The pleasing sight of checking out a profile that has great quality content – IN-CRE-DI-BLE.
But what makes content “amazing”? Most of us would say – high-quality photos and videos and, even though it’s true, that sometimes implies professional equipment, such as studio lights and a great DSLR camera, maybe even a microphone.
I am here to let you know that there are easier and cheaper things you can do to improve your content quality and make it ✨AMAZING✨.
☀️ Natural light
A very underrated aspect – natural light. Take a selfie in front of a window, and then in one random spot of your house. The difference will be obvious. Therefore, try and shoot your content in a well lit room (in front of a window would be best). If there is lack of light were you live, it might be a good idea to invest in a ring light or a smart lightbulb that changes intensities and goes from warm to cold light or can even switch to different colours. You don’t have to drop a fortune on studio lights, there are alternatives for every budget.
🧹 Clean background
There is a huge understatement when it comes to a clean background, but you can have great lighting, an amazing DSLR camera, an amazing outfit on, but a messy and cluttered background is not an appealing sight. Try to tidy up a little bit or find a cleaner space to shoot your content. A busy background is distracting from your wonderful presence.
📱 Using a phone to shoot your content? Change your settings.
One little secret for taking high-quality photos and videos on your phone is finding the right settings for the type of content you are shooting.
If you are an iPhone user, go to Settings → Camera → Record Video and select 4K at 60 fps for the best quality.
❗️ While you’re there, turn on that HDR, it will help balance the light and dark elements in a high-contrast photo.
If you want to spice up your photo settings, open your Camera and play around with the Exposure. It can give your photos a more intense, dark look, or a brighter image.
If you are an Android user, things are similar, even tho every Android phone is different. Go to Camera → tap the Gear icon at the top of the screen and different features are at your disposal. Check out the rear video size and front video size. For better quality video choose higher resolutions.
🪄 Embrace editing
Don’t be afraid to do some minor retouches on your visual content. We’re not talking crazy Instagram filters, but a little change in exposure, contrast, sharpness, and brightness can improve the quality of your photos and videos. Some phones are already equipped with editing features, but there are also free apps that can be used for light editing.
💁🏻♀️ It’s about the angles
Angles can make a photo or video meh, great or a disaster. Experiment with angles, and find different ways of shooting. If you need some inspiration, look for inspiration on Pinterest and Instagram. I suggest taking a screenshot every time you see a photo with an interesting angle that you would like to try yourself and create an album. This way you are prepared when you are ready to shoot your own content.
👓 Clean your phone’s lens
It happens to all of us, you take a bunch of photos, and you go back to check them out, but something is off. They seem a little blurry, a little bit distorted. That happens a lot when you use your phone’s camera. It might be obvious, but this is your reminder to make sure that you wipe your lens with a soft handkerchief before starting an entire photoshoot.
Bonus: Useful accessories
If you have some extra cash at your disposal, here are some items that you should consider purchasing to make your life as a content creator easier:
- a tripod – no need to use boxes or books to balance your phone on.
- a Bluetooth remote – working with the phone timer is annoying, so getting a remote might be worth the money. They are quite cheap and you can take more and better photos with just a few clicks, in a couple of seconds.
- studio/ring lights – a little bit more expensive than the rest, but a worthy investment if your place is not well-lit or you do not have time to shoot during the day.
