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HOGGER & Co. media

photographing what everyone wants to remember. since 2006

  • Work
  • Work With Me
  • Weddings + Engagements
  • Publications
  • Travel - Canada
  • Travel - USA
  • Travel - International
  • Prints
  • 3D Animation Demo Reel
  • Travel Guides
    • Travel Tips
    • Amsterdam
    • Aruba: One Happy Island
    • Beers Around the World
    • Boston City Guide
    • Downton Abbey: Filming Locations
    • New Mexico: White Sands 5 tips
    • New Orleans City Guide
    • Puerto Rico: San Juan Guide
    • Stockholm: 10 Things to Do
  • Blog
    • PHOTOHOGGER
    • FASHIONHOGGER
    • FOODHOGGER
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT

Travel Tips

The Colosseum, Rome, Italy, June 2016

The Colosseum, Rome, Italy, June 2016

The truth is, while traveling can feel quite glamorous, it can also sometimes be difficult and one should always pack a bit of patience along for the journey.

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tags: travel, travel tips, travel guide, travel photographer, photographer, blogger, travel photoblog, traveling, how-to
categories: Travel, Tips
Thursday 01.31.19
Posted by Smita Jacob
 

The Lights Fest

LightsFest_©Hoggerandco_Insta_2018_009.jpg

Certain things have made it to my bucket list solely due to Instagram. Places like, Iceland, Petra, the hot air balloons over Cappadocia, Turkey, the White Sands National Monument (crossed off!).
The Lights Festival was also one of those things.

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tags: lightsfest, lights fest, lights, festival, lantern, ontario, events, outdoors, outdoor, friends, dunnville, lanterns, night
categories: Event, Festival, Instagram, Night, Outdoors, Party, photography, Photography, Portrait, Season, Sunset, Tips, Travel
Sunday 09.09.18
Posted by Smita Jacob
 

Boston Guide

HoverBoston_Jpegs_2016_005_blog.jpg

I'm always asked to share my favorite restaurants and things to do in Boston, so I thought I'd post a quick guide in case you're ever visiting Boston over a weekend.

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tags: Boston, travel, travel guide, guide, Massachusetts, tips
categories: Architecture, Boston, boston, Cambridge, Travel, Tips
Wednesday 08.08.18
Posted by Smita Jacob
 

Puerto Rico: Old San Juan: A Hat Story

If you want an original panama hat, visit this friendly Mom and Pop-esque shop. In about 20 minutes and for $80, they will have you fitted for a hat. You get to write your own initials in pen on a piece of leather and they will still stick it into the hat for you.

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tags: Puerto Rico, san juan, hats, shopping, shops, travel, photographer, Travel tips, travel guide, travel tips
categories: fashion, Fashion, Outdoors, photography, Photography, Portrait, Shop, Travel, Tips
Monday 07.31.17
Posted by Smita Jacob
 

Harvard Square: The Charles Hotel

We recently checked into the Charles Hotel in the heart of Harvard Square for a staycation in the city.

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tags: hotels, hotel, boston, cambridge, harvard, food
categories: Boston, Cambridge, boston, Exterior, Food, Hotels, Instagram, Interior, Outdoors, photography, Photography, Restaurant, Shop, Street, Tips, Travel
Wednesday 08.03.16
Posted by Smita Jacob
 

Travel: Top 10 Things to Do in Nova Scotia

I recently had the pleasure of working with Tourism Nova Scotia and Destination Canada on their @VisitNovaScotia and @ExploreCanada campaign.

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tags: Nova Scotia, travel, travel tips, travel photography, canada, food, photography, halifax, Joggins Fossil Cliffs
categories: Boat, Canada, Food, History, Hotels, Instagram, Museum, Outdoors, Photography, photography, Restaurant, Tips, Travel
Monday 07.20.15
Posted by Smita Jacob
Comments: 42
 

10 Tips On How to Make Your Instagrams Better

I don't know anyone who's not addicted to Instagram, do you?

With more Instagrams taking up our Twitter feeds, I thought I'd share a few tips on how to make your Instagrams better with some examples from my own feed (@hoggerandco) to illustrate some things I've noticed since I started using the app. And if you're on Instagram, give me your handle so I can follow you!

1. Minimalism. Less is more. This is a common theme of many Instagrammers I follow. The negative space around a subject often times proves more interesting. This is common in landscape shots. More sky, less building.

2. Self-portraits. Adding one or two self-portraits in your feed gives your followers a glimpse of YOU. I enjoy getting a glimpse of what the people I follow look like. Of course, that's to say, not dedicating your entire feed to a self-portrait party. And if you prefer to remain annonymous, more power to you.

3. Good lighting. Good light is important in getting the attention on what it is you're taking a photo of. If you're in a dark restaurant, you're not likely to get a good shot of what you're eating. But with more light, the easier it is to showcase your subject.

4. Good shadow. Shadow is equally as important as good light. The two work well together in creating interesting compositions.

5. Speaking of which. Composition. Composing a shot into an interesting array of subject matter can elevate the mundane. Remember the rule of thirds, that not everything has to be in the center of the frame. Having a focal point and having everything else in the shot direct your eye to the focal point is a good place to start.

6. Shoot from above. Many of the people I follow have some of the best Instagram photos because they shoot from above the object. Give it a try...you'll look silly doing it at the time, but you'll love the result.

7. Crop. Don't be afraid to crop your shot down. Getting rid of distracting objects on the outskirts of the shot make it more interesting (here I cropped out the cabanas).

8. Don't zoom in. Don't zoom into the subject before taking the photo. You'll end up with a pixelated shot. Instead take the photo and then crop it. If you're too far away from your subject, you're better of forgetting about the subject altogether rather than using an overly pixelated shot just for the sake of it. (Here I got up close instead of zooming into the fish, I decided to keep the cooler in the shot).

9. Blur is your friend. If used properly, the blur tool can really highlight your subject. The "spot" blur is great for really focusing on something, whereas I like using the "bar" blur for creating semi tilt-shift scenarios.

10. Silhouettes. Sometimes a silhouette is all you need to tell a story.

Was this helpful? Would you like to see more photo tips on the blog?

 

tags: 10 Tips, 10 Tips to make your Instagrams better, instagramming, instagrams, photo tips, photography tips, tips
categories: Instagram, Photography, Tips
Saturday 08.18.12
Posted by Smita Jacob
Comments: 17