Hello my lovely readers! How are you all doing today?

I have been getting a lot of questions about what Camera I use to shoot my instagram photos with. Well, I am FINALLY updating this post!

When I first started blogging...I was using my Note 3 phone that I had at the time. The quality of the photos were shit now that I actually look back at those photos. I went from shooting with my Note 3 to using a used Canon Rebel t3i that I bought off of Ebay. The condition was great and it came with 2 lenses which to me was great. I immediately noticed a difference with the photos. What I really needed to work on at the time was posing and getting comfortable in front of the camera.

With the passing years... I wanted to get better. I wanted my photos to stand out and I started to work harder. When I first started blogging. It wasn't as popular as it is now. So, I never thought that I needed my photos to be on point and of course my personal style was an understatement. My style has changed so much since I started blogging it is ridiculous but it is all for the better.

For awhile I was content with how things were. My blog was doing fairly well but I started obsessing over numbers. I wanted no NEEDED to do better. To stand out. To gain more of a following. Why? Because brands only wanted to work with bloggers who had a good following. At this time I had less than 10k followers and I decided that if I wasn't going to get collabs based on numbers then I could  get collaborations based on my content. What did that mean? That meant that I needed a better camera and a better phone.

I went from the Canon to an Olympus Em5 Mark ii and if you guys know anything about Olympus cameras is that they are pricey but it was an investment. I knew that I wanted to make a career out of blogging ( hopefully if I played my cards right ). With my upgraded camera came upgraded photos and editing styles. Which brands noticed and I began collaborating with brands with less than 10k. Granted majority of them were unpaid which was okay at FIRST because I was still trying to build my following. With the small handful of brands I was working with.....came shoutouts and being reposted on their page. Which in turn brought new followers to my page. That's when I decided to branch out.

Not only was I posting Fashion outfit posts but I started creating Flatlays, incorporating Beauty and Lifestyle posts as well. It did mean that I was taking on more work BUT I loved it! I was creating amazing content and all I was using was my Olympus Em5 Mark ii.. I was also shooting with my phone. I currently have the iPhone X and I shoot all of my flatlays and lifestyle photos with it. Honestly majority of the time I end up shooting my OOTD looks with my phone because I do a lot of editing on my phone as well so I can create a cohesive feed on my Instagram.

I promised that I was going to share how I currently edit my photos as well but I will be saving that for another blog post.

What I am trying to say is...you technically do NOT need a fancy camera to take amazing photos. Just get an amazing phone with a dope camera and take your photos.




 

Surprise! This was one of the surprises that I was hinting to you guys on instagram! This is something that I am starting on the blog this year. I will be recapping my week, sharing coupon codes ( who doesn't love saving money ) sharing inspirational quotes & blogging tips!

I started something similar last year but I ended up forgetting all about it. Not this time because I have so much more to offer this time! Main being blogging tips and coupon codes!

Since this is the very first episode... I wanted to share a bit from my last somewhat big adventure to now.

Weekly Recap:

On February 23rd, as many of you already know. I took a trip to NYC to visit the Ocotly HQ to teach a class on how I create my flatlays! This was an amazing opportunity and it was my first time doing something so big ever! So, I wanted to thank everyone that came out to the class & to everyone who tuned in on instagram live! I heard that it was a lot of you guys & I am sorry that I wasn't able to answer all of your questions!

That would be about the biggest thing. I did end up getting really sick right after. Which meant I haven't been able to shoot new content or even leave my bed to create new flatlays. I will be spending the rest of the weekend creating new beautiful ones for you guys! I miss creating them as much as you guys love getting inspiration from them.

My sister visited from San Diego and she brought my niece with her. It was so nice being able to play and laugh with her. She is such a happy baby.

Discount Codes:

I also had the opportunity to collaborate with such amazing brands since the year started and I wanted to share my coupon codes here for those who don't have instagram!

Bad Girl Good Human

- "JIAXO" for 10% off your entire purchase! You can visit their website here.

Uncle Jack Watches

- "JIA25" for 25% off your entire purchase! You can visit their website here! Uncle Jack also just launched in the US so make sure you check them out for gorgeous watches.

I have a few more collaborations and I am working out the discount codes for you guys to shop till you drop. Keep an eye out for those soon! Might be in " Cheers to the weekend ep 2 "!

Blogging Tips:

So, you want to start a blog but you don't know where to start? Easy! Follow the 3 steps that I am about to share with you! I will go into more detail in ep 2! I don't want to bombard you guys with anymore words.

1. Research

2. Know your niche

3. Know your audience

I will go into more depth about those next week!

Words of Encouragement:

" Know your value & your self worth "