When someone asks me if I do other forms of photography besides interiors and still life, I always respond, seemingly joking that I shoot interiors because I don't like people. As an introvert, I could never have imagined that I would be someone that inspires and encourages people to start with interior photography and give them the directions to grow their business and brand. But it turns out that I love it as long as I can keep my groups small, really small! Like five students small, at the max! Probably not the best way to grow rich but I love the interaction, the personal approach and that is my strength.

It can be so disheartening when you pour your heart and soul into photography, but no matter what you seem to do, your images just don’t turn out the way that you want them to, or how you thought you’d captured them!

I know, I’ve been there too 😁

That’s why I wanted to write this blog post today, so you can know the MOST likely reasons why your images just aren’t turning out like you see in your head, and so you can go and do something about it!

The key to anything you read on this blog is ACTION. Have a look through these five reasons and see whether you are already doing the recommendation. If not, start to implement it as soon as possible to start seeing an improvement to your images!

Ready? Let’s jump right in.

So, you’ve been hearing a lot about shooting in manual mode, and thinking to yourself “Hmmm, I’d like to try manual mode, but i’m still on AUTO, what do I need to do to help me make the switch?”

Well, wonder no more, because that’s where this blog post comes in. 

I’m going to break down the steps you should take, and the things you need to understand before moving on to the next step , so that moving to Manual Mode is a smooth transition. Think of it as your own little roadmap for switching to manual mode 😀

You see, it’s not as simple as turning the dial on your camera to the big “M”, which is where a LOT of people fall down.

So, are you ready? Let’s dig in.

This has been one of my favourite blog posts to write this year, because it has allowed me to look back at all the content I’ve created over the last few years, and give you a one-stop shop for the best bits!

Well, maybe not ALL the best bits - because that would be a heck of long blog post :-)

(yes, I’m so modest!)  

So I had to narrow it down.  I’ve chosen these based on a few different reasons: firstly, not only based on how good I think they are, but on how much I believe they can move your photography forward.  And second of all, I also took into account which posts were the most popular, most read and most commented on, so you can see the ones that resonated most with others, not just the ones I loved (they can sometimes be very different!)   

Of course, I have tried to mix this up a bit between beginner and slightly more experienced photographers - because let’s face it, how helpful these are on moving you forward with your photography will depend on where you are now, so there are still some gems that will remain nestled in the blog pages for sure :-)

So if you missed one of these blog posts first time around, be sure to read them now, or you’ll kick yourself for missing them!

(Don’t have time to read them all now? I hear ya! Pin this for future reference instead then so you don’t forget)

One of the things I hear time and time again is that many people feel overwhelmed with everything there is to learn in photography, and that they feel like they are running around in twenty different directions trying to learn it all.  I remember EXACTLY how that felt, and I want to see if I can help you avoid it!

One thing that can REALLY help with overwhelm is creating photography goals.

Photography goals are just as they sound - they are the things you want to be able to do by a certain time point.  You assess where you are right now, and what steps you need to take to reach your goal.  This helps avoid overwhelm and that feeling of trying to learn everything at once, since you are going to following a plan, not randomly checking blog posts and hoping it somehow all comes together :)

You know the saying, a goal without a plan is just a wish, so in this post, we are going to get super focused on planning your photography goals for the next six months - looking at where you are now, where you want to go, and what steps you need to take to get you there.  

My hope is that you follow the steps laid out, and put them into action so you can make next year your best  photography year yet!

Grab your wine, we’re going in...

One of the BEST things about teaching people photography is simply the impact it can have on your students, and the images they take.

Seriously, nothing makes me feel happier than when I get an email from a student saying how much more confident they feel after taking one of my courses, or how it is all coming together for them, or when I see a student on Facebook or Instagram and they are simply rocking their camera.

A few weeks ago, I was on Instagram and viewing some of the images posted by my students, when a few caught my eye. They were from the same photographer, Katie Lynn, and I was blown away by how amazing they were.  I was even happier when I learnt that she shoots with what some would call “basic” gear - an entry level camera with a crop sensor and the kit lens - absolute, 100% proof that you honestly don’t need the most expensive gear to make great photographs!

So I asked Katie Lynn if she would do a case study for me, because I really wanted you to see the impact learning your camera can make on your images, and how it can improve your skills and images SO much more than getting the latest lens or a new set of actions.  

I’ve done a few case studies on the blog (I’ve linked to them at the bottom of this post if you would like to read more!) as I love seeing the journeys of photographers, but this is the first time I have had a student do this so I am extra delighted to have Katie here!

Take it away, Katie….

It’s getting to be that most magical time of the year: the time when you might be allowed to get your hands on some new photography loot!

To help you with some ideas of what to put on your own wish list, or what to give a photographer friend or family member, here are some ideas that I know you would love to receive in your stocking this year.   

Pin it or share it with your family so they know what they can get you!

With Halloween just around the corner, I thought I'd pop in to give you some tips for getting the best pictures you can during this fun holiday!

This is one time where I think I have as much fun capturing the event as other people have in taking part :)

We've all had it, images where our subject looks soft, and out of focus and we wonder where the heck it has all gone wrong!  

There can be several reasons why your images aren't looking as tack sharp as we want them to be, and (luckily!) few things we can do to make it better. 

So here are THREE things to check if you feel you are constantly getting soft or out of focus images.  Of course, there are a other involved in getting a tack sharp images, but chances are if your images aren't as sharp as you want them to be, it's one of these :) 

When I first started my photography journey many years ago, my whole reason for picking up my camera was to ensure that I could capture all the things that made my son special .  It's amazing just how quickly it all changes, and before you know it they have moved onto the next "phase" of their own journey - and you blinked and missed it :) 

When you are in the thick of the daily grind, it can sometimes be hard to stop and think about what's important to capture.  So today, I'm giving you five different things you can capture so that you can document this current "stage" of your children. 

I used to be terrified of shadows when I was taking pictures!  I wanted the image to be as shadow free as possible, because dealing with the shadows are where they were falling on my subject was a nightmare I wasn't ready to contend with. 

But once you have got to grips with the basics of your camera, introducing shadows is an amazing way to make your images more engaging. 

Here's four reasons why shadows can add impact to your photos, and why you should start to try to incorporate them today! 

Welcome back for another creative challenge!  If you are new to the blog, every month for 2017 I will be posting a creative exercise / mini photography project for you to do.  So if you like the idea of a monthly flex of your photography muscles, come back on the first Tuesday of every month for your assignment.  

Yup. we've got another Scavenger Hunt, but this time for Fall. Now, this wasn't what I had originally had planned, but because I had so many people request it, via email and in our Facebook Group, I like to give you what you want! 

As per the Summer Scavenger Hunt, you've got a downloadable list of prompts, and all you need to do is go out is simply go out and capture what is on the list. 

You have no doubt heard, time and time again, that you should learn how to shoot in manual mode if you want to improve your photography skills - so many times that I bet you are probably sick of hearing it!) 

But exactly WHY is it so darn important? 

Well, that's exactly what we are going to dive into in this blog post :-)

One question pops up time and time again when people first consider moving to manual mode, which is:

"How on earth do I keep up with changing my settings when shooting in manual mode, and my kids are running about all over the place?!" 

I hear ya! 

It is a little bit more tricky to be sure, so in this post I'm going to give you a few tips that will hopefully help make the process of keeping up when shooting in manual mode just that little bit easier. 

In my free Facebook Group the other day, someone asked a question that I know pretty much everyone thinks when they are first starting out (myself included!) which was:

“Why do I need to worry about getting the exposure right in camera, when I can fix it in Lightroom / Photoshop / Post Processing?"

Such a great question! And it's true, with digital photography, we are very lucky to be able to fix a vast amount of mistakes in editing software, and exposure is definitley one of them.  

But there are few reasons why you will want to at least attempt to get exposure as close as possible to being correct in camera, and that my friends, is what we are going to go over today!