Make Your Photos “POP”, Five Simple Tips!

I spent the day at Ogilvies and met this amazing photographer named Rebecca Nash http://www.rebeccanashphotography.com/ who takes amazing photos. She helped me with my newly painted mason jars. I was really excited because I just received my first shipment of our very own colour #SmittenEggBlue from #CountryChicPaint! Yahoo!!!

As you can see, I tend to forget about what is behind my pictures. In this one, you can see the neighbours truck and the hue of the overhang at the market. Even cropping this photo could not rid me of the background. So remember it is important to look around and see what your are including in your photo. Don’t just focus on your object, but on your surroundings as well.

She was playing around with light on my little camera, she promised she would bring her professional one next week, but she is really able to pull out some detail. I love the distressed glass. Recommendation number two, if you have a “regular” camera (ie. not a fancy one) then work with what you have. There was a tint of red to the light because of the overhang but it worked to create a soft ambiance.

Third recommendation is to group items together to draw the eye in and create a mood. I painted these mason jars in very different colours but the effect is dynamic. On the blue jar, I used some clear wax but on the green, I used nothing, I didn’t even sand it. In the picture, it is a subtle difference in terms of the texture but I think evokes a different feeling. One is more fun, the other is more shabbychic!

I am a big fan of #Muddaritaville stencils and this picture highlights not only the jars but the table. See how she creates depth and the stencil becomes a focal point? Point number four…….add depth not just height.

Tip #5, simple can be better. She tossed the flowers and focused on the etching on the glass Sometimes simplicity wins! I think the biggest lesson I learned was that it is important to let go and just try different ways of capturing what you are trying to create or feeling you are trying to evoke. (The truth is that it made me want a fancy camera, but shhh, don’t tell anyone!!)