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Hi loves,

Today’s post is a little bit different but I actually want to start doing more posts like this, I love reading blog tips post and I get lots of questions sometimes regarding all different things about blogging and the stuff I use and buy, and because I’ve recently purchased some bits I wanted to do a little post, if it can help anyone else out then that makes me happy.

Trust me when I say I’m not an expert, although I’ve only been blogging properly for nearly a year ive definitely learnt a lot along the way.

Basically this post is about some Equipment I myself have found really useful and would recommend, some of it is pretty obvious stuff but I’m not saying it’s a must and you have to have all the latest gadgets to be a successful blogger but if you have been blogging for over a year and want to take your blog to the next level like I did I hope some of these products I mention will be helpful to you.

 

1. laptop

I can’t live without my laptop, I do all my photography editing on my laptop and I’ve just recently bought a new one as I broke my old one, my New HP pavilion 360 laptop is a bit fancy and I’m in love with it I’ve never owned anything like this. It’s black and gold which is so me! And it’s also a touch screen and can be used as a tablet as you can fold it. This is perfect for me as it’s light and compact. I can’t be doing with heavy bulky laptops especially when we are on the go. I know a lot of bloggers have Macs but I just couldn’t get on with it when I used my boyfriends one that’s why I got this HP one instead.

2. Ipad

I also use my Ipad all the time, sometimes I edit all my images on the laptop and then write my post up on the Ipad, I think now I have got my new laptop though I will be using that a lot more, but an IPad is great for on the go but sometimes you do need a laptop so this isn’t a must but it’s very helpful every now and then, I check a lot of other blogs out on my IPad and do lots of online shopping on it hehe.

3. Phone

Another item I would be lost without, I can’t go 5 minutes without checking Instagram, twitter, snapchat etc, I wish I wasn’t so dependant on my phone but social media gains a lot of traffic to my blog so it’s something I have to keep up to date on.

 

4. Camera / lens

Again a camera isn’t a must I know so many people who take incredible pictures on their iPhone or phone, but I  know I’ve learnt along the way to get all these beautiful blogger pictures with the blurred background you need a decent camera. I was lucky in the fact I already had this camera before I started blogging, the only thing I have bought recently is some new lenses for it,  Id like to add it’s not just all about the newest and popular cameras, it’s also the lens as well, these are what create a sharp photo with that depth of field. So if you already have a camera sometimes buying a new  lens can make such a difference. I think the biggest investment in blogging is your photography equipment. I’m no way a pro when it comes to all this stuff, I’m definitely still learning and I feel like I have a long way to go till I’m happy with my photos but since I have been using my new lens I’ve noticed a difference in my photos.

A little tip I would give is always learn how to use your camera manually and don’t rely on the auto settings, I have enjoyed playing around with mine and setting the ISO, Aperture and shutter speed all by my self.

The new lenses I purchased are actually prime lenses so I have to do all the zooming with my feet so I’m not relying on the camera to do all the work, like I said if you wonder how all the bloggers get the really blurred background (bokeah effect) it’s down to the lens and the aperture setting, setting the aperture to the highest setting say 1.8 / 1.4 will give you that result. The most popular lens I’ve noticed that bloggers use is 30mm, 35mm, 45mm, 50mm, 55mm, 75mm, and 85mm that’s including fashion bloggers who take a lot of portraits and landscape photos, and food/beauty bloggers who want close up product shots.

I have the sony nex 6 camera with the kit 16-50mm zoom lens. I’ve just treated myself to the 35mm f/1.8 & the 50mm f/1.8 Sony lens.

 

5. Macro filters

This is just also something I’ve got recently and no way will you need it but again I just thought it was worth mentioning.

I have been really struggling with makeup swatches lately so I got on the internet and was trying to search for some tips, a lot of people said about using macro settings or a marco lens for getting up close and personal and getting all the detail. I do have a macro setting on my camera but it’s not the best, As I can’t change the macro settings manually I did look into macro lenses and they are so expensive and at the moment I can’t  justify it especially after buying my other lenses so I looked into macro filters, think of it as a magnify glass that screws on the end of your lens. It basically zooms right up close without losing the image quality and sharpness. I thought this was such a good idea and a cheaper alternative.

*make sure you buy the correct size for your own camera*

49mm available to buy from amazon here

6. tripod  

7.remote

I actually wish I got these sooner, a tripod is a must it helps to get steady shots and is also so handy if you suffer with back ache or other aches and pains, It saves me crawling and moving around trying to get the perfect picture. This is perfect for flatlays too although im still learning to master the flatlays. The remote is wireless so it does it all for you, you can set your camera up on the tripod, and use the remote to take the pictures, this is perfect if you don’t have anyone around to take photos for you like makeup shots, fashion and outfit posts. These were really cheap and I found them on amazon I will leave the link below. Just make sure to get the right remote that’s compatible for your own camera.

tripod available from amazon here

remote available from amazon here

8. Soft box light

one of my recent purchases is the soft box light, if you follow me on snapchat you would have seen me going on about this, I’m obsessed with it, and I know a lot of girls have messaged me about this. it’s a must for winter time, I was struggling taking photos as the light was so bad, it’s started getting dark at like 2/3pm so I had to invest in some sort of lighting and I’m so impressed it’s the best £23.99 I’ve spent! it comes with a daylight bulb so it’s really natural and bright, the stand can be adjusted and easily folds away in the carry case. It is a bit bulky I’m not going to lie and I do need to find a permanent home for mine but im using it so much lately I’ve left mine up, this would also be great for videos if you do youtube as it’s a natural daylight bulb. I’ve taken a few makeup pictures in front of this and im really impressed with how they come out.

Available from amazon here

 

 

9. light reflector / diffuser kit

I actually haven’t even used these yet but I thought I would mention it, this might be great for fashion bloggers. It’s a light reflector kit. These are pretty big but the smallest size I could find but the good thing is they fold down really easy and come with a carry pouch. perfect for any serious photographer who wants to take their photos to the next level. I will no doubt use these more in summer. I really want to get into more portraits and stuff so I thought these were handy to have.

The gold reflector: helpful for creating warm outdoor sunset scenes, or angelic halo effects, or achieve warm glowing skin tones
The silver reflector: for contrast and increase highlights
The white reflector: develops a soft, clean light and it also helps to decompress the flash, produce neutral color temperature
The black reflector: block out unwanted light
The translucent reflector: acts as a diffuser between the light source and the subject, which softens the harsh appearance

Available to buy from amazon here

 

10. Blogging props

 

we can’t all be fortunate and have white, copper and marble homes right? although my home is pretty white as I think it makes it look fresh and modern I like buying things to make my photos look a little bit different to every other blogger, although this is very difficult now days. I am so blogger when it comes to marble, rose gold and white. you have probably already noticed on my blog, social pages and in my home I’m a little bit obsessed with gold, so I like to stick to that theme and add as much gold in as I can to my photography. I know a lot of people might not like white backgrounds but I just find them so eye-catching and it make me actually want to click on a blog if I like their photos. this brings me on to my last topic which is blog props, I love going around and finding lots of different bits and bobs to use. I would definitely recommend, tk maxx, hobby shops and  DIY stores. I’m always picking up wallpaper, floor and tile samples, as well as flowers, bits of coloured card and things. You can get really creative and make your pictures stand out from others. This is something I actually really enjoy, I love finding bits to use in my photos.

 

I hope this post has been helpful, If you have any questions leave me a comment. If you have any tips please share them I love coming across new ideas and other people’s opinions.

Thanks for reading xo