Monthly Archives: May 2017

How to Take the Ultimate Instagram Food Photo

Posted on May 31, 2017 by

instagram food photoThere are many reasons to love Instagram, and for us, finding food inspiration is at the top of the list. But taking an amazing food photo isn’t as easy as it looks. Whether you’re sharing your latest recipe creation or trying to spread the word on a new restaurant in town, posting a gorgeous image is essential.

 

If you want to know exactly how to take like-worthy Instagram food photos, keep reading. These food photography tips are sure to get your posts more love. 


Want to know how to take like-worthy Instagram food photos? Click for top tricks

Click To Tweet


Lighting is everything

 

There’s nothing appetizing about a dark, grainy food pic. To set the stage for the best shot, find a source of natural light by setting up by a window or taking things outdoors. If the day is too bright, place a sheer curtain over the window, or find some shade to diffuse the light.

 

Whenever possible, steer clear of artificial light. Try to take food pics during daylight hours and avoid using the flash at all costs. 

 

Get thoughtful about set up

 

After lighting, the composition is the next important factor in capturing a mouth-watering image. Play around with utensil placement, the dish’s ingredients, or anything else you want to include in the shot. You can also add flowers and pretty linens in the frame to bring food photos to life. Don’t be afraid to get messy either— take a bite of the cookie, leave a forkful of pasta on a plate and leave that sprinkling of crumbs on the plate. These small, messy details can sometimes take your food photo to the next level.

 

Ask for help

 

Turn your dining companions into your partners in crime. Have them hold or display their drinks while you take the shot for added movement.

 

Don’t have enough light? Ask friends to use their iPhone light to illuminate the dish so you can turn your flash off.

 

Use a camera instead of your iPhone

 

If you’re serious about elevating your food photography, you may want to think about using a camera instead of your iPhone for Instagram. Most professional food bloggers fill their feed with images taken with a digital camera. The manual settings give you more control over lighting. Plus, you’ll end up with a high-res image.

 

But keep in mind, you’ll need to upload the photo to your computer and email it to yourself in order to post on Instagram.   

 

Continue reading →

Why Preserving Photographic Evidence of Climate Change is a Priority

Posted on May 31, 2017 by

Photographic preservation of climate change data is a priority at ScanMyPhotos.com and why digitizing government agencies’ pictures are being provided without charge


glaciers

This photo of disappearing glaciers was captured by Ameer Boii

(Irvine, CA) Scientific evidence for warming of the climate system is unequivocal. Climate change is real.


As Andrew Freeman at Mashable explains:  For the second time since 2000, the U.S. is poised to pull out of a major climate treaty that the country itself fought hard for. Unlike the last time this happened with the Kyoto Protocol in 2001, however, the Paris Climate Agreement, which President Donald Trump is preparing to pull the U.S. out of, is widely viewed as the last, best chance the world has to avoid potentially catastrophic global warming. Also unlike Kyoto, the new agreement is entirely voluntary, making a withdrawal even more extreme. Scientists think that global climate change, if left unchecked, could bring withering droughts, more intense storms, devastating sea level rise, and more frequent and severe heat waves to many parts of the globe.


UPDATE:

  1. Trump Signs Executive Order Unwinding Obama Climate Policies.
  2. Our response to why the coal industry has been replaced by cleaner and newer renewable energy technologies.
  3. White House official: Trump plans to pull US from Paris deal

Beyond words, what are you doing to protect and support science – showing that carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels contributes to global warming? Decades of scientific data may be destroyed due to the Trump administration’s dowdy demands that politics quash facts.


Recently, the White House was looking at having the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) take down its website with educational resources and links to climate-change data. This vital data from the EPA and other federal agencies – charged with safeguarding clean, livable air and water – have a reservoir of research which may disappear. There are millions of analog photographs from research into the effects of climate change on public health, the environment, and natural disasters. The pictures don’t lie, but they represent a treasure trove of essential information on how our world is changing. Archived analog photos are used by scientists and educators worldwide, yet they are at risk of being literally destroyed.


As the Trump administration seeks to tighten controls and discourage dissenting views on climate change, American businesses are raising their voice and responding. Scanmyphotos.com is now providing free photo scanning for preserving these records. Details below.

Continue reading →

10 Photo Tips For Using Lighting to Improve Your Photography

Posted on May 30, 2017 by

ScanMyPhotos Photography Tutorial Series: How To Use Light To Enhance Your Pictures



1. Explore the light. Learn to read where the light is coming from by looking at shadows – notice if the shadows are hard-edged or soft-edged. A general rule for beautiful images is to plan your photo shoot for early morning or late afternoon light because softer shadows equate to less contrast in your scene and more flattering light for your subject. If you must shoot images at high noon, move your subject under the shade of a tree or building.


2. Turn off your flash. It’s easier to capture subtle nuances of natural light in your scene if you turn off your on-camera flash.

3. Take beautiful pictures in the middle of a bright, sunny day by placing your subject in a shaded area near direct sunlight, for example, an open doorway or under the shade of a building or tree.

4. Use the rules of composition. The rule of thirds can help you create more compelling photographs. Envision a tic-tac-toe board on your viewfinder and place something of interest at one or more of these intersections.

5. Choose an interesting frame for your image, for example, an arched trellis, a unique doorway, or overhanging tree branch.


6. Think about using color to create a compelling image. From vibrant contrasts of primary colors to the Zenlike mood of harmonious blues and greens, color can determine the emotional content of a photograph.

7. Control the light. Create a more attractive image by bouncing or diffusing the available light. Bouncing light brightens up faces, gets rid of shadows and creates a catch-light in your subject’s eyes. Diffusing the light softens harsh light falling upon your subject. You can buy a reflector or diffuser at a camera store, but you can also use common household items. Aluminum foil wrapped around a baking sheet, a car dashboard reflector, or a white foam core board can be used to reflect light. Translucent fabric, sheer shower curtains, or plastic bags can be used to diffuse the light.


8. Mix it up! Tell a story with your images by varying the distance and angle from your subject. Consider a wide-angle shot of an area, a mid-range shot, and a detailed close-up to give your viewer an informed perspective.


9. Give yourself ROOM to ZOOM. To eliminate distracting elements and provide a flattering perspective – stand back and give yourself room to zoom into your subject and fill the frame.




10. Consider the direction of the light falling upon your subject. Front light can look flat but diminishes lumps, bumps, and wrinkles. Sidelight creates dimension and form. Backlight can create a silhouette or a rim of light around your subject. Top light isn’t flattering and should be avoided.


 

Continue reading →

6 Tips on How to Get Your Family Photos Digitally Organized

Posted on May 27, 2017 by

digitally organizeAs a loved one ages and the need to downsize the family home becomes apparent, it’s heartbreaking for family members to try to figure out what to do. Our loved ones’ homes are often filled with precious memories and items that need to be handled accordingly.

 

This is what best-selling author and nationally syndicated home design columnist Marni Jameson had to face. Her new book, Downsizing The Family Home: What to Save, What to Let Go, offers incredible insight into the process she learned while clearing out her parents homestead and getting the home sold in less than a month.

 

Yet, she admitted in her recent article that she was remiss to address what she did with her parent’s boxes of photos. After talking Diana Uricchio, owner of OXO Digital Organizing, Jameson came up with a list of digital organization tips that will help any photo preservation project go smoothly.


6 Tips on How to Get Your Family Photos Digitally Organized

Click To Tweet


While the digital organization tips she provided in the article were for both photos and documents, we wanted to focus on just the photo aspect (which is a heck of a project on its own!).

 

Continue reading →

Tales From The Pictures We Saved – Episode 11: Who’s Been Framed?

Posted on May 26, 2017 by

framedWelcome to this week’s episode of Tales From the Pictures We Saved. 


 

We’ve spent the past 26 years helping our customers preserve tens of millions of happy memories, milestones, achievements, and events—all of which have incredible stories behind each and every photo.


And now we’re eager to share these stories with you.


In this week’s episode, one ScanMyPhotos customer faced a daunting task so she could honor her late sister’s legacy.


Preview: Old print photos usually end up in an unorganized pile inside a box or plastic bin. While this storing method is not recommended, it can certainly be easier to prep these photos for a scanning project than pulling apart framed pictures and praying the original copy doesn’t stick to the glass.

Continue reading →