Hiya, welcome back to my blog! Are you tired of me yet? I hope not, because I'm not going anywhere.
There was been so much craziness going on it's almost hard to keep up with. There has also been an intense amount negativity going around online and I hate it. :( Unless you live underneath a rock or something then you automatically know what I'm referring to. COVID-19 has taken our world and completely flipped it upside down momentarily. Businesses, schools, public events, EVERYTHING has been shutting down to prevent the spread of this virus. It's pretty scary and disheartening. We are in a state of emergency and all we can literally do is just keep hand sanitizer ON DECK and practice social distancing. (and apparently buy as much toilet paper as possible???) I have had to cancel a lot of upcoming shoots because of this pandemic and that makes me so sad! Many people all over the world are currently in quarantine to prevent risking the spread of the virus we all know pretty well by now called the "Corona Virus" or as I previously referenced it as "COVID-19". So, what do we do now when we are stuck inside of the house for days on quarantine?
Well, theres always a new Netflix show you can binge watch, books to read, schoolwork to catch up on, art to make or rooms to clean. I'm sure you've googled things that you can do to keep yourself entertained in the meantime. So, I don't think I need to tell you that BUT, what about the Instagram feed? How can you get fire photos to make your ex jealous or to up your follower count from home? Well, Look no further! I am here to help.
Welcome to my guide on how to "Whorentine".
I'm going to teach you how to be your own Mona Lisa. Or "Corona Lisa", if you will.
You don't always have to live in a cool town or have access to street art and instagramble places. Sometimes, all you need is yourself & a tripod. I was thinking of places in my house where I could take my own self portraits and I'm not going to lie, there wasn't that much to offer. I could of done a photoshoot in my bed or by a window and been satisfied but I really wanted to take these portraits to the next level to show everyone that you don't need to live in a city or have crazy equipment to make your Insta pop! I did this in the comfort of my own bedroom within 10 minutes. So, here are my tips:
#1. Choose your location. Blank walls in front of natural light are going to be your bff. No need for fancy backdrops if you have a plain or even decorative wall. Totally your choice. You could also hang up a bed sheet and get creative with that but in my instance, I had a perfect wall in my room with a neon sign that I hung up. This worked amazing for giving my photo backlight while also making it more interesting.
#2. Do yourself up! (duh) If you feel confident, it will reflect in your photos! Put on your favorite playlist and get the vibes going!
#3. Get someone to take the photo for you, use a tripod like I did or a self timer. If you don't have a tripod, try stacking books on top of each other or use anything that will give your camera balance and the desired height that you want.
#4. Gather up some props! Something as simple as a stool, flowers or a hat can really bring more fun into your photoshoot. I used a pink cowboy hat that I bought the other day for an upcoming photoshoot. (Stay tuned for that. ;)) I also had some left over gems from last weekend when I celebrated St. Patricks Day that I put on the outer corner of my eyes to jazz up my makeup look. :-)
#5. Plan your outfit. Put on that dress that you've been wanting to wear out or even tie up a bed sheet around you if you're having one of those kinda days. Get creative! I knew I wanted my self portrait to highlight my shoulders so I went with an old strapless top I found in my closet.
#6. Take a lot of photos!! I took exactly 100 photos in a 10 minute time frame so I could have a variety to choose from. Look on Pinterest for posing ideas and dive out of your comfort zone a little. I mean your in the safety of you own home, so why not!
#7. All thats left to do now is throw on a simple edit! I edit all of my photos within Lightroom but if you do not have access to that, there are plenty of good editing apps you can download to your phone. My personal fav is vsco!
#8. POST!
And yes, it really is that easy! Now go take some hot pics! Your followers will thank you. If we follow each other, you know I'm going to hype you up. Let me know if you use my tips because I'd love to see the outcome. :')
Until next time,
Stay safe & stay sexy.
-Ry
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