In this episode, I’m sharing with you the 4 simple things that I’m going to be focusing on with my photography in 2025. I’m sharing what my goals are, and why I’ve decided to focus on these 4 things to help grow my photography skills and (hopefully!) get out of a creative rut.

I’m sharing with you 6 tips and tricks that will help you use your space - even a normal everyday home - and turn it into a great location for clean uncluttered photos!

Are you planning on taking your own family portraits this year, but not sure how to go about it? Then listen to this week’s episode as I walk you, step by step, through how to take your own family photos! 

Let's dive into all things Lensbaby - what they are, some of the different types you get, who they are for, what to watch out for, and why they might be a great addition to your camera bag.

How you can plan for a fall photoshoot - when to find the best time of year to shoot,  what to think about when planning your outfits, lighting, practical tips and more.

It's been quite a few years now since I made the switch from Aperture Priority Mode to shooting in Manual Mode, and it was one of the BEST things I ever did to improve my photography skills. 

It was like a whole new world opened up to me, and I started TRULY understanding exposure, and in turn, getting the images that I wanted.

Of course, there was a lot to learn, and there are some things I wish I had known before I started!

So, here are 10 things about shooting in Manual Mode that you might just wish you knew…

When I first started learning photography, and for a long while beyond that, I would spend a lot of my time looking at what OTHER photographers were doing.

I would search for interviews to see what lenses they used, I would scour blogs for information, or go into forums or groups to ask people for help, for quick tips or tricks.

At this point, you might be thinking “What’s the problem with that?! I do that too!”

Guess what - I’m going to tell you 😀

One of the things that used to REALLY confuse me when I first started learning photography was all the different types of camera lenses that were available,  which one I would need, and when I would use each one!

So as I’m willing to bet this bamboozles you too, I’ve put together this post that should make it all seem a damn sight easier to understand.

It breaks down the different types of lenses you can get, the variations you can find within that, along with suggestions for when you would use each one.  

Plus, at the end of this post you’ll also get access to a free bonus download, The Which Lens Quick Guide, so don’t leave without it!

Let’s dig in…

You know the feeling. You've just taken a bunch of shots and excitedly uploaded them to the computer, but looking at them on the screen you feel a bit deflated.  You know that something isn't quite right, but you can't quite put your finger on what's missing - and you have no idea what to do about it! We've all been there (and still can be!) 

When you feel your images are a bit "meh", the chances are you are missing a key component from them. Getting great, artistic, professional looking images is a puzzle -  there are lots of different ingredients and factors that go into any one image, and the more of these factors that are right, the more "wow" your image is! Simple maths 😀

I’ve had a camera in my hand for nearly 14 years now, and although I can now say that I’m pretty confident in my photography skills (most of the time at least 😉) I’ve definitely had a LOT of failures and frustration along the way!

So today I wanted to share 10 mistakes that I’ve made over the last 14 years, and that (chances are) you’re probably making right now.

My hope is that you’ll take advice from those that have gone before you, so that YOU can avoid making the same mistakes, and - better yet - fast track your way to being a successful and confident photographer. Let’s be honest, avoiding these mistakes won’t make you a pro photographer overnight, but it will help you get where you want to be more quickly and with less frustration!

In this post I’m talking about everything from where I wasted the most time, what I wish someone had told me back in the beginning of my own photography journey, and what I shouldn’t have wasted my money on!

If you are a stay-at-home parent and a photographer,, and you'd like to be able to make a side income from your skills, then this video is for you!

Being able to contribute to the household finances, do something creative, and have something all of my own was SO important to me after I gave up my corporate job to become a stay at home mom, and this might just be you too.

Whether you’re planning to take photos of your own newborn, or dipping your toes into the world of newborn photography, there are some basic tips that will set you up for a successful and relaxed session.

We live in an age where everything we do is shared across a multitude of platforms online. From our websites to social media accounts and everything in between, we’re sharing our intellectual property with the world.

Surely, as a photographer, that’s good for business?

Well, yes, it is. But it also puts your work at risk of being stolen and redistributed by unauthorized persons.

Our industry depends on our ability to produce unique works of art, and we cannot risk an intellectual rights battle with thieves and hackers. The good old right click “Save As” function can cause untold destruction on your business.

So, how can you protect yourself from theft? And more importantly, how do you protect your work?

When I ask in my community Facebook group what they are struggling with, without fail, I’ll get a ton of people who tell me that getting tack sharp images is a problem for them. So if you are having trouble with the same thing, believe me when I tell you - you are not alone, far from it!

I thought this would be a great topic to discuss, because I know that so many of you struggle with this, and because I totally understand that it can be difficult at first to get tack sharp images - I had the same problems that you are facing right now too, believe me :)

So in this week’s post, I wanted to give you a little bit of a troubleshooting checklist so that you can run through to try to diagnose your focus issues. Now, there are techniques and strategies over and above what I’ve outlined here that we can use to really fine tune our focus, depending on where and what we are photographing, but I wanted to go right back to the beginning to make sure that you have the foundation right, and then when you are ready, you can layer the most advanced techniques on top.

If you want to make this post really super actionable, I recommend that you grab a few images that you don’t feel are as sharp as they could be, and then run down this list to see if any of these common issues could be the source of your problem.

It's always fun having guest bloggers here at Live Snap Love, as it gives you a chance to learn something new, or just in a different way from me! So, today, we have Simon from Refractique on the blog to give you an introduction to lensball photography. Over to you Simon!

I came across lensball photography when I was perusing Instagram. As a landscape photographer and someone who loves to travel I came remember seeing some beautiful landscape photos from all around the world featuring the lensball. I was filled with wonder and have been hooked since! I even started a business to share this joyful hobby and distribute it!

It adds another dimension to virtually any type of photography however I most like using it in landscape photos because the wide angle lens the crystal ball provides. Check out the tips below if you’d like to learn more about lensball photography!