How do you take good bookstagram photos? Here are the absolute best bookstagram photography tips
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Have you ever wondered what the secret is to taking such beautiful bookstagram photos? First impressions are crucial. And taking beautiful photos can definitely help you grow your followers. But I am most definitely not a photography expert. So, I’ve interviewed 3 top bookstagrammers for their bookstagram photography tips. So how do you take good bookstagram photos? Read on for their advice on how to up your bookstagram photography game.
- Who did I ask?
- How do you take good photos for bookstagram?
- How can I improve my bookstagram?
- How do you make an aesthetic bookstagram
- Overall have fun
- So those were all the bookstagram photography tips
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- Looking for tips on editing photos? Here are the best apps and websites for bookstagram
Who did I ask?
Kat @ Rustic Pages
Jillian @ TalesnTrickery
Aastha Sarma @_Artsy Aastha_
How do you take good photos for bookstagram?
1. Lighting
Aastha from Artsy Aastha (@_Artsy Aastha_ ) says:
My number one tip would be to really understand how lighting works. Lighting makes or breaks a photograph. So really play around with lighting and see how the lighting hits your subject- in this instance, it’s the book.
Play around with the light. There are different angles where the light could be hitting your subject – backlighting, side lighting and the usual front lighting.
Playing around with lighting and really understanding how lighting works can literally make or break your photography game. It doesn’t matter what equipment you’re using but lighting is so, so important.
Personally I take my bookstagram/ blog photos with the light to the side. I also try to take them abetween 10am and 4pm so the lighting is fairly consistent.
2. Composition
Composition is really subjective. It really depends on your creativity – what kind of setup are you attracted to. Whether that’s minimalistic or organised chaos. It’s subjective but comes from you.
Try to understand different lines – I used to play around with the s shape a lot. If you look at my photos I used to try and arrange my props in an s shape manner. So it looks prettier. You can also go for straight lines. If you master lighting and composition then you can master bookstagram photography.
Aastha from Artsy Aastha (@_Artsy Aastha_ )
3. Props
Play around with your props – adding more textures instead of a plain white background. A tablecloth in one corner or book pages in another. Adding textures and layers really helps elevate your picture.
Aastha from Artsy Aastha (@_Artsy Aastha_ )
If you’re new to bookstagram, you don’t need to spend much (if any) money on bookstagram props. There are plenty of everyday items that make great photo props – check out this post on bookstagram photo props.
How can I improve my bookstagram?
1. Practise makes perfect
Practise. You don’t have to have the nicest camera, mine is actually an old hand me down.
Kat from Rustic Pages @ Rustic Pages
Take pictures and more pictures. Don’t be afraid to explore how or when you take photos.
Jillian from TalesnTrickery @ TalesnTrickery
2. Learn how to use your phone or camera
Knowing how to use your phone or camera plays a big part in how well you take photos. But really just take and take and take more photos. Over time as you take photos you’ll just get better and better.
Jillian from TalesnTrickery @ TalesnTrickery
There are so many free resources online. Youtube is a great place to start if you feel truly lost.
Kat from Rustic Pages @ Rustic Pages
You don’t need a fancy camera to take beautiful photos – plenty of bookstagrammers take beautiful bookstagram photos on their phones. If you want to learn about how to take good quality photos then check out this Youtube video from What Ambria Reads with 7 tips for better bookstagram photos. There are also plenty of books online with digitial photography tips such as this book with simplified photography tips.
3. Ask for advice or constructive criticism
Never be afraid to ask for advice or constructive criticism. It can be scary but in the end, if you’re talking to someone who respects your art then they can probably give you some valuable insight to think about.
Jillian from TalesnTrickery @ TalesnTrickery
4. Editing
I am a huge fan of Lightroom for editing. And I know many other bookstagrammers and influencers use Lightroom. I use a pack of presets because it makes editing photos so easy and consistent. You can edit photos using just one click. Presets are a great way to theme your Instagram as you can easily edit all your photos in the same way. Etsy has plenty of beautiful (and good value) presets – such as this preset from Poppy Pages. It’s designed specifically for Bookstagram.
Vsco is also a really great beginner-friendly editing app. It has many free filters you can use. And it’s really easy to use and understand pretty quickly.
5. Don’t be hard on yourself
You will learn as you go and no matter what level, I believe each year you will see improvement (I still definitely feel that way!)
Kat from Rustic Pages @ Rustic Pages
How do you make an aesthetic bookstagram
1. Look at photos you like
We tend to be drawn to what we ‘like’ so take a look at the photos you like and the people you follow and consider why you follow them. Why you saved that photo, what colours you like and what vibes you tend to resonate with. What gives you inspiration? I found out what I was really going for by figuring out what I liked about other peoples photos.
Jillian from TalesnTrickery @ TalesnTrickery
Go through Pinterest and create a mood board of the style pictures you really like. My personal favourite is the cottagecore, vintage aesthetic. Some love dark academia and others love light academia. It has to come from you. You can make a private board ‘bookstagram aesthetic’ and just save photos you would love to take. Photos that feel very ‘you’.
Aastha from Artsy Aastha (@_Artsy Aastha_ )
Click here for my bookstagram photo ideas board on Pinterest. I update it regularly with bookstagram photos.
2. Don’t be afraid to change it up – photography is creative
Never feel like you have to stick to an aesthetic. Change it up and just feel it out. Things will come to you naturally if you don’t try to force yourself into a creative mould.
Jillian from TalesnTrickery @ TalesnTrickery
Experimenting and taking risks helps you to develop a distinctive personal style. You don’t always have to take the same style of photo. Play around and try different things.
You can change your aesthetic whenever you please. Or you can develop an aesthetic over time. Look at accounts you love and don’t be afraid to play around with different photography styles.
3. Pick a feel for your account
Pick a ‘feel’ for your account. For mine, I think about peaceful moments, And this way so many things can fit under that feeling that I’m not limited as to what kind of content I post. I can talk about nature, books, art and so much more and still make it all fit.
Kat from Rustic Pages @ Rustic Pages
4. Have a colour scheme
I find having a color scheme kind of helps make it look consistent. I change mine seasonally to keep things fresh ( plus I take a lot of outdoor shots) but its not totally necessary.
Kat from Rustic Pages @ Rustic Pages
Sticking with similar colour theme throughout will really help create a beautiful feed. It will help create a pretty bookstagram aesthetic. Also use two or three repeated props that match your aesthetic.
Aastha from Artsy Aastha (@_Artsy Aastha_ )
Overall have fun
Bookstagram is meant to be fun. You don’t have to post every day. Think quality over quantity. If you don’t like a photo – don’t post it. As long as you’re happy with what you’re doing that’s what matters. This is about you, and posting something that is going to make you happy.
Jillian from TalesnTrickery @ TalesnTrickery
So those were all the bookstagram photography tips
How do you take good bookstagram photos? In summary, to take good bookstagram photos you should:
- Understand lighting
- Learn about composition
- Use photo props
- Practise makes perfect
- Learn how to use your phone or camera
- Ask for advice
- Edit your photos using an app
- Look at photos you like
- Don’t be afraid to change it up
- Pick a feel for your account
- Have a colour scheme
- Don’t be hard on yourself
- Have fun
I hope these bookstagram photography tips were helpful. Please remember that at the end of the day – bookstagram is meant to be fun.
What are your photography tips? Please comment your tips below because I’d love to read them 🙂
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