5 Myths About Lightroom That Are Holding You Back

I can’t tell you how often I hear people giving advice online about Lightroom that makes me just want to yell “wait! no! Don’t listen to that - it’s just not true!"

Things like:

“Well so and so says that you need to use Photoshop if you want to get images that look like the pros”

Or…

“oh well that person said all I need to do is watch You Tube and I can learn how to edit from there."

I don't blame them - because I used to think the exact same things!

That's why today we are diving into a few of the BIGGEST Lightroom myths that will only hold you back from getting the most out of this awesome program.

Ready? Let’s go!

EDITING TUTORIALSAudrey AnnMarch 2, 2018LIGHTROOM

How to Photograph Movement with Motion Blur

When photographing movement, you have a couple of options on how to capture it: either freeze the motion completely, or allow the subject to show a bit of motion blur.

Motion blur is simply when you get blur to just certain parts of your image - those areas that had a subject or item moving faster than the shutter speed you chose.

Although unwanted motion blur is a bad thing, it can also be a used as a creative tool! The difference is that we are using it with intent, rather than getting it when we don’t want it.

So, this week’s blog post is all about how to capture movement with motion blur, as usual, broken down step by step.

PHOTOGRAPHY TIPSAudrey AnnFebruary 20, 2018BEGINNER

5 Reasons To Use Lightroom for Editing Your Photos

If I asked new photographers to name a piece of editing software, the one that pops into mind most often is probably Photoshop, or even Photoshop Elements.

Whist Photoshop is (undoubtedly!) an amazing tool for editing, it’s definitely NOT the one I recommend for new photographers.

Why on earth not, I hear you say?

I’m so glad you asked 😀…..

Here are 5 reasons why learning how to edit your images in Lightroom is MORE beneficial to you when starting out - or indeed, at any time!

EDITING TUTORIALSAudrey AnnFebruary 15, 2018LIGHTROOM

What is Lightroom CC?

A few months ago, Adobe released a brand new application into their product suite: Lightroom CC.

If you are wondering what Lightroom CC, what it can do, and whether it is the right application for you, then this is the very article for you.

In this blog post you will learn:

What Lightroom CC is
How it compares to Lightroom Classic CC
Who LIghtroom CC is for
Who Lightroom is NOT for
Why you might want to use BOTH Lightroom CC and Lightroom Classic CC

Ready? Let’s jump right in.

EDITING TUTORIALSAudrey AnnFebruary 6, 2018LIGHTROOM

How To Keep Moving Forward With Photography When You Doubt Your Skills

Every single one of us will doubt our photography skills at one point or another - in fact, I would say it is at least a yearly occurrence for me 😀

It also doesn't seem to matter whether you are completely new to photography, or been shooting for a while, there will always come a time when we feel doubt creeping up on us, and it can be paralysing.

Understanding how to keep moving forward, even when you doubt your ability, is key to making sure that you carry on on your photography journey, and achieve your goal of becoming a photographer.

PHOTOGRAPHY TIPSAudrey AnnJanuary 31, 2018BEGINNER, TIPS & TRICKS, INSPIRATIONAL

5 Tips For How to Remain Consistent When Editing

Tell me, are your photos all over the place when it comes to how you edit them? Do you like a soft and airy edit one day, and then a dark and moody one the next, and then maybe vintage with a touch of matte? When you view your images all together does it look as though they have been edited by around 30 people or someone with a serious multiple personality disorder (😁)?

Yes?

Then a) don’t worry about it too much as it happens to us all, and b) this is the blog post for you!

EDITING TUTORIALSAudrey AnnJanuary 23, 2018LIGHTROOM, PHOTOSHOP

Guest Post: How to Set and Plan Your Goals for 2018

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.

PHOTOGRAPHY TIPSAudrey AnnJanuary 17, 2018

5 Reasons Your Images Aren’t Turning Out The Way You Want

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.

PHOTOGRAPHY TIPSAudrey AnnJanuary 10, 2018TIPS & TRICKS

How Do I Get Started Shooting in Manual Mode?

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.

PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS, GEARAudrey AnnJanuary 4, 2018TIPS & TRICKS, MANUAL MODE

10 Most Helpful Blog Posts For Moving Your Photography Forward

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)

PHOTOGRAPHY TIPSAudrey AnnDecember 19, 2017BEGINNER, TIPS & TRICKS, INSPIRATIONAL

Step by Step Guide to Planning Your Photography Goals

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...

PHOTOGRAPHY TIPSAudrey AnnDecember 12, 2017

12 Types of Photography Projects and Creative Exercises You Can Do

We all know the feeling of being in a creative rut - those times when we don’t quite know what to shoot and feel a little lost, or else we are fed up photographing the same things, in the same place, and in the same way, and feel we need a bit of a kick up the rear end.

In both those cases a photography project or creative exercise can really help!

It sounds weird, but actually being able to shoot anything we want, at any time we want, is sometimes not great for feeling creative! It can lead to overwhelm and paralysis, and in those situations, actually LIMITING your options, or shooting to a strict, pre-defined theme, will actually let your creative juices flow a heck of a lot more freely.

That’s why I spent a lot of time last year coming up with not one, not two, but TWELVE different photography projects or creative exercises you can, one for each month of the year :-)

In this blog post, I’m listing all 12 of these projects you can do in the coming year: so you never run out of ideas again! They also range from long(ish) projects that will span the whole month, to shorter ones that will just take you half an hour, so it really doesn’t matter how much time you’ve got, you should find something for you here.

PHOTOGRAPHY PROJECTSAudrey AnnDecember 5, 2017TIPS & TRICKS

Welcome to the Live Snap Love Blog!

Ready to fall in love with your photos?