Do you have a favorite blog? Of course you have several; and are perhaps even a blogger yourself. Have you ever wondered from time to time how they do it? Or does everything on your end of the screen seem so flawless your perspective on your own life gets a little fuzzy? Well I am here to tell you that blogging is not the perfection perceived- it is most often crazy hours, emails in the wee hours, and balancing on chairs in hallways to get the perfect light. There's a lot that goes on behind the scenes before that URL can hit the internet, and myself and a group of bloggers are here to give you the down and dirty secrets of #BloggerConfessions in a new weekly blog hop that invites you to confess on a new topic each week.
Whether you're looking for a fun hop you can fill an organic content need with(yes, us bloggers worry about that), or are simply a reader looking for the juicy, and often hilarious, truth on blogging- you're invited. Bloggers, feel free to post your response to each week's topic any day of the week (Thursday is the feature day) and link up to the LINKY at the bottom of this post. Be sure to grab the button while you're here! Readers, sit back, relax, and prepare as we demystify blogging one dish at a time!
Week 2: Blogger Envy
Prompt: Share an aspect of your blogging that makes you feel overwhelmed or a
little intimidated when looking at other blogs. As a blogger, what do
you see others doing that you wish you could do more of or better at?
How do you try to work on achieving these goals?
This series actually began with this very topic on my personal Facebook page a few weeks back when I posted a status that read: "
Today
I was relieved to find out I am not the only blogger who sees all
'those' photos with some old rustic wood background and wonders, 'Where
is everyone getting this old wood to take photos on?'" Let's be real, the term 'food porn' has been coined by the emergence of food bloggers over the past decade. People who call themselves food bloggers are not just individuals who happen to post a recipe around the holidays, these are people we (as readers) envision do nothing but cook intricate dishes tantamount to a Betty Crocker cookbook day in and out, and could even make boxed macaroni and cheese look like a $30 appetizer at a fine dining restaurant.
To me the entire process they must undergo is mystifying. In my head I envision them hunched over a lighting rig using a mini blow torch to melt cheese and daubing a fine dining dish with 'accidental' drops of sauce to make each and every viewers mouth water in anticipation. I want to be that blogger- but I don't want to blog only about food. So, instead, I fixate on the seemingly ornate backgrounds these types of bloggers tend to use; and they most often involve a 'weathered' wood finish.
I quickly learned, in my widely popular personal Facebook page status, that this effect is most often faked. Bloggers buy old palettes from farms, photograph on top of old doghouses, and even use scrapbook paper (yes, scrapbook paper) to get this effect. However, as much as I was envious of this discovery, and the ability to pull the trickery of 'faux' wood and vintage dining of with minimal effort, I had to reflect on my trip to SoFabCon this Spring. St the conference bloggers kept walking up to me (hello I was easy to recognize with purple hair!) and telling me how much they loved my 'magic black background effect.' One after another, I responded to questions of what program I used to do this....As you can see above, it's no effect- it's my dining room table, which just happens to be a dark enough wood finish that I can turn up the vibrancy and contrast and get away with the styling!
Yes, us bloggers are sneaky, sneaky!
Link up your Photo Behind The Photo #BloggerConfessions anytime between now and next Thursday!
Prompt for Week 3: (7/31) Feeling A Little Shy? Conferences And More!- Have you ever been to a blogger conference? With BlogHer 2014 going on right now, what better time to dish about the behind the scenes craziness that goes on at your favorite blogging conferences. Whether you have a story about your 'first time' to share or just a fond memory, let's hear it!
What a great idea for a blog hop!! I don't get a lot of blogger envy because I know exactly what these "perfect" bloggers go through to get their blog looking so perfect. Dirty dishes in the sink, screaming kids, forgot to eat breakfast- but the blog post looks great!!
ReplyDeleteMy rustic wood background that I love most is my front porch, which is what I call "shabby chic" read: dirty and old or my wood ironing board that I set up next to the kitchen window to take a quick instagram shot of my food porn! :)
I am so a blogger envy girl! But I feel like it pushes me to try harder on my blog to achieve a professional yet approachable look. I've learned a lot in my three years of blogging and I've seen a huge improvement.
ReplyDeletePractice makes perfect after all!
I'm one of those who keeps wondering how you get the magic black background, so I'm happy to know the mystery is solved. I can sleep tonight! Pretty much no one envies my photos because I'm still using my old point-and-shoot, but I'm learning!
ReplyDeleteI just wish I could figure out why my views just remain stable no matter what I do. It's frustrating.
ReplyDeleteI use my outside table for a photo background
I've been working on my photos because yes I am envious of all those great shots! My house is usually a mess so finding good spots to get it done is not easy. Most bloggers so not have Pinterest lives. :)
ReplyDeleteHa! I too have been wondering how bloggers have all these amazing backgrounds! You'd never think some are old dog houses or crates, etc. I'm shocked about the scrapbook paper, they certainly look real! Anyhow, I like this bloghop you've put together, I think I'll have to join in sometime!
ReplyDeleteI use the faux wood backgrounds and love them!
ReplyDeleteDon't envy the backgrounds just grab one off Etsy. :) search for vinyl wood backdrop or product backdrop and pick the weathered wood look of your choice.
ReplyDeleteI need to be more creative with the backgrounds I use. There's a ton of blogs out there, each one different. There's no need for anyone to stress or compare theirs to anyone else's.
ReplyDeleteHmmm....I really want to know the recipe for that pasta dish in the first post. That looks amazing right about now.
ReplyDelete