editors, this seems like a must-have skill. Public relations students are increasingly expected to take courses in photography or videography, and PR professionals are often in charge of providing visual representation of their clients.

At a past Raleigh Public Relations Society’s Lunch and Learn, a panel of professional photographers answered questions about their jobs, discussed ideal client relationships and extended photography advice to the room of PR professionals.

Working with Professionals — Dos & Don’ts

Even if your client is lucky enough to have the budget for a professional photographer, there are still a few ways to help.

  1. DO figure out which photographer’s style best fits your client’s vision for the project. Kimberly Rhoades, a portrait photographer with her own business, Nine 19 Photography, said the most important aspect of the ideal client relationship is building a relationship of trust from the get-go — sounds familiar, right?
  2. DO provide useful information ahead of time to the photographer. You want your money best spent taking photos, not figuring out where to stick the backdrop.
  3. DON’T forget to give the photographer credit on social media.

Working without Professionals — Quick Tips

If your client needs you to be the impromptu photographer for the day, the panelists provided some tips:

  1. For more casual social media posts, using your iPhone to snap a few pictures will do, but an in-depth photo shoot probably warrants a better camera.
  2. If it’s a bad picture, don’t post it just to post something, especially when trying to show off your product or food. As Felicia Trujillo from Food-Seen pointed out, a chef trying to showcase his or her food won’t be successful with a bad photo.
  3. Make do with the camera you have, and learn how to use it well. Amanda English from Amanda English Photography advised not to use the auto setting on the camera; instead, watch YouTube videos, read books or ask an experienced user how to shoot the camera manually.

Five Easy Ways to Improve Your Photography Skills

  1. If you’re looking for a good lens, English recommends a 35 or 50 mm lens, which is better than zoom lenses. Sometimes you can even rent lenses if you find yourself scared of commitment.
  2. Improve composition by moving around the client you’re photographing, not vice versa.
  3. Don’t have people face the sun! Closed eyes in pictures are probably not your client’s most ideal look.
  4. There isn’t a hard and fast rule for how many shots it takes to get the perfect one, but definitely don’t settle for the first one you take. Make sure every photo looks different, even when they’re the same type of shot.
  5. When shooting an event, be knowledgeable of what the client wants before you arrive. Create a shot list. As Kim Kirchstein from Leopold Designs pointed out, it is impossible for one person to capture every moment of the event, but communication with the client is key to making sure you get the best shots!

With these quick and easy tips, you’ll improve your photography skills in the blink of an eye or hopefully, the snap of a camera! For tips translating visuals into social media, give this post a gander.

Written by Haley McDougal, previous Clairemont intern from UNC-Chapel Hill.

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Take an Instagram-worthy Photo

Take an Instagram-worthy Photo

March 5, 2018July 15, 2022 Clairemont InternBlog, Public Relations, Social Media + Influencer EngagementClairemont Team interns, Instagram, instagram strategy, photo tips, PhotographyLeave a Comment on Take an Instagram-worthy Photo

“No one’s life is as perfect as his or her Instagram feed.”

Have you ever scrolled past a photo of food or clothing on Instagram and instantly been awed? Without even realizing it, more than just the item on display caught your eye. The photo you loved was staged, filtered and carefully planned by its publisher. You might be surprised to learn just how much planning goes into an Instagram photo! (Those who rock their Instagram feeds can even make a career out of it!)

Here are our tips to becoming a rockstar at Instagram-worthy photos:


Use the best camera that you know how to use. Not all of the best photos Instagram has to offer are taken with a professional HDR camera. An iPhone equips you to take a clear and precise image. Focus on the object by tapping on your screen; turn off HDR to promote clarity. If you do know how to use a more professional camera, absolutely use it, as it offers a variety of manual settings and functionalities.

Leverage natural lighting. Lighting plays a vital role in the quality of the image. Using natural outdoor lighting, whether outside or through a window, will produce life-like images. Be sure not to take photos in direct sunlight, as it will overexpose the image. Aim to photograph in a setting with shade, overcast light and at sunrise or sunset to produce the best quality.

Stage it. First, select a background that expertly showcases your subject. For example, a white backdrop will showcase a complex item or product. A background with a pattern or specific colors will complement your product or person while adding interest and dimension. Keep in mind that photo size restrictions might apply. For example, shooting a photo in square mo
de via your iPhone is always a safe move to match Instagram’s feed. According to Colorlib, the maximum upload for a vertical image without cropping is 1080px in width by 1350px in height and 1080px in width by 566px in height for horizontal images. Finally, employ the rule of thirds, mentally dividing your image with two horizontal and two vertical lines. Note where the horizontal and vertical lines meet, like demonstrated in the graphic, and position the most important elements at the points of intersection. Using the rule of thirds is easy by turning on your iPhone’s grid feature.

Angle it. Explore changing the angles of your photo for widely varied outcomes. For example, stand high above to shoot directly over your product or get on ground level with the object to capture a profile view.

Edit it. Few Instagram-worthy photos are uploaded without a filter or two. To create a coherent feed, apply the same filters to your photos. Of course, you might need to lighten an image more so than another, but if you’re sharpening images to add clarity, sharpen them all. If you’re removing the highlights, remove them all. The app VSCO provides multiple tools to achieve the perfect edit. You can add or remove exposure, contrast, saturation and skin tone — just to name a few. The app Color Story supplies hundreds of additional filters. Need to smooth a specific part of a photo or swap two different pieces of the photo altogether? Check out Facetune.

Follow these steps, and you’re ready to post. We bet it’s your best Instagram photo yet! In the meantime, check out how to use “Instagram ‘Highlights’ for Business” to continue to grow your company’s Insta presence.

Written by Clairemont intern, Kennedy Norton, a junior at North Carolina State University.

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