5 Tips to Make Your Blog Photos Look Great

If you are an avid fashion blogger you understand how hard it is to set yourself apart from the rest to stand out and get noticed. One of the best ways to do this is to have great blog photos that showcase your style. Following these five tips may help you make the photos for your blog look better.

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Don’t be afraid to invest: First of all invest in a good camera. The camera itself does not have to be very pricey (look for a DSLR camera to start), but what you definitely need are good lens. Finding the best lens to give you the best contrast and depth to show off your outfits actually makes all the difference. Also, if you are really passionate about photography, you can take some fashion photography courses like this one in order to gain important technical skills and express your creative ideas successfully.

Find the right lighting: For different outfits and styles it is important to choose the right lighting. You may spend countless hours trying to find the right location, so play around with the lighting to see what works best. The times right before sunset and after sunrise are the so-called “golden hours” which provide the best lighting for photography. The light hits the focus of the picture more directly, but play with the aperture to find the right balance.

Find the best location: Always look for inspiration in other blogs or magazines to pair the right location with the outfit and style you are shooting. You will not want to rip off these shoots but use them as guidelines to find a cool location for yours. A good backdrop for great fashion is always a must.

Watch how you crop your photos: When you are editing your photos be careful how you crop them. Read up on the rule of thirds and play around with how you want the focal point to appear in your designs.

Use the most flattering angles: It is essential to learn how to use angles and leading lines to capture the best photo. Using buildings or shadows helps lead the view to the subject of the photo. This takes time to learn, but be sure to have fun doing it! Playing around with all the aspects of your photo shoot is half of the adventure. Never be afraid to fail and don’t think too much about it, sometimes all of the right pieces will just fall into place.

P.S.- This is a collaborative post. 

L'Oreal Hydra Total Skincare Review

For those of you who know me personally, know that I recently made some big changes in my life. Which is why I think I have a good enough reason for my absence from my blog. I recently moved to a new country, started a new job, and gave a face-lift of sorts to my blog. I was pleasantly surprised to receive a gorgeous gift in my mail a month back which made my move all the more sweeter. My shift to Canada was welcomed with some new products by L'Oreal courtesy of Influenster Canada. So, I figured what better why to start my blog again than with a review of the L'Oreal Hydra Total Skincare range. 

The box arrived with gorgeous packaging in which the products were packed to make sure that there were no leaks. The Hydra-Total 5 comes is 3 ranges for different skin types and I received the Ultra-Soothing range in the micellar water, toner, and moisturizer. The other lines are called fresh and ultra-even. Each product has not just one but 5 great benefits for your skin! 

MICELLAR WATER

Price: $8.47 CAD at Walmart.

I was really excited to try this one as I had never used micellar water before or even heard of it for that matter.I was a little doubtful of using it as I have combination skin and the product was for dry to sensitive skin. But, I was pretty happy with the product! I love how light it felt and was almost as refreshing as a toner. The 5 benefits are cleanser, make-up remover, soothes dry skin, softens, hydrates. It is basically a cleanser and I am currently using it as a makeup remover. It doesn't irritate my skin at all, which is great since it is super sensitive and I break out from most makeup removers. Out of all 3 this is probably one I would repurchase the most.  

TONER

Price: $8.47 CAD at Walmart

The toner had a gel-like consistency which was something  did not expect in a toner. It still felt good on the skin though and spread easily and had a pleasant cooling effect. It has the effects of a toner, removes impurities, soothes dry skin, softens, and hydrates. I doubt that I will repurchase it though as I have other toners that I prefer for combination skin although I have no complaints with this one. This is another winner for sensitive skin!  

MOISTURIZER

Price: $12.97 CAD at Walmart

The ultra-soothing moisturizer moisturizes, soothes dry skin, replenishes, softens, and comforts. This moisturizer was one of those products that I felt was more geared towards dry skin rather than sensitive as it not feel as good on mine than the others. I also have an oily T-Zone so I have a hard time finding moisturizers anyways. I would probably not buy it again as it did not suit my skin type at all!

I received theses products complimentary from Influenster Canada for testing purpose. All opinions expressed in the post are honest, unbiased and my own.

Nainital Diaries: Whimsical Winter Sun

Sorry for the delay in posting the last part of the series y'all! But I have exciting things going on in my life right now. But more on that on the next post (Hint, it involves a foreign country! ) 

Back to this outfit post in the gorgeous Garden Valley Resort near Nainital. We were awed to see this Country themed cottage situated in the middle of untouched natural beauty. From gurgling sreams, to peeping monkeys and glorius sunshine, this place had it all. A vast expanse of property situated in the middle of the hills, it had a separate area for sitting in the sun and chatting and enjoying your drinks and a separate dining area where a 7-Course Continental/Italian meal awaited you. Although, we gobbled up most of it before we had the time to take pictures, I did manage to capture some of the hearty goodness. 

What I loved the most about the place was that the owners did not have a schedule and there was no rush. You could sit and enjoy the nature for as long as you wanted and then indulge in a relaxed, lesiurely meal. The country style drapes and kitschy decor at this homestay just stole my heart away with its careful randomness. I hope the pictures capture a little bit of the whimsicalness of day. 

Veggie Pizza

Mushroom Pie

Carrot Cake with Fresh Cream

Aztec Sweater Dress: Zara, U.S.A.

Sneakers: M.G. Marg, Gangtok

Bangles: Assorted, Mall Road-Nainital

Earrings: Some Curio Shop, Darjeeling

Aztec Snood: Woolworths, Cape Town, South Africa

Nainital Travel Diaries: Under the Floral Arch

During my trip to Nainital, we visited this beautiful cafe set in the midst of hills. We had a sumptuous freshly prepared continental meal in the prettiest garden with a view of the mountains on one side and a heritage mansion turned hotel on the other. Cafe Chica in The Abbotsford was a delightful way to spend an evening indulging in a lazy lunch.

There is nothing extraordinary about what I was wearing that day. But I want this blog not to be only about extraordinary clothes. This outfit has some of my fall basics which I would put together on an average day.Somedays I feel like dressing up, put together a lot of thought behind my outfit, the pictures and the location. And somedays, I just wear what I usually wear anyways and get some pictures clicked. This was one of those days. 

This top is currently one of the favorite things to wear in my wardrobe. I love wearing clothes that are easy to wear yet have a little bit of drama in them, either through color or by a drape like this one has. Since, the holiday involved quite a bit of walking, I paired it with these comfy shoes, denims and a sling. The weather in hill stations are a bit erratic, depending on the amount of sun, and this floral, blue snood was a great for when it got a little chilly. 

Top: Forever 21. Get similar at Amazon.in.

Snood/Infinity Scarf: Woolworths. Get Similar at Amazon.in . Also worn here. 

Bag: Pieces/Vero Moda. Get Similar at Amazon.in. Also worn here.

Jeans: Vero Moda. Get Similar at Amazon.in

Shoes: MG Road, Gangtok. Get similar at Amazon.in

Earrings: Gifted. Get Similar at Amazon.in

Cardigan: Borrowed. Get Similar at Amazon.in

Nainital Travel Diaries: Coming Back Home

Do you have one of those holiday spots where you have been to so many times that it almost feels like a second home. Where you always stay at the same places, know exactly where to go and what to do. Nainital is one of those places for me. To be honest, we used to go there almost every other year since I was a year old because it was one my dad's favorite places to go. And then, I went through a period when I did not want to go there anymore since I felt that I had done all there was to do there. But this Puja Vacations, when we decided to there I readily agreed so that I could relax a bit without the sightseeing and the itineraries. 

And it was a blissful week, I slept early and woke up late. I ate five times a day and curled up with my books and a glass of wine at night. I played board games and bonded with my siblings. I discovered new places while I was walking around and stumbled into this new cafe. Honey Hut is a gorgeous little cafe that serves coffee, tea, desserts and snacks made using pure, natural honey. Besides the delicious coffees made using honey instead of sugar, they also had an assortment of organic products up for sale. The location facing the lake is stunning and I could happily spend hours there sipping on my cappuccino and people-watching. The next time you visit Nainital, add this place to your list of must-go cafe's. I can't wait to go there again.

Dress: Zara

Stockings: Bhutia Market, Nainital

Fedora: Nainital Mall Road

Shoes: Mall Road, Gangtok

Belt: Stylefiesta.com / Still Available.

Cuff: New Market, Kolkata

Wallet: Michael Kors

Bag: Pieces/ Vero Moda

P.S.- This is not a sponsored post. All views expressed are my own.