A portfolio is simply a collection of images that you bring together to show a body of work.  You can create a portfolio for several reasons, for example, to show to prospective clients your style on your photography business website, or to apply for work, or just to accepted into a body of professionals. If you are a hobbyist, don't for one second think that you can't have a portfolio! It's a great way of seeing patterns in your work both good and bad. It can show you what you need to work on, or whether you have a style that you didn't even know you had! In short, a portfolio is for any photographer, at any level. 

Here's what to do to create a portfolio: 

I love shooting with back light (where the light is behind your subject) as I think it helps create a much more dramatic picture. However, there can be some issues to getting this right, especially with exposure and focus, but by these following tips, along with practice, you will be shooting into the light in no time! 

Here's my step-by-step guide to using back lighting in your images. 

Without a doubt, macro photography has been an unexpected joy for me with photography - it allows you to see the world in a whole new way, and appreciate the beauty that can be found everywhere if you get close enough!  Although it is certainly fun, macro  also brings a whole new set of challenges to the table too.  

If you are just starting out into the world of macro, here are 10 tips to get you going...

I truly want to help you grow in your photography journey, so you are ready and able to capture the moments that mean the most to you.  I've written a LOT of posts over the last year that hopefully have helped you to do just that: some of them informative, and some that were intended to simply inspire you to pick up your camera and document your days. Today I thought I'd share 15 of my favourites from 2015. 

Thank you to every single person who has shared or pinned a blog post, tweeted, or simply told a friend about Live Snap Love.  As you already know, blogs can only exist if people read them, so spreading the word about the site makes me truly grateful.  Thank you again x 

Did you get a brand spanking new DSLR this year? Yay for you! 

It can be quite disconcerting to pick up your camera for this first time and realise you don't know how to work it except on AUTO! As tempting as it is, you don't want to stay in AUTO too long, as in order to get the best out of your DSLR - and get those images you dream of - you need to take a little bit of control.  Here a few tips and tricks that will get you started off on the right foot. 

I know we all like to capture the holiday season, and Christmas Day in particular!  So, today, I've put together some  tips for you especially for photographing Christmas day, to help you be prepared and get the shots you want. 

Please bear in mind that it's not about getting perfect shots, or making sure you capture every little thing, it's more about ensuring that you get the one or two shots that are important to you, and some that help you tell a story or simply freeze moments from the day.  So once you have taken a few, put the camera down for a while and join in the day too - or at least go and get the dinner on :)

So, here's 10 Christmas Photography Tips for anyone wishing to capture their festivities at this time of year.

When you first start out in photography, you quickly realise just how MUCH there is to learn.  (And once you learn one thing,  you realise you need to learn something else!)  There is so much information available on the internet, books to read,  workshops to take and so on, that it can be difficult to know what to learn first, or just where is the best place to start. 

Although of course everyone is unique, and may learn things in a different order,  I've compiled a rough guide to a learning path that will get you from absolute beginner to shooting pro in no time :) 

One of the things I love about Christmas is the beautiful lights on display - either on your tree, or lighting up your home. Here's some tips, tricks and ideas for photographing your Christmas lights this holiday season

When starting out in Photography, you can easily get overwhelmed about you need to purchase. As you are being constantly bombarded with information about all the different accessories available you might be wondering about which ones to get- and which ones to forget about! 

Although everyone will have different needs, I thought it might be useful to some of you to list a few of the little "extras" that I think are extremely useful to have with you on your photography journey. These will either simply make your life a little bit easier, and in most cases, improve your end result - which can only be a good thing right?

I did a post a couple of weeks ago with tips for getting sharp photos with moving subjects, so I thought I’d expand on that and do one with tips for still subjects too! The good new is, with still subjects you have a lot more time to get your focus right, but nailing focus can still be tricky. Here’s my tips for getting sharp images....

Winter is upon us, and in my part of the world, that means snow - and a whole new set of challenges when taking photographs! There are a couple of things to be aware of when shooting in the snow, so I’ve compiled some tips that should hopefully help you if you dare to come out of your warm toasty house and enjoy some winter photography.

This year, I did my first ever Project 365. I've still got six weeks to go, but I can honestly say it's been one of the most rewarding photography projects I've done.  I do believe it has helped improve my photography, just by giving me the opportunity to practice every day, but it has also been a wonderfully personal project, since it's almost become like keeping a journal. 

A Project 365 is a very simple idea - you take a photo each day for 365 days.  However, there are a couple of things I think you should consider before you get started, which will help make sure that you Project 365 is a successful one! 

Here are some tips about how to get started. 

Ever year, I like to give gifts that are a little more personal, and I have found that using some of the many photos I take each year is a great way of doing it.  The recipients (especially Grandparents!) love the gifts as they are so thoughtful, and I like the idea of my images not just sitting on my computer but out where they can be enjoyed.

Here are 10 photo gift ideas, including a few that I am in processing of making for this year, and some that I have made previously (I like to mix it up each year!)  Most of these photo gift ideas will take under a couple of hours to make, and I tend to use the same gift for different family members, so I do the work once, but buy or make two or three copies and I’m done :) 

There are also different price points here - some you can make yourself, and some that are higher end, and some that are more fun gifts, so there should be something for everyone. Here goes! 

When you are taking a picture, ask yourself,  what is the first thing you want people viewing the photograph to focus on?

Most of the time when we are photographing people, the focal point will be the eyes, but sometimes it can be nice to change what the main subject of the photo is! 

A really easy peasy way to do this is to use a shallow depth of field, and change what you focus on. This simple change of focal point can really add a lot of interest to the story of your photograph, and elevate it above the rank of another snapshot. 

Sound good? Read on!

Although one photo can speak a thousand words, sometimes a few more can tell it better! A photo storyboard or collage is a fantastic way to display multiple images of similar photos, or even tell a story through your images. Here are some tips for making yours look as good as possible, along with links to some free collage and storyboard templates, and even how to make your own if you are feeling inspired!