How to use lighting to advance your social media
By Sophie Nutt | 27 September 2018 | Expert Advice, Feature
Social media is a great way to attract potential new customers by sharing images of your clients’ nails. Lighting, however, can make or break the success of an image online and its impact on followers. Therefore, it is key to ensure you’re using great lighting to produce high quality images for your social media profiles, as this will catch the attention of nail-browsers.
“Clever lighting can make a picture look like it has been taken by a professional, when in reality it may have been a very quick snap at the end of a nail appointment,” says Natasha Lee, Scratch Stars Best UK Nail Blogger 2018. “Consider taking your nail pictures by a window. Natural light has a blue tone and is usually best for giving a true representation of colour. If you have used glitter, particularly holographic glitter, direct sunlight or ceiling spotlights are great ways to capture the sparkle.
“If you have a daylight manicure lamp, position it directly opposite the nails at around a 90-degree angle and take your picture as close to that angle as possible. Ensure that the whole surface of the nail is in view; not at an angle unless you are trying to show particular additional detailing, such as 3D detailing or effects on the underside of the nail.”
“Poor lighting will not show the true quality of your work you have created, therefore you are not marketing yourself to your full potential,” – Annabel Ifill, Nail Harmony UK London educator.
When taking a photo of your work, good lighting is the fine line separating eye-catching images and low quality, grainy snaps that don’t do your work justice. “Poor lighting will not show the true quality of your work you have created, therefore you are not marketing yourself to your full potential,” says Annabel Ifill, Nail Harmony UK London educator. “Some new clients will come to you as they like your work on Instagram, for example. In this case, first impressions are very important.
“If you do prefer a brighter separate lamp that creates cooler light for photography but don’t want to spend time trying to find the right bulbs then a selfie ring light for your mobile phone is great!”
Read more lighting tips in the September issue of the magazine!