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Best Photography Tips and Tricks
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Each year I like to reflect on the best photography tips we created the past year. The fun thing is they cover a variety of topics and skill levels.

No matter where you are on your journey you will definitely want to “pin” and bookmark this page for future references. These are the best of the best when it comes to photography tips.

We do our best to serve you each year with the information we wish we had when we started as well as lessons we are learning along the way.

This is a team effort and we are constantly learning just like you.

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Best Photography Tips of 2015

  • No.
    01
    5 tips to capture true emotion

    In my mind, the mark of a brilliant photographer is one who can create images that emphasize relationship and moment. When we photograph loved ones we have the advantage of experiencing both of these.

    5 tips to capture true emotion

    Best photography tips and tricks via Click it Up a Notch

  • No.
    02
    5 tips for photographing your everyday

    When I am not professionally photographing families and children, I love to photograph my everyday. I love to take photos of the ordinary things that make up my day and my life. If you follow me on Instagram, you know I have a photo of a Starbucks cup, or a few, in my gallery. And that’s because I just love to photograph my reality. To me, photography is simply a visual journal where I tell my story. I just tell it through pictures instead of writing it down. Today I am sharing what things inspire my photographer eye. I will share what things make me scramble for my camera and think, “I have to photograph that!”

    5 tips for photographing your everyday

    Best photography tips and tricks via Click it Up a Notch

  • No.
    03
    Food photography equipment

    Beginning food photographers are often curious what other foodies are using for food photography equipment. I can admit scouring the internet in search of ‘the best tripod for shooting food’ or ‘what lens is best for food photography’. In my opinion, it isn’t the gear that creates your amazing image, it’s the foodie behind the camera, but that doesn’t mean some good gear can’t hurt, right!

    Food photography equipment

    Best photography tips and tricks via Click it Up a Notch

  • No.
    04
    Aperture rebellion: 7 reasons to use a smaller f-stop

    We all love bokeh (you know, that blurry background) and using a wide aperture like f/1.8 is sure to help you get it. However, that wide aperture also makes your plane of focus smaller and makes it harder to get your focus just right. When you’ve got a quick moving child, you need some wiggle room. You don’t need to go extreme with f/22 or anything but consider closing up your aperture some to f/3.5 or so. This will still allow you to get some good bokeh as long as your subject is pulled away from the background enough.

    Aperture rebellion: 7 reasons to use a smaller f-stop

    Best photography tips and tricks via Click it Up a Notch

  • No.
    05
    Photography Project: One subject, 30 days

    It started with a shooting prompt, “Shoot the same thing for thirty consecutive days”. I had been documenting my oldest daughter’s love for her stuffed chicken for a few months on Instagram, complete with it’s own #thingschickenslove hashtag. Her favorite book series, Tilly and Friends by Polly Dunbar is built around a little girl and several animals that live together in a yellow house. The chicken “Pru” is my daughter’s favorite character, when I found her a stuffed chicken, it quickly became her “lovey”. I had been documenting their adventures together, mostly with my iPhone for several months, she loved calling me in to see what Pru was “doing” or what she “loved”(which gave birth to the hashtag).

    Photography Project: One subject, 30 days

    Best photography tips and tricks via Click it Up a Notch

  • No.
    06
    How I made 3 photo books in 4 hours

    I am WAY behind on editing. Like embarrassingly behind. But I didn’t want that to stop me from printing images for my kids to enjoy.

    Who doesn’t love giving their images as gifts?

    This year, each one of my three children received an Artifact Uprising photo book with around 100 images featuring them throughout the year. Like I said, I’m behind on editing and don’t have all our pictures from the past year ready but I realized I could easily pull out some of my favorites for my kids.

    The best part is I made all 3 albums in about 4 hours!

    Let me show you how to make a photo book in no time at all.

    How I made 3 photo books in 4 hours

    Best photography tips and tricks via Click it Up a Notch

  • No.
    07
    How to use backlighting for food photography

    Backlighting is one of those beautiful lighting techniques that is so easy to achieve, you’ll wonder why you didn’t try it before. All you really need are some good windows with some nice light, a reflector & the right angle!

    How to use backlighting for food photography

    Best photography tips and tricks via Click it Up a Notch

  • No.
    08
    Tips to spark your creativity while working full time

    It can be a challenge to work full time and still find ways to stretch yourself as a photographer including finding ways to be creative. There are a few things I do to try to challenge myself so I know I am growing my skills and pushing myself creatively while I work a full time job outside of the home.

    Tips to spark your creativity while working full time

    Best photography tips and tricks via Click it Up a Notch

  • No.
    09
    Off camera flash photography for beginners

    I’ve been afraid of tackling off camera flash photography for a long time. This past year I challenged myself to dive in and see why so many photographers can’t live without it! Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE natural light and it’s what I primarily shoot. But there are times when available light is poor quality and I simply need more to make a photo pop! When balanced correctly with your available light, flash can coexist beautifully to enhance your images.

    Off camera flash photography for beginners

    Best photography tips and tricks via Click it Up a Notch

  • No.
    10
    Photoshop editing: Snapshot feature

    Have you ever edited a photo in Photoshop and at the end wish you could go back and change an edit you did, but you already flattened the image and you have long passed the 20 items your history allows? Well I am going to show you a quick tip that you can put in your workflow that will allow you to go back to any point in your photo editing.

    Photoshop editing: Snapshot feature

    Best photography tips and tricks via Click it Up a Notch

10 Comments
  • Don Eyser
    January 7, 2016 at 12:20 PM

    One thing I have done taking pictures of new Grandkids is to have Mom or Dad place the babys hand in their open hand and take a picture. Then each year take the same picture to see the growth.

  • lottie @ yellow bliss photography
    January 7, 2016 at 1:28 PM

    yay!! so exciting!! Thank you so much for putting this together! Made my day!! ♥ Cannot wait to get started reading – so much good stuff!!! ♥♥

  • Alison Jepp
    January 7, 2016 at 1:49 PM

    I absolutely love your tips and idea Courtney.
    You always make everything seem possible and achievable.
    Thank you.

  • Nastasja
    January 7, 2016 at 8:39 PM

    Thank you for sharing Courtney and others! This is the best photography site ever made!!

    XX
    NJ

  • Jenny
    January 7, 2016 at 9:46 PM

    Great compilation – thanks Courtney and CIUAN team!

  • Monica
    January 8, 2016 at 10:41 AM

    Thank you for the great info! As a busy mom it’s nice to have so much information on one site.

  • Jusper Odi
    January 15, 2018 at 5:04 AM

    I am not a pro and I would want to elevate my skills on photography. The tips that you have given are just awesome. Thanks for the same.

  • Koren Schmedith
    July 3, 2018 at 7:26 AM

    I loved each and every tips and trick you have mentioned in your article. All the ways are very useful. I loved your article. Thanks for these informative tips.

  • Shane Jones
    August 12, 2018 at 4:18 AM

    This is indeed a great article. All the tips are truly informative. But my personal favorite is the first time you have put on here. I am looking forward to your other photography related articles. Cheers!

  • Steve Stewart
    September 2, 2018 at 2:21 AM

    All the photography tips you have given here are just truly awesome. Thanks for the share.

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