Happy first day of March!! To kick off the month, I thought I would share a few tips I learned this weekend during a recent photoshoot!

I’ll be the first one to admit that indoor photoshoots intimidate me. A lot. Because my camera does not have a flash, I can get a little nervous when somebody asks me to do a photoshoot inside. As a natural light photography addict myself, I find comfort in shooting outside and working with the sun/shadows to create the shot I have in mind. However, breaking out of our comfort zones is something we should strive to do more often, though it isn’t always easy.

When I was asked to help shoot some pictures for an upcoming project I’m assisting with, I was beyond elated. Anytime I have the opportunity to practice photography and find new inspiration, I jump on it without hesitation. When I found out the photoshoot was inside, I felt a little scared, to be completely honest. Two-thousand photos later (not even exaggerating, friends), I learned lots of new tips & tricks about shooting indoors, and I now feel a lot more at ease about shooting somewhere else besides the great outdoors! I was surprisingly really happy with the way the photos turned out, and I can’t wait to begin this really fun project I’ve been helping out with for my sorority!

Without further ado, here are 5 tips I learned from this weekend’s indoor photoshoot:

1. W O R K   W I T H   T H E   L I G H T   Y O U   H A V E

I think this is the most important tip: work with the light you have. Because my camera does not have a flash and I do not own any studio equipment/additional lighting, working with the light I can find is absolutely essential. We shot in the middle of the day, when the sun was at its brightest, and I found this to be the best option! Open the doors, windows- whatever you can do to allow more natural light to come into the room.

2. Y O U   C A N   A L W A Y S   E D I T    L A T E R

You can always edit later, trust me! Sometimes when you shoot indoors, the photos can have a strange tinge of color from the artificial light. You can totally edit this later! Additionally, sometimes our photos can be darker than we intended when we shoot indoors too. This is also such an easy fix by upping the brightness and playing with tone curves. So don’t fret if things don’t look perfect on your camera screen- editing can make the world of difference later.

3. J A M   O U T

Jam out! Shooting indoors can be awk and a little intimidating. Playing music on set can really add a fun atmosphere and help your models/clients/friends feel more comfortable. Put on your favorite Spotify playlist and get ready to rock!

4. T E S T   D I F F E R E N T   A N G L E S

Before the girls showed up for the shoot, we tested several different walls in the building to find which had the best lighting to work with. Some walls in the room casted strange side shadows, so we were very thankful we tested it all out before hand before everybody arrived! Play around and find which spot allows you to have the most even lighting.

5. S H O O T   M A N U A L

I’ve said it hundred times, and I’ll say it a hundred more- manual mode makes the world of difference. When people ask me for photography advice, this is my #1 piece of advice. Learn manual mode. It can be very confusing at first, but it is life changing and I promise it will make the world of difference in your photos. It really allows you to manipulate your photos and really create the image and aesthetic you are aiming for. When you shoot indoors, manual mode is especially important because you can adjust the ISO to really brighten things up!

I hope you could find these tips helpful! This shoot was SO much fun & I had a blast!

xoxo,
Mackenzie