Smell ya later, 2020. (This is an old photo from Smell ya later, 2020. 

(This is an old photo from this summer when I did my Harley Quinn makeup, but the energy felt right.)

I’ll be honest, I think the first half of 2021 is gonna be brutal but there is a light at the end of the tunnel, babes. We are almost there so stay safe and stay diligent.
I posted an embarrassing photo in my stories so I I posted an embarrassing photo in my stories so I have to balance it by posting a hot one here 😂 Also wow I haven’t posted since HALLOWEEN. I’ve been spending most of my IG time on my candle account, @brennancandleco, but I truly MISS Y’ALL. I formed so many great relationships over the years and I want to get back to that. So you’ll be seeing more of me, probably in a less curated way than you used to. I might lose some of y’all but I hope the ones I call friends will stick around because I really do miss you. 

And lastly, if you ARE into more business-y content from me, follow @brennancandleco, there are some pretty awesome things happening over there if I do say so myself.

Photo by @narirophoto
I may be at home, but I wasn't going to miss out o I may be at home, but I wasn't going to miss out on transforming into Furiosa. 

2020 has been a heck of a year, and I think we're all feeling a bit like we're stuck in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Ready to turn things around and kick our own Immortan Joe to the curb.

Happy Halloween. Stay home.
My latest project: @brennancandleco 🖤 My latest project: @brennancandleco 🖤
Welp I think this negative space mani is my new si Welp I think this negative space mani is my new signature look so prepare to get sick of seeing it in different colors. 💅🏻
Our tomato plants finally started flourishing and Our tomato plants finally started flourishing and thennnnn there was snow in the forecast 🙃 Tomorrow we are supposed to get quite a lot and I’m very cranky about it. Hoping our plants survive but more importantly, I hope the snow puts out the wildfires that seem to be never ending. It’s been a brutal summer for many reasons, but it’s still pretty cool to look at this bowl and know we grew these tomatoes from seeds. Also there’s currently zucchini bread in the oven from our garden ☺️
I am so so so grateful to @crispy.ray for designin I am so so so grateful to @crispy.ray for designing this and putting it on my body, y’all 😍 They are SUCH a talented artist and all around great person. I felt super comfortable and they executed my vision perfectly. 👽 I’ve been a diehard X Files fan since I was a kid (swipe for evidence and a photo of me and Gillian Anderson where I have never felt uglier lmao), so this means a ton.

Re: COVID-19. Truthfully I felt super nervous to get my tattoo and super nervous to post it here. I’ve still been doing my best to stay home but am also (like many of you, I think) struggling mentally. So where is the balance? Honestly I don’t know. I haven’t had a haircut (besides doing it myself), had my nails done, or sat down to eat except for once (and it was a place with no servers). I barely see anyone except my husband. Some days it’s fine and others it’s “how much more of this can I take?” So anyway. I took a risk, but @blackbirdinktattoo was taking everything very seriously. All were masked and sanitized (duh it’s a tattoo place) and I specifically chose a leg tattoo so Christa and I wouldn’t be breathing on each other. I long for the day when things are normal again. I long for the day when I can see my family again. But for now, I’ll try to safely find small pockets of joy and normalcy and ride those little waves until the next pocket of joy.
Dennis and Sweet Dee are here to help ward off the Dennis and Sweet Dee are here to help ward off the Sunday scaries 🐾 In case you missed it in my stories, these are our newest fosters! (We just decided on names today - I think having to name two slowed us down 🤣) Usually we only have pups for three nights but we had to keep these little pals for an extra week before they’re ready to be adopted. 

Also I PROMISE I am going to record a video/write a post about fostering this week so keep your eyes peeled for that. 

Annnnd last but not least if you’re in the Denver area and looking for a puppy, message me if you want more info on either of these little ones! 🥰
Once Upon A Time in Hollywood is still one of my f Once Upon A Time in Hollywood is still one of my favorite movies from the past five years, please don’t judge me 😂🙈 “Hey! You’re Rick f*cking Dalton. Don’t you forget it.” (that line was improvised btw - it was based on something someone told Brad Pitt once when he was struggling 💕 I just love that.)

Print by @rbrunoill
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Fashion · August 10, 2017

How I Edit My Blog Photos

This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click and/or make a purchase, I may earn a few cents at no additional cost to you. Any products gifted by a brand will be marked "c/o." Thanks for helping make this blog possible! <3

How to edit fashion blog photos - blog photography is really tough if you’re not a photographer, but this Lightroom tutorial is an easy (and affordable) way to edit blog photos in MINUTES! And yes, you can use this to edit any photos, not just for a blog! | how to edit blog photos | how to use lightroom presets | lightroom preset tutorial | blogging tips | blogging tricks | photography tips | photographer tips

How to edit fashion blog photos - blog photography is really tough if you’re not a photographer, but this Lightroom tutorial is an easy (and affordable) way to edit blog photos in MINUTES! And yes, you can use this to edit any photos, not just for a blog! | how to edit blog photos | how to use lightroom presets | lightroom preset tutorial | blogging tips | blogging tricks | photography tips | photographer tips

How to edit fashion blog photos - blog photography is really tough if you’re not a photographer, but this Lightroom tutorial is an easy (and affordable) way to edit blog photos in MINUTES! And yes, you can use this to edit any photos, not just for a blog! | how to edit blog photos | how to use lightroom presets | lightroom preset tutorial | blogging tips | blogging tricks | photography tips | photographer tips

If there’s one thing I’m really proud of, it’s how far my blog photography has come in the last year or two. I still don’t think photos are my strongest skill, but I’m working on it and I’m MUCH more confident than I was with my photos, even just six months ago! If you’re not a blogger but you take photos regularly, hopefully this post is still helpful for you! I promise this isn’t going to turn into a “how to blog” blog, this is just a one time thing 🙂

For most of my blog career, I’ve worked with photographers or dealt with sub-par photos edited by me. Things have turned around for me, thanks to Stephanie Drenka for convincing me to get Lightroom and for creating beautiful presets! I explain the whole process in the video so make sure to watch that if you’re interested. Beautiful photos are probably easier than you think!!!

How to edit fashion blog photos - blog photography is really tough if you’re not a photographer, but this Lightroom tutorial is an easy (and affordable) way to edit blog photos in MINUTES! And yes, you can use this to edit any photos, not just for a blog! | how to edit blog photos | how to use lightroom presets | lightroom preset tutorial | blogging tips | blogging tricks | photography tips | photographer tips

Here’s what I use to take and edit my photos:

  • Sony A5000 camera – Earlier this year I traded in my Canon Rebel t3i for a point and shoot. Yep. Getting rid of a DSLR for a point and shoot felt crazy, but I was confident that the A5000 would be better for me for video recording. It turns out, it’s way better for my photos too! With the t3i, I was constantly missing focus – I would say only about half of my images were in focus. HALF! Now I lose maaaaaybe 1 out of every 100 photos to focus issues.
  • 50 1.8 lens – The lens that comes with the A5000 just isn’t going to cut it if you’re looking for bokeh (aka blurry background) in your photos. It’s a bummer it’s an extra expense but without it, this camera won’t get you the dreamy “bloggy” photos you’re looking for.
  • Adobe Lightroom – I have the Creative Cloud Photography Subscription, which is $9.99/month. Since I use Lightroom for almost every blog post I write, it’s totally worth it. Plus you always have the newest, best version of Photoshop and Lightroom with the subscription.
  • Macbook Pro – Pretty much any new(ish) computer will work perfectly fine! You can always check and see if your computer/operating system is compatible with Lightroom.
  • Stephanie Drenka Moody Blues Preset – THIS is where the magic happens, y’all! Without these presets I was just randomly editing by hand in photoshop. It took FOREVER and the photos never looked professional. Now with literally a few clicks, my photos are beautiful and cohesive. If you’re not into the moody/grungey look, she also has a preset called Blockbuster that was made specifically for fashion and travel bloggers! Everything is bright and beautiful – soooo good.

How to edit fashion blog photos - blog photography is really tough if you’re not a photographer, but this Lightroom tutorial is an easy (and affordable) way to edit blog photos in MINUTES! And yes, you can use this to edit any photos, not just for a blog! | how to edit blog photos | how to use lightroom presets | lightroom preset tutorial | blogging tips | blogging tricks | photography tips | photographer tips

How to edit fashion blog photos - blog photography is really tough if you’re not a photographer, but this Lightroom tutorial is an easy (and affordable) way to edit blog photos in MINUTES! And yes, you can use this to edit any photos, not just for a blog! | how to edit blog photos | how to use lightroom presets | lightroom preset tutorial | blogging tips | blogging tricks | photography tips | photographer tips

And here’s what I do!

This will probably make the most sense if you also watch the video above but I’ll do my very best to explain it here in case you can’t watch!

  1. Shoot your photos in RAW. This method works for jpegs too, but not as well. When you shoot in RAW, you maintain a lot more of the photo’s data so it’s easier to edit. With jpegs, slight adjustments look WAY more extreme and it’s a lot more difficult. If you’re a photographer, please don’t judge my definition of RAW…thank you.
  2. Import your photos into Lightroom. Honestly I’m not going to go into how to open Lightroom and all that jazz – it would take too long but I promise it’s not that hard.
  3. Go into Develop mode (in the top right hand corner). The first photo you imported should be large on your screen now.
  4. Adjust the white balance and exposure. Usually my white balance is fine so I just tweak the exposure. I prefer to shoot my photos underexposed a tad so I almost always have to increase the exposure. If you need the photo to be brighter, increase the exposure – darker, decrease the exposure. Easy!
  5. Select the preset you want to use on the left hand side. I usually just click through and see which one works best for that particular set of photos. For my blog, I always use one of the Moody Blues presets so everything is really consistent.
  6. Once you’ve applied the preset, look at your photo again and adjust things as necessary. Occasionally I might have to tweak the exposure again – usually I don’t take the time to mess with anything else.
  7. Click the next photo, and then hit “Previous” – that’s going to apply what you did on the first photo to the second one. Then move on to the next photo and repeat until you’re done!

I use this same method for photos of my niece and nephew and product photos too! Works like a charm!

How to edit fashion blog photos - blog photography is really tough if you’re not a photographer, but this Lightroom tutorial is an easy (and affordable) way to edit blog photos in MINUTES! And yes, you can use this to edit any photos, not just for a blog! | how to edit blog photos | how to use lightroom presets | lightroom preset tutorial | blogging tips | blogging tricks | photography tips | photographer tips

How to edit fashion blog photos - blog photography is really tough if you’re not a photographer, but this Lightroom tutorial is an easy (and affordable) way to edit blog photos in MINUTES! And yes, you can use this to edit any photos, not just for a blog! | how to edit blog photos | how to use lightroom presets | lightroom preset tutorial | blogging tips | blogging tricks | photography tips | photographer tips

Sooooo what do you think? Are you ready to take your own photos yet?! I was terrified to take the leap (and honestly at times I really wish I worked with a photographer) but it saves me a LOT of money and it keeps me from having to schedule time with a photographer. Even if you usually work with someone, it never hurts to have a backup plan!

xoxo
Valery

ps If you liked this post, I would LOVE it if you pinned it!

How to edit fashion blog photos - blog photography is really tough if you’re not a photographer, but this Lightroom tutorial is an easy (and affordable) way to edit blog photos in MINUTES! And yes, you can use this to edit any photos, not just for a blog! | how to edit blog photos | how to use lightroom presets | lightroom preset tutorial | blogging tips | blogging tricks | photography tips | photographer tips

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Comments

  1. Heather Webb says

    August 10, 2017 at 9:30 AM

    I always love how your photos look and this is a super helpful guide! I have actually been considering getting a point and shoot instead of my Canon Rebel T1i I’ve had for years now. I just want something that’s easier to bring with me when I travel, but I was worried that our blog photos would suffer if I did so. Knowing you went with a P&S makes me feels a little better about moving in that direction!

    • Valery Brennan says

      September 1, 2017 at 7:04 PM

      Honestly I have NO regrets about switching to my camera! I love that it’s compact and easy to operate but I can still buy prime lenses for it!

  2. Rachel says

    August 10, 2017 at 7:42 PM

    The Canon Rebel T3i was the most recommended camera for videos, which was why I bought mine, but don’t even think about moving an inch from where you have it focused, so annoying! I’m going to have to look into your camera, I always love your photos!

    • Valery Brennan says

      September 1, 2017 at 7:04 PM

      Girl, same! I get SO pissed when it’s out of focus!!! Even with my same lighting setup, I think my new videos look way better than my old ones!

  3. Ginger Marie says

    August 15, 2017 at 8:48 AM

    Omg this is gold! I was just telling myself yesterday I need to learn how to edit pictures! I bought adobe last month and have been toying around buuut this is suuuuuper helpful!

    • Valery Brennan says

      September 1, 2017 at 7:05 PM

      Pretend like I didn’t just see this comment lol. I’m so glad it was helpful!!!!

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I'm an eclectic Denver blogger, embarking on a low-buy journey to break up with bad shopping habits and learn to love what I have. Most of the fashion you'll see here is thrifted, and the beauty is thrifty.

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Smell ya later, 2020. (This is an old photo from Smell ya later, 2020. 

(This is an old photo from this summer when I did my Harley Quinn makeup, but the energy felt right.)

I’ll be honest, I think the first half of 2021 is gonna be brutal but there is a light at the end of the tunnel, babes. We are almost there so stay safe and stay diligent.
I posted an embarrassing photo in my stories so I I posted an embarrassing photo in my stories so I have to balance it by posting a hot one here 😂 Also wow I haven’t posted since HALLOWEEN. I’ve been spending most of my IG time on my candle account, @brennancandleco, but I truly MISS Y’ALL. I formed so many great relationships over the years and I want to get back to that. So you’ll be seeing more of me, probably in a less curated way than you used to. I might lose some of y’all but I hope the ones I call friends will stick around because I really do miss you. 

And lastly, if you ARE into more business-y content from me, follow @brennancandleco, there are some pretty awesome things happening over there if I do say so myself.

Photo by @narirophoto
I may be at home, but I wasn't going to miss out o I may be at home, but I wasn't going to miss out on transforming into Furiosa. 

2020 has been a heck of a year, and I think we're all feeling a bit like we're stuck in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Ready to turn things around and kick our own Immortan Joe to the curb.

Happy Halloween. Stay home.
My latest project: @brennancandleco 🖤 My latest project: @brennancandleco 🖤
Welp I think this negative space mani is my new si Welp I think this negative space mani is my new signature look so prepare to get sick of seeing it in different colors. 💅🏻
Our tomato plants finally started flourishing and Our tomato plants finally started flourishing and thennnnn there was snow in the forecast 🙃 Tomorrow we are supposed to get quite a lot and I’m very cranky about it. Hoping our plants survive but more importantly, I hope the snow puts out the wildfires that seem to be never ending. It’s been a brutal summer for many reasons, but it’s still pretty cool to look at this bowl and know we grew these tomatoes from seeds. Also there’s currently zucchini bread in the oven from our garden ☺️
I am so so so grateful to @crispy.ray for designin I am so so so grateful to @crispy.ray for designing this and putting it on my body, y’all 😍 They are SUCH a talented artist and all around great person. I felt super comfortable and they executed my vision perfectly. 👽 I’ve been a diehard X Files fan since I was a kid (swipe for evidence and a photo of me and Gillian Anderson where I have never felt uglier lmao), so this means a ton.

Re: COVID-19. Truthfully I felt super nervous to get my tattoo and super nervous to post it here. I’ve still been doing my best to stay home but am also (like many of you, I think) struggling mentally. So where is the balance? Honestly I don’t know. I haven’t had a haircut (besides doing it myself), had my nails done, or sat down to eat except for once (and it was a place with no servers). I barely see anyone except my husband. Some days it’s fine and others it’s “how much more of this can I take?” So anyway. I took a risk, but @blackbirdinktattoo was taking everything very seriously. All were masked and sanitized (duh it’s a tattoo place) and I specifically chose a leg tattoo so Christa and I wouldn’t be breathing on each other. I long for the day when things are normal again. I long for the day when I can see my family again. But for now, I’ll try to safely find small pockets of joy and normalcy and ride those little waves until the next pocket of joy.
Dennis and Sweet Dee are here to help ward off the Dennis and Sweet Dee are here to help ward off the Sunday scaries 🐾 In case you missed it in my stories, these are our newest fosters! (We just decided on names today - I think having to name two slowed us down 🤣) Usually we only have pups for three nights but we had to keep these little pals for an extra week before they’re ready to be adopted. 

Also I PROMISE I am going to record a video/write a post about fostering this week so keep your eyes peeled for that. 

Annnnd last but not least if you’re in the Denver area and looking for a puppy, message me if you want more info on either of these little ones! 🥰
Once Upon A Time in Hollywood is still one of my f Once Upon A Time in Hollywood is still one of my favorite movies from the past five years, please don’t judge me 😂🙈 “Hey! You’re Rick f*cking Dalton. Don’t you forget it.” (that line was improvised btw - it was based on something someone told Brad Pitt once when he was struggling 💕 I just love that.)

Print by @rbrunoill
Complementary 🧡💙 If you have hooded lids and Complementary 🧡💙 If you have hooded lids and/or you’re scared about mixing colors, this is such an easy way to do it, y’all! Monochromatic on top (I incorporated an orange shimmer but you could keep it super simple and just blend out one shadow), and then a different color on bottom. I was worried the blue would look too heavy on me since my eyes are a bit downturned but I think it turned out just fine! 

I’m using a @shopaltergo palette again here, this one is a dupe for the Natasha Denona Metropolis palette ($129). The Alter Ego palette is a whopping $22….and so far it’s a GEM. I don’t have ND so I can’t compare them directly but I didn’t have any issues with these shadows at all.

Lips are @lagirlcosmetics liner in Keep It Spicy + @flowerbeauty lipstick in Spiced Petal
Brows are eyeshadow and a bar of soap

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