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How to Build a Blog-Worthy Photo Studio on a Budget

February 26, 2017 by Ty Merkel 1 Comment

How to Build a Blog-Worthy Photo Studio on a Budget

It’s easy to get lost in the photography world’s endless sea of image stabilization lenses, titanium tripods, extra battery packs, and UV filters. But what gear do you really need to set up a photography studio to meet all your blogging needs? And how can an upstart photographer or entrepreneur find all that gear without breaking the bank? Fear not: I’m here to say that with a little elbow grease, a few tips and tricks, you can piece together a mini studio that produces Vogue-crisp images without the huge price tag.

You may be blogging for business or for fun. You may be a photographer who wants to break into the blogging sphere. Perhaps you are a seasoned blog star looking to switch out some worn gear.  As long as you’re a tight budget and need photography gear, this article is for you.

Here is exactly what you need to build a blogger’s photo studio on a bootstrapped budget. I’ll show you the equipment I use myself or would highly recommend.

colorfulglasses (1 of 1)-5

All photos by me 🙂

Cameras

I have a Canon 5Ds which I adore, but it is definitely pricey and not exactly startup friendly. So here are some sensible alternatives, which I have used and loved. 

1. Canon Rebel t5i

Canon’s Rebel t5i (which is priced at $649) is a super starter and well-balanced entry-level DSLR, but its capabilities are on par with the best cameras. And if blogging and product shoots are your main outlets, then it will suit your needs just fine. The list of pros is long for this little camera. With its 360-degree tilt-able touchscreen, good image detail at high ISOs, and fast autofocus, this baby has enough technical headroom for you to really spread your creative wings.

2. Canon Rebel SL1

But if your budget is suuuuper tight and you want to shave off a few hundred dollars, you can opt for Canon’s less tech-packed entry level DSLR— the Canon Rebel SL1 (currently priced at $399).

The downside of this camera is that it doesn’t have a swivel screen, the burst mode shooting isn’t as quick, and it has less cross-type Auto Focus points. Upside is that this camera is two hundred dollars cheaper, and it has a higher effective ISO, meaning you can take photos in low light with less noise (which is when photos look fuzzy).

Lenses

When you are starting out, do yourself a favor and skip the kit lens and opt for a Canon EF 1.8 50mm lens. At just $125, it is a remarkable lens and truly the best bang for your buck. It is a prime lens (which means it has only one focal length and you cannot zoom) but the major benefit of this is that you can maximize available light and get crisp foreground/background separation. You’ll have faster apertures, crisper detail, and a whole lot more of that velvety bokeh (that out-of-focus blur in a photo’s background).

But if you are shooting flat lays all day, every day and need a wider focal length to broaden your angle of view and pack more detail into your shot, then I would recommend this Canon 28mm lens ($149).

Tripods

Everyone who has dabbled in studio photography knows that you will sometimes need to mount your camera on a tripod in order to snap from those impossible angles and perspectives (because you are a photographer not a contortionist). I keep this Targus Light Weight Tripod on hand because it is paper-light and delightfully affordable at $19.

stock (1 of 1)

Bonus Tip

Holding your camera over a flat lay scene can be a major workout. You can save yourself the strain by opting for this insanely versatile Vanguard Alta Pro Tripod at $135. You’ll be able to get that perfect bird’s eye view of the scene with ease, and if you’re as frugal as me, you can just use a lunchbox stuffed full of your rock collection as your tripod weight. Whatever works!

Wireless Camera Remote

A camera remote might be one of the best (and cheapest) accessories around. It allows you to be your own photographer, to step away from the small screen or tiny viewfinder to compose your photos from a different vantage point. Most of all it allows you to completely avoid that micro shake/blur caused by your hand when you click the shutter button (because the slightest movement kinda ruins the shot and it can get frustrating quick!)

Wireless remotes are especially useful in studio and blogging shots because those require a long shutter to capture enough light with a high aperture and low enough ISO so everything looks sharp and perfect.

I use this Amazon Basics controller. It’s the bare bones option, but I don’t need it for anything else. It’s $8 and only works for Canon or Nikon cameras.

But if you have a Sony, Olympus, or anything else Opteka sells remotes for nearly any camera for $8 dollars as well.

Lights + Diffusers

This kit ($121) offers just the big basics you’ll need to get started — two bright lights with diffusing umbrellas attached along with a set of large backdrops to add background behind your shots.

You could argue that diffusers and reflectors are the most important tool in a studio photography kit. They allow you to avoid harsh shadows, and they make photos look bright and clean even on stormy, grey days.

Backgrounds +  Props

Larger photo gear companies typically overcharge when it comes to tabletop backdrops (backgrounds that you lay across a table or the floor). Don’t waste your money. You can DIY your own for just a fraction of the cost.

When it comes to color backgrounds, I typically head to the nearest craft store and pick up some colored paper, or better yet project poster boards (since they are sturdier, stiffer, and easier to set up than paper). This white board ($13) is my go to for most projects.

Also, if you can swing it, I would recommend these 24-inch reflective acrylic boards ($29) that give a lux glean to your snaps.

Finally, Amazon’s Interesting Finds offers some quirky bright objects for staging scenes that you can use over and over again. For example, this shot right here is quite literally half objects I found on Amazon.

This is also the time to hit up thrift stores or dig through your attic for interesting knick knacks to populate your shots.

storycraftstock (1 of 1)-2

Memory Card

When you are shooting on a DSLR, the files are large and always end up eating more space in your memory card than you expected. Even when it comes to studio photoshoots, you end up taking dozens of shots just to get that perfect angle.

So allow yourself the luxury of buying a SanDisk SD 32 gb memory card for $15. As a photographer who is chronically running out of space on every device, my opinion is the bigger the better, because running out of memory can really throw a wrench in your workflow.

There you have it! That’s everything you need to set up a killer studio for creating some dreamy images for your blog, Instagram, website and beyond! Get your budget studio set up and get creating those stunning images!

Filed Under: D.I.Y, Featured2, HUSTLE, SHOOT, Starting Out, TIPS & TRICKS, Ty Merkel, Uncategorized, YOUR KIT

The Power of a Picture

February 12, 2017 by Jen Dziuvenis Leave a Comment

The Power of a Picture

We lost our beloved 11-year-old lab last year. She was an amazing dog who lived a great big life. She had shown little sign of slowing down in the ten years she had been a part of our family. Sometimes I didn’t believe she was a senior at all.

Then one night she didn’t want to eat dinner. A week later she was gone.

I’ll spare you the details of that week because, if you have lost a pet you love, you probably already understand the anguish. You know what it is like to have that rock drop on you from a thousand feet up and knock you off balance for weeks. You know how hard it is and how much it hurts.

I’m not here to talk to you about that. I’m here to talk to you about why I’m so damn happy that I busted out my camera in her last couple days. And why I will cherish these photos forever.

Maddie died in the middle of the night on our living room floor. The tumor that had been growing on her spleen ruptured and in a few hours she went from being her gorgeous, bouncy self to completely unable to walk. It was midnight and she was fading fast. Taking her to the vet would have meant carrying her to the car, driving her across town in the dark, and hauling her suddenly frail body into an animal hospital that she had never been to. I suspected she wouldn’t last very long and I didn’t want to stress her out more. So we stayed home and within an hour she was gone.

While her final decline was mercifully fast in the grand scheme of things, it was still hard to watch. This is a dog that spent her years climbing mountains and running through forests and suddenly, in a matter of an hour, she had lost control of her body. I crawled into bed after we lost her with the image of her struggle fresh in my mind. It wasn’t what I wanted to remember.

In the blur of the next morning I came across the picture above and realized it was the last one I took of her. It was just the day before she passed and she had been feeling great. When she curled up to take a nap in a sunny spot, one of her favorite things to do, I pulled out my camera to capture it.

She looks like a peaceful, sleeping angel in that picture. And this image has replaced the ones of her struggling. Because the reality is that while her last couple hours were tough, they don’t represent the reality of her final days. Her last week on earth was peaceful – and thanks in large part to this picture, this is how I remember them.

There’s a lot of reasons I love photography and it’s ability to help you shape the way you remember the past is certainly one of them. It can’t change the things that happened or bring back the dog that I loved. But it can impact the way I remember her final days. And for that I will be forever grateful.

Filed Under: Featured2, INSPIRE, Jen Dziuvenis, LIFE, Uncategorized

Where to Find Stunning Stock Photos for Absolutely Free

February 2, 2017 by Ty Merkel 5 Comments

Where to Find Stunning Stock Photos for Absolutely Free

Ah, stock photos. When done right, they can really spice up your work, while also saving you some major time and energy. Good stock photos give visual power to the stories you need to tell. They allow you spend less time creating content for your blog posts and more time creating a beautiful product for your client. But that’s only if those stock shots are visually captivating.

Obviously, there are some brilliant creatives out there (you might be one of them!) that create stunning stock photos and if you can, you should turn to these photographers for your stock needs. But if you can’t for whatever reason, free stock photo banks are a helpful tool for upstart photographers looking to enhance their blogs and social media game.

Read on to learn how you can find your own high-resolution stock photos for free.

Licensing Legalities

First, the legal stuff (sorry, I’ll try to keep this interesting). The free photographs available on the sites listed below fall into two categories: CC0, and CC.

CC0: Creative Commons zero license means that you can use the photos in any way you’d like—copy, modify, distribute and perform the work, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Take care to remember that these photos can be used for personal and commercial purposes but cannot be sold or redistributed (aka trying to pass off the photo as your own intellectual property).

CC Attribution: Creative Commons with attribution means that you can use the photo in any way you want, as long as you credit the creator of the photo. Attribution is simple: next to the aformentioned stock photograph, write ‘Photo by x’ with a link back to their website or their profile on the licensing site.

It’s usually all as simple as that, but this small legal blurb compels me to say this: I’m a photog not a lawyer, so triple-check the licensing before you click that download button.

1. Pexels

Where to find free stock photos

Pexels is one of the first places I go to find incredible free stock photos. All of its more than 25,000 images are not only free for you to use in any way you choose, but they’re all tagged and searchable. I can’t tell you how hugely convenient this is when you need to find exactly the right photo that conveys just the right mood for your project or landing page. Amazingly, some 3,000 images are added each and every month to its database. Pexels is essentially becoming the Google of free, beautiful stock photography. It even has a growing library of free videos.

Licence Type: CC0

2. Unsplash

unsplash-1024x683

Unsplash offers a massive, searchable collection of jaw-dropping, high-resolution photos with everything from whimsical work spaces to NatGeo-style photographs of foxes. If you subscribe to its email list, then you get 10 of its best snaps delivered hot and fresh straight to your inbox every 10 days. You can also make a personalized home feed that highlights photos you’re interested in. The site also has a handy feature that displays curated collections of images such as “Women At Work” or “Fashion Startups.” Attribution is preferred but not required. Next to Pexels, this is one of my all-time favorites.

Licence Type: CC0

3. Death to Stock 

Deathtostockphotographywild7-1024x683

Death to Stock photographs are insanely gorgeous. Join their mailing list and a pack of 10 photos within a certain category (categories like “mountains,” and “coffee shop”) will be delivered to your inbox each month.

Death to Stock also offers a paid plan where you get an extra 10 photos each month. At the end of the day, Death to Stock excels because their quality in photo style and usability is the best in the biz. But they have their own licensing agreement which you can read more about here.

License Type: Photograph End User License

4. Life of Pix 

lifeofpix-example

Life of Pix is a photo service created by the LEEROY creative agency and it is chock-full of free, high-resolution images for any project. Also, if you are interested in donating a few shots for some exposure, there’s a chance that the Life of Pix site will highlight you as a “Photographer of the Week” and if so, they will plug your work on their social media outlets and website (for free).

Licence Type: CC0

5. Tookapic

tookapics

Tookapic is a curated collection that offers both paid and free stock photographs. It is characterized by its moody, hyper-stylized, people-centered snapshots. You can filter by free photos which can be used for personal and commercial projects, although you must attribute the photo to the artist and link back to Tookapic website.

Licence Type: CC w/ attribution

6. Pixabay

PIXABAY

Pixabay is stock marketplace that offers over 850,000 photographs, illustrations, vectors, graphics, and videos, all free of charge. A large portion of their photos could be classified as art pieces, and are as glossy and attention-grabbing as any magazine cover page.

Licence Type: CC0

7. Kaboom Pics

kaboompics.com_Working in the group

Kaboom Pics is a collection of super high quality, editorial-style photographs that covers everything from fashion to food. It’s easy to browse since you can search via keywords and hashtags. Even though Kaboom is a CC0, the site’s owner does love it when you throw some attribution their way.

Licence Type: CC0

8. FreeStocks.org 

free stocks

FreeStocks offers a wide range of shots for personal and commercial projects. You can browse narrow categories (everything from iphone on desk to girl drinking smoothie), and you can search trending hashtags, which is nifty.

Licence Type: CC0

9. Negative Space

negative space shot

Negative Space releases 20 new photos every week loaded with plenty of street and workflow scenes. Their collections are searchable by category, color and copy space. Here attribution isn’t required.

Licence Type: CC0

10. Epicantus

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Epicantus contains Pinterest-perfect photography by Daria, visual & UX designer extraordinaire. These minimalist images with a french blogger edge were specifically created for landing pages, blog posts and the like. All of Daria’s original shots are free and up for grabs for commercial and personal use.

Licence Type: CC0

11. Jay Mantri 

jaymantri

Jay Mantri offers a stunning collection of simple, minimalistic images. These lovingly crafted images showcase stunning architecture, rich landscapes, and his beloved oxford kicks. He releases seven new photos every Thursday. You can search and filter the images by date and hashtags. 

Licence Type: CC0

Thus concludes our tour of sites with jaw-dropping, free stock photos. When you’re in a pinch, or looking to optimize the heck out of your workflow, turn to these stock photo gods. 

And remember: Enjoy, and attribute responsibly!

Filed Under: Boost Profits, Featured1, ORGANISE, SHOOT, Starting Out, TIPS & TRICKS, Ty Merkel, Uncategorized

We let the old become our future

August 23, 2016 by The FCA Leave a Comment

We let the old become our future

It’s ok to feel fear at new situations. New technology. New fields. New people. New mindsets. New ways of working and being.

But you know what’s not ok?

Using the old as an excuse to hold you back from moving into what you really desire.

Because every time you say no out out of habit, out of your default, learned behaviours, out of fear or unconfidence; every time you find yet another reason to not follow through on what you say you want

Too hard too technical too much time too much money too much traffic too much energy too much READING too much effort

You’re saying no to too much EXPANSION

And how can you grow, without that? How can you possibly move into the joy of your soul
The delight of your desire
The dance of your dreams

When you constrict, retreat, shrink into the old.

The new is raw. Raw and painful sometimes in its newness, like a newborn’s protest/

But beautiful and majestic and powerful beyond what you can imagine.

And you get into the future you and the fullness of every area of life that you want-

By releasing the old. You don’t have to default to anger, to fear, to avoidance, to No.

Know it’s ok to want more than the hand you’ve been given so far –

Say yes to the technology the investment the time the energy the love the self-acceptance

And cross the hand of the future you with the silver of your dreams and joy.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

If you want a life that brings you joy AND the money/ freedom?

August 12, 2016 by The FCA Leave a Comment

If you want a life that brings you joy AND the money/ freedom?

If you want a life that brings you joy AND the money/ freedom?

Set your intention for how you want to FEEL

What your heart and soul craves to FEEL and EXPERIENCE and to SHARE

freedom / joy / sensuality / success / adventure / exploration / growth / divinity / love / wildness / nurtured /

You find that, first, whichever it is-
Because THAT, is that thing that lights you up

How you want to FEEL is how you can CHOOSE to feel and when you FEEL that, then you GET that and you can get it DAILY

And when you get it daily, how much easier do you think the money and absolute joy flows?

‘here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart’

{e.e.cummings}

Your emotion is there for a purpose. Your emotion is your guiding light. Your emotion is yours to use and to control and to steer by through darkness into fulfilment.

Love + Light xo

Filed Under: Uncategorized

We all lose the fire

July 30, 2016 by The FCA Leave a Comment

We all lose the fire

We all lose the fire.
We can all get it back again.

Fire is what keeps it alive.
The business the relationship the self love faith desire

It dies because we don’t pay it attention and give it the fuel needed to burn.

But it rarely goes out completely
Unless you let it

I wondered for a while what happened to my self-love, after having kids
Where did the time for me go

But of course- it didn’t go anywhere
I chose to give it all away and save just the snatched moments for myself

Sometimes that’s what we think we have to do
Sometimes it’s just what happens when life gets in the way
Sometimes it’s an inherited belief that rests without our awareness inside the very fibres of our soul

And before you know it it’s a pattern, routine, habit, dying flames.

But it changes when you desire it enough –
When you realise how badly you want it
How much it really matters to you.

Rekindling
Rekindle it
Burn again for what you love
Who you love
What you TRULY desire

Filed Under: Uncategorized

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