The #Sunday #Link-Up is open to attendees at #AWBU. Enter your name and link to any of the #AWBU photographs/videos you posted to social media.
Category: #AWBU
#AWBU 2015 Schedule
Some of you are planners. You want to know exactly which sessions to attend at the upcoming #AWBU conference. So, here’s a sneak peek into what is happening next weekend. It’s going to be a wonderful time full of learning, community building, and fun.
Arkansas Women Bloggers University 2015
#AWBU
#FoodieFriday, August 28, 2015
Presented By:
11:30 Registration and Gathering, The Arlington Conference Center
12:00 Foodie Friday: Welcome
12:15 Keynote Speaker: Georgia Pellegrini
Chef, Author, Adventure Expert, TV Personality ~ @gpellegrini
Topic: Branding Yourself
1:15 Jana Hunter ~ 10 Ways to Ruin Your Party
2:00 Women in Agriculture Panel
2:30 Chef Matthew Bell ~ @chefmabellz ~ South on Main, Little Rock
From Our Field. To The Kitchen. For Your Table.
3:15 Break
3:30 Creative Food Photography
Branding Yourself with Gorgeously Designed Food Photos (Interactive)
5:00 Announcements and Dismissal
#AWBU 2015 FULL CONFERENCE
FRIDAY, AUGUST 28
4:00 – 5:30 p.m. Registration – The Arlington Hotel Mezzanine
6:00 p.m. Full Conference Kick-off and Evening of Fun-
Crystal Ballroom – Derby Hat Night
Lela Davidson, Work/Life Balance and Fun
SATURDAY, AUGUST 29
7:30 a.m. Breakfast – Conference Room C
8:30 a.m. Conference Welcome & Kick-Off, Y’all – Conference Room C
Stephanie Buckley, The Women Bloggers/ARWB Founder
8:45 a.m. Keynote Speaker Presentation – Rhea Lana Riner
10:00 -10:45 Workshop Session 1:
- Conference B: How to Handle Your Legal Issues in Blogging – Meredith Lowry
- Conference A: Your Facebook Fans Don’t Matter- Ramona Collins
- Hickory Room: How to Increase Your Chances of Getting Hired – Suzy Taylor Oakley
11:00 -11:45 Workshop Session 2
- Conference B: Blogging as a Launching Pad to Social Media Work – Fawn Rechkemmer
- Conference A: Blogs and Photography – Nick Smith
- Hickory Room: Creating a Writing Sanctuary – Julie Kohl
Noon – 1:15 Lunch, sponsored by Riceland. Um, yum. Plus, a huge fun thing! Please be in your seats by 12:00
1:30 – 2:15 Workshop Session 3
Conference C: Get Hired by ARWB – Panel with Farm Bureau’s Taste Arkansas, First Security Bank’s OnlyinArk, Riceland, Ghidotti Communications, Petit Jean Meats and Stephanie Buckley
2:30 – 3:15 Workshop Session 4
- Conference B: Podcasting – Taylor Bradford
- Conference A: WordPress Visual Design and You – Nick Smith
- Hickory Room: Professional Writing – Angie Albright
3:15 – 3:30 Afternoon break
3:30 – 4:15 p.m. Workshop Session 5
- Conference B: Email Marketing – Laurie Marshall
- Conference A: Evernote – Beth Stephens
- Hickory Room: Yes, You are a Writer – Mari Farthing
4:30– 5:30 p.m. Feed the Funnel—The Pack Shack- Magnolia Room
We will host a one hour Feed the Funnel party. Meals packed at Feed the Funnel parties are donated free of charge to local organizations, such as food banks and food pantries, for distribution to people and organizations in their area. Our blog/social media community giving back to the community that gives so much to us.
6:30 p.m. Dine around Hot Springs
Rest up, freshen up. We’re heading out on the town! Walkable dinner options all around the hotel. Grab some friends, old and new, and grab some food in historic Hot Springs.
Join us in the Hospitality Room (Al Capone Suite) for snacks, games, and a lot of laughs. Thank you Petit Jean Meats, Mountain Valley Spring Water, Central Arkansas McDonalds
SUNDAY, AUGUST 30
6:00 a.m. Rise, Shine, and Run! Morning run with Ashley Ederington, Maniac Mom
Zumba with Brittney Lee of RazorbackBritt.com Conference Center
Breakfast on your own. There will be plenty of snacks in the Hospitality Room, Pancake House across street, buffet in lobby.
8:30 – 9:45 Alliance Rubber Company –
Creativity and Fun. Made in the USA.
10:00 – 10:45 Workshop Session 7
- Conference B: 45 Ideas in 45 Minutes – Allyson Twiggs Dyer & Rhonda Franz
- Conference A: Advanced Photography – Heather Disarro
- Hickory Room: Letting Go of Blog Envy – Stephanie Clinton
11:00 – 11:45 Workshop Session 8
- Conference B: SEO/Google Analytics – Elizabeth Michael
- Conference A: Periscope – Jeanetta Darley & Kellee Mayfield
- Hickory Room: Writing for the Web – Karen Jordan
11:45 – 12:00 Conference Wrap-up
12:00 – 12:30 Check out/conference ends. Happy Trails, and Happy Blogging. Tweeting, Instagramming… you get my point!
#AWBU 2015 Foodie Friday Presenters Announced
#AWBU Foodie Friday 2015
Presented By
@TasteArkansas
The Arlington Hotel ~ Hot Springs, Arkansas
August 28, 2015
Registration and Gathering begin at 11:30
#AWBU #FoodieFriday15
by Foodie Friday gal Debbie Arnold of DiningWithDebbie
The awesomeness of #AWBU Foodie Friday just keeps getting better and better, and after scanning this year’s distinguished list of presenters and their topics, I just know you are going to agree. These presenters are strong voices for Arkansas, its farmers, its producers and its programs. We are fortunate that our presenting sponsor, Taste Arkansas, has again shown its support of Arkansas Women Bloggers and our efforts to further the story of Arkansas
Registration for Foodie Friday attendees begins at 11:30 at The Arlington and also includes your registration for AWBU so you’re one and done! Our program begins sharply at noon so you’ll want to be sure to be on time. You won’t want to miss a single minute of the afternoon’s program.
While there will be light snacks available, note that lunch will not be served. Feel free to bring your lunch with you, however. And if you’re so inspired, you can share with me!
I’m excited to see you and just know you are going to enjoy the best #AWBU Foodie Friday ever! Feel free to email Debbie with your questions.
Keynote Speaker: Georgia Pellegrini
Chef, Author, Adventure Expert, TV Personality ~ @gpellegrini
Topic: Branding Yourself
Jana Hunter
@janahunterint
Topic: 10 Ways to Ruin Your Party
Arkansas Farm Bureau Women in Agriculture Panel
Janeal Yancey, Moderator ~ @meatcountermon ~ ARWB member
Panelists: Beth Moss, farmer and seed salesman for Progeny Ag Products;
Susan Anglin, dairy & beef cattle farmer in Benton County @anglindairy ~ ARWB member
Cassie Davis is a dairy farmer and blogger in Washington County
Chef Matthew Bell ~ @chefmabellz
South on Main, Little Rock
From Our Field. To The Kitchen. For Your Table.
Chef Bell comes to us through the courtesy
of The Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board
Heather Disarro ~ Heather’s Dish
Creative Food Photography: Branding Yourself with Gorgeously Designed Food Photos (Interactive)
BRING YOUR CAMERAS, IPHONES, IPADS, ETC.
Assisting Heather:
Jenny Marrs ~ Blessings and Raindrops
Sarah Shotts ~ Love Letter to Adventure
Whitney Binzel ~ Whit Bits Indian Kitchen
Hostesses and Social Media Facilitators
Keisha Pittman Big Pitt Stop ~@bigpittstop
Talya Boerner Grace Grits and Gardening ~ @gracegrits
Jodi Coffee The Coffee House Life ~ @thecoffeehousel
Kellee Mayfield Delta Moxie ~ @deltamoxie
#AWBU Foodie Friday Details
#AWBU 2015 Registration Opens
Five years of #AWBU amazing, wow, what a journey.
Five years ago, we decided to gather women from every walk of life in a unique place that would be warm and welcoming, a place to grow and stretch bloggers as they
explored or even discovered their voices, and we knew we wanted to cultivate deep connections and create an atmosphere that felt like sneaking off for an amazing weekend with your best girlfriends.
We did just that.
We would like to invite you to our FIFTH Annual Conference, #AWBU 2015, to be held at The Arlington Hotel in Hot Springs, August 28-30. This years conference will focus on elevating your main brand component…YOU!
The conference will continue to feature great sessions, opportunities to network
with bloggers and sponsors, and some of the brightest speakers in social media and business. Our opening keynote on Saturday will be Rhea Lana Riner, founder and CEO of Rhea Lana, Inc. and Rhea Lana’s Franchise Systems, Inc. She started her children’s consignment event business 17 years ago in her living room while she was a stay-at-home mom raising three young children.
Franchising six years ago, the company now has 80 locations in 24 states. Rhea Lana’s has been awarded a place on Inc. Magazine’s 500/5000 list of the fastest growing privately held companies as well as first place recognition with The Franchise Business Review which reflects franchisee satisfaction. Rhea Lana was recognized by Enterprising Women, a national publication and foundation that honors entrepreneurial women with rapidly growing companies who seek to mentor other women in business.
Saturday Afternoon Speaker:
Lela Davidson is the award-winning author of Blacklisted from the PTA and Who Peed on My Yoga Mat? Her latest book, Faking Balance: Adventures in Work and Life, explores the middle ground between leaning and maxing out. From fast track to mommy track to yoga-panted freelancer and back again, Lela has been all kinds of working mother. Described as an astute observer of modern life, she has a talent for uncovering the humor in everyday family life.
Lela’s work has appeared in on NBC News/TODAY Moms, iVillage, The Huffington Post, and NPR. She is currently the Vice President of Media & Entertainment for leading country lifestyle brand, Country Outfitter. She speaks nationally about motherhood, marriage, and faking work-life balance.
The Foodie Friday add-on event, sponsored by Arkansas Farm Bureau’s Taste Arkansas, will knock your foodie socks off. Renowned Chef, Author, Outdoor Adventure Expert and TV Personality Georgia Pellegrini will be our Foodie Friday Keynote. Due to space, we will only have 70 Foodie Friday tickets available.
- Early-bird Registration: $199 per person (must register no later than May 31, 2015)
- Early Bird Registration plus Foodie Friday: $239 (must register no later than May 31, 2015
- Regular Registration: $250 per person (by August 15, 2015)
- Regular Registration plus Foodie Friday (by August 15, 2015)
Make your plans now to attend #AWBU 2015 and experience our warm and welcoming atmosphere where we gather bloggers from all walks of life for some fun and camaraderie, and help you to grow your blog and connect.
- Fill out Eventbrite form below or click here.
- A special room rate of $92/night has been arranged with The Arlington Hotel. Please call the hotel (1.800.643.1502) or go online to make your registration. You must use the group code BLOGGERS to get that rate. We HIGHLY recommend booking early as we only have a certain number of rooms booked and you will not want to miss out!
Early Bird Registration ends May 31! Do not put it off, you will not want to miss out on another AMAZING #AWBU conference.
Living and Telling Great Stories: AWBU {Part 3}
Back in September at AWBU I talked about Living and Telling Great Stories.
I keep talking about storytelling because I really believe it is the best way to build a following around your blog.
People LOVE a good story.
So I already shared about two kinds of stories you can live and tell on your blogs, The Sacred Everyday and The Noteworthy Days.
But then there’s a third kind of story to live, and it’s what I like to call:
The Grand Adventure
A grand adventure is an epic you can climb inside of. It’s a story that takes some dreaming and some planning.
It’s a story that makes you excited to get out of bed in the morning. It’s something that heightens your senses. It makes you alive to life. It’s a story that makes you want to keep blogging.
It can take a lot of different shapes but it has to be something that is uniquely you.
By that I mean that you can’t compare your grand adventure to someone else’s. Or you get in trouble.
My current grand adventure is called #48walks, and it’s part of my attempt to embrace where I live and the fact that for the most part, we walk everywhere. All the walks I’ve done this year have been leading up to longer walks, and specifically, a long walk across England that I did in September.
The Coast to Coast Trail in England is 191 miles. It sounded pretty impressive to me. I was actually kind of scared I wouldn’t be able to finish.
To me, it sounded like a Grand Adventure.
But as soon as I said that my Grand Adventure was going to be walking from the west coast of England to the east, I found out that 10000 people walk it every year. Someone actually ran it in five days. In 1991, someone ran the entire route in just under 40 hours.
I know of someone else who is going to run across the entire USA. Another blogger is currently walking across the whole world.
So if I start comparing my adventure to others, pretty soon I feel like it is no big deal that I walked across England, and I start thinking that maybe I should find something more original.
That’s when I have to stop and remember:
This is my Grand Adventure. For me it’s a story worth living and a story worth telling.
Your Grand Adventure is going to be something that makes YOUR heart beat faster. Because we’re all different.
Maybe your Grand Adventure is…
eating only food you cook for a year.
giving away all your possessions.
having coffee once a week with someone new.
filming heirloom recipes internationally.
raising a significant amount of money for a worthy cause.
a trip around the world.
running a marathon.
For me, it was going for a long walk.
Even though all grand adventures are not the same, all Grand Adventures seem to have some of the same elements.
So besides the fact that it EXCITES YOU, here’s how you know you’re setting out on a Grand Adventure:
A Grand Adventure involves RISK, even the risk of FAILURE.
So your adventure should have some elements that stretch you. That push you to the limit of your strength or your skill set or your mental prowess.
It is going to stretch you and there will be hard work involved.
And there could be failure. And that’s OK.
In fact it’s best to acknowledge up front that you could completely fail at your Grand Adventure.
But that doesn’t mean the adventure wasn’t worth taking.
Your grand adventure is your story arc. It’s this beautiful design that shapes your life for a season. But the point of the arc is to give us something to live through. Not necessarily attain something.
It’s the journey not the destination.
We’ve all heard that before, but when you step back and look at someone’s story it’s all this bit in the middle of the story arc that is interesting, that keeps you engaged.
And living through the journey is what changes us. Molds us. Shapes us.
You cannot ever fully prepare for A Grand Adventure.
There are unpredictable elements for which there is no preparing.
No matter how much you prepare, you never feel ready to take it on. At some point, you just go for it. This is where a blog comes in really handy in living a big story, because at some point you put it out there that this is what you are going to do, and then there’s more pressure to actually do it.
I find that it helps if you have to commit to something. Again, put things on the calendar. Meetings. Tickets. Commitments.
So you have to start.
And then in the middle of the journey all kinds of things happen that you didn’t plan. Here are some quotes from Donald Miller that I used at AWBU this year about the harder bits of a Grand Adventure:
The negative turns in a story is what makes it interesting. Don’t be discouraged by negative turns. If you understand that this is what makes it interesting, then you don’t give up when you encounter a setback. Plus the pain makes the ending more beautiful.
Here’s the truth about telling great stories with your life. It’s going to sound like a great idea and you are going to get excited about it, and then when it comes time to do the work, you’re not going to want to do it. It’s like that with writing books, and it’s like that with life. People love to have lived a great story, but few people like the work it takes to make it happen. But joy costs pain.
Have you ever been in the middle of something hard and thought this: “I hate this moment but I’m going to love this memory.”
Donald Miller from A Million Miles
That last quote from Donald Miller perfectly describes so many events of my life. Even amazing events like being in Paris on Bastille Day often have a backstory of events that also made the day difficult.
All Grand Adventures are like this. They are made up of moments you hate and moments you love. In fact, it is the mixture of the memories of both are what make the story brilliant.
So there you have it. Three Ways to Live and Tell Great Stories on your blog: The Sacred Everyday, Noteworthy Days and The Grand Adventure.
So friends, go live the story that you want to write about. Then come back and tell me all about it.
If you plan a Grand Adventure in 2015, I would LOVE to know about it. Leave me a link in the comments! Or tell me on Twitter.
#AWBU 2014 Recap Google Analytics Part 2
By Elizabeth Michael
After you are sure you are up and running, you should go ahead and make three views: the master, sandbox, and unfiltered. The master is what you will look at every day and has all of the customization built in. The sandbox is where you will test the customization before you implement in the master. The unfiltered view is your fail-safe. This is your back up that you have not messed with at all. There is no going back once you have made changes in Google Analytics, so it is best to make these three views so you never ruin your data sets.
From the admin panel, click the drop down menu under “view.” Then, click “Create new view.”
Name your new view and then click “Create View.” Repeat this process until you have established all of the views you want.
From the drop down menu, choose the view in which you wish to view your data.
Now that you have Google Analytics working on your blog and have set up the different views of data, lets move forward with implementing some goals that will help you measure you business objectives.
Google Goals track user actions and answer questions like “how often do they start the action?” and “do they complete the action?” You will want to set up your goal in the sandbox view first to test and make sure it is working properly. Once you know it is good to go, then implement in your master. Leave the unfiltered version untouched.
To set up a goal, first click on the “Admin” tab and then click on “Goals.”
Then click on “New Goal.”
#AWBU 2014 Recap Google Analytics Part 1
#AWBU 2014 Recap Google Analytics Part 2 Scheduled for Nov. 1, 2014
#AWBU 2014 Recap Google Analytics Part 1
By Elizabeth Michael
Google Analytics is a powerful and easy-to-use tool that tracks your website traffic. Google Analytics presents aggregated sets of data that can help you make business decisions.
Bloggers can use Google Analytics and Goals to help measure successful content, important traffic patterns, flaws in the user’s experience, and much more.
Google Analytics is extremely to use; however, there are a few strategic decisions you must make before jumping right in.
The Cycle of Success outlines a process that acts as a roadmap to your success as a blogger. The inner circle represents the process that Google recommends that you follow when setting up their analytics tracking on your site. You start with defining and setting your business goals. Your goals should be straightforward and realistic. What do you wish to accomplish with your website? Generate revenue? Page views? Information downloads? Defining your business goals will set the foundation for your measurement plan, the second step in the Cycle of Success.
Above is an example measurement plan. The steps to make a measurement plan do not change. You can see an example a blogger may write on the right. Here is a blank plan for you to try:
The third step is more technical in nature and nine times out of 10 you will have everything you need to implement Google Analytics and Google Goals. Your technical infrastructure is your computer, software, etc. Basically, it is all of the physical tools you will need to implement your plan.
Creating your implementation plan will guide you through the implementation process, prioritizing what needs to get implemented first, and so on. For a simple blog, you will not have any complicated customization to implement.
How-to implement Google Analytics:
First, you will need to set up your account. Then, you will need to get your code. Finally, you pick and install a plug-in for you blog. Yoast seems to be very popular, but there are lots of options out there.
Once you are logged in to your Google Analytics account, click “Admin” and then “Create New Account.”
Click “Website” if you are tracking traffic on a website, or “Mobile App” if you are tracking an app.
Click “Get Tracking ID.” This gives you the code you will enter into your plug-in. Now, make sure your plug-in is correctly installed on your blog. Go to the plug-in settings and copy and paste your tracking ID into the appropriate field. Depending on which plug-in you choose, the steps may change; however, they should be simple enough to follow along and get your tracking installed correctly. To test and make sure that you are up and running, access your website from another device. Go to your Google Analytics dashboard and on the left hand side, click “Real-time.” You will see all of the users currently on your website.
#AWBU 2014 Google Analytics Part 2 – Scheduled for Oct. 29, 2014
#AWBU 2014 Google Analytics Part 3 – Scheduled for Nov. 1, 2014
#ARWB Recap: Coping With the Anxiety of Blogging
Photo Source: Google Images
Being a blogger in general is just anxiety provoking. You are doing something that most people would never do in a million years. Reveal things and then be evaluated over the Internet? To just anyone who might be reading?
You have got to be kidding.
There are different levels of anxiety of bloggers have.
1) The BEHAVIORAL Level: Disorganization and Feeling Overwhelmed
2) The SELF-CONCEPTUAL Level: Having Doubt About Yourself and Feeling Isolated
3) The LIFE STRATEGY Level: Indecisiveness and Waffling
All of this was beginning to sound very psychological so we broke it down. Real things you can do to help keep the stress and anxiety of blogging to a minimum. Especially if you are a new blogger. Or a blogger that is kinda stuck in a rut and is getting anxious about it.
First we looked at BEHAVIORS TO BUILD IN.
1) Write on a schedule so you don’t procrastinate. A huge source of anxiety.
2) Learn the technicalities of your blog so you can fix problems when they occur.
3) Get an editor! Which can help with the loneliness of blogging. Another big source of anxiety. And get someone who will be honest with you. So you will get better.
4) Network. Support other bloggers.
Above all : Keep you in your plan so it will work.
What I mean by that is – if you are trying to get back on track by doing something that you “hear” works for someone else, but just isn’t you? It’s not going to work. Stick to your plan. Your track. Use your editor to help you with fresh ideas. If you are shy, don’t play to go a conference by yourself. Take a friend. Accept who and where you are. It’s okay!
The second big area we looked at was SELF-CONCEPT.
1) Trust in the power of your voice.
If you are always putting yourself down, or even sometimes doing it, please challenge that. We are all insecure. All of us. But your voice can be strong. You can find it. It is unique.
We all talked about this in the session. How we came or were coming to trust our own voices.
2) Dare to not compare. Just step into the light that is yours.
Comparison with others is just not helpful. We all have to realize that we are all on a spectrum. There is always going to be someone who we can find that we feel has more going for her than us. And And believe it or not. There is someone who is looking at you. And wanting to be you. I promise you that’s true.
Then the third part.
LIFE STRATEGY ANXIETIES.
These are caused more due to not knowing the answers to questions about where you are going with your website or blog. What you want from it. What your goals are for it. You might be indecisive about advertising or whether or not you wanted to be featured on certain websites. Because you are not sure of where your own parameters are. Of who you are. Of what you stand for.
If you are clear about what you are creating, the reader will be clear as well. And seek you out.
Dr. Margaret Rutherford is a clinical psychologist who has been in private practice for over 20 years in Fayetteville, Arkansas. She began blogging in 2012, coining the term “NestAche” for her empty nest experience. She launched Dr.MargaretRutherford.com in April of 2014 and now can be found on the Huffington Post, MidlifeBoulevard, BetterAfter50, Boomeon, and here at Arkansas Women Bloggers!
#AWBU Recap Still Life Photography, Styling, and Basic Photo Editing
By Mel Lockcuff
Great photos allow the memories of life to live on. Remember sifting through your grandma’s photo albums when you were a kid? Photos of family (both near and far), family pets, farm animals, babies, kids, vacations or trips to distant places, trees, flowers, school days, the family car, trips to town…
Photos are a window into the past. Photos allow us to visually share our story with the next generation. It’s important to think about the moments you want to capture, the message you want to convey.
Photos make your content even more visual for your readers. They bring an added measure of beauty to your writing. Good photos draw the eyes in and make readers want to click on that Pin or want to read more. They allow you to more visually promote a brand, but in a relevant way that also connects with your readers.
We had a great time in this session, covering the following points:
– Photography in Everyday Life, Travel, Blogging, and Working with Brands
– Positioning and Lighting
– Handy Tools
– Photo Styling and Props
– Mobile Apps
– Basic Photoshop and PicMonkey Skills
You can read all of the presentation and learn more by visiting the SlideShare for the presentation.
Mel Lockcuff is a wife and homeschool mom to 2 boys and a cat named Harold. She and her family are transfers to Arkansas and are loving life in Northwest Arkansas. They have 10 chickens and a lovely little garden in their budding back yard homestead.
Mel is a lifestyle and travel blogger at MamaBuzz, where her goal is to inspire life every day with creative inspiration related to food and recipes, travel and local places of interest, home and garden, crafts, DIY projects, back yard homesteading, awareness, and more. Mel is also a freelance writer, the founder of MamaBuzz Media, and has extensive experience as a community manager. Her work has been published on VisitRogersArkansas.com, OnlyinArk.com, and 66TheMotherRoad Magazine. She’s also the author of the eBook, Blog Design Elements of Success: How to Make Your Blog Stand Out.You can find Mel on Twitter @MamaBuzz, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
#AWBU Recap Take Better Pictures
By Sarabeth Jones and Whitney Lobber
First of all, think about:
- why are you taking pictures?
- why are you sharing what you share?
- why do you like to look at pictures?
Now. Pull up your instagram profile. Look at the grid of pictures under your name. What do you see? What story are you telling? Here is a random list of some of our favorites – they are telling a clear story with beautiful images, and they run the gamut from professional photographers to regular people who have simply learned some tricks to help out their photos. Take a look at:
- @abeautifulmessofficial
- @alisonchino
- @destinationeu
- @kjp
- @smileandwave
- @garethpon
- @taza
- @bobdavidson
- @ryanbyrd
- @christenbyrd
- @mooshinindy
Now that you’ve seen these, we hope you’re inspired to take better pictures. Here are some things you can do! While you’re shooting: What are you shooting with?
- iPhone camera (Whitney) I shoot 99% of my phone photos with my iPhone camera. No fuss, No frills.
- Touch the screen to control the focus and exposure (brightness).
- Lock the focus (helpful when your subject is close or hard to focus on) by holding down on the spot you want to focus until the yellow box pops up.
- Help yourself with the rule of thirds (more on this later) by turning on your grid, I think the default is off, but you can turn it on under settings.
- VSCOcam (Sarabeth) I also shoot mostly with my iPhone camera but I also like the camera in this app for a few reasons:
- Tap the screen with 2 fingers to separate your focus from exposure which gives you a little added control over brightness.
- Shoot in a square mode to help you see what you’re getting for Instagram – the full rectangular frame is still captured in case you want more to work with later.
- The whole bottom of the screen turns into the camera button – it’s just bigger and easier.
Don’t shoot in an app that’s not made to be a camera – like Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. You just have more tools to work with and will get better pics using a camera app.
Things to keep in mind while you’re shooting:
- Why: take a minute to think about the purpose of the content. You wouldn’t share on the fly on your blog; remember that this is part of a bigger story. Pictures of your kids, pets, dinner, place you visit…all fine, but does it fit the story you are telling
- Where: look at your surroundings, how does your location play into the photograph,
- Light: Where is it coming from, and what kind? filtered sunlight, direct sun, interior light, backlighting, side light. Turn off your flash. Don’t be afraid to play with light, moving around to see how it plays in your photo.
- What (check background, etc): be aware of the entire frame, even the background tells a story. With food you want the water on the fresh produce to give the photo a feeling, same can be true of the surrounding/background. For example…if I’m (Whitney) taking a picture of my son on my couch I might get up and open my blinds to add better light or shadows and move laundry off my couch to give a clean look. It’s still true to a natural moment, but just a cleaner version. I am a photographer and I will set people up for a natural photo; it’s very rare for it to happen completely naturally.
- Angles: start by taking lots of photos. Don’t be afraid to move around and see what works. Shoot from above, get lower (on the level of your subject), straight on, from the side. Then, in editing, decide what you like best. Resist your urge to post multiples and only post one! Save the progression and full story for your blog.
- Color: pay attention to it in each photo as well as your total feed/story. Use it, don’t let it overwhelm. A note about black and white – make it black and white, lots of contrast, not just a bunch of gray.
- Rule of thirds, leading lines: imagine you take your frame and cut it in 9 equal parts, like a tic tac toe board. This is the rule of thirds. Use the intersections of those lines as points of interest, something the eye will naturally be drawn to. By placing a subject in the middle of the frame your eye is immediately drawn to it and then has no place to go. By placing your subject on one of these points of interest, near a side, your eyes follow the photo and linger longer. Another tool to lead a viewer into a photo is the use of leading lines. Often a road, bridge, straight line, path, but can also be a softer line that leads you deeper into the photo.
- Try the opposite: Always important to remember that sometimes we have to throw out all of these rules. Some of our favorite photos are real life, messy and all, or a photo off the grid. We can really love a photo in full center focus. or something with so much negative space.
- Take a LOT of pictures: It’s worth repeating. Take several, look at what you got, adjust. Try the opposite! Lather, rinse, repeat. J
While you’re editing (you ARE editing, right?):
- Cropping can make your picture stronger – make it look better, give it a stronger point of view. You can adjust to use leading lines or the rule of thirds, or can fix things you didn’t get quite right when you shot.
- Contrast & saturation: if I (Sarabeth) don’t do anything else, I always adjust – increase – these. Especially for these pictures that are viewed on small screens.
- Don’t over adjust – remember to keep a natural look, especially if you are going to share these at a larger size, like on your blog.
- Color: Would your picture be stronger if it were black & white?
- You can do all of this in Instagram, or you can try our favorite apps –
- Snapseed – we love the sliders for adjustments, mostly use crop, tune image & sharpening screens. You can vignette with the center focus screen.
- VSCOcam – also has same tools – I like the separate shadows/highlight tools here – but VSCO sliders have stops, so they’re not quite as flexible as snapseed. Easier to vignette because there’s a specific tool for it. Some really nice filters too.
This is a lot of information, and it’s a little hard to convey without visuals, but there are so many great tutorials on pretty much every aspect of photography – so if there’s a term you don’t understand, start Googling (or ask us)! Here’s to taking better pictures: Slideshare.
Whitney Loibner and Sarabeth Jones are framily. They love to take trips together, especially cruises. They love to have drinks on the patio together, especially margaritas. And they love living in Dogtown and taking pictures of it all. Whitney is quite adept at putting funny things in Sarabeth’s purse for her to find later, and Sarabeth is practically a professional at borrowing Whitney’s clothes. [whitneyloibner.com | sarabethjones.com, @whitneyloibner & @sarabethjones on twitter & instagram]