Blog photography has always been such a fascinating topic to me. Although every blogger has their own unique approach to the photos they share on their blog, it seems as though a lot of us can relate to the same “struggles.”
I see a TON of this on twitter. It never fails to make me laugh when I read a tweet from another blogger talking about the nuisance of natural lighting or the awkwardness of OOTD photos. To me, it’s pretty neat that we can all do things so differently, yet relate to one another on a fundamental basis.
That being said, I wanted to share some of my most prominent blog photography struggles today. These are just a few of the things that give me trouble in both in flat lays and style posts.
Flat lays
The pet that wants to get into your shot
Is it just me or do pets chose the absolute worst times to want your attention? It seems as though any time I start shooting flat lays, my dog, Ellie, decides that she needs to be involved as well. As soon as I roll out my background and begin setting things up, she’s hovering over me, trying to sniff anything in sight. She’s the sweetest thing, so of course I don’t want to shoo her away. But why does she always select this moment to be so curious?
The lighting changes as soon as you set up
If you shoot your photos using natural lighting, then I know you can relate to this one. Without fail, the conditions outside will change right as you’re getting prepared to snap your first flat lay. Every. Single. Time.
The fact that some items do NOT photograph well
Nothing is more agonizing than trying to shoot flat lays and seeing certain props or products look strangely on camera. I’ve had my share of items (particularly beauty products) that simply don’t do well in photos. This can be really frustrating when you’ve already written the post. Your choice ends up being either to scrap everything you’ve written or to use photographs that you’re not happy with.
The process of putting all your props back
By far, the thing I find most annoying about taking flat lays is having to put all my props back when I’m finished. If you’ve never taken a flat lay before, you should know that it’s a fairly messy process. By the end of it, your floor/table/workspace usually ends up looking something like this…
Comparatively speaking, this is one of my more organized flat lay spaces. And from the looks of it, you can probably see that putting all this stuff back in its place afterwards can be a tedious process. In fact, I shoot the majority of my blog photos in bulk just so I can spend less time putting things back.
The nit picky side it brings out of you
I’ve always been the type of person who wants things to be as perfect as possible. And that trait gets amplified when I’m taking flat lays. If I’m unhappy with the teeniest, tiniest detail after I’ve edited, more often than not I’ll end up redoing the entire flat lay. And if I don’t have time to redo the entire flat lay, the little error will bother me to no end (*cough* *cough* the piece of carpet you can see peeking out in the corner of the featured photo on this post).
Fashion photos
The awkwardness of trying to figure out how to pose
Determining what to do in a blog photo gets easier over time; however, for a lot of people, it’s one of those things that always comes with a little bit of awkwardness. In my experience, it seems like the harder you try to pose, the more awkward the photo ends up looking. I’ve ended up with some pretty hilarious bloopers because of my lack of posing skill.
The struggle of trying to shoot photos in the winter
If you live someplace that doesn’t see a lot of cold weather, you might not related to this one. But doing OOTD posts in the wintertime is the WORST. It’s cold, windy, and miserable. By the time you finish up, your fingers are so numb that you begin to question whether or not you’ll ever fully regain feeling in them.
The guilt of having your loved ones shoot over and over
I actually purchased a tripod specifically for this reason. Sure your loved ones don’t mind taking a couple photos for you, but you can sense their irritation when you reach the tenth or eleventh take of the same pose. It’s hard to force others to meet your nit picky standards.
Similar posts:
Annoying Things About Blog Photography
What are some of your blog photography problems?
Currently, Lately 
I took a long break from blogging because I was really busy doing something. Decided to get back to it and it rained that day. No sunlight! I again made my mind up to do it other day and when i did my cat came and slept on the scarf which i was using as a prop. She didn’t move after so many failed attempts!! SHE FELL ASLEEP IN A SECOND! And everytime I pickup props to keep them back I pick all of them at once and then drop them and pick them up again and drop them.
Omg! This is so relatable😭
LikeLiked by 1 person
I can relate so much to what happened with your cat! My dog does the same thing all the time haha! So glad you could relate! 🙂
LikeLike
This post is so relatable! I use natural sunlight for my pictures and it never fails to start raining as soon as I am ready to take photos! Also I struggle getting my dog and daughter out of the photos and to leave the props alone 🙈
LikeLiked by 2 people
I know, right?! I swear the sun is working against me sometimes haha!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Right now ALLLLL my blog photo stuff isn’t with me because I don’t have the space in my current living situation. It sucks to not be able to take the photos I want to post.
And natural lighting??? Please it’s been cloudy and overcast here that I wouldn’t even dream of attempting.
LikeLiked by 2 people
That’s such a bummer! And the natural lighting can be so frustrating!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m planning on taking some photos over the weekend if the weather plays nice! Finally ordering my blog Business cards!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The struggle is real! I also just can’t seem to catch a break with outfit locations, everytime I find somewhere I think is nice and quiet a bus load of people seem to suddenly appear from nowhere! I have a great spot outside my house too with an old telephone box, but every time I’m wearing something bloggable there is a car parked in front of it! The only times there isn’t a car there seem to be when I’m on my way out to the gym!!
LikeLiked by 2 people
That sounds like it would be so frustrating! It really is hard to catch a break with outfit photos, isn’t it?! One thing that always seems to happen to me is that the days I wear cute outfits have terrible weather!
LikeLike
Flatlays either turn out amazing or rubbish! My puppies always try to steal my fake flowers or want to chew my background which is so annoying! and it can be so frustrating having to put all your props back too, loved reading this cause all of them was so relatable!
LikeLiked by 2 people
I completely agree! And it definitely is annoying when your pets try to get involved haha! Thank you so much! I’m so glad you could relate 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Omg this is SO god damn relatable!! xx
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you! I’m so glad! 🙂
LikeLike
This is brilliant Paige and so relatable! The pets on the flat lays made me laugh, my cat Simba loves lying on them after I have tried to arrange everything perfectly 🙈😂. It annoying and amusing at the same time ha ha. Great post, thank you for sharing 😘 xx
Bexa | http://www.hellobexa.com
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you! And I know, right?! I swear my dog has no interest in anything I’m doing until I decide to start taking flat lays!
LikeLike
Saw this post from your insta and went over to my wordpress app to give you a follow 😂
So relatable haha. Cracked me up too! But natural lighting really works best for me so time is of the essence!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you! And that’s so true! It’s really just a matter of taking photos at the right time!
LikeLike
I have similar struggles – this time of year the sun is higher and seems to miss my windows, whereas in the autumn/winter it’s lower and shoots straight in! Lighting is always a struggle. I use my ring light if needed but In all honesty it only works if there’s loads of natural light as it casts shadows and gives off a tungsten effect which I don’t like 😩. I haven’t taken a flat lay in ages as I’m not so much into them these days, I was mad for them when I started out blogging! I like looking at other’s still. My dogs like to have a nose at what I’m doing if I’m shooting on the floor and often have a pair of feet in the frame. Fab post as always.
Samantha x
Thebeautyspyglass.com
LikeLiked by 2 people
I know exactly what you mean about this time of year. The sun is usually in better position for me during the autumn and winter as well. And that’s exactly what my dog does too! She is always trying to sniff the prop/backdrops that I have laid out. Thank you!
LikeLike
I can totally relate to everything you said there. Oh! I am so glad to come across this article of yours and I realised that I am not the only one. Its just a part of the process.
Thanks for sharing this.
And I would really like to request you to visit my photo blog if you could spare some time and leave your valuable feedback.
http://alifelessordinarywithsaurabhavna.com/category/couple-photography/
Regards
Bhavna.
LikeLike
Well written
LikeLike
One can completely agree with these struggles especially if he or she is a blogger, the problem of choice spoils us even more. Even though I am an amateur, I can still relate to these completely and beyond all measure! Would have looked forward to your suggestions for these problems as well!
LikeLike