Tips for Working from Home

Hello everyone!

I wanted to share a list that I would have LOVED when I started photography full-time. I didn't know how to manage my time properly and would sometimes catch myself working 7am-9pm days and would forget to separate time for personal days. The truth is, I'm still struggling with time management and working towards a set schedule. 

If you follow these steps below, it should make you more successful at working from home. 

  1. Create a set schedule for your week by starting your day at a certain time and ending your day at a certain time. Allow yourself weekends off or atleast 2 days off a week for personal days. Here is my personal schedule: 

    Sunday: Off

    Monday: Off (or Admin)

    Tuesday: Shooting/ Editing Day

    Wednesday: Editing Only Day 8am-5pm

    Thursday: Shooting/ Editing Day 

    Friday: Editing Only Day 8am-5pm

    Saturday: Shooting Only Day

  2. Get ready and dress the part, even if you are home. This will give you the mindset that you are “at work."
  3. Have a work area that is separate from the bedroom if possible. You want the bedroom to be a place you go to relax and working in the bedroom wouldn’t allow that. If you don’t have a study in your home, create a space that is specifically a work area. 
  4. Have a to-do list that is created weekly or daily and cross them off as you go. I like to write down which clients I have to shoot with or edit that day and cross off as I go. It is such a great feeling once everything is crossed off!
  5. Turn your phone on silent or leave in another room. Phones are a huge distraction and you’ll find yourself browsing the web for an hour. (Guilty! Huge challenge for me is to staying off of Buzzfeed! The quizzes and articles are addicting.)
  6. Listen to good tunes or a podcast to tune out any distractions. Spotify is a great music streaming service that you can download onto your computer. Trust me, it's so much better than the app because you can actually pick the songs and albums that you want to listen to with less commercials. Here is my personal “Work Flow” Playlist. 
  7. Don’t watch Netflix or TV during work hours. You’ll find yourself glued to the TV and forget you’re working. Even casually glancing at the TV will take time away from working. *If you just have to, have it as background noise on your laptop on another window, so you can listen to it like a podcast.
  8. If you find yourself snacking more than usual, keep healthy snacks around. 
  9. Give yourself an hour lunch break where you are away from your desk.
  10. Take 2 // 15 minute breaks throughout your day to feel refreshed/ I play with my dogs, check instagram, take a power nap, make some tea or coffee, stretch, quick walk around the neighborhood. (Having dogs is great for that!) 
  11. Spirulina is your BFF and taking daily vitamins.- Skip the soda and energy drinks.
  12. Drink tons of water to stay hydrated throughout the day.

XO, Angie

Quick Editing Tips To Know

Here is what I get asked all the time, “Your photos are amazing, what kind of camera and equipment are you using to achieve such crisp and clean images?”

To tell you all the truth, the equipment plays a small part to the final image. Shooting takes about 2 hours tops for 4 outfits and editing takes about an hour an outfit. So I am spending way more time editing than out shooting. One image can take anywhere from 10 minutes to 30 minutes to perfect in photoshop depending on the shoot. Blog shoots I don’t spend too much time on since they need to look more lifestyle whereas a look book shoot will be colored differently so will take more time to post-process.

There are many great editing softwares out there and I think it’s safe to say the top 2 are Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom. Both of these programs are quite expensive, Photoshop CS6 starts at $700 and Lightroom 6 is more affordable at $150. Thankfully, Adobe now has a program called Creative Cloud where you can pay $10 monthly for both! Sign up here: http://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/photography.html?promoid=NC5FRQQ5&mv=other

I prefer to use Adobe Photoshop, ever since my sister downloaded it on our first computer back in the 2000’s. PLUS, Photoshop has a program called Adobe Camera Raw that opens up in Adobe Bridge that basically has the same tools as lightroom.

Below is a short video using simple tools for editing in Photoshop. Make sure to watch in HD for full quality.

( I apologize in advance, the mic was close to my neck so you could hear my hair rub against the mic at times, so sorry!)

The tools that I used in the video were:

  • lens profile corrections- Adobe Camera Raw
  • patch tool- Photoshop
  • sharpening tool- Photoshop
  • color balance- Photoshop
  • selective color- Photoshop

Thanks for stopping by, happy editing!

XO, Angie

 

Blogger featured in this post is Christina Beauchamp from Fashion and Frills.

Blog Shot List

When I first got into Fashion Photography, I had no idea where to start. I knew I wanted to photograph people in fabulous clothes but at the time didn’t know any stylists or models. Then a light bulb went off above my head and I started googling “Fort Worth Fashion Bloggers.” The first name that popped up was Style of Sam. Fast forward to our first shoot, I was so excited to start my fashion career and was super confident about how I was going to be photographing. After our shoot, I started post-processing and realized I forgot many detail shots and let’s say.. I got a little too creative and lost focus on “blog photos.”

If you are starting to get into Style Blog Photography- here is a perfect “Shot List” to follow.

  1. Full Body
  2. Upper Half
  3. Mid Section aka “Pinterest Shot”
  4. Bottom Half
  5. Back Shot
  6. Shoes
  7. Earrings
  8. Bags/Hand item
  9. Jewelry & other accessories
  10. Clothing Detail (if any)
  11. Creative Shot

*Note for the best results- You will need to capture a horizontal, vertical, side view, close up, and get creative with different angles for each shot.

Examples Below: (Click to enlarge)

Full Body

Upper Half

Mid Section aka “Pinterest Shot”

Bottom Half

Back Shot

Shoes

Earrings- (This shot is the one I forget the most.)

Bags/Hand item

Jewelry + Accessories

Specific Details

Creative Shot


First-time blogger tips:

Tip 1: If you are working with a first-time blogger, I would recommend them to bring anything for them to hold during the shoot. I’ve had a lot of clients that were confused about their hand placement. Have them bring a travel mug, purse, clutch, phone, etc.

Tip 2: First time shoot jitters- After introducing yourself, get to know your client. This will make them feel more comfortable and will definitely make a huge difference in your photos. Another tip is walking through step-by-step what you're going to be photographing.

Example: “Alright Penny, I’m going to be photographing your mid section which is called the ‘Pinterest shot’, you don’t have to worry about your eyes in this shot, but I might get your lips.”

Tip 3: Being in front of the camera is pretty intimidating, even for myself. Have them start by looking away from the camera.

In the end, your clients hired you because of your creative eye. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, take risks, and have fun.

Thanks for stopping by and happy shooting!

XO, Angie

 

All images from this post were photographed by me featuring images from: Style of Sam, Chronicles of Frivolity, Gal About Town, Alwayz Fashionably Late, Style Sew Me, Natalie Sorensen, Jasmine Elias, Ashley Larea, The Heart of the House and Hustle + Halcyon.

Blog Shoot Tips

Hey guys! I'm super excited to write my first blog post (AH!!) I never thought I would do this because 1.) I'm honestly the worst writer ever. 2.) I really like to stay private which is why you'll never see anything about myself on my social media channels. Think the photographer version of Banksy, just less cool.

So I would like to start this post by sharing tips to help new bloggers on their first photo shoot. It's pretty intimidating to put yourself out there online, so I am here to help to make sure your first blog shoot goes smoothly.

The first step is:

1.) Organization

The week of your shoot, it's best to be prepared. Put together a list of your outfits along with makeup, accessories, hair, and shoes.

Ex.) 

OUTFIT 1) Pink Dress- nude sandals- Prada bag- pearl necklace-ponytail, nude lips

OUTFIT 2)  Grey tee- boyfriend jeans- converse sneakers- hair down- gold watch- leopard clutch- red lips

Another way to avoid writing down a list is taking a picture of each outfit the way it is to be worn for the photoshoot. (Tips and images below from Samantha Stewart of Style of Sam.)


2.) Preparation

It’s very important to think about how you are going to arrange your items in your vehicle. When you are looking for a missing bracelet or lipstick- just remember time is money. Your photographer is already late to their next shoot, sometimes it’s best to move forward and be better prepared for next time. #toughlove

Makeup pictured: Urban Decay On The Run palette, Urban Decay Makeup Setting Spray, Seasonal Tarte mini lipsticks, Too Faced Sweethearts Perfect Flush Blush in Peach Beach.

Makeup pictured: Urban Decay On The Run palette, Urban Decay Makeup Setting Spray, Seasonal Tarte mini lipsticks, Too Faced Sweethearts Perfect Flush Blush in Peach Beach.

 

TO BRING LIST: (besides clothing)

-Makeup (A good makeup palette for traveling is Urban Decay's Naked ON THE RUN palette. Not only does it have neutral eyeshadow shades, it also comes with a travel size mascara, eyeliner and full size lipgloss. Another plus is the huge mirror it comes with! Highly recommend this for bloggers!

-Makeup wipes for lipstick changes

-Makeup setting spray- This will ensure that your makeup will look flawless from the beginning to the end of the shoot. (Urban Decay is my fav!)

-Paper towels for a sweaty forehead (let’s be real!)

-Tide to-go

-Lint roller (Especially if you have fur babies! Editing lint out is horrible for us.)

-Lotion

-Eyelash curler

-A bra that will work with multiple outfits

-Binder clips if a clothing item is too big

-A mirror if your car doesn’t have one, gotta make sure you don’t have lipstick on your teeth!

-Payment for your photographer. The last thing we want to hear is “Can I just pay you next week when I get paid?”

If you aren't expecting to pay the day of the shoot, simply don’t book the shoot.

Keep in mind, we take the time to travel to location, time to shoot, time to wait for outfit changes, post-process the shoot which requires our skills including but not limited to image coloring, re-sizing, cropping, retouching. Using our expensive equipment and editing software. We do A LOT to make sure you have a great experience and great turnout of images for your blog. 

3.) Location

With this being your first shoot, you would want to pick a location with low traffic. At this point, you aren't fully comfortable in front of the camera yet. This will ensure that you can fall without worrying if anyone saw you,  avoid any car honks (happens all the time when shooting on a busy street), people cheering you on, stares, people coming up asking what we are doing. Also, If you aren’t comfortable, it definitely shows in the images. Another huge thing- bloggers change in their cars. We definitely don’t want to be in a high traffic area with someone possibly seeing you changing (worst nightmare!) 

                Blog shoot with Lynlee Poston of Gal About Town, all shot on the same street.

                Blog shoot with Lynlee Poston of Gal About Town, all shot on the same street.

4.) Comfort

Usually during a blog shoot, the photographer and yourself will decide on a location with multiple backgrounds. Make sure to bring a pair of flats or sandals to walk around in so you don’t have to be in pain walking in heels from location to location. 

My photo of Katey McFarlan of Chronicles of Frivolity.

My photo of Katey McFarlan of Chronicles of Frivolity.

 

5.) Pose

The key is to RELAX, GIRL!

Blog shoots are very different from a senior photo shoot. Mainly because it’s less posed and more natural, however you will feel like you’re acting. Usually your photographer will walk you through some steps in the beginning and then let you wing it towards the middle of the shoot. Here’s an example of things we may yell out to guide you:

“Look to the right, play on your phone, tie your shoe, separate your feet, walk towards the wall." Just remember good posture is everything!

My photo of Samantha Stewart of Style of Sam.

My photo of Samantha Stewart of Style of Sam.

I hope you have a successful first shoot and keep these tips in mind for your future shoots. 


 Wishing you the best of luck!

XO, Angie