White Blouse* Own The Runway / Denim Skirt* ChicWish
Back to what I call “old-school” personal style blogging! I was reunited with my ol’ pal, the tripod and we worked together on today’s outfit post. I took Monday and Tuesday off so I had a lot of catching up to do today! I’ve been indoors all day so I’ve not had any shoes on or accessorised. Just a simple denim skater skirt and crisp white blouse for me!
For a while now, when it comes to style blogging, I have struggled to get a regular pace going. I was so dead set on making my photos look awesome that I kind of lost sight of what I was doing. Even though I was still excited to publish a new outfit post on my blog each time, I realised that my attitude towards blogging had changed so I unintentionally took a quiet break from fashion/style thing. Out of choice, we would travel for miles out of the godforsaken town to arrived at a decent location to shoot in, a place where we are both comfortable. Sometimes we make a day trip of it, but mostly, we drive to the park just to get my outfit photos taken there. It’s worth it for a set of pretty photos. But blogging moves so quick that even before we make our return journey home, I’m already thinking about the next set of photos. For the past 8 months, I’ve come back thinking “was it worth it?”
Nobody has asked us to do this, I just took it upon myself to try and put out the best looking content that I possibly can. At first, it was a natural progression and my work schedule fit in well with Niki’s but this has changed since his business, Hero&Cape, has continued to grow. And with how much the blogging game has moved on since the “good old days”, I felt like I couldn’t possibly go back to shooting indoors.
There’s been discussions on how blogging isn’t the same anymore, that it’s no longer enjoyable, we’ve lost that community vibe, we’re all turning in to clones, everyone’s just competing against one another. I’m always saying how much I miss how blogging used to be, it was fun back then. It was a nice feeling when we felt like we are all in this together. Now it’s all about strategy, keywords, getting the most ‘likes’ and “‘follows’ on social media – and I’m not saying that that’s not important but it’s all hurting my head, if I’m being be honest. So, with all these thoughts, it made me question myself and my own blog; what was I doing and who was I doing this for?
Attempting to put some thoughts in to writing, I’ve come to the conclusion that for the past 12 months, the way I had been working in regards to style blogging wasn’t ideal, for me or the blog. Not for the time being anyway. Maybe when I move, things might change! I enjoyed the days out that we had, but we drive for miles and miles or got the train to the next city all for the purpose to impress the brands who had gifted me the item. And I can’t afford to throw money away on petrol and travel fare anymore (SO.EXPENSIVE!!) Y’know, it’s money that I’m not going to make back as well. The pressure had got to me, and it sucked the fun out of blogging. Now I’m taking control of the matter and reminding myself that this is supposed to be an enjoyable thing to do.
As my photographer, Niki doesn’t think that shooting indoors is a good idea. After all, who wants to be replaced with a tripod! I’ve not completely replaced him yet and there will still be outfit photos with a pretty backdrop, but I have to remember that I’m just a blogger who wants to show you my outfits and that’s how it all started. It’s as simple as that yet I’ve overcomplicated everything in my head. Memo to self: I’m not a magazine, I don’t have budget, the time, or even the confidence to do fancy shoots every single time. And that’s completely ok! Maybe one day, though!….
I want blogging to remain something that I can still relate to. And I hope that my space on the Internet is a place that you can relate to aswell! x
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Absolutely loved reading this post Sarah. I definitely agree that the community has moved to a really competitive place even without reason for competitiveness. Despite how saturated the community is, there is always room for more blogs, each with their own unique voice because every single person and blogger is unique and different. While I mostly took my photo setting outdoors for lack of space purposes, it's interesting to hear your thoughts on the situation. It's quite easy to slip into creating a "perfect" aesthetic for your blog, isn't it? I've recently toned mine back down and simply take photos where it's convenient on the way out or when I'm already out – feels much simpler and much more me again. I'm glad you're feeling more positive towards the good old blogging days, lovely! xx
This is such a perfect post Sarah, I can relate to it so much at the moment! Each photo I take I try to better, constantly trying to get my photos to look like a glossy magazine/pinterest and i'm not even close! I can be too much of a perfectionist and it can suck the joy out of blogging. I've started to add in little lifestyle posts, using an old instagram photo of mine to take the pressure off so that I can really focus on the writing and It's helped me to love blogging again. I really miss the lovely sense of community there used to be, although its hopefully not completely gone yet! I love your blog and have for many years now, these photos are lovely, I love seeing your outfits as I love your style, no matter what the background is! 🙂 xx
SophiesMakeupBlog
I had a similar epiphany a little while ago, I remember how it was at the beginning there was much more of a real community and now it just seems like everyone is making friends for the benefits that brings. I got lost in the fast-paced world of beauty blogging and forgot about what it was all about in the first place – sharing my ideas and favourite products! I am trying to stop competing with the young'uns and just write about what I love!
And we will all still love your outfit posts whether there's a fancy background or a plain wall – we always have 🙂
xx
So much to say on this post. Firstly I love the simplicity of your outfit here and your hair looks amazing! Also, I've been checking out the Hero&Cape website and I love all of it! At first I thought it was american so I was a bit sad cause shipping from the US to the UK costs so much but yay! It's British 🙂 Love all of it, especially the watermelon crop top. Just wish the sizing was a bit bigger so I could buy it all! 🙂
Now to the point of your post 🙂 I totally agree about how blogging has become overly competitive. Not just with other bloggers but with yourself. I always want to make my blog better than it is and I put so much pressure on myself to take better photos and have new stuff to post about that it becomes work instead of fun so I'm trying my best to not do that. It's hard though because everyone is upping there game and you don't wanna be the one losing yours. But I guess it depends whether you are blogging for money and free stuff or because you genuinely LOVE what you are blogging about. It's clear that you're passionate about what you are blogging about and I think that's a much healthier way to be about blogging. I think I'm the same.
Sorry for the longest comment ever haah!
Hailes<3
To visit my blog – Hailes Hearts Fashion.
Bravo on this post Sarah. I've read along as you've gone from inside photos to outside and can honestly say, the setting rarely matters, it's your style and your personal flair that I'm interested in and I'll always be an avid reader.
Everything changes, jobs, positions, lives… of course media is one of those and of course it is ever changing. It's learning to adapt and cope with change that makes us xx
I actually have to say that I love your photos and I wish I could do it like you do! I totally understand the pressure of having "the best of best". Sometimes it can make us really tired and frustrated – it happens some times.
Still, I will keep looking forward for new posts from you – no matter if they are outdoors or indoors.
Take care*
Loved this post Sarah, everything you've written is so true, I could never have said it better myself x
holljc.blogspot.co.uk
Lovely post! I take all my photos at home, and wish I could get the time and money to travel out to lovely locations to take photos of my outfits but I can't. I'm still stuck back in the good old days of a tripod and at home back drop, but I've also refined my blog to fashion and lifestyle instead of a little bit of everything… I'm very conscious of all the things I'm doing with my blog and worrying about what people will think. Like, do they know I don't have anywhere to take photos, and does anyone even like my blog? But I just try and remember I blog because I love too… The good old days! 🙂
CAT xo
What Cat Says | BlogLovin'
Sarah. I cannot even begin to express just how much I can relate to everything you said in this post. The change for me really came when I stopped blogging professionally. When it was my job, I had no problem allowing taking photos, writing posts, leaving comments and tweeting to overtake my life because it had a purpose. But I decided to go back to the corporate world about a year ago and after that, I really struggled with feelings of guilt for not giving 100% of myself to every single post. And then I took a week off. And it was the most relaxing week I'd had in ages. And I wondered why I'd been killing myself over something that, as you said, no one asked me to do. These days, I post less and I feel better about what I'm putting out into the world because I don't spend time stressing if I don't get a specific about of photos for a certain week. But I'll still be the first to admit that I miss the good old days, when blogging didn't have a scheen of conformity slathered over it and the point wasn't to create the illusion that you live without the constraints of a fixed income. Personally, I'm trying to worry less about perfection and present more of reality, but I admit, it's an ongoing battle. It's refreshing to hear that others are feeling the same things, though 🙂
xox,
Cee
Great post, I only started blogging in 2011 and even I can see a vast difference now. It seems to be just about making money and making it your full time job now, it's as if hardly anyone genuinely wants to do it just for the fun of it!! I have to say though that although you might have changed some of the ways in which you blog I do think you've stayed pretty much true to yourself which is lovely 🙂
Jade x
Beauty Butterfly | UK Beauty Blog
Lifestyle posts definitely ward off those feelings. I haven't been blogging for so long but I understand what you're saying. I read about it all the time. I think that despite the struggle that comes from new-age blogging, if it's you're hobby and you're happy with your content, it is worth it. No blogger is perfect and as Sophie said above it's hard to get your pictures to look like a glossy. Simpler is better. I loved this post. You look gorgeous in this simple outfit! <3
doitfortheirony.blogspot.com
Awesome post!!!! I loved reading it!!!
xo, Lizzie
Haute-off-the-press.com
Life changes so quickly, but I hope you always stick with blogging as your posts and photos are perfection and I love your hair here xxx
As someone who rarely blogs outfit posts but enjoys looking at them, I'd say all the really fancy magazine-like photos people are taking these days actually sort of put me off, they feel impersonal! I generally don't follow blogs for flawless photography, but for how engaging the posts are.
Bravo, great post, well said. I've not been blogging long compared to some, but felt very quickly like my photos taken in my bedroom weren't good enough. It means that pretty much every weekend I'm doing exactly what you describe – driving out to pretty places, scheduling everything around photos – and unlike you, I don't even have pressure from brands as I've not yet been gifted much, I'm doing it all to myself!! I'm really pleased to see you voice these feelings, which I'm sure tonnes of us have.
Coming to this a little late to the game and in my late 20s, with a full-time career where I commute a total of 4 hours a day – I basically now feel like I've got another job at the weekends! And I love the idea of a community who engages with what you do and is mutually supportive, but I don't feel like that's what blogging is in my experience. It feels way more competitive than that. Such a shame… x
Girl you look as beautiful here as ever, and I actually really like the indoor photographs! Bright white surroundings = perfection. I understand your struggle though. I'm always travelling out of my way to find a decent location for outfit posts. Stressing over the quality of photos does definitely put a strain on the joy of blogging itself, but I think we all have to remember we're all going through the same stuff at the same time! I still love blogging so so much, and I think the sense of community is still there despite the amount of bloggers there is now. All we need is some positivity and continued support! xxx
Chloe @ The Little Plum
That's an adorable look !
Sara,
http://thecrimeofashion.blogspot.fr
Normally I don't comment but I feel like I have to now because this post was that good. Whilst I do enjoy a bit of landscape porn on fashion blogs, I still prefer just a simple plain backdrop. After all isn't that how most online stores display their items? Fashion blogging is supposed to be about the outfits that are created and the looks rather than the background. Sometimes the backgrounds are so mesmerising that I forget that I'm supposed to be paying attention to the clothes! So don't feel pressured like all the other bloggers into taking those nice landscape shots. I suppose they're nice once in a while but it doesn't have to be like that for every post. I'm so glad you made this post as it really speaks out about how the blogging community has changed 🙂
I am a fan of the plain backdrop – sometimes I feel it makes the outfit post more about the clothes which is cool 🙂 I think these pictures are great 🙂 Do you use a remote control for the camera – I had a go at taking pictures like this a while back as I really like the style but they came out really blurry – I'm such a beginner at this photography stuff 🙂 x
Paloma in Disguise x
I think you look fantastic, and I definitely don't need a fancy landscape to love your blog or your photos. Sure, they are pretty and lovely, but this looks great to me to, and if you hadn't mentioned it I never would have thought anything of it! I come here (and your blog is one of my absolute favourites) for lots of reasons, and your blog is special for much more than the backgrounds of photos. It's so much more important that you still love doing it, otherwise there's no point! xx
So true. The blogging community has changed a lot, also with IG I've noticed that many prefer just to look at the pictures and not take the time to read actual blog post or connecting to the blogger (not in every category though). Well, as for me I still do enjoy writing down some words to my pictures and I still enjoy reading other blogs, espcially yours ^_^ Your outfits are always so pretty, I don't think it matters much wheather they were taken indoor or outdoors ^.~
110% agree with everything you've said. Sometimes it can be so depressing reading certain blogs because their perfect styling and photography makes the blogger feel so unobtainable! I appreciate it aesthetically but I definitely prefer bloggers and blogs which I can identify with more. And yours is definitely in that list 🙂 I really like your honest approach to blogging and I'm glad you've realised that you don't need to ruin the fun of blogging by dragging yourself far and wide for fashion shoots. Look forward to your upcoming posts!
Smaz Says
Sarah xxx
I loved reading this post – a great reminder that blogging is really supposed to be fun!
Your blog is beautiful no matter where you take your photos. I love seeing interesting settings but a good old simple outfit post indoors is just as great, and really it puts more emphasis on the clothes and styling (which is what fashion blogging was originally all about!)
This is such a cute outfit too – simple yet stylish (as always!) 🙂
Lauren xx
laurenloveslaughter.blogspot.com.au
I totally agree with this post, I have rediscovered my sense of fun with blogging recently and it makes it much nicer!
Maria xxx
Sarah thank you so much for taking the time to write this and for being so candid. As a fellow blogger, I of course totally relate. To. Every. Single. Word!! A wonderful read and I love the idea of making blogging enjoyable again!! xoxo
PS Love the outfit!
What a great and refreshing post Sarah! I discovered blogging in 2009, the good old days, and wanted to start my own back then. (I really wish I did, but didn’t feel confident enough to – though that’s another story!) I suppose the point I’m making is that back then, there wasn’t the expectation of photoshoot-esque blog posts that there is now – people posted photos from their bedrooms and gardens – yet I feel that I can’t use these locations because of the way things are now – I can’t help but feel that it isn’t ‘good enough’ or ‘up to standard’ compared to others. I too don't always have the time or opportunities to find picturesque locations for photos and have felt reluctant to blog because of it, even though I really want to get back into it properly. Anyway I’ll stop rambling now! Thank you for reminding me what blogging is really about and for the inspiration! 🙂
Sarah xx
http://shewasadaytripper.net/
I couldn't have put it better myself! It does feel like the dynamics of blogging have shifted a lot since I first joined and the same goes for YouTube as well, even though I don't have a channel myself I can just tell by watching that the type of videos and the vibes I get from them aren't the same as they used to be when it was a girl talking in front of the camera about products etc just for the fun of it rather than to gain something out of it. I guess there's change in everything but sometimes it would be great if it all slowed down a bit because it's so hard to keep up! The time and cost aspect that you picked up on is so important as well, everyone (including myself) can get so easily caught up in making everything the best and it can't always be that way, especially as it's not my job. Great post 🙂 xx
Saida
http://saidacane.co.uk
Bless. It's great that you've reconnected with what it was about blogging that made you happy in the first place. Blogging can take over life, it becomes an addiction. But for me it's become a distraction which is a good thing with how down and depressed I can feel most of the time. I've made my blog a place where I can share my thoughts and life's experiences with anyone who can relate to them. It's also giving me that push in the right direction to change things about my life that I'm not happy with and it's all thanks to the inspirational people I've discovered through the blogging world 🙂
Yazmin xx
http://www.yazzyscorner.co.uk