Different tattoo styles that rock the world of ink at Black Dagger Tattoo Norwich

At Black Dagger, our artists are an open minded bunch of creatives who have taken the art of diversifying their work to suit the exact needs of their individual clients to the highest levels. The tattoo industry is thriving and as more and more people are choosing to be inked, client expectations have raised the bar to levels never seen. Poor tattoos simply aren’t acceptable anymore. Technological developments in ink pigment, needle production and professional tattoo machines, allow artists to produce stunning work that simply could not be produced only a few years ago. The passion for tattoos has become a way of life as men and women continue to pay homage to traditional tattoos, some for the sake of pure pleasure and many as a simple rite of passage into adulthood. It would be pretty difficult to come up with a definitive list of tattoo styles that are available in 2021 as previously unheard of genres surface, but hidden amongst the Glitches, Blast Overs, surrealism and Pointillism, sit 10 styles that have impacted hugely across the whole of the industry. Determining what style of tattoo you want can help you narrow down your potential options. We’ve put together a brief guide on the different styles of tattoo art. Let’s explore what you should know.

1. Realism

As it suggests, realism refers to photorealism and the creative ability to accurately present real-life imagery on the skin. The history of realism stems back to 1850’s France. Photorealism was actually not that popular simply because the best artists of the day did not want to be perceived as ‘just’ imitators of real life. The realism style focuses portraiture, animals and objects and is a precise style that takes a huge amount of experience to master. Realism requires extreme patience but the results of the best artist, such as Simon Blackdagger or Owen Peat of Black Dagger Tattoo Norwich are truly breathtaking. A realism tattoo produced by inexperienced tattooist has the potential to be catastrophic, so choose wisely! What are the basic types of realism tattoos? There are two main styles  of realism tattoos which are black & grey and colour, with colour images being much more complex to create, often requiring multiple detailed layers to achieve a satisfactory result. Pre much anything that can be seen or captured on film can be turned into the perfect tattoo by an experienced artist. One of the biggest trends of different tattoo styles 2021 are realism portraits.

We’ve selected just a few recent images created at the Black Dagger Tattoo Studio in Norwich.

2. Cartoon

It is exactly what it is. Cartoon style tattooing is more popular than ever and has been around for ever. Cartoon tattoos are renowned for incorporating an abundance of vibrant colours and a specific breakaway under the banner of ‘Anime’ Cartoon based around Japanese Graphic Novels have an almost cult like following. Our resident artist at Black Dagger, Chris Martin is the master of Cartoon Tattoos and Cartoon mash-ups with images literally jumping off the skin with so much clarity and depth. Here’s a few designs based around famous celebrities and on-screen characters.

3. Sketchy

As tattoos become more and more acceptable in mainstream culture, the customers who visit Black Dagger Tattoo Norwich are becoming more diverse, requesting increasingly artistic and ingenious pieces. We strive to not only meet but exceed expectations with innovative, custom tattoo designs. Sketchy style tattoos resemble unfinished artwork that could have literally just been ripped from the pages of a sketchbook. There’s a very pleasing Raw quality about Sketchy work and the unpolished look is extremely appealing as Sketchy emerges as a big look for 2021. While it’s totally possible to use a have this style of artwork done using only black and grey, sketchy styled art often emphasis splashes of colour falling outside of the lines or paint splashes. Sketchy has a few sub genres including Graphic Sketchy that mixes abstract designs with geometric shapes and street styled art and Abstract sketchy that basically redefines how something likes to make it somewhat unrealistic. Our resident artist Iggy from Black Dagger Tattoo Norwich is a big fan of Sketchy and has been creating a huge mix of fabulous work lately.

3. Old-School or Traditional. The choice of different tattoo styles is completely yours.

Whilst it originated back in the United States over 300 years ago, old school really struck gold back in the 1950’s. Old-school tattoos are part and parcel of American serviceman’s traditions. Tattoo ‘Flash’ derive from old school where every tattoo reflected individuals personal story but also held common meanings. A characteristic shared of old school is vibrant colour, combined with often oversized proportions and an almost cartoon feel. To find out more about the different tattoo styles of the Old school style, there’s a fantastic website that gives an awesome detailed description about every type of old school tattoo and their traditional meaning. You’ll find it here at Sailor Jerry but in the mean time, here’s a few awesome flash based Old school pierces created by Black Dagger co-owner Steven Gigli.

5. Dotwork

Dotwork is a tattooing technique where the artist tattoo numerous dots to form  artwork.These dots will eventually create either the entire tattoo design or can be used as a background to traditional tattoo designs. Dotwork tattoos are extremely popular at our Norwich Black Dagger studio. Generally, dotwork artists create their artr with typically use black and grey inks. But, this doesn’t mean that colours can’t be incorporate into our bespoke designs but brighter colours are less common. Historically, dotwork tattoos have been commonplace for thousands of years influenced primarily across Asia and Europe, with mandalas and spiritual tattoos being commonplace in dotwork althpouh  animal designs and decorative patterns are also now extremely popular. We have a number of artrists who excel in dotwork including Owen Peat, one of

For further information about all of our awesome tattooists, body piercing and laser tattoo removal services, why not head over to our Contact page and reach out to our front of house team today. Alternatively, you can call the studio directly on Tel: 01603 436883 or email blackdaggertattoonorwich@gmail.com

Black Dagger Blog posts are brought to you by Lee Blanchflower 

The rise of the Norwich tattoo shop. Making the right choice for your artwork

We’ve recently been spending a lot of time creating content for one of our latest clients, a Norwich based Tattoo Shop based on the outskirts of Norwich city centre. The tattoo industry in 2021 is massive. There have literally never ben so many studios opening and Norwich, as strange as it seems, was voted the 4th most popular place in the world to receive a tattoo, which was quite a statistic considering the geographical location and the size of the city. At Blanc Creative, we’re working hard to deliver high quality commercial photography, 4K creative video and web based content including Blog writing for the team at Black Dagger, and one of first pieces is an informative short read based on the current trend in 2021 for tattoos.

If you’re looking to get inked, then Norwich really is the place to be. Back in 2016, our fine city was voted the fourth best place on the planet to get tattooed. Only outranked by Cape Town, Miami Beach & Goa. Five years on, the county has seen an absolute explosion as a new studio seems to spring up literally on every street corner on a weekly basis. As an obsessive tattoo enthusiast and a Commercial Photographer, the opportunity to work with a prestigious team of creative artists at the well established Black Dagger Tattoo Norwich, was a chance that I simply could not pass by. I’ve always been fascinated  how tattoos reveal a person’s true self through the art they choose to wear on their bodies. It’s a huge undertaking that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Expressing your personality on your skin has to be a considered, well  thought out decision… or at least it should be. But that’s exactly what we do.

So why choose an artist from Black Dagger Tattoo Norwich?

With almost 50 years worth of combined, the Black Dagger Team are confident that you’ll want to choose their brand for your next artwork. The conveniently based Norwich Tattoo Shop, offers a clean, friendly welcome with on-site parking and is nestled on the edge of the city centre. With a choice of five diverse artists to choose from, they have every style from Black & Grey. Neo-traditonal, Cartoon, Black & Grey, glorious colour, outline and New School to name just a few.   Solid advice should always be available from a studio. It’s not all about taking peoples money for a quick tattoo, so we’ve sat down with the team and put together some general advice to help you make your decision.

Research your Norwich Tattoo Shop

So hopefully you’ve done your research! It’s fundamentally the most important thing you can do before getting your new ink is to take the time to find the right studio and artist. Take your time. Hitting the nearest studio and picking a flash off the wall may seem like a great idea at the time, but making a rash decision can leave you with sub standard work and a visit to a Tattoo Removal Professional. There are two big elements to choosing  the right tattoo artist. First you need to decide your style, where you want your new artwork placed and what you’re prepared to pay. I’ve always used the analogy of “Buy Cheap… Buy Twice” but I’ll talk more about that in just a moment. Social media is a great platform for viewing the latest work and styles that artists are producing. Looking at a Facebook Business Page that has no current work or irregular content could be an indication that the artists are either not busy or simply aren’t happy with their work. How many followers doe the page have is great, but organic likes, comments and reviews add value weight to a businesses reputation and that’s a very important element. Instagram is a great platform for viewing visuals. The Black Dagger Tattoo Team regularly post out their work on Instagram.

Visit Several Studios

Shop around. Black Dagger Tattoo Norwich are so confident that you’ll be thrilled with your work that they encourage potential new clients to look at examples of the artists’ work. Visiting artists in their own environment, asking questions and receiving advice is a great method to set apart those studios who you will ultimately feel comfortable with. Cleanliness and hygiene is of ultimate importance and you should soon be able to differentiate between clean and dirty establishments. Customer service plays a pivotal role in Blagger Dagger Norwich Tattoo Shop, which is reflected with customers returning time and time again and leaving fantastic, “Genuine” reviews after their works has been completed.

This is a really important tip. If you don’t instantly strike a rapport with the person, the chances are they’re not the artist to undertake your work. Large tattoos can take many hours in the chair and if you feel uncomfortable around the artist, then it’s going to tarnish your experience. Once you’e found an artist you like, then make contact. You may not be able to speak with a good tattooist instantly. Keep in mind that tattoo artists are very busy and responding to emails can take a little while.  Many artists will state how they prefer to be contacted on their social media pages or website, but it’s not uncommon for the Black Dagger Tattoo Norwich Team, to be fully booked for the whole day. Fortunately, most reputable studios will have a front of house team to offer advice, take bookings or answer any burning questions. Professional tattoo artists are generally quick to respond to customer messages, but try not to jump straight with a “Hello. How much is a tattoo?” because it’s not going to make you look serious about getting inked. Which leads us nicely back onto;

How much does it cost?

This is a very short answer. Don’t be swayed by the cost of a cheap tattoo as your only reason to get one done. Unrealistic deals are out there for a reason and most professional, well respected tattooists will have waiting lists and their pricing will reflect their experience. It’s important to remember you’re not only buying the artists time. You’re buying into many years of apprenticeship and practice.  Avoid cheap, unlicensed home tattoo artists will come with a warning. Buy cheap… Buy Twice!

Ask around. Word of Mouth is your best friend.

With over 35% of United Kingdom citizens aged 30-39 sporting tattoos, the chances are you’ll know somebody with great ink and if they’ve had a great tattoo with a great artist and, they will undoubtedly shout about it. Why wouldn’t you?  Most high end artists don’t have a great need to advertise. If you’re out and you see someone walking down the street with a great tattoo, don’t be  shy. Ask them where they got it. Most inked people love the attention and it’s a great subject to talk about. We hope this small set of tips will help you on your way to finding the right artist, the right style and the right design for your very individual ink. If you’d like to know more about our Norwich Tattoo Shop or Black Dagger Tattoo Norwich, then why not CLICK HERE and join our FB social Feed, book an appointment or speak with one of our very talented artists. But most importantly, remember;

“Our bodies were printed as blank pages
to be filled with the ink of our hearts”
― Michael Biondi 

To find out more about how Blanc Creative can help your business with commercial photography and professional video production, why not reach out today and speak with our team on T: 07871 364041 or email: studio@blanc-creative.com

Business portraits & Construction Photography. The perfect partners for an undervalued industry.

Commercial Photography, whether indoors or outdoors, are both really important elements of any imager portfolio for companies. of all sizes who wish to promote the services and important employees. The construction industry is just one genre of business that has historically been undervalued in the commercial image spectrum, where in reality, deserves so much more.  You only need to search Construction Photographers, Industrial portraits and Construction site photography to find amazing building bathed in glorious light, towering cranes, glorious part-built skylines and some great plant machinery. Look a bit closer and on the whole, the role of the construction worker documented with professional construction photography is sadly lacking from not only the portfolios of many photography businesses, but also the marketing materials of many building firms, ground working companies and construction specialists. Business portraits are very worthy collateral for any business or commercial operation, where experienced workers are a key part of your infrastructure. Website are one of the most fundamental marketing channels, offering sizeable opportunities to promote services and products, and to articulate the values behind a company’s brand. Websites are now much more than a must have landing page to find an email or telephone number. The digital marketing explosion is an opportunity for storytelling at its’ best and a fantastic chance to promote the experience, knowledge and trusting nature of the people who promote your companies ethos and values on a daily basis.  

A Guide to Corporate Portrait Photography.

While the impact of modern smartphones on the photographic industry will always be a sensitive subject for even the most established of business orientated photographer, there remain a number of genres where experience in the industry can reap rewards. The need for increasingly creative social networking images and web based imagery has exploded. but smart phone technology doesn’t replace a skilled eye for composition, a large camera sensor and professional editing software. We are living in a crazy world where those businesses who don’t engage socially run the risk of being left behind and the online presence will continue to increase in demand as digital advertising platforms replace traditional advertising and printed media. The commercial photographer and the corporate portrait  the corporate portrait really are here to stay. Whatever the industry, everyone needs a good picture for their blog, newsletter, press releases, company website or networking page.

Thinking like a Pro

Standout corporate portrait photography should focus on the subject. Shooting with a really shallow depth of field and blowing out the background with a bokeh or gentle blur, allows the focus to sit where it should be… On the subject in front of the camera and separation from the background. It’s very easy to create images without personality, but whether you’re shooting outdoor portraits, office portraits or relaxed environmental business portraits, the end result should be appealing, engaging and leave the audience with a feeling that they’d really be comfortable engaging with the person in the image. As an experienced commercial photographer who wants to shoot. great corporate portrait photography, interpersonal skills are the biggest in your armoury and can make a break or a photo shoot. If you’re not a people person and find social engagement difficult, then maybe Business Portraits are simply not an area you want to form part of your photographic services.

A Lasting Impression

Identifying your client’s expectations and how their image will fit into their business profile is a key element. As an experienced Commercial Photographer should be able to work towards a brief within reason. It’s impossible for example, to produce images with a modern, glass filled background if your office is dark, restrictive and somewhat stayed. Working with you clients, you can identify where the portraits will be used and generate ideas to work around any barriers, with an emphasis on delivering the best representations of their ideas. Your

Environmental Portraits or Studio Lighting.

It’s a bit of a dilemma that can impact on the cost of a shoot and future costs. To put this into some context, the vast majority of corporate photographs are taken within the subject’s office and this can restrict the type of photography that even the best commercial photographer can achieve. Modern, light offices with lots of glass can be offer some wonderful creative backdrops where natural lighting is your best friend. Shooting environmental corporate portrait photography  means you can literally turn up on multiple shoots, mix up the backgrounds and shoot a whole host of fabulous images without having to artificially light the images. Studio lighting can give more control, but depending on your choice of lighting, set-up and tear down after assignment will extend your assignment time. If you are perhaps shooting a whole team of individuals and then have to return to photograph one member of staff, the costs can increase for clients and it may not be financially viable  to book in a shoot for one person only. Ambient lighting is very creative but is less easy to control. Avoiding direct sunlight can make your assignment so much easier.  Working during the morning means theTry to schedule your appointments during the morning. In the afternoon, your subject may look tired and not quite so freshly groomed, while the end of the working day could put time pressure on you.

Lee Blanchflower – Commercial Photographer Norwich

We have an extensive portfolio of Commercial Headshots and modern portraits for literally every type of business sector possible. Why not head over to our Portrait page where we’ve showcased some great case studies. 

If you’re a small business owner looking to expand your companies photography with professional Business Portrait images or commercial Photography , then we’d love to speak with you. We’re really confident that you’ll our style of work and our really favourable pricing. To speak with our team today, either call Mob: 07871 364041 or email: studio@blanc-creative.com

Creative Musician Portrait Photography from Norwich Photographer Blanc Creative

I’ve been working across a very diverse range of commercial sectors many years. I’ve had a privileged the pleasure of being a professional  Music Press Photographer and Portrait Photographer for over ten years. I’ve had the privilege to work across the whole of the UK with a host of international music artists, celebrities and bands. My music portfolio showcases huge concerts and festivals including Radio 1 Big Weekend, Isle of Wight Festival, Forest Live and Sundown Festival to name just a few, but living in the heart of Norfolk, I love nothing more than to photograph Norfolk’s home grown talent and believe me, we have so many great musicians and entertainers.

I recently worked on an assignment with Gary Winter, an amazing Singer and front man for the Gary Winter Band. Gary was looking for a Norwich Photographer to capture a range of Portrait Photography images that could be used as profile images, as promotional material, be used on his website and on social media platforms. More often than not., there are aa wealth of locations on hand in public spaces that be creatively turned into modern backgrounds for outdoor portraits. For internal shoots, Gary had sourced opulent venue, complete with staging and grand piano, that would set the scene for the music element of the shoot. I utilised professional portable studio lighting and naturally lit portrait photography to cover more than one type of look.

Having worked as a Norwich Photographer, many of our clients come to us to create not only Headshot Photography, but because we have an amazing city, countryside and beaches all within a stones throw of our Norwich Base. Outdoor and environmental settings provide the perfect backdrop for personalised portraiture and starting out in open is a great to gently relax into the shoot. As confident as musicians and bands are on stage,  standing in front of the camera can still be an uncomfortable thought. We have a really relaxed approach to our work, love to communicate and make your experience an enjoyable one.

]

A little bit about Lee

Lee Blanchflower is a Norwich Photographer who set-up Blanc Creative over ten years ago in 2010 after a career as a Police Sergeant. Lee’s Photography skills were honed as a Police Evidence Gatherer working under pressure in volatile situations, a long way removed from shooting modern headshots. Lee took a career break to pursue his photography and in 2013 won the SWPP Travel Photographer of the Year Awards for an image he’d taken on New York’s 5th Avenue. To find out more about Blanc Creative, why not head over to our ‘About Us’ Page or visit our Portrait Photography Page where you’ll find a huge selection of portfolios, images and case studies.

We Shoot Business Portraits and construction photography services across the whole of sector and the whole of the UK

At Blanc Creative Norwich, we specialise in commercial photography, corporate video production and licensed drone filming. We have been working across the UK for over ten years and genuinely believe that specialising only in commercial imagery and commercial film making , sets us apart from many generic photographers. We create high quality, bespoke Business Portraits of employees working on your projects. We live in an age where digital imagery has become part of our everyday life and compelling images are now integral part of any website, case study or advertising campaign. Dynamic portraits allow the people behind your brand to showcase your services to existing and potential new clients. With the help of an experienced photographer, our team will unfold your construction stories and document your builds with sharp, professional and well composed photographs. Your edited images will form the foundation for a host of printed and digital marketing. Bespoke construction photography means you won’t have to spend money on generic stock images that huge amounts of businesses have access to and your branding can play an integral role in your imagery. Great shots and the right messages will leave a popular lasting memory for your audience. Our Norwich based team will work closely with your project managers and staff from the very outset to deliver photography that showcase members of your team interacting, working and as Business Portraits. Using photography we may help you to point out the positive aspects of your company including attention to detail, use of modern construction equipment, efficiency, and beautiful architecture. You may base your marketing message on these images. You can win the trust and loyalty of your customers by showing them these images. It is easy to trust a message that is supported with dynamic commercial images.

Contact our Team for all of your Construction Photography Services

At Blanc Creative, we’ve been shooting Business Portraits for Groundworkers, Plumbers, Electricians, Independent Building Companies and Commercial Construction aBusinesses. Our historical clients include Morgan Sindall, Norse Group and Orbit Homes to name just a few. To find out more about our complete range of Construction photography Services, we have dedicated a full page purely to business styled portraits. Click Here to view our case studies and portfolios. Why not reach out to our team today on Tel: 07871 364041 or email: studio@blanc-creative.com

Over the past ten years, we’ve built up a huge portfolio to showcase our Business Portrait work so please do take a look. In fact, we’ve dedicated a whole page that’s absolutely bursting with creative Headshot photographs, environmental portraits and social media portrait images in all environments and against a multitude of backgrounds. If you think we can help your business with professional Commercial Photography, please reach out and speak with our team today on el: 07871 364041 or email: studio@blanc-creative.com

CLICK HERE TO VIEW OUR EXTENSIVE BUSINESS PORTRAIT IMAGES

Selfie Video Tips. Read on for some great pointers on how to take a good selfie video!

It’s a question on the lips of so many potential video makers, that we just had to put a little something together to put a few myths to bed and to help a few people along the way. We’ll start right at the very beginning. Shooting a solo video can be a bit on the daunting side if you’re new to filming, but we’re here to remove that overwhelm and show you that it’s not as tough as you think. Before we go any further, we need to look at where the content is going to be published. It could be social media, Tick-Tock, Instagram, Facebook. Or it could be that you’re here for something much more important, like a work based project. Either way, it’s important to know where the content will be hosted, because it also dictates how you compose your video and how you shoot it. But more on how to take a good selfie video in just a moment.

Selfie Video Tips – No:1 

We’ll start with the main concern around shooting selfie footage. Portrait or Landscape? It’s a BIG question. As a traditional Video producer shooting social media videos and commercial video projects for clients, the thought of producing video in anything other than landscape (or horizontal as we call it) was just bizarre and unorthodox. Video like any other trend, develops as social media platforms evolve. The digital video market has literally exploded in the past 5 years so knowing how to take a good selfie video is a training need that almost everybody with a mobile phone needs at some time or another, if for no other reason than to make the little videos you send to friends, easier to watch. So when is the best time to shoot in portrait (vertical mode) and at what point is it right to shoot traditionally… 

Vertical videos

Filming in portrait mode! Shooting upright will draw the viewer into the whole of the video and is is good for grabbing attention. It consumes the entire screen focusing on the subject. Statistics say that around 95% of the time phone users can’t be bothered to rotate their phones to watch a full video, so from a perspective of social channels just as instagram, snapchat and Tick-Tock, vertical is a winner. If youre producing a solo video clip for these platforms and the footage isn’t being mixed with other people’s footage, then vertical is good. You know it can easily be adapted to fit a square profile such as instagram so you can sit back and relax with your vertical creativity.

Horizontal videos

Professional Video, Youtube, Vimeo and Linkedin! Business videos, videos that are going to be played on large screens or televisions. They are all traditionally shot horizontally. As a professional video producer shooting commercial video and creative film for clients, my own selfie video tips verge on the side of shooting traditionally if footage will be published for business or it’s going to be used in conjunction with footage that is being shot horizontally. One of the biggest reasons for making horizontal videos is the alignment of our eyes being horizontal and our day to day lives also pan out  the same. If you’re shooting a combination of footage from different sources, then it’s usually better to stick with horizontal composition. We’ve all watch TV programmes or the news where you suddenly see footage shot on a phone by somebody and the left and right sidebars are blurred out so the footage can be viewed correctly horizontally. the video has to be modified because the video was shot in a vertical position rather than horizontal. The blurry bars are added in post-processing with the video playing in the centre, split in two to fill either side of the frame to fulfil the required aspect ratio of the broadcast. Personally I don’t like it because it looks messy and breaks all of the rules of traditional video and filming (unless of cpurse, you’re shooting  for a specific advert

This format is far better for everything that doesn’t involve just a single person. Include more person dynamics,  movement, pans or zooms… Then vertical is not recommended.

Selfie Video Tips – No:2

One of our better tips is using a good camera angle. Different individuals use different angles to make themselves look better on camera. Lower angles have a tendency to be a little unflattering, so don’t hold or position your camera too low. It’s good to keep the camera quite level your camera level with your eyes, reducing the need to look up or down. Strange angles and positioning are a bit awkward. We’ve all seen people ion groups over stretching arms to get 8 people into a photo and turning into a contortionist just to get the shot. It’s ok for a simple still, but try and hold that pose for any length of time (and) shot video (and) try and talk to camerta and you’l end up in al sorts of bother. If you’re shooing for a work based project, it will probably end up with unusable video. Learning how to take a good selfie video may take a few practice takes but enjoy yourself and just be natural. Shooting selfie videos are a lot different to still selfie photographs. This needs to be kept in mind when shooting your video. ! Don’t stand too far away unless you are trying to include other people, objects or background scenes in the shot as well. If you’re going to do this, then one of our good selfie video tips is use a selfie stick…. But not if you’re talking to camera because it’s a pretty good bet that the quality of the audio is going to be seriously affected.  Selfies are meant to be natural, like the camera is a person looking directly at you.  If you do plan on creating a silly video though, go ahead and experiment with different angles.

How’s the light? – Tip No:3

Your camera quality is going to impact pretty heavily on how your video looks. Cameras have come a long way on smartphones, but unless you’re sporting a 2021 camera, selfie front facing cameras on smart phones you have much less resolution that back facing cameras. Combine this with your shooting location and it can make or break your footage. One of our great selfie video tips is that natural light is your friend. Best shooting times are often in the morning while the sun is still coming up or in the evening when the sun starts to go down. We call this the golden hour. This type of sunlight acts a type of diffused light that will give your video a soft and warm look. Try and avoid shooting in directly harsh sunlight. If the sun is directly behind you, your face will be dark or may be silhouetted, if it’s in front of you, chances are you’ll be squinting. A selfie video doesn’t take much to change shooting location as you only have a phone, so try out a couple of different places to see what looks best or creative. If you are planning on filming indoors, be sure that you have plenty of light. Shoot near a window perhaps, with you facing the window and the camera pointing away from the window or perhaps film near  a light source LED lights are great because they often cast daylight or cool white light or you can pick up really inexpensive LED Panels which are great for this purpose.

Careful with your clutter – Tip No:4

Dodgy backgrounds have been the downfall of many professional video, not just the selfie. This simple Tip. Make the most of what you have at the location. Move clutter and undesirable objects out of the shot. For myself, as an avid plug and cable hater, moveable electrics need to go. Removing distractions where ever possible will make the viewing experience much more appealing for your audience. A few minor adjustments may be all that’s needed. Be sure to take a look at what is behind you before recording your video. Check for photo people video bombing your selfie video. As selfie video tips go, that’s one of the better ones. It’s easy to be so wrapped up in your video that you fail o see those people ruining your shot in the background. Whatever background you decide to go with, it’s always a good idea to do some test recordings to see what looks good before you start to shoot your actual video. If you’re shooting a video in your workplace, then you may not have to take this type of thing into consideration, particularly if you’re shooting in an industrial, production, construction or manufacturing industry. If you’re an interior designer trying to promote your business, then backgrounds may have considerably more importance.

What Kind of Sounds & Noises are Around You? – Tip No:6

This one is super quick. Remember that the microphones on smart phones are pretty small and will pick up everything from around you . Nobody likes to hear reversing vehicles, power tools and aeroplanes overhead. A video can be ruined by noise and sound. It makes up 50% of a good or bad film but we don’t always pay attention to sound before we start recording. If you;’e in the office, are people talking in the meeting room next door or will their mobile ring just as you’re about to deliver that seriously important message that your whole video rests upon.  This is an important part of how to take a good selfie video.  Stand still for a minute a to see if there are any annoying or repetitive sounds where you want to record. Traffic noise and  air conditioning running in the background. This can really detract from your videos. You want to make sure that if there is any noise at all that it’s not too loud and that it won’t take away from your video. As close to silence as you can get, sometimes works the best.

Think About What You Are Wearing

Sometimes we forget to stop and think about what type of clothes we have on and whether or not they look good. Are you shooting for your business or the company you work for. Then take a step back just before you shoot to make sure that your clothes reflect your brand and your business. Are you in an environment talking about PPE or Health & Safety but you are breaching company policy by not wearing the correct safety clothing. It could be that you’re wearing a hi vis jacket showcasing old branding that is out of date. It’s the little things that matter. Be sure that your cloths don’t blend in too much with your background and dress for the content that you’re talking about.

Posting Your Selfie Video to Social Media Sites

So you’ve shot your footage and need to get it out there in the public domain. How you do this is  completely up to you on where you want to post! We’ve already mentioned the most popular places to host your content including YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin for business shooters, Instagram or even vimeo.  It’s really important to make sure that your video is formatted correctly for the screen and how it’s been shot. You want to make sure your viewers  can see all of it! I mean, you want them to enjoy all of your hard work.  To make sure you’re really on top of things, here;’s a quick over of the sizes and formats for video and a link to a really informative article that gives you an enormous amount of information about video sizes for social media. But not now! Finish reading this article first please! The link is at the bottom of the post.

We’re Done! Now it’s over to you!