Photography Tips for Social Media

How Estheticians Can Improve their Photography Without Expensive Equipment!

Even before the rise of social media and the pull to “feed the ‘gram,” marketing relied on advertising, or visual story-telling. Photographs are a vital resource for telling a story and sharing knowledge in today’s digital landscape. Having an active social media presence with good quality images will make you appear more professional, engaged, approachable, and relevant! You can keep your existing client base engaged and informed, and may even be discovered by new clients in your area! Plus, who doesn’t love a good before-and-after?

Let’s face it, most of us can’t hire a professional photographer to create the continuous content we need for our social media, website, blog, YouTube, etc. But with some basic knowledge about lighting, composition, camera basics, and photo editing, you can improve your iPhone photography skills, without buying a fancy camera or a lot of expensive equipment!

Photography 101

Lighting: Light is key when creating good quality images, especially on a cell phone, which allows for less correction later when editing. Whether you are photographing a person, a landscape, or a product layout, even, diffused, natural light is ideal light. The easiest way to find the best light is to move near a window, or outdoors in open shade. 

Direct overhead light, whether from fluorescent lighting or being out in the noon sun, can be too harsh and create unflattering shadows. Cloudy days are great because they act as a natural diffuser! Photos taken in a dark treatment rooms or after hours photoshoots will result in grainy photos, and your iPhone’s low quality flash is not recommended either. If you find you often need to take your photos with less than ideal lighting, consider using your exam light, or investing in an inexpensive LED ring light or video light.

For the best before-and-after photos, be sure to create the same lighting before and after for consistent, clear results. Bring your client out to the waiting area, outside the front door, or use your exam light. Put them in the same position and hold the light in the same position at face level each time, so shadows or color differences do not interfere with the results you’ve created!

Composition: Composition is the way the elements in a photograph are arranged. It’s easiest to place the subject of your photo near the center, which tells the viewer what the point of the image is. You have only a second to capture someone’s attention on social media, so make the purpose of your photograph readily visible and clear. Most phone cameras even allow you to select a focus point while taking photos, which allows you to direct the camera to make the label on a product or a patient’s eyes the most detailed part of the photo.

Leave enough space around the subject of your photograph so that it can be cropped (made smaller, or square) and crooked lines can be straightened out later. Generally, wacky angles and crooked horizon lines are not very professional. Use a basic photo editing app to straighten crooked photos and crop as necessary.

Camera Phone Camera Basics: Most modern camera phones eclipse our old 90’s consumer level digital cameras. Learn the features of your camera phone (Google it!) and practice a bit, and you may be amazed at the photos you can take!

Tapping the screen on your phone camera will tell the phone to select a focus point. It will also bring up the Exposure Slider, which controls brightness. Before you actually take a photo that appears too dark or too bright, use the live preview on the screen to check how much you can adjust the lighting. In many phones, touching the darkest part of the image in the live preview will cause an auto-correction that brightens things. Touching the brightest part of the live preview will darken the image. Touch and hold the screen, and slide your finger up and down to your desired brightness level, then take the photo.

Camera Shake can affect the clearness or sharpness of your photos. Steady your hand by holding your elbow against your waist or on a tabletop. Ask your subject to hold still for a moment. If your hand still shakes too much, which is super common, consider getting an inexpensive phone tripod. Tip: these also help you take steadier handheld videos or selfies!

Photo Editing: Learning to use a free photo editing app will help you account for lighting and camera phone limitations. Many editors also allow you to add text or create borders! It’s best to use no more than one or two filters and fonts, to create a professional and cohesive appearance. Check out free apps like A Color Story or VSCO for great editing tools and filters that vary from moody vintage to bright & airy.

Here are the basic elements to consider tweaking in your photos: 

  • Exposure: brighten or darken the image as a whole
  • Highlights & Shadows: individually adjust the lights and darks for greater balance
  • Temperature: correct overly blue (cool) or yellow (warm) tones.
  • Clarity: increase sharpness and details; a little goes a long way! 
  • Crop: make the image smaller, get rid of unwanted background elements, or make a different shape

If you want to go further, consider adjusting:  

  • Tint or Hue: correct overly green or purple tones 
  • Contrast: intensify colors and shadows 
  • Saturation: make the colors more or less intense 
  • Straighten: turn the photo slightly to correct crooked lines
  • Filters: try experimenting with 1-2 filters for a cohesive, professional look. Try adjusting the opacity and not using any filter full strength.

Try using the following checklist for each photo:

  1. Lighting: is the light even and bright enough? Is the face free from shadows? Can I create more light or move nearer a natural light source?
  2. Composition: How is my subject framed in the photograph? Is the background visible and tidy? 
  3. Camera Settings: make any final adjustments to the focus point and exposure, then take several photos from several angles!
  4. Editing: if necessary, make basic editing adjustments to create a balanced, well-lit photo


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