Unless you’ve ever been involved in a photo shoot, you might not think about what it takes to get a that perfect picture.  We see this…

But this is the reality…I am sweating profusely, the house is completely torn up, and it took at least 20 tries (I’m not exaggerating—I swear!) before we got the one shot we could use.

Even with the perfect shot, the image still needs some loving care in the form of editing.

Courtesy of Aino Photography

Just a few months ago, my amazing photographer from Aino Photography, came over with her intimidating cameras to do some shots for my newly designed website.  Her images have a way of telling a story.  My camera doesn’t come close to comparing, but even so, she taught me a thing or two about doing my own shots.

Courtesy of Aino Photography

1. Use a black sheet as a backdrop.  I used thumb tacks to secure it to the wall.
2. Get as much natural light and then supplement with lamps.  Since I don’t own drum shades, I stole a multi-colored obnoxious light from my daughter’s room.
3. When shooting chairs, take the majority of shots from the floor level.  This makes the shot more flattering on the subject.
4. Always edit the photos.  Adjust the exposure, contrast, and saturation if you want to get it just right.  Then, finish it off with adjusting the sharpness.

Courtesy of Aino Photography

By paying attention to these few details, we novice photographers can’t help but improve.  And now, here’s the final picture of the day.  (I told you my house was a mess!)—And that’s the truth about photo shoots.

Courtesy of Aino Photography