The calendar has flipped and the Grass Roots Media team is practically dancing into this month as we’re talking all things imagery and social media.
Believe me.
With two photographers on the team and a content chick who refuses to post to social media without an image or video — we.are.here. for this month!
Imagery can come in any form. A handy infographic, a stylised Canva piece, a photo from your own photo library or even outsourced stock images.
All of the above are essential tools to help you tell your story more effectively. As a general rule of thumb, we NEVER post to social media without an image or two.
If this sounds overwhelming to you, we will offer more tools throughout the month but today I am here to share a little about my favourite: photography.
You may know me as Grass Roots Media Boss Lady, but over the last couple of years I have also worked hard to step up my photography game - 1/3 as a self care creative outlet, 1/3 to help GRM clients tell their story more effectively, 1/3 to capture my many adventures #traveladdiction.
With this in mind, I have taken several courses and recently founded a photography side hustle, Capturing Mouri. This new venture has recently led me to producing a cover photo for NZ Dairy Farmer and shooting a wedding!
All of that to say - I know what its like to want to be better am constantly looking for tips to up my game, so thought I’d share a few of my own.
If your image library or confidence is lacking, here are 5 of my top social media photography tips to help you out.
Lighting, Lighting, Lighting. The hardest part about capturing a good photo is the lighting. Watch for shadows on people's faces or in sections of the image, which obscure parts of the subject. This is also relevant to the over exposure of your photos e.g. when the photo seems really bright or 'blown out' rather than it's natural colours.
Example: See the black and white image of my friend John in the photos above.
Don't centre your subject in the middle of the photo. Place the subject on one of the vertical or horizontal lines in your grid. Refer point 1 or this Instagram post.
Example: See the image of the sheep
Use this rule of thirds.
Always check the full frame of your photo before snapping - you never know what could be lurking in the background! #photobomb
Example: Ducati snuck into a sweet image with a friend and I when we were gardening!
Make sure your horizon is straight but don't have it running through the middle of your photo. Put it in the upper third.
Example: See the view from Stormy Point lookout for what not to do.
BONUS TIP: Think about the platform you wish to share your photo on. If it's Instagram, a panoramic landscape or wide angle shot isn't going to work in a 1:1 square format, but would look great on Facebook.
You should always be thinking about the final use of your images - it’s your insurance policy for never getting caught without imagery to accompany your text on social media.
Chelsea is the Owner of Grass Roots Media and takes on the primary role of 'Boss Lady.' Chelsea has a background in Agribusiness, Social Media, Digital & Print marketing. She has developed a passion for digital communication over the past few years and sees it playing an important role in telling the Primary Industries NZ Inc story now, and in the future.
Chelsea completed the Kellogg Rural Leadership programme in 2015, which helped create the business plan to launch her business. She is a 2016 Women of Influence finalist in the Enterprise and Rural categories and was a semi-finalist for the Auckland University Young New Zealander of the Year in 2017.
