Welcome to the
tool shed
Here you are in my secret little tool shed, simply because you are AWESOME. Welcome, friend! So, let's get down to business — here are the archives of all the awesome free goodies I've created for you. I hope you enjoy them and that they help your photos + your business + YOU thrive!
P.S. If you want to get in on the conversation, join our Facebook group for an ongoing nerding out session about photography, styling, + blog stuff! :D
5 AUTUMNAL LIGHTROOM PRESETS
Ready to get cozy with these warm + eye-catching presets? This collection of warm + dimensional presets are perfect for the soft light of autumn + winter, and the beautiful vibrant colors of this season!
A word of note with the presets—the color temperature is not an adjusted setting in the presets since the exact color temperature will of course vary depending on the light temperature you’re shooting in, so feel free to adjust the color temperature to either warmer or cooler to create your desired visual effect. These presets are meant for properly exposed images. Each preset does bump the exposure a little bit, but feel free to adjust the exposure to make it just right for your particular image!
TOP 5 LENSES FOR FOOD + LIFESTYLE PHOTOGRAPHERS
If you’ve ever found yourself staring at the TONS of camera lens options out there and wondering which ones are worth the money, I’ve got you covered!
In the guide, I'm sharing:
Which lenses I recommend + are worth the investment
What subjects/angles each of these lenses should be used for
Why each of them is so useful
The pros and cons that each one has. (Yep, even the most awesome lenses have downsides to them, and we’ll get into the nitty gritty of those!)
5 SUMMERY LIGHTROOM PRESETS
I've created some really awesome lightroom presets that highlight the vibrant summer produce of the season. I've been using them like crazy (you can see some of them in action here), and wanted to share them with you! A word of note with the presets—the color temperature is not an adjusted setting in the presets since the exact color temperature will of course vary depending on the light temperature you’re shooting in, so feel free to adjust the color temperature to either warmer or cooler to create your desired visual effect. These presets are meant for properly exposed images. Each preset does bump the exposure a little bit, but feel free to adjust the exposure to make it just right for your particular image!
BLOG POST SHOT LIST GUIDE
In this guide I’m going over the shots I make sure to take during photoshoots when I’m developing recipe content for my blog. This structure applies to at least 80% of the food-based posts on AdventuresInCooking.com—it’s helped me create a signature style and feel for my images that comes through both on my blog and on my instagram feed, and I know it will for you, too!
FACEBOOK LIVE! 8/18
Join me as I take you through my top 4 tips for taking better photos + increasing your social media following, plus some awesome answers to questions submitted by you all via instagram + Facebook! I'm answering everything from how I shoot a self-portrait to my #1 recommended lens to shoot with to with easy ways to up your instagram stories. It's all in there! And make sure to use the password toolshed to view the video :)
THE TOP 5 VIDEO APPS
Video is a great way to connect with people by having *actual conversations* with them. You can tell stories in a whole new light, and it's a really great way to show some fun behind-the-scenes of your shooting process, cooking, illustrating, farm, or whatever awesome small business you have. There's a lot of beauty in the honesty and real-ness of video—and it doesn't have to feel overwhelming if you start small with something like shooting on your iPhone to get your feet wet. So, to help you get to know the wonderful world of mobile video creation, I put together this neat little guide with my top 5 favorite mobile video apps!
PINTEREST INSIDER’S Q&A
I'm sharing the inside scoop from the folks at Pinterest! This Q&A is with the incredibly insightful Lauren Michaels from Pinterest. I thought up the most useful + informative questions I could muster and threw them on over to her, and she answered with an incredible array of helpful tips and advice for making the most of your Pinterest game! Pinterest has been the #1 source of referral traffic for my blog for years (Adventures in Cooking wouldn't be where it is without it!) If you really want to grow your blog or business' site traffic, Pinterest should be your starting point.
PINTEREST BEST PRACTICES GUIDE
This great Pinterest Best Practices guide was crafted by Lauren Michaels of Pinterest herself and is chockfull of rich and constructive advice for you guys. Some reasons why this guide and the above Q&A are especially awesome:
Did you know Pinterest has rolled out a bunch of awesome new features like business profiles, and that there's a whole lot of new tools that come along with it? It's all in the guides :)
Most folks are using Pinterest as a visual search engine, which means that if you start applying the SEO tips outlined in the guides, you can start seeing a ton of new traffic to your site (this also means that creative folks like us who can take great pictures have a leg up, too!)
INSTAGRAM LIVE! — Q&A
I asked for you guys to send me your biggest questions, and you delivered! In this instagram live from April 1st 2018, I'm answering all the questions you sent — from what lenses I use to how I structure my pricing to what tips I have for raising backyard chickens — it's all here! Enjoy it, friends!! And make sure to use the password toolshed to view the video :)
HOW TO CONQUER THE
INSTAGRAM ALGORITHM
I know how frustrating the algorithm can be, but there is still hope! I'm sharing my tips + strategies to grow your instagram following and increase your reach by optimizing your instagram action to work with the algorithm rather than against it. Knowing how it works + what you can do to make it work for you will make all the difference!
5 APPS I USE EVERYDAY
In this guide I’m going over my favorite daily-use apps that make my work/life more enjoyable + productive. Some of them are super fun and involve fancy fonts—others are very business brain-y and involve bookkeeping and receipts—but ALL of them are great at what they do and have been incredibly useful for me, and I know they will be for you, too!!!
5 FREE LIGHTROOM PRESETS
I'm sharing my 5 favorite Lightroom presets with you guys in this fun little package! It's got a sampling of some of my favorites, including 'Eva's Kitchen', 'Navy Blue Surface', 'Overcast Garden', 'Rustic Wood Surface', and 'White Surface'. If you love these, you can check out more of my presets over in Resources!
