No matter the season, there’s always a great opportunity to get some shots off of your sneakers. Just ask your girl, she can spot a perfect picture moment wherever she goes. But pictures of her and her sorority sisters are different from pictures of your Concords, and if you want any recognition from your friends about your sneaker photos, you need to know how to take decent picture sneakers. Let’s discuss.
No matter the season, there’s always a great opportunity to get some shots off of your sneakers. Just ask your girl, she can spot a perfect picture moment wherever she goes. But pictures of her and her sorority sisters are different from pictures of your Concords, and if you want any recognition from your friends about your sneaker photos, you need to know how to take decent picture sneakers. Let’s discuss.
It Starts With Lighting
An area or shot with decent lighting makes all the difference. You don’t need to be a professional photographer to achieve this; adequate sunlight will work just as well, actually. This mostly means taking pictures earlier in the day than later, for maximum free lighting. Having said that, the morning time is arguably your best time get a photo off of your kicks, as there is less tint from the sun.
Assuming you still aren’t a professional photographer with some sort of real photo savvy, you can use room lights to your advantage, when you position sneakers just right. Generally, you never want to put your source of light right behind the sneaker, it forms an eclipse like look and just doesn’t work well on camera. Ideally, the light should be to the side, at an angle, or in front of the sneaker in some manner.
With even just an inkling of decent lighting, you can really transform your photos into well crafted shots.
Get The Details
Most, if not all sneakers come with intricate details of some sort. Hone in on any particular features or aspects of the sneaker that make it stand out in the first place. When coupled with good lighting, and a proper angle, you can really make those features of the sneaker pop.
The closer and clearer you get the details, the better the shot. But remember that certain details work better in different settings and lightings. Use your discretion.
Make It Lacy
A good shot of some decent lacework can be dope. And with so many ways to do laces on sneakers, you could really do yourself some good. But remember, it all begins with lighting, and that’s especially true for laces. If you can figure your lighting out to where it brings the best out of your laces, you’ve got a really good photo.
But if you’re going to take lace shots, you should make sure your sneakers are laced decently. This is a tactic that works especially well with custom laces, or an alternative set of laces that may have come with the sneaker.
Consider Your Locations
Ideally, you want to keep focus on your sneakers, so try to avoid backgrounds/spaces with a lot of stuff in the background.
Of course, if that isn’t possible, you should definitely try to focus in on the sneaker more. This gives the photo a lot of depth, which is also a good look. Now, add depth to a good background that pairs well with the sneaker, and you have a frontrunner for a repost from your favorite sneaker account on Instagram.
Have A Decent Camera
Look, I don’t own the highest grade Nikon, or any Nikon fo that matter. I do have a smartphone with a really good camera, however, and when taking shots of sneakers, I’m always trying for the best shot I can get. I say all that to say that you don’t need a fancy camera to take decent shots. Your phone or a cheap digital camera could do similar wonders all the same.
On-Feet Shots Are A Staple
And let’s be clear here, there are many ways to take on feet shots. You don’t always have to do the mundane shot directly over your feet, or the boring take of your kicks with your legs stretched all the way out. If you’re going to do those two, have some sort of scenery to go with the shot; it will make the shot more fun. The name of the game here is creativity. And speaking of…
Get Creative
Play with other ideas, try out different scenes, just try something and take a shot of it. It might come out super crazy, or it might come out to be super dope. But try a lot of things with your sneakers and your shot. Remember, people like to see different things, and a unique shot will be just that.
Get The Good Angles
While the front, back, and side profiles are always solid shots, a good angle shot adds some new perspective to your photos, literally. Now, not every possible angle is going to look good for every shoe. Know your sneaker and play to its advantages.
Edit Your Shots
When I say edit, I don’t mean just throw an Instagram filter on them and then you’re good to go. In fact, you shouldn’t even be touching Instagram’s filters. Also, your shots shouldn’t be straight from camera to Instagram. We’re not in 2012 anymore. Get yourself a photo editor and learn some basic editing skills and techniques. You can get a free version of Photoshop on the respective app marketplaces for your phone. Now you can’t say I didn’t put you on.
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