If you have been on our Instagram you'll know that I often create content for our amazing audience. I create anything from videos and closeups of jewelry to styled flat lays and lifestyle shoots. I know that I have struggled in the past to take photos and create content with limited space, poor lighting and little equipment so I wanted to put together a blog post that gives you the run down of my 'photoshoot' space and a few tips to make the most of your own space!

Tip #1: Be prepared! Plan!

My biggest tip for creating content when you don't have time is plan plan plan. Know what you want to shoot. Before doing a session, I know at least 2 things - what I want to shoot (which pieces of jewelry), and how I want the image to end up looking like. 

I spend some time before the shoot collecting (and saving) inspiration from Instagram & Pinterest, which helps me define what style I want to shoot that day. I then either set up my set styling similar to the photos or do what I can with what I have.

Moodboard from Sunday Lane Studio

Tip #2: Lighting is key

When it comes to the actual shoot session, there is nothing worse than poor lighting. Try to set up your shoot near a window, or outside where there is natural light. Now it's not a bad thing necessarily when you have an overcast day, trust me, we have plenty of those in Melbourne (haha!). It just depends on what you want to shoot. I tend to like to shoot styled photos (layered necklaces, for example) in the sun where it shows off the jewelry best, and flatlays in the shade. But I've also attached a few examples with stunning images of the opposite.

My photoshoot space - it's not as glamorous as it looks in photos!

Use lighting to your advantage to adjust the 'mood' of your images

Tip #3: Background is the biggest distraction in your photos.

Have you ever taken a selfie and thought it was one of the nicer ones until you see that person in the background doing something questionable? We've all been there! 

Background is so important. If you have a distracting background, not only does it take away attention from your main focus, it can also create awkward situations.

For my photos, I usually use backgrounds that are neutral, such as a white wall or white fabric. The photo below shows a space near one of my windows which has all sorts of plugs coming out the wazoo. It would be so distracting if I left this in the photo! So I covered it with this white fabric I got from Spotlight, taped it on the wall and voila!

Tip #4: Props make things interesting!

I love going op shopping and finding heaps of amazing props, like my glassware collection, which is collected from different op shops. My vintage mirror was from a garage sale on Gumtree. I also use lots of flowers (I love dried flowers!), magazines, mirror trays, the options are endless! Use props to make photos more interesting and definitely take into account what props are suitable for your brand style.

Finally, tip #5: Enjoy the process :)

There is so much involved in the perfect flat lay, and you may not always get the perfect shot. Test angles, combination of props, shoot with different equipment, take different content types (video, boomerang, photos, etc.) so you can utilise that time and the effort you've put into the set as much as you can! If there are combinations that you love, shoot more of it and try to make sure you have at least one that you're happy with before changing up the scene!

One thing I think is super important is to enjoy the process as much as possible! I usually set aside a time for photos (1-2 hours every week) and the continuous creating cycle makes me feel creative and takes me outside my comfort zone. Creating content is all about your audience, so also listen to what they love to see from you :)

Liked this blog post? Let me know in the comments what you'd like to see next! 👋🏻🌙