#Bookstagram Tips

I have had a #bookstagram for a little over a year now, so I feel like I could possibly be prepared to provide a few tips and tricks for anyone starting out!

• My number one tip for everyone is: don’t get discouraged. It takes time to build a large following, but it isn’t always about the numbers. I have met some of the most amazing friends and fellow nerdigans in this community, and I wouldn’t trade them for a million followers. Regardless of how new you are, it is never too early to reach out to people. We don’t bite!
• Location, location, location. The first step is to pick your photo location. What you are looking for is natural lighting, i.e. in front of a window or outdoors. You don’t need a fancy professional backdrop; use what you can find and go for it! I’ve tried everything, from nature to the removable wood shelves from my bookcases. Tapestries, blankets, sheets, and rugs work as well.
• Props. I know that prop collecting is huge in the #bookstagram world. I am quite guilty of this myself! Look around your house; what items are hanging out that can be used in photos? I’ve found that the Dollar Stores have tons of amazing photo props and that is where I buy almost all of my flowers. Other items to look out for include: hand-held fans, daggers, crowns, and swords are always in stores around Halloween, feathers, vines, candles, pieces of wood from outside, the possibilities are endless!
• Texturing. This is something that a lot of people aren’t aware of, but I love using different textures in my photos. Wood is always one of my favorites, as well as shag anything! I use fuzzy pillow covers, rugs, and pieces of fabric from craft stores. Fur and feathers are also amazing textural items that pop in photos.

Photo Styles

• Flat-lay is the simplest photo style and can be done beautifully. The goal is in its name; find a flat surface, add some textures and props, and voila. You’ve got yourself a beautiful #bookstagram photo! This is one of my favorite styles for the simplicity of setting up your shot. This is a style that looks wonderful with a lot of texturing; notice the shag material, feathers, and pine cones that I included. The candles in the left corner also add a nice contrast to the book cover, and you can buy these for really cheap in all different colors just about anywhere. These type of shots are super addictive because clean-up is a breeze!

• Book Stacks are so fun! You can go as crazy as a rainbow, or as simple as this photo here. I staggered this stack, which basically means that I didn’t leave the books flush with the ones above and below it. I’ve seen some amazing spiral stacks as well; there is no limit to the color combos and styles that you can come up with! I enjoy choosing the cover of a book and then color-coding my stacks to match. I tend to remove my dust jackets in stack photos; there are some amazingly beautiful naked books out there that we rarely get to see!

• Depth-shots. This photo technique is a bit more advanced, but it looks amazing! Basically, you set up a photo on your backdrop, and then you set up an entirely different photo in front of it. You want to have a good distance between the two; I usually go about 5 feet. The effect is stunning if you do it correctly. Adding textural props to the background is a moot point, you won’t be able to see the textures well because your camera will blur it out, as shown in this example. Definitely be sure to use those textures in the front set-up though, because they will pop! Sparkles and glitter always look amazing!

That’s it for my first #bookstagram photo tip post! I will be continuing this series on a regular basic; providing tips for hashtag suggestions, that dirty algorithm, and spicing up your Insta Stories! Until then, good luck and happy #bookstagramming nerdigans!