Saturday, January 14, 2017

Keepin' it real

Since the new year, there's been an increase in self-portraits (different from selfies) on my IG feed.  Some have been amazing and inspiring and so I thought I would give it a shot despite not having much patience for that type of photography.  "That type" being the kind that requires a remote.  And so I tried but the lack of natural light was hampering my progress and I gave up after two attempts.

1.14a
(Lazy self-portrait)

Legit question:  Is it "in" now (and I know saying that makes me sound old) to say that you are uncomfortable or shy in front of the camera?  I know a lot of people and photographers really are but I don't understand the blogger/instagrammers who make this claim but their IG feeds are basically photos of themselves.  One stated this and I seriously thought she was being sarcastic at first.

Speaking of Instagram, have you read this article? Confessions of an Instagram Influencer.  Kind of eye-opening.

A photography blogger once wrote that those who use the strap that came with his/her camera are either amateurs or showing off which camera he/she has.  (Have I already talked about this?  I feel like I may be repeating myself.)  What about the practical people who really don't care?  I know there are more comfortable straps but I haven't taken the time to research and so I use the strap that came with my camera.  Call me an amateur but go ahead and poll 100 random people on the street.  How many even know what D750 means?




That's me on an average day.  Most days, I don't wear makeup.  There are days I dress nicer - like if Anna has an appointment.  But for the most part, I'm dropping off/picking up the girls from school (in a big winter coat) or sitting in the dance lobby (in a big winter coat) or running errands (in a big winter coat.)  Almost everyone else I know, who isn't dressed for work, dresses this way.  It's the norm in the real world but sometimes, the online world looks totally different.  I can't imagine wearing a silk blouse around the house all day while I do laundry and cook and clean.  (I'm looking at you stay-at-home mom fashion bloggers.)  I actually wear pajama pants when I'm at home - so comfy.






I was reading an article the other day about Whole 30 and I thought, Hey, maybe, and then quickly returned to eating my ice cream.  I am eating better but I still believe in moderation.  And ice cream.  After many, many, many years, I started lifting weights again. I'm not loving it but I like the results so I'll suck it up.  I've been running three times a week, very slowly trying to get back to three miles without that spot on my left leg flaring up.

Good night!

6 comments:

Tracy said...

Omg that article, I had no idea about any of that IG influencer stuff, I have exactly 14 followers and the people I follow are mostly friends who post pics of their cute kids, cute dogs, vacation, crafts, etc.

And pajama pants and ice cream are two of my favorite things, too. 👍🏻

Unknown said...

hi sarah, I totally agree that it makes no difference what so ever what camera make you use,camera strap included, unbelievably I read an article recently in a highly regarded magazine that stated if hiring a wedding photographer don't hire anyone who didn't use a canon camera...What!!!(it didn't mention what strap they should have)...the only reason I changed my camera strap was being 6 and half foot tall,the camera strap supplied with the camera was too short for me, so I got the peak design slide lite which works great for me....I also agree with you about IG feeds, some do paint a very unrealistic view of real life,mine at least.... I do however like the photo of you holding your camera(Nikon)in the mirror, its a good photo, very creative....

Wendy said...

The faux "I'm not comfortable" thing kind of drives me crazy, because really? You're so uncomfortable, is that why you have 234908435 selfies on your feed? The need for validation and "tell me I'm pretty" makes me want to scream : *)
I used to have a more comfortable strap on my camera, but I haven't put one on my 750. I wear my camera a lot, and a softer, padded strap helps but it also makes my neck super sweaty. Over the fall, when I was shooting for four or five hours straight, the regular strap was really uncomfortable, but I have to wear it- I'd rather have a bit of a hurting neck than a busted camera that got dropped.

I posted a picture in the Pretty group of my every day-- I'm in my PJs at noon!

Merks said...

We did Whole 30 awhile ago and it was really eye-opening. It didn't kill my late-night snack habit (which is not good), but it did make me change some of my habits, like drinking my coffee black instead of sweet and light, cooking with coconut oil, etc. It definitely helped that my husband did it with me. The kids still had grains and dairy and everything though, so that was difficult because I would have preferred to have everything else out of sight, out of mind.

http://merkelmaking.blogspot.com/search/label/whole30%3B%20food%3B%20meals%3B

Christi said...

the Bloomberg article is really interesting!

I upgraded my camera strap a few years ago to the Black Rapid. I love how comfortable it is to wear - especially when walking around the city (or Disney.) But before that I had the factory issue Canon one.

There's a reason "athleisure" is a new fashion category. It's comfy! Those mommy bloggers with the perfect finger wave hair styles, peeptoe heels and big chunky necklaces always make me laugh. I hope they get compensated with more than just free clothes but probably not.

Bree at Clarity Defined said...

I had my grandma sew me a "cover" for my Canon strap. Mostly, it's just way more comfortable because of the padding, but I did pick colors that are more "me." (And now, 8ish years later, it's dirty and discussing and should be redone, but ah well...)

I did Whole30 last spring and am almost done with another now. It makes my life a lot simpler by removing too many choices and I feel better too. I am excited to "reintroduce" and see what I learn though.

As for Instagram, the influencer sphere is interesting and not quite what it's made out to be in that article, but it definitely depends on what type of account you have. It is definitely a lot of work and there's a ton of planning/strategy that goes into growing. I think I could probably start to monetize my account, but most of the brands I see tend to be more lifestyle (watches, towels, etc...) and that doesn't really fit my photo style, haha.