There are many ways to create photo and video content to share online. Sometimes it makes sense to hire a professional, and sometimes you might be in a situation where you need to produce content yourself for your business. Here are 7 tips to make your content better.
Tip 1 - Maximize the equipment you have available. We all have some form of photo or video equipment around our home or office. Whether it’s your cell phone, digital camera, camcorder, iPad, or computer camera they can all be used to record video or take pictures. So when you are using them a simple tip is to make sure you are on the highest resolution setting and that you shoot a horizontal image. You can always crop a horizontal photo or video for a vertical image, but not the other way around.
Tip 2 - Follow the Rule of Thirds. In simplest terms this means that you divide your screen in vertical and horizontal thirds, and the part of the screen you want the viewer to focus on would be at one of the points where the lines intersect. This not only creates more interesting shots, but makes it easier if you need to crop a photo or video later.
Tip 3 - Use some kind of stabilization. There are lots of different ways to keep your phone or camera from shaking while you take a photo or record a video. Investing in a good tripod always makes sense, but even a couple of hair ties and a broom will give you a better looking video that just going hand held.
Tip 4 - Spend some time on lighting. Not everyone has access to professional lights right now, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t focus on lighting. If you're using a window as lighting, don’t stand with the window behind you, position it to one side at a 45 degree angle to the side of your face. If your shooting outside find an evenly shaded area and again make sure your background isn’t too bright. If you have access to lights a nice 3 point lighting setup is your best bet.
Tip 5 - Practice before you post. You want to make sure you are not only comfortable with your equipment, but that you get comfortable in front of the camera. This is a good time to troubleshoot any equipment issues as well. For photography you will take a lot of photos that you won’t use, this is typically the case in video as well. Give yourself the time to get it right before you share it on social media.
Tip 6 - Edit to make it better. You are going to need some form of editing software if you are going to make videos or photos for sharing online. When editing video you should edit for the story first, then work on the audio, and finally editing for the image. Image editing is almost always necessary in video and photography. Adobe makes a range of products that are quite powerful. Apple also has apps built into the iPhone that you can use to edit.
Tip 7 - Pay extra attention to audio. Make sure that when you are recording there are no noises to distract from your performance. It is essential that you have a good quality microphone attached to your recording device. While you can try to salvage poor audio in post, it’s best to get good audio in the first place. There are several small microphones that can attach directly to your camera or phone for recording better audio. Make sure that it has a wind protector. A lavalier mic also works well to capture good audio and minimize background noise.