My Beauty Blogging Camera + Tips

I'm  doing this post purely as a blogger, just to show you how I click photos for this blog. It's been requested by some other beauty bloggers, but all you non-bloggers might find these tips handy too, you know, when clicking pics of your kid's birthday cake, or your new mani to show-off on Facebook. If you don't have a camera, and never click photos, you can just look at the MAC lippies. I put them in there just for you =)

Since I couldn't use my camera, I used my mobile - Samsung S3. Previously Mr.CZ's, coz I was using Nokia Lumia 820, which I no likey. We swapped, sadly not before he dropped it on a marble floor and cracked the screen. I wanted it anyways, coz that Windows phone was driving me crazy.

My Camera: Sony Cybershot DSC-HX7V. When I'd gone shopping for a new camera (after my Panasonic Lumix got stolen along with my handbag), I picked this over 2 DSLR's - Canon EOS-something & Nikon-something. Reason: It's smaller & lighter than the 2. It's simply more convenient & fits in my small handbag too.

Main Features: 10x Optical Zoom, 16.2 megapixel sensor, 3D images, Full HD Movie. I really don't know the rest.

So, let me show you how I set it and everything. It gets easier when you get to know your camera, and play with different features. *Please excuse me if I use the wrong words to describe anything.

Step 1: Setting the shooting mode. I usually use the P (Auto Exposure With Adjustable Settings) and the person icon. Most of the time, the person icon, which is Shoot With Background Defocus.

 Step 2: I usually set Defocus Effect to Lo (Low)

Step 3: I go to EV button- brightness setting. This is the one thing I adjust every time I click photos. Most of the time, I set it to one point higher than the default. I'll go up to +1.0 if I'm clicking in the evening. If your photo is coming out too dark, make sure you check this setting.

That face icon below EV is Soft Skin. Just makes your skin look somewhat airbrushed. I used it once or twice, but I don't like how fake my skin looked.

Step 4: Zoom in! This will increase the lens and make objects look magnified. If you're zooming, and the objects look blurry, that means you're zooming in too much, so you need to Zoom Out till the point it looks normal again. Bring your camera closer to the objects if you think it looks too far, and can't zoom in anymore. I learnt how fantastic this feature is when I was taking pics of my Jewelry Holder.

 

Step 5: Now your finger is itching to press that final button, but NOT YET! This is an important step, especially for digital cameras (I don't know about DSLRs). Don't click immediately. First, lightly press the click button about half way down- you'll see those bracket things. Doing this will help the lens (?) focus on objects properly, and prevent blurry images. Press lightly once or multiple times, and when the objects look crystal clear, press down fully & CLICK! I set mine on Auto Focus/Face Detection- You'll find this in Menu, under Soft Skin setting. If your camera doesn't already have a background defocus mode, doing this will give almost the same effect.

In some cameras. like my Panasonic Lumix, there's Macro setting- a flower icon. It's best for extreme closeup photos and small objects, like small insects. For beauty bloggers, makeup swatches.

 Extra Settings:

• Burst ~ Takes 3 or more photos at once. Quite useful when you're doing a look, or you want to make those GIF images (that move), and you want a pic where you're stuck in the air while jumping up. I used this for a few of my pics here

• Self-timer ~ If you're taking photos of yourself, this is the way to go. I use it for all my LOTD's. 10 seconds.

• Flash ~  I don't like to use it. Useful only at night, and when you want to show shimmer in makeup.

• Menu: You click here to  view all the previous settings we talked about.

Now let's click a few pics with the camera:

These are most of my MAC Lipsticks in black packaging.

How I Do it:

• I ALWAYS click in natural light, next to my big living room window, which is the brightest place in the whole house. No soft boxes, no flash.

• I almost always edit my photos ~ I don't just transfer them to my computer and upload. The camera does about 50-70% of the job, and I do the rest. Mainly the brightness, especially if the photos come out too dark. I have a systematic way of editing, using different programs. I guess that's a little trick that should stay in my own blog ;) {You understand what I'm saying.}

• I'm a little obsessive. I think I could click pics of 1 lipstick for hours- different angles, different backgrounds. For example..... 

In the pics above is MAC Style Surge Mineralize Lipstick. Clicked with different backgrounds. Pics and swatches taken in May, but I never posted them on here- mainly coz I did not like the lipstick. That's just 4 pics from a folder of over 30 pics.

♥ 

That's all for today. Hope you found this post helpful & I would really really love to know which camera you use.

Do I want a big fancy camera with 0.967043 lens and all that jazz? YES. I'm doing my research at the moment, and will probably get one when I return to India after January. Most electronics are cheaper in India than UK. I'll probably get something Canon. With a remote control. And that thing that sticks up like a flashlight on top. And a strap. I will hang it on my neck. I'll go where there's water and many birds flying and hopping about. At sunset. I'll pose with camera covering my right eye, like a professional photographer. I'll be wearing palazzo pants and.....