Monday 18 March 2019

7 things I've learnt from posting my home on the internet

instagram and blogging tips for interior design bloggers and photographers taking photos of their own homes

This year I’ve officially been taking photos of my home and posting it on the internet for four years. How mad is that? It’s a funny hobby, if you think about it. I tidy up one corner of a room, moving endless bits out of the way, take a picture and then dump all the junk back where it was before. I don’t think people I know in real life totally ‘get it’, but that’s OK because people on the internet do.

So in honour of that, here’s seven things I’ve learnt from running a 'home account' on Instagram... 

The little things are important
Nobody wants to see an ugly radiator dial, or the label on your cushion, so tuck them out of view. It took me a really long time to “see” these things in real life, as usually you wouldn’t even spot them, but they really do make a difference in creating a photo that’s more pleasing to the eye. As much as I hate to admit it, I couldn’t tell you the amount of times I’ve taken a picture, put everything back where it was, sat down to upload to Instagram, and spotted something hiding under the sofa, only to have to redo the whole process again.


instagram and blogging tips for interior design bloggers and photographers taking photos of their own homes

Go above and beyond (quite literally)
My husband has walked in on me standing on chairs to get a perfect angle, filling a tin bath with rose heads and straightening a crumpled pillowcase with hair straighteners - well its gotta be done for the 'gram, right?!

instagram and blogging tips for interior design bloggers and photographers taking photos of their own homes


Light a candle
It always makes such a huge difference, adding a cosy and welcoming feel, and ensuring it looks like a real home. If I'm ever stuck with something to post I always resort to a good old bunch of flowers and a simple candle. 

instagram and blogging tips for interior design bloggers and photographers taking photos of their own homes


Turn the lights off! 
It took me SUCH a long time to realise how important this is, and while it’s a huge pain in the winter when the nights draw in, it’s a rule I always stick to now. I shared some of my photography tips here, where I go into much more detail about how I take and edit my photos, but start with natural light and it’ll make such a huge difference to the quality of your images. If you really struggle with natural light there are some studio lights you can buy to help with this. I recently bought one on Amazon for £20 and its been really fab with getting pictures in rooms that I usually struggle with - my downstairs loo being a prime example:

instagram and blogging tips for interior design bloggers and photographers taking photos of their own homes
With and without my bargain studio light - what a difference! 

Think about colours
I always try to think about the colours in every image, and how these will look on my feed. My home is fairly neutral, so I stick to white-ish backgrounds, with pops of colour through my accessories/flowers etc. These 'pops' will naturally change according to the seasons, so during Spring I usually have lots of yellows and pinks through daffodils and tulips, and in the autumn I'll have more deeper browns and oranges. I find my feed is so much more pleasing to the eye if it’s more cohesive rather than a mish-mash of colours.

instagram and blogging tips for interior design bloggers and photographers taking photos of their own homes


Don't be embarrassed - nobody cares 
Back in Autumn I spotted a beautiful tree near my work with the most gorgeous coloured leaves, my first thought was obviously 'that would make one hell of a flatlay', but could I bring myself to be seen picking up leaves from the ground by passers by? Of course not. After a couple of days I enlisted my friend to come with me so I didn't seem 'too weird', but did any passing strangers care that two girls were collecting leaves/conkers/any old random crap on the ground? Of course they didn't. So don't be embarrassed if you're taking a photo in public - as long as you get 'the shot' who cares?!

instagram and blogging tips for interior design bloggers and photographers taking photos of their own homes

Be realistic
I’ve spoken about this before, but for me, seeing pictures of real-life homes is so much more inspiring than a show home, or image of an item in a studio. Which is exactly why people enjoy following you in the first place - so let your real home shine through! 

What mad things have you done for the 'gram?

Thanks for reading,
Sam Xx

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1 comment

  1. Oh I totally feel you... I find it so hard to get a decent shot of my home to post on Instagram that I have literally given up too many times. But perhaps, I'll try it over especially now that I realize how others struggle in the same way!

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