Blogging tips: 5 photography hacks that will make your life a LOT easier

Photography has become a massive part of blogs and I think readers often expect higher and higher quality images from the blogs that they read. I've been learning a few tips and tricks over the past couple of years that I thought I'd share with you - whether you're a blogger or just a keen photographer, I hope these come in useful!

Avoid using flash - wherever possible, always stick to natural light when taking your product photos. Using the flash can distort the natural colour balance in your shots and lead to you ending up with a swatch that doesn't resemble how it looks in real life. Try to use daylight wherever possible - find the spots in your house that give you the best light and move around if you have to! I usually set up position by the window in my bedroom as it has the best light in the house for the longest amount of time in the day.

Edit your pictures - when I first started my blog I never used to do anything to my photos. I'd snap away on my iPhone, upload them straight into blogger and that was me done. Nowadays I spend a little time editing my photos before I upload them - making them a little brighter, crisper and easier on the eye. You don't need to spend a fortune on Photoshop - free software like Pic Monkey will be perfectly good for simple editing. Brighten the exposure settings, reduce the shadows and play around with the colour balance and you'll be amazed at the difference.

Stock up on blue tack (well, actually the white version!) - Blue/White Tack is a blogger's best friend. I'd never be able to get a decent 'flat lay' image without the help of this! Pop a small piece underneath anything you think might roll around when laid flat and you'll have a perfect shot every time. It also helps to put something firm underneath any magazines/paper you might be using as background as this will give a better surface for your products to lay on.

Have a range of different backgrounds - this helps to keep your photos looking fresh and gives your blog an interesting look when people scroll through your posts. Get creative - adverts in magazines, wallpaper samples, your garden and countless others can make great backdrops for your photos. Using props can also help break up a large background space - think pretty dishes, makeup brushes, perfume bottles, candles, flowers and even food.

Try using manual focus - I recently bought a 50mm lens for my DSLR as I wanted to improve the depth of field within some of my photos (this gives you the blurred out background effect). I found these never came out quite as sharp as I wanted when using the auto focus on my lens, so I switched it off and have never looked back. Manual focus means you have complete control over the focus of the picture - you can adjust it (usually using a small ring around the outside of the lens) in tiny increments until you get the exact kind of focus you're after. You do need a steady hand when in manual focus mode, so a tripod might also come in handy if you tend to be a bit wobbly.

What's you top blog photography tip? Will you be trying any of these out?