How to Shoot in Full Sun

You have probably heard the term "magic hour" or "golden hour" at some point when trying to decide the best time to take photos. The golden hour is that perfect time right around sunrise and sunset when everything glows, skins looks soft, there is enough light to capture the image, but no harsh shadows or blow out highlights. Ask almost any photographer, and this is the ideal time to shoot on most occasions.

But what do you do when you don't have the leisure to wait around for 7:55 at night or wake up before dawn to be ready for sunrise photos? (Yes, during the summer "magic hour" is 7:50-9:00pm!)

Memorial Day weekend always offers great photo ops - on a boat, in a new swimsuit, at a barbecue with friends - and because the days are so long, we have hours and hours of harsh mid-afternoon lighting. 

Here are a few tips for both SLR users and iPhone photographers on how to get great photos this weekend without waiting for sunset to do it! 

1. Find a shady spot

Under an awning, next to a building, or the first floor of a party barge... finding full shade during the mid-afternoon light makes photos pop, especially if the subject is facing the light. This offers even lighting, but lots of it, and is probably one of my favorite ways to shoot when it's sunny. 

One Small Blonde | You can tell how bright it was outside, but we found a strip of sidewalk that was completely shaded from the building. The sun was in front of Brooke, so she was facing the light, making a clear, evenly-lit photo

2. Find even lighting in the sun

This can be a little trickier than shooting in full shade, but if it's 4:00 or 5:00 when the sun has started to cast longer shadows, face directly toward the sun, and that should offer even lighting. If you're shooting on a DSLR, this might be a good time to shoot on Auto so you don't end up with an over-exposed photo. With an iPhone, make sure you tap the focal point on the brightest spot ON your subject. (Here is an example of how to shoot in full sun on my BASICS post) 

Loubies and Lulu | This was taken at about 10am - I loved how the colors popped in the sun, so I stood exactly in the direction of the sun, and photographed Andrea so she was in full sun. You can see that her shadow is directly behind her - something to look for when trying to get a photo facing the sun.

2. Shoot with backlighting

This would apply in the later afternoon, or in a shady spot with the sun peaking through behind you. Find your subject's shadow on the ground, and have him or her face it. This will put the sun directly behind the subject. This is also how the "light and airy" photos are taken during magic hour. 

One Small Blonde | You can see the sun peaking out from behind the building, creating a sunny glow on Brooke.

Fashion Jackson | The sunlight was shining harshly from the left side of the image, and Amy's shadow is cast opposite - on the right. I took it from this angle because we wanted this black in the background, but I had her face away from the sun (and towards her shadow) so her face and most of her body would be evenly lit. I could have taken it with her standing in the same place, but turned to face her shadow, and I would have stood facing the sun. This would have created more of a glow around her head and body from the sunlight behind her.

Don't be afraid to play around with lighting and settings this weekend! We have a three-day weekend and that's a great opportunity to go out and practice! Sometimes "wrong" photos turn out to be some of our favorites, so don't be discouraged if they aren't turning out exactly how you envision them. Take a couple days and look back again and you might love them even more. 

For uploading photos real-time, I recommend editing on your phone with Snapseed and VSCO. Snapseed is a great app for editing brightness, saturation, clarity, etc; and VSCO has tons of great filters where you can adjust the amount of filter you add to a photo, which I love because sometimes you don't need to change the photo all that much. 

AND MY MEMORIAL DAY CHALLENGE TO EVERYONE! PLEASE

Please.

Do not facetune yourself. Don't make your eyes clearer or your waist smaller. You are perfect. Yes, PERFECT. Just the way you are. 

*Ideal lighting* - first floor of a two-story party barge circa 2013, in all our college-age red-solo-cup-toting glory.

How to Stand Out as a Fashion Blogger

from behind the lens

a BECKLEY series of tips for businesses and bloggers as told from my perspective behind the camera

The blogging world seems so simple: put on an outfit, try out a product, write about it, and include some photos to go with the post. But now there are hundreds of bloggers popping up every day, and it might feel difficult to differentiate yourself or to stand out in the crowd. After photographing bloggers for three years, I've noticed tips and tactics done by some of the top fashion and lifestyle bloggers.

1. Add dimension to your outfit

Layer pieces by adding a coat, hat, scarf, or sweater. Or try something different by pairing a day dress with a simple white shirt underneath. 

For spring and summer, think about adding detail and texture to your outfits. An interesting sleeve, or a lacy bralette, plus some chic sunglasses add interest to the photo without piling on hot layers.

pictured: (top and bottom left) The Fashion Barr, (top and bottom right) Fashion Jackson

2. Define your style

It's so easy to be inspired by and want to do everything, but defining your sense of style and your voice will go a long way in forming your brand and letting your readers know what to expect and why they follow you. It will also help with that elusive 'perfect quilt' that is the first people see when they find your Instagram account. 

You don't have to put a name on it, but finding silhouettes, color schemes, brands, and accessories that feel true to you will help establish your brand as a fashion blogger and let your readers know what to expect when they start following your blog.

A goal should be that if your name and face aren't on the photo, people are still able to identify you.

Pictured: Always Coco Noelle

3. Shop Local

Take advantage of your community. Shoot outside of local restaurants or grab some shots inside a cool coffee shop. When people can engage with what you're doing, it bridges the gap between just scrolling through photos on your phone and the real world. 

With affiliate programs that give commission through certain stores, it can be tempting to post only items from those brands, but don't forget about personal connections. Try going into a local boutique, finding something that speaks to you and putting a good word out for the spot. Chances are other people are also a fan of the store and there's one more real life connection to make with your readers.

Pictured: (top left, left to right) Always Coco Noelle, Fashion Veggie, Fashion Hour at Filament, Deep Ellum; (top right) Dropcap Design at Houndstooth, Sylvan Thirty; (bottom left) The Charm Scout at Weekend Coffee, Downtown; (bottom right) One Small Blonde at Stirr, Deep Ellum

4. Study

Know the trends, practice the poses, know the cool local spots, and know what people are excited about. Reading magazines, local newsletters, and following other bloggers are a few ways for bloggers to study their field. Not to be confused with copying, but it's important to know what's on trend. And if you're particularly inspired by something that you want to make your own, it's always worth a shoutout to your inspirer - another great way to connect! 

5. Engage with the scene

Nothing draws people in like portraying a feeling or mood in a single photo or photo story. By interacting with your surroundings, it paints a picture of who you are, what you're doing, and creates an aspirational image that makes people want to see more. 

Pictured: (top left) Mom Crush Monday, (top right) Labels of Freedom, (bottom left) Living with Landyn, (bottom right) The Mode Crave

BECKLEY Editing | Favorite Lightroom Presets

Ask and you shall receive. 

With exciting ideas bubbling up about live tutorials, helpful advice, camera tips, and the like, the most pressing question I have been asked is "what presets do you use?", so I am here to share some of my favorite Lightroom presets. 

All of these come with some trial and error. I love to think of my photo as a canvas - I know what lighting, composition, and colors I want to bring to the table and which preset will enhance these features to create the image I see in my head. I encourage you to try one, see what you like or don't like about it, and then go from there. These are not cheap filters to throw on a photo, they are an investment and meant to enhance your brand to help you create consistent photos to deliver to you clients or to post for yourself. But mostly have fun with it! One of my pet peeves is when people post a photo and say "one click!" - that's great and that's kind of the reason people spend hundreds of hours perfecting their presets to sell, but I love making it my own, adjusting the lighting, contrast, grain, colors, etc.

NOW I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU!

What are your favorite presets? If you download and try any of these, or find others you like let me know! Leave a comment if you've found one that does work perfectly with "one click", or if you run into some trouble, I want to know about it.

I'd love for you to find something that suits your style so that you can look forward to sitting down and editing your photos

xo,

Becca

CITY STREETS

You know that cool new place you find that everyone has known about for years but it's new and exciting to you? THE JOULE. An absolute new favorite spot for coffee, food, drinks, work, play, occasional celeb sighting.

Last week I met up with Kathryn of Wrapped in Rouge at the sleek hotel, got my third caffeine fix for the morning at Weekend, chatted with every barista and lobby manager in sight, and got some really fun shots inside and outside of the hotel that I have been really excited about.

I love shooting with style bloggers because they are like living, breathing, Pinterest boards (or simply, style inspiration) that make me remember that there is more out there than black jeans and grey sweaters. 

See her post here where she describes her outfit details better and more eloquently than I ever could.