You can do mediocre work and have a great photo but people will respond to it better. Or you could have perfect work, with an okay photo and okay lighting and people just won’t respond to it.
Julia Anne Milin
That is what today’s post is about. As a fellow photographer, I’m going to show you the best tools for taking the absolute best pictures of your work.
We strongly encourage you to take your pictures seriously and to try to create the best you possibly can. To do that, it is best if you invest in high quality products.
You can get by with your phone and we have included some solutions for those of you who want to use your phone for your pictures. But, obviously, for absolute best results, the higher end stuff will excel compared to the shots you can get by just using your phone.
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Ligthting
I cannot stress enough the importance of good lighting. This is what will make or break your photographs.
Even if you have a great DSLR (a single shot digital camera), it won’t mean squat if your lighting sucks.
Instagram is full of before and after shots, as they are the go to way to display microblading and pmu work.
The problem is, if you take the before picture under regular light and then you take the after picture once you’re done, the after picture if going to look different even if you take it at the same spot.
This is because as the day progresses, there will be less light available for your pictures. That is why you need to compensate regular sunlight with something like this:
1. LimoStudio Lighting Kit
If you really want to go professional with your lighting, this set is a best seller on Amazon and it only costs about $70.
2. LimoStudio Dimmable Fluorescent Round Ring Light
This one is by far the most popular light for the beauty industry. This model is great because it comes with a holder for your smartphone.
3. Selfie Ring Light
If you can’t spend much on lighting right now, this would be a good option. It’s got great reviews and I’ve seen many artist use them for their shots.
4. LuMee Illuminated Phone Case
Camera Gear
Like we said before, if you really want to take your photography (and thus, your business) seriously, you’ll need to invest in some high quality gear.
While you may be able to take good pictures with your phone, nothing — and we mean nothing — is going to beat the power of a good DSLR camera.
Ever since I started taking pictures for my journalism career, I have shot with a DSLR, a Canon 60D to be precise.
DSLRs are just amazing. The range of options you will have compared to what you can get with your phone will just blow your mind away.
5. Canon EOS Rebel T6
According to my research, the most popular DSLR for the beauty industry is this Canon Rebel.
This package is about the best you can get. Here’s what comes with it:
- Camera body + 3 lenses
- 2 memory cards
- Large Gadget Bag
- Tripod
- Power Slave Flash
- UV Filter Kit
- Hi-Speed SD USB card reader
- UV protection filter
- Memory card wallet
- LCD Screen Protectors
- Table Top Tripod
- 3 piece cleaning kit
- Lens cap holder
All this for just $469.00. I actually wish I had bought this kit. I paid upwards of $1,200 for my camera and it didn’t come with all of this.
Handy Feature: You can use a Canon app to display the pictures you take with this camera directly on your phone for easier upload to Instagram.
6. Sony 16-50mm Mirrorless Digital Camera
YouTuber and make-up expert Desi Perkins uses this camera for her makeup pictures. By the way, she has over 3 million followers on Instagram so you know her pictures are spot on.
This camera has a built in flash and an instant Wi-Fi upload function so you can upload your pictures to your feed almost instantly.
7. Telephoto iPhone 6 PLUS Lens
If you want to keep using your phone, there are many add-ons you can use to make the quality of your photos amazing. This lens is a good alternative to the camera, if you don’t want to spend that much just yet. It allows you to get 2x closer and is perfect for before and after shots.
8. Flexible Phone Tripod
You know those very popular videos of client reactions on Instagram? I bet 99% of them are taken with a tripod like this one, perhaps attached to the magnifying lamp.
This tripod is perfect if you want to continue using your phone, because let’s face it: It’s just that much more comfortable.
Alright, that’s about it for today.
Let us know what tools you are using for your pictures. Have you found it difficult to get great results?
Until next time.