Today I am at the Reviewers Retreat conference here at Great Wolf Lodge just outside of Charlotte, North Carolina.
I am speaking with Piera Jolly and Felicia Carter about Creating Pinnable Pics for your blog.
The following is a recap of our presentation complete with the slideshow we used.
If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments and I will answer them.
CREATING PINNABLE PICS
Sunday, June 3rd at 4:00pm
In this hands-on workshop, learn how to create better photos for your blog that users can’t resist pinning and re-pinning!
WHY HAVE PINNABLE PICTURES? WHY DO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO PIN YOUR PICTURES?
Traffic
Brands are watching
It is another way to build your brand.
Get new readers. It is a whole new market. There are tons of people on Pinterest who are not blog readers but find their way to your blog through Pinterest.
FACTS ABOUT PINTEREST
Pinterest has around 20 million unique visitors each month.
Pinterest now has over 10.4 million registered users, 9 million monthly Facebook-connected users, and 2 million daily Facebook users
97.9% Pinterest fans are female
80% of pins are re-pins.
TAKING BETTER PICTURES
WITH Flash
1. Turn off the Flash
You can edit not enough light through a good editing program but it is next to impossible to edit out too much light.
Flash is harsh and totally unnatural.
WITHOUT Flash - Ignore the shadows and look how WARM the light is
2. Natural Light
When at all possible, use natural light.
3. Find your spot
What spot in your house gets the most light, has the best angles, is going to produce the best pictures?? The picture above is from my “spot” which is out in the our yard in the natural light.
4. Remove the junk from the background
Have you ever seen a beautiful picture of an appliance with all kinds of things around it? Yeah neither have we. Give your readers something to focus on in each shot that you take.
5. Change Your Perspective
Don’t be afraid to change which angle you shoot a picture from. Get down at eye level or stand over something. I have my son stand on a stool to take pictures of me.
6. Consider Composition
Not everything has to be centered. Don’t worry about posing and those obvious camera shots.
“Take the obvious shot first so you get it out of the way.” ~ Mee Rah Koh
7. Shoot the details
Bring the focus in on something specific. What is the standout feature of what you are shooting? What do you want people to really see?
I love the details in the picture above. You can see the glitter sparkling.
8. Shoot a lot of pictures
This isn’t film. Keep shooting lots of pictures in the burst or continuous mode. I take a ton of shots to get that one perfect picture.
The shot above was of about 200 I took that day. Had I not kept shooting, I would have missed one of my favorite pictures from that Summer. I LOVE this picture!
“Film is cheap. Shoot a lot.” ~Walt Disney
TIPS
Have your photo take up your entire blog post width
See what people have pinned from your site: http:www.pinterest.com/source/thedivinemissmommy.com – Just add your website at the end instead
Embed the Pinterest button on your blog: http://pinterest.com/about/goodies/#button_for_web_sites
Use a good editing program. Free options are Picasa or Picmonkey. Gimp is more advanced and is good Photoshop alternative.
VIEW OUR SLIDESHOW PRESENTATION:
WEBSITE RESOURCES:
The Language of Food Photography Part 2 | the Principles of Design
Photography Tutorials, Tips, Gear from White on Rice Couple
How to Kill the Shadow (… in Photography)
10 Ways to Take Stunning Portraits
RECOMMENDED BOOKS:
Plate to Pixel: Digital Food Photography & Styling
Food Photography: Pro Secrets for Styling, Lighting & Shooting
Beyond Snapshots: How to Take That Fancy DSLR Camera Off “Auto” and Photograph Your Life like a Pro
Photojojo!: Insanely Great Photo Projects and DIY Ideas
About Stacie
This was a wonderful session with some very useful tips, Stacie. Thank you for the detailed accompanying post and hosting the Prezi. Especially love the Disney quote!
~Cheryl
(@The_Bak)
I’ve only realized lately I should be creating and adding pinnable pics to my posts, I would’ve loved to be there to watch your session,
I just started on Pinterest and appreciate your 8+ more tips and illustrations. The one about not using flash is really great. Thank you
Great tips for any picture taking!! I still haven’t gotten on Pinterest yet
Commented on Creating Pinnable Pics (1)
Hello! Great post! I have to ask the age-old question … what kind of camera do you use? If you use your phone – what kind do you use? I’m kinda taking an informal poll. I’m still in search of the phone that takes amazing pics – if that’s avail … Thanks again!
I have a Windows Phone and an iPhone. I also use a Canon DSLR.
What kind of camera do you have? Looks like very good SRL camera. I agree that pictures are VERY important. They can promote your social media profiles and bad pictures can ruin it all. For example when I look for the recepi I like looking at photos, the photo of food should look inviting and appetizing.
Didn’t understand about 97%. Does it mean that out of all Pinterest users 97% are female?