Sometimes I feel like there are “secrets” in the blogging industry… Like one blogger has a killer flat lay and won’t share any tips on how she achieved it.
Damn it, Brenda. Why won’t you share your tips?! SPILL THE TEA.
Why aren’t we uplifting each other? Strong women support women…
They share their g-damn flat lay secrets!
I’ve received quite a few requests for blogging tips, so I’m starting a blog post series sharing my tips. I’ve invested countless hours investigating how to create high quality, branded content on “google university” and boy oh boy, I’m ready to spill the tea. 😉
I want to preface this by saying that I bought this equipment over time. The financial barrier to blogging can be as high as your piggy bank allows, or as low as your creativity allows. Don’t get discouraged if you can’t afford the pricier items; use your creativity now and upgrade later if you so desire!
AHTK BLOGGER STARTER PACK DEETS:
CAMERA
I LOVE my camera because it: is user-friendly, is small and easy to travel with, creates high quality photos, and connects to my iPhone so I can access & edit the photos whenever I want. I mostly use the 14-42mm lens for flat lays and the 40-150mm lens for travel.
CAMERA BAG
A broken camera is as useful as no camera. You need a camera bag! This bag isn’t the exact one I use (mine isn’t as cute), but it has the same practical compartments and pockets for your camera, second lens, and accessories (lens cleaning cloth, memory card, batteries, etc). I also like this bag because the small size makes it practical for traveling.
LIGHT REFLECTOR
This 5-in-1 light reflector pack is a game-changer. It reflects and brightens, prevents overexposure, creates a more natural and soft look, reduces top light, and diffuses light.
REALISTIC BACKDROPS
I created my own backdrops by sticking tile and gluing a roll of fake marble on a foam board from Hobby Lobby because I was ballin’ on a budget.
I upgraded to Replica Surfaces this year and am LOVING these professional-looking backdrops. They are stain-resistant and that stand upright with the Replica Stands. Definitely worth an investment if you shoot lots of flat lay photos.
I’d lean my old DIY backdrops against vases (**don’t recommend!!), cups filled with water, and books to keep them upright… It wasn’t very practical. On the other-hand, the Replica Surfaces products make the shooting process seamless with the stands.
You’ll also save yourself a nice vase or two…
LIVESTREAM GEAR
This is great for skincare, hair, or makeup tutorials. This mount can stick to mirrors, windows, car panels, etc. and can hold your phone in portrait or landscape.
IPHONE TRIPOD
This tripod is by far the best on the market. This flexible tripod can wrap around any surface (tree branch, fence, etc.) to take photos or videos. Also, it has a Bluetooth remote so you don’t need to ask some rando on the street to take your photo.
ALSO: My family and I use this tripod when we Facetime or Zoom my grandparents because it holds the iPhone up at a flattering angle (no awk double chin angles, pls!) AND we don’t have sore biceps after holding a phone for an hour!
IPHONE RING LIGHT & RING LIGHT
IPHONE RING LIGHT: LOL I used my iPhone Ring Light nearly every day when I interned in New York. It may or may not have made an appearance or two in the Blind Barber speakeasy in the East Village… Selfie lighting is EVERYTHING. All you do is clip the ring around your phone’s front camera and you’re good to go. It makes your selfies flawless because it gives you optimal lighting.
LARGE RING LIGHT: Ever wonder how Kylie Jenner achieves that perfect lighting in every makeup tutorials and lip kit selfie? The secret is a ring light! This ring light has adjustable brightness and 180° rotation. Also, it has a carrying case that you can put the ring light in and foldable stand in it for travel.
LAPTOP STAND
I love my laptop stand!! It raises my laptop to eye level, fixes posture, and eliminates the back/neck stiffness situation. I also use this to prop my laptop up when I watch a Youtube workout video.
LIGHT VANITY MIRROR
This mirror was in Oprah’s Favorite Thing for 2019.
Should I just stop there??
This product is on my “wish list” at the moment. I first heard of this from Lindsay Silberman, a NYC-based blogger, who swears my this mirror because it isn’t only a fab mirror, but also the ultimate social media tool. The bluetooth selfie function and magnetic phone clip allow you to take selfies, Youtube videos, makeup tutorials, etc without the need for the perfect natural light or a supplemental ring light.
SHOP THE POST
What other blogging-related topics should we cover?
Let me know in the comments below!
xx hails
