It is a given that when you are posting pictures and videos on social media, you want the best results possible. However, many people focus on just getting content out, and they overlook the actual composition of the picture or video. In this blog, we will discuss some quick and easy tips to take your content to the next level.
The Importance of Lighting
No matter how great you think the subject of a photo or video may be for your market, the lighting is crucial for your audience to be drawn into the content. If it is too dark or too bright then people will just scroll past it. It can be difficult to find the right balance, but the photo underneath can help you understand what an overexposed and underexposed photo or video will look like. A good tip when it comes to natural lighting, is to not have the sun (natural light) be behind the subject. This is especially useful when it comes to using a phone to take a picture/video as it tends to darken the subject you are trying to focus on.
When it comes to artificial lighting (lighting you can control), you can get more creative. Usually you can play around with backdrops and coloured lighting, however, if you want a straightforward shot then the best practice is to use two-point lighting. This involves using two different lights on the subject, with the first light facing the product or person straight on, which is there to light the whole scene, and the second light placed off to either the left or right side of the subject, producing a lower brightness level than the front facing light. By including a second light, it allows the product or person to have a depth when taking a photo or filming.
Sound Trumps Lighting
If you have a piece of content that looks fantastic but has poor sound quality, your audience will immediately lose interest. With the rise of popularity in podcasts, audiences might not necessarily watch the video but they could be listening to the audio.
There are a few easy ways to improve audio quickly without spending crazy amounts of money on audio equipment:
- When planning to record sound, try to find a quiet place that has no echo.
- Speak closely and clearly into the mic.
- If you are using a phone to record on, keep it in one place. Don’t move it around as the quality of the sound can fluctuate.
- Record separate tracks. If there is a lot of dialogue you have to record, it is easier to do multiple tracks and splice them together. Bear in mind that if you are recording the audio and video at the same time, there will be jumps in the visuals.
If you are going to invest in some audio equipment, you don’t have to spend a fortune on it. There are several decent options on the market that cost less than £50, just make sure to do a little research before investing.
Composition is Key
Regardless of if you are filming or taking a picture, you have to consider the composition of the visual, meaning what the audience can see in the video or photo. It is important that you are spatially aware of the framing and what you are featuring. For example if you are filming an interview of someone at their office desk, make sure that there isn’t clutter and paper all over the table. You want your audience to focus on the subject and what is being said, not on what is behind them.
A useful tip to always remember when filming or photographing anything is the rule of thirds. This term is forever used by any professional to line up shots, whether it is something you do in your head or put it on your phone or camera. The likelihood is that you have seen this 3x3 grid before. It sometimes pops up when you open your camera on your phone and it can help you understand where you want your subject or product to be in the visual.
Above are two examples of how the rule of thirds works and how it can change the composition of the picture, even though it is the exact same image. For photo 1 the subject is in the centre third, giving the image a spacious feel. Whereas photo 2 uses the left third to give a more intimate feel to the picture.
Hopefully this blog has given you some tips and ideas to help you create visually stunning content in the future!
If you would like support with your marketing and social media content, call us on 01293 908 100 to discuss how we can help your business.
