I have put together a list of my top 8 favorite things that I use to take my Bookstagram photos. Whether you are looking to make your life easier with helpful tools, or to enhance your Bookstagram photos, hopefully these tips will help in some way! You might also be interested in Tips to Grow Your Bookstagram and How to Rock Bookstagram on a Budget!
Tripod
If you are going to only invest in one Bookstagram photo taking tool, let it be a tripod! Whether you are taking your photos solo or have the help of a friend, tripods are definitely a great Bookstagram investment. I love the option of being able to take videos and know that the cameras angle and position will not change. It makes a HUGE difference in video and reel quality! I also love having the ability to take a photo with myself in the shot if I am without my designated photographer (my mom).
I personally like to work with tripods like the one above which extend to at least 65 inches in case I want a picture or video at face level. There are more sophisticated tripods on the market but simple, and tall, work for me. If you have been waiting for a sign to finally purchase a tripod for your Bookstagram photos, LET THIS BE YOUR SIGN! It’s worth it!
Light system
I am a huge proponent of using natural light but sometimes sunlight just isn’t there when you need it. Whether you have a week’s worth of rain, or you work while it’s sunny and are only home when its dark, there are many reasons for needing to take photos indoor with no natural light. I would definitely recommend investing in a good light system with diffusers. They have whole kits in Walmart and Best Buy devoted to “Blogging” now, and you can purchase both a tripod and light system in one go.
LED light bulbs also go a long way to imitating natural light. Sometimes I hold my tiny mini lamps above my head in order to eliminate shadows in my Bookstagram photos. It’s all about working with what you’ve got!
Ladder
I love taking above angle shots, specifically of myself, and my designated photographer (AKA the other half of the Gilmore Girl duo…my mom) is only so tall. Ladders really are a huge help for getting the perfect shot. You could also use a selfie stick while up on the ladder, to extend the camera into the shot further, but you risk getting a shakier image this way. Unless of course you have ninja skills.
Book planner
Never has there been an item in existence that I love SO much and yet always forget to take advantage of! I got the Little Inklings Design Book planner this year and it is perfect for planning out your monthly TBR’s, organizing book release dates, and planning Bookstagram photos. When I remember to use it and I am winning at life…it’s one of my favorite Bookstagram tools, but it’s something that I often forget to use sadly.
Photo Editing apps
I have an entire blog post dedicated to Easy and Free Photo editing apps for phones and I edit almost all of my photos with at least one app. I highly recommend testing a few out and finding which ones work best for you!
Adjustable Overhead Tripod
If you like to take flat lay photos with the camera directly above the shot I would highly recommend investing in an adjustable overhead tripod for your Bookstagram photos. This works best with close shots rather than wide angles and is especially perfect for when you want to get your hands involved in the shot.
Don’t judge me for this but I have actually used my mouth to hold my phone above my photo space in order to get my hands in the shot too and using an overhead tripod makes this process 100% easier! It is well worth it in my opinion!
Chic Lit Designs Wallet Phone Case
I use my Chic Lit Design phone case for propping my phone on tables for easy Bookstagram photos. If I am trying to get a shot that is straight on and at the same angle as the book or props in the photo space, I set my phone on the table, bend the cover back and the phone sits upright and stable. My hands are inevitably always shaky (curse the coffee consumption) when I try to take photos, so this eliminates all the shake!
Another option is to use a pop socket (extra points if its bookish life this one) but this creates a slight angle to your photo because the phone sits back on the pop socket rather than sitting straight.
Canva
Canva is free to download on your phone and lets you edit templates for photos. Whether you are wanting to format your own photo and add some fun to it, or design an illustrated post, Canva has a lot of options for creating Bookstagram photos. There are also a ton of story templates available. I always forget to use these but I have grand plans to be a fancy bookstagrammer with pretty stories. So, keep a look out for that. 😉
