If you've been here a while you'll know that I consider learning manual mode a must in photography (even if you don't go on to use it all the time!) so I wanted to create a little “round-up” post for you with some of our top resources for shooting in Manual Mode - that way, you have zero excuses for not making the switch 😉

I know that it can seem daunting to take control of the camera yourself, but I pinky promise it’s worth the learning curve - and it’s not just me, so many of our Auto to Awesome have said the same thing!

So if you’re interested in learning more about shooting in manual mode, and taking your first steps, dive into these resources below…

If you’re just get started with photography, then you’re probably wondering what the best camera for beginners is! So right now, you’re probably looking at what camera you should choose, and what will be the best one for you as a new photographer.

So that’s what I’m going to look at today with you, so that you can narrow down the options, and ideally, pick your first camera so that you can get started on this exciting new journey sooner rather than later!

For this Halloween, I’m going to be trying something a bit different from my normal photos of documenting the “holiday”, or capturing the costumes, and try out taking “ghostly” photos!

I figured you guys might want to give this a try too, so I thought I’d share a quick tutorial on how to do this, along with some tips and tricks I’ve picked up for getting these right.

I’m not going to lie, this will take some experimentation before you get the right settings for the results you want, even with me giving you step by step instructions and suggestions for your settings!

But, if like me, you like trying to experiment, you’ll love this :)

Today, we’re going to look at the different types of portrait photography you can do!

Whether you primarily capture your own children, are looking to start your own family photography business, or even want to specialise in photographing weddings or newborns: if you shoot people, then you’ll fit somewhere within these portrait photography types.

Today, I want to talk about self confidence in photography, and how to build yours up, so you can share your work, start your own business, or just feel happier about the work you’re producing!

Anyone who does creative work like photography will ALWAYS have days when your self confidence in down in the dumps.

Our inner critic LOVES to imagine what others will think or say, and if we listen to it, we can stifle our creativity and stop ourselves from moving forward.

Since this is something I have (lots of!) personal experience with, I wanted to share a few little mindset tricks that serves me well.

This week, I’m going to share some aperture examples with you, so you can see exactly how you can use your aperture in photography to create different “looks” in your photos.

Although there are three different elements that control exposure (aperture, shutter speed and ISO) this is a big one to master, simply because it gives you so much creative control!

You can completely change the look of your image just by the aperture you choose, which is why it’s important to understand what it is, what it does, and how you can control it.

This month, I’ve started something new exclusively for our email subscribers that I think you’ll love!

For the last few weeks I've been thinking about some different ways I can help you reach your photography goals, and share things with you that I think you might find helpful, useful or just downright inspiring or uplifting.

Things that might not fit neatly into our blog posts, or that we’ve covered before and you might have missed (we have hundreds of tutorials here at Live Snap Love, and - if I do say myself, most of them are really, really good!)

So moving forward, I’ll share exclusive content with our email subscribers, in the form of a monthly "resource round up”!

Looking for some fall photoshoot ideas to try? Then you’re in the perfect place, because I’m about to share 16 of them with you!

Autumn is always a popular time for a family photoshoot, because the beautiful autumn tones create a colourful backdrop for your photos, and a wonderfully cozy and intimate atmosphere - all perfect for families, siblings, maternity or engagement photos (in fact, any type of portrait!) that you want to take.

For the best results, I suggest that you combine a few of these fall photoshoot ideas, so that you can get a variety of different photos from one single session. And if you’re planning on doing some fall mini-sessions, you can take a few of these ideas for locations and / or props.

Wondering what framing in photography is, or simply want some examples for how to use frames in your composition? Then you’re in the perfect place, because that’s what we’re going to cover today!

Framing refers to a compositional technique that helps bring attention directly to your subject, by blocking off part of the image to form a frame around a point of interest. It’s main goal is to draw the viewer’s eye to what’s most important, but it also simply works by making the scene look more interesting too!

Framing will also help bring a sense of depth in your photos, which is a great thing to do in photography, because it will create a more three-dimensional feel.

Have you heard people talking about a reflector, wondered what it does, and whether you need one? Then good news, that’s exactly what I’m going to be answering in this post!

Knowing how to manipulate the light around you is crucial as you progress in your photography journey, because those subtle nuanced shifts in light can have a major impact on your images. A reflector is simply a tool that will help you change or mould the light to suit your vision, and help you get your images to look the way you want them to.

Not bad for a $35 piece of kit :)

So in this post, I’m going to cover what a reflector is, when you might want to use one, when the right time is to get one, and if you do, which one you should get.

Understanding light and how it behaves can be key to getting interesting images, flattering portraits and lifting your images to the next level…..

….But of course, it’s photography, which means it’s not always plain sailing :)

Here’s just a few of the mistakes I’ve personally made with photography when it comes to lighting - some of them subtle, many of them less so!

Check ‘em out so you can see what to avoid…

Light can be the single factor in lifting a so-so photo into something awe-inspiring, so it’s definitely worth experimenting with some creative photography lighting ideas, in order to take your photos up a notch!

I know that natural light can seem intimidating at first, probably because it’s not something we can control! But if we can learn how to work with what we’ve been given (or how to modify it to suit our vision) then you will have unlocked the key to creative and otherworldly photos, so the payoff is definitely worth the time you’ll spend learning about it 😉

There are so many different types of light, and so many different ways to use it, so I thought I’d give you just a few photography lighting ideas of how you can use the light around you. My goal is simply to inspire you to pick up your camera, or maybe try something a little bit different!

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!

As photographers, we take hundreds of photos at each photo session. Furthermore, we always have a camera at hand and love to photograph unique moments wherever we go. Yet we can’t edit all the pictures we take and send them to our clients. We can’t print all of them either.

Whether we prefer to photograph our family, people, nature, insects, or touristic locations, we all face the same challenge: how to organize our images in order to find what we need fast and be efficient in selecting the best shots?

If you've ever wondered how you should have your camera set up, then you are in the perfect place!

Today I'm going to give you a behind the scenes tour of my own camera set up.

Now be sure to watch right until the end, because I'm going to share with you how I would set my camera up if you're just starting out and not yet shooting in manual.