I receive a lot of questions about how I shoot my lifestyle shots so I thought I’d put together some tips to help you up your photography game especially while in isolation at home.

My 7 Photography Tips

Create a mood board - I use Pinterest all the time for creating mood boards for my shoots. I create a board, find inspiration and start pinning before I start the shooting process. See my Beauty Inspo Pinterest board here for some ideas.
Find your light! Lighting is very important. Natural light is my preference however you can buy studio lighting on eBay or secondhand for relatively cheap
- I usually shoot in front or next to a window to get natural light
- You can shoot outside but the light will be harsh. A window diffuses the light for you
- Bounce light - you can use a reflector to bounce light when placed opposite the window propped against something
- Reflectors can be found at camera stores/eBay or you can even use a piece of white cardboard which can be just as effective

3. Decide on your colours/hues, add props or a human element (i.e. hands) -

In the hero banner shot I only feature Thin Lizzy products to highlight them but if you’re shooting more lifestyle shots (similar to the three images above), add in complementary coloured objects /props from around your home. Different textures and heights of objects also work to add interest
Think about adding a human element to bring the image to life. I.e. your hands or part of your face

4. Equipment - While I prefer using my DSLR camera, you can still achieve excellent photos with your phones if the composition, lighting and tones are right

Phone tip - If using your phone clean your camera lens, this will make a huge difference! I have also heard that the less space you have on your phone (44,000 images anyone?!) = worse quality camera shots, but I’m not sure if this is true though
Camera - I use a 5D Mark iii DSLR with a Sigma 35mm f1.4 Art lens or Sony A7ii with a Zeiss 35mm f2.8 lens

5. Backgrounds/backdrops can make or break your shot.

Excellent and affordable backdrops can be found at The Social Code. I love their marble, concrete and whitewash floorboard options
You can also buy laminated floor tiles from Bunnings in different marble hues (black and grey/white) for around about $5 each
For more serious backdrops, you could get a square of marble cut but I believe this can be expensive.
Also think about existing corners/spaces in your home which might make a nice background. Don’t be afraid to completely move things around to achieve the right setting and light. For example, move a table or a mirror to a window where the light is good, add in your props, use the portrait mode on your phone or a low f-stop (focal length/aperture) setting on your DSLR to get that ‘blurred’ background look

6. Composition - This is a very important element of your shot.

My advice is to play around with your set-up. Move things around, shoot from different angles, move locations and test the light elsewhere in your home, shoot on a different background, add or remove things and see how the shot is looking.

7. Editing - Simple editing on your phone can add the finishing touches to a great image. Here are a few apps I use:

VSCO - I love the filters in this app. My favourites are A6, A5, A4, C4

For IG Stories templates I use - Unfold for professional and elegant looking templates and layouts
Lightroom for mobile - if you have access to an Adobe subscription then make sure you add the Lightroom app to your phone. I love how you can edit in tiny increments so your shot doesn’t look over edited. For a more affordable editing app, try Afterlight
I use Snapseed for removing little marks. I use the ‘Healing’ tool for this

Share this post with your friends and comment below if you have any questions.

Thanks for reading.

Lei x

How to ace your beauty shots (in the comfort of your home)

My 7 Photography Tips

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