In the age of social media, everyone with an iPhone and an Instagram account fancies themselves to be a photographer.
However, creating flawless, award-winning shots takes a little more than a 12-megapixel camera on a smartphone.
Australian photographer and fashion writer, Tahlia Aubusson, 28, explains real photography takes time, money and carefully honed skills – and warns there are a few bad habits that amateurs can be lured into.
Tahlia revealed her secrets to taking the perfect snap in her blog Housewife Style, and the mother-of-one says it’s all about the lighting.
Photographer Tahlia Aubusson (pictured) says stunning imagery can be achieved with a few simple tricks
The Australian photographer says natural lighting in the early morning or late afternoon is the perfect backdrop for a photo
EMBRACE NATURAL LIGHTING
According to Tahlia, natural light beats any other artificial lighting or brightening tools at your disposal.
The photographer says the ‘beautiful glow’ and ‘dust sprinkles’ one often sees in stunning imagery is the result of embracing natural light.
‘Using natural lighting is everything, its the kind of style I love as most people are drawn to beautiful, natural, bright photos,’ Tahlia wrote on her blog.
‘For outside, mornings and afternoons are perfect, the middle of the day is always to hard as the sun is too harsh right above you.’
‘Using natural lighting is everything, its the kind of style I love as most people are drawn to beautiful, natural, bright photos,’ Tahlia wrote
According to Tahlia, natural light beats any other artificial lighting or brightening tools at your disposal
GET A DSLR CAMERA
A good quality DSLR camera should be the bread and butter of an aspiring professional photographer.
Many amateurs rely on their iPhone camera to take a beautiful snap and, while it does the job some of the time, it cannot capture true beauty like an expensive digital single-lens one can.
‘Pretty much all lifestyle and fashion bloggers use a professional DSLR camera or a good quality mirrorless camera such as the Olympus pen which is loved for travel bloggers as it’s light, compact and takes great photos,’ Tahlia suggests.
‘I believe you get what you pay for however you don’t need to spend thousands.’
Tahlia also suggests investing in a good quality DSLR camera for taking beautiful pictures
‘I believe you get what you pay for however you don’t need to spend thousands,’ Tahlia (pictured with her daughter Ambria) said
NEVER USE FLASH
The hallmark of a good photographer is being able to snap images that look exactly as our eyes would see in real life – and sometimes even better.
Tahlia warns against using flash when taking a camera, especially when trying to utilise natural light to its full potential.
‘Never use a flash, it changes the look of photos and just isn’t nice in my opinion,’ she said.
A good quality DSLR camera should be the bread and butter of an aspiring professional photographer
DON’T OVER EDIT
Another faux pas committed by photographers who share their images online is getting into the habit of over editing.
A lot of smartphone apps, if used in the right way, can be a fantastic tool for tweaking already stunning photos. But Tahlia says there is a line which is often crossed.
‘Sometimes I see images that have been so over edited that you can’t even see the person’s facial features because they have smoothed the c**p out of it, added fake edited make up and it doesn’t look clear or appealing,’ she said.
According to Tahlia, the right camera will eliminate any temptations to butcher a picture with over editing as the photos will be flawless right after pressing the shutter button.
Tahlia warns against using flash when taking a camera, especially when trying to utilise natural light to its full potential
According to Tahlia, a the right camera will eliminate any temptations to butcher a picture with over editing as the photos will be flawless right after pressing the shutter button
FIND THE RIGHT BACKDROP
Sometimes the only thing you need to create stunning imagery is the right backdrop.
Tahlia says scouting for locations is part of the job and photographers will learn to develop an eye for what will work and what won’t.
‘Go for a drive and find pretty leafy areas, beautiful gardens, interesting walls or backdrops anything that’s visually appealing,’ she said.
‘If you are at home with babies and don’t have a perfectly styled room then create a pretty area just for photography! When my daughter was a baby I would buy cheap fabrics to use as backdrops they always looked beautiful.’
Tahlia also says scouting for locations is part of the job and photographers will learn to develop an eye for what works and what doesn’t
CREATE A SIGNATURE STYLE
After learning the ropes and discovered what works, most photographers settle into a particular style or aesthetic.
This can take a lot of practice and patience, but Tahlia says you will reap the rewards of it later down the track.
‘Have creativity and a signature style, you need to have a passion for creating visually beautiful images and a style/theme that suits you that you can stick to,’ she adds.