In an effort to be more authentic and vulnerable, we want to touch on the subject of Instagram versus the reality of life. Obviously, we’re on social media a lot. The blog requires it and aside from that, it seems like social media is just a part of everyday life now. Scrolling through the endless photos of perfection can really take a toll on you: perfect homes, perfect hair, perfect bodies, perfect lives all make a person feel flawed. The very last thing we want to do is appear “perfect” to anyone. It’s a catch 22 though: who wants to scroll through their phone to find a bunch of mediocre images or photos that don’t seem thought out, particularly if one is attempting to run a blog or act as an influencer? While I definitely want more authenticity, I think that can be done in your words/captions and posts like this one, rather than posting a big picture of you doing the ugly cry. So, here we are: Still posting pictures that we hope are aesthetically pleasing, giving captions that we hope move you in some form or fashion. But today, we want to share what’s going on behind the photo because while you scroll through, there’s a whole lot happening behind the camera. We want to be real.
Instagram vs. Reality
If only you could’ve seen us trying to get this picture! We moved our kitchen table to have a blank wall for the background and we set our camera up on a timer. We had at least six or seven shots before getting this one and Brandon had to have a blanket under his back for support! We were laughing the entire time because of how ridiculous the whole thing was!
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What looks like a cozy moment at home was actually captured by my mom! No romantic afternoon, just us trying to shoot content for the blog! Of course, we still had a blast but sometimes it’s important to remember that a majority of our photos have to be taken by someone else. So even if it looks like a “romantic moment”, chances are, someone else is there.
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I was actually very stressed out trying to get this picture. We were collaborating with this company on the bag and we’d just discovered our camera battery somehow died (even though it was fully charged). With no means other than an iPhone, I was so worried the pictures wouldn’t turn out well. Thankfully, Lightroom is a miracle worker and managed to make the picture worthy for our post.
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My mom took this photo for me! The background is just the outside of their home, nothing special. In an effort to have a post without wearing makeup, I just tilted my head down to hide my dark circles. The next time you’re scrolling through Instagram and see a photo of the back of someone, or their face is hidden, just remember we all have “no makeup days”, and for good reason!
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(The “after” (top) and “before” (bottom)
Whenever I post a photo like this, there’s always a comment of someone saying “great shot!” While I’m so flattered (just last year I would’ve considered myself an amateur photographer), it’s hilarious to me what the “before” and “after” look like! A little bit of time on Lightroom makes all the difference! Also, I just used white poster board for the background. If anyone is interested in a Lightroom tutorial, leave a comment below!
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It took at least 100 shots in order to get this image for Instagram. I was teetering on my suitcase, desperately trying to perfect my balance, and my mom was snapping away. There were so many shots of me looking wobbly and awkward. It’s nice to remember that while some pictures look simple, they can be very difficult to capture.
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We’ve just started using a camera stand and the timer mode on our DSLR. Up until lately, we relied on my mom a lot for pictures; however, when traveling it was terrifying to rely on strangers to snap a photo. During this trip to San Diego, I’m proud to say we’ve mastered the art of the camera stand! I do feel like I need to say that it’s quite hilarious if you were to see us out and about in San Diego. We take anywhere from five to ten minutes to set up the camera on the stand in the correct position. Brandon is amazing at this part and patiently arranges it, despite numerous onlookers. Meanwhile, I’m just posing awkwardly while he takes practice shots. While it may look effortless as the final result, it takes a lot of time to capture a good photo! And I’m sure people think we’re crazy during the process!