Manfrotto Blogger Master Class

This week I was fortunate enough to be invited along to the #BlogManfrotto event at Lumiere London. When I first heard about the event I was really excited because primarily I love anything related to photography, but also because last Christmas my husband had bought me a few products from the Manfrotto range and they have proved to be indispensable to me this year. 

2016 has been the year where I have focused on improving my own photography skills and improving my blogs aesthetic appeal. I have also branched into YouTube and creating videos and with that has come a greater need to attempt to get my lighting and creative setup right. For me it's an ongoing process, and somewhat of a learning curve, to continue to improve my skills in this area and as I look back through my blog posts and my Instagram feed I am pleased that I can see positive changes in my work. 

The Manfrotto blogger event was in essence a photographic masterclass which included workshops with fashion photographer Nicole Gomes and experienced photographer Eddie Macdonald, both of whom have worked with some big name brands. 

When we arrived at the venue at Lumiere London it was great to see so many different photographic setups covering food photography, lifestyle and fashion, along with the more professional equipment needed to achieve the perfect photo.

As already mentioned, some of the equipment on display I was already familiar with using such as the small Lumimuse LED lights which are perfect for blogger photography because they're so small and lightweight, as well as being super easy to use. I try to photograph in natural light as much as possible but these little lights have been the perfect solution for me in bad light situations. They are also the only lighting equipment I currently use for my YouTube videos. They may be small but they are really powereful! 

I have also been using a Manfrotto mini tripod this year which is another product I don't think I could live without now. It's the perfect small and lightweight tripod to use when out and about, and I also find it really useful when photographing products or food on tables. I sometimes also use it when I am vlogging as holding a camera in my hand all the time can become a pain and it's much easier to achieve more complimentary angles if my vlogging camera is on a handheld tripod. Like all of the Manfrotto equipment I have experienced using, these mini tripods are so well made and great quality products. You only have to pick one up in your hands to feel how nice and easy they are to use. 

The event itself was a really fun and interesting evening which I am so glad I made the effort to attend. It was a real insight to see how other photographers work and the different kind of setups they use when photographing different subjects. We also had the opportunity to ask questions and get help with any burning photography issues we have been experiencing. It was nice to be able to meet some other blogger friends in person and hear about their own photography woes.  

I left the evening with lots of new found knowledge and a new wish list! I particularly loved the look of the new TwistGrip universal smart phone clamp which is such a cool piece of kit which enables you to attach your phone to your tripod. I use my phone a lot for taking photos and videos so this is definitely a product I know I will get a lot of use from. 

I also got thinking about how I can improve my lighting setup going forward and I really liked the look of the LYKOS Daylight LED light with accompanying soft box and bluetooth dongle. This bit of kit is so cool as it lets you control the light via an app on your smart phone which is just a genius idea! 

Manfrotto kindly gave us goodie bags at the end of the evening which included an amazing 20% discount code for my readers! To make use of this discount just head over to the Manfrotto website and enter: BLOGMANFROTTO20 at the checkout. This code is valid until October 2017 and can only be used once per customer. 

What will you be buying!? Let me know in the comments below if you make use of this offer!

And a big thank you to Manfrotto for a really great evening! 

* This blog post is not sponsored.  All views and opinions expressed within the post are my own.