Who are some of your favorite accounts on Instagram? Everyone has their favorites, I am sure a couple came to mind for you instantly. These are accounts that you really enjoy. Whether it is their photography, creativity, or over all virtual presence; they are apart of your list of favorites. I have gathered some of my favorite accounts for you along with their current favorite camera gear set up and a tip!. Enjoy!
Favorite Gear Set Up: Sony A7iii with the 24mm 1.4GM
Tip: I try really hard to engage with my audience more than just on my posts. I get a lot of interaction through my stories – use the features at your disposal. Ask questions, do polls, but don’t make it vague (none of the “ask me a question” kind of boxes but rather ask THEM the questions). People are much more likely to respond with what their favorite Chinese takeout food is than something vague. And responses are a great way to form connections!
Favorite Gear Set Up: Canon 5D Mark IV with a 24mm & 85mm lens
Tip: For creamy waterfall photos, you don’t need a super long exposure! Something as fast as 1/2 a second will still get you the smooth water look, and it’ll also give you a better chance of getting your dog or human subject in focus (shooting in manual mode here will help)
Favorite Gear Set Up: Sony A7iii with a 20mm 1.8 and 24-70 2.4 GM
Tip: My favorite thing to do when taking pictures of my dogs is to get on their level and find new fun angles that allow me to get a good amount of the background in the picture. I usually opt for a little bit lower angles when shooting with a wide-angle lens to get the most background 😊
Favorite Gear Set Up: Nikon D750 with the 24mm 1.8
Tip: Don’t be afraid to reach out to bigger companies you want to work with. Tell them why you want to work with them and what you could bring to them. I’d recommend reaching out by email rather than the Instagram messenger. There is a better chance your message will be seen and replied to. And if they say they would like certain content that you’d be fine with getting and posting, show them. Post some that fit what they are looking for and reach out again. The worst a company can say is no.
Favorite Gear Set Up: Nikon D810 with the 14-24mm 2.8
Tip: My most asked question – what’s your favorite lens? My answer is always my wide-angle lenses! I love the way that they tell a story and really capture the true feeling at that moment. It can be tricky shooting with a wide focal length as so many people are used to the compressed focal lengths (50mm, 85mm, etc) so the composition can be a bit challenging if you’re new to these wider lenses. My favorite tip for others looking to shoot wide is to really use your surroundings! I love to incorporate the foreground (tree branches, grass, etc) where applicable to really create a sense of depth. I will place my subject in a way that looks natural so that they fit perfectly into the setting, this can be something as simple as them with their back to the camera (as if they’re saying “follow me!”) or just looking off in another direction.
Using different angles with the 14-24mm f/2.8 can be SO fun with dog photography as it can almost create a fish-eye effect. Getting up close and personal with your pup (if they allow!) is a great way to utilize a wide-angle lens and freeze their perfect expressions right up close! Don’t be afraid to make the best use out of your environment too, including trying different angles from below or above, or simply grabbing some leaves to hold just in front of the lens to create a bit of depth. As tricky as it can be shooting ultra-wide, it has become my favorite way to capture my girls through the camera. It isn’t something I thought I’d enjoy so much but it has really pushed me creatively and I’m so happy I stuck it out and continued to learn composition with these lenses! I’m always open to helping others so feel free to message me on Instagram if you ever have any questions.
Favorite Gear Set Up: Sony A7iii with the Sigma 35mm 1.2 ART
Tip: Expose for highlights, so you don’t blow out your image.
Teach “look” “stay” “up” and other commands for posing.
Crawl around on the ground/up on things to get unique angles and compositions.
Favorite Gear Set Up: Canon EOS R with the Sigma 50mm F1.4 ART
Tip: To make my editing process easier, I try to spend some time to get my exposure correct from the start. I definitely prefer shooting on a cloudy day, to avoid harsh shadows, which can be difficult to edit.
When editing, as with everything it is a lot of trial and error. Try playing around to find your personal editing style. I will often dim or completely take out the yellows in my photos. And if I didn’t get enough natural light on Vilma’s face in-camera I will try to make it pop by adding some extra light with radial filters. There is so much great information to find by watching YouTube videos. And if you have gone blind looking at a photo, take a break and come back at a later time!