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MY FASHION BLOGGING TECHNIQUE

behid the scenes

Very many of you have asked me for advice on creating and managing a style shoot post. So here is a glimpse into my blogging process and what has worked for me.

INSPIRATION

Every day I get inspired by things and people I see on the streets, outfits I come across on the Internet and in magazines, trends, pictures and quotes that I discover on social media. I always try to save as much as I can on my phone for future reference. These come in handy when I am styling an outfit or putting together an article on the blog. I strongly believe that every creative person should seek to constantly be inspired.

LOCATION SCOUTING

There was a time when I did most of my fashion shoots around my house or by the streets nearby. But that quickly became boring. These days, I keep my eyes wide open when I drive around in the city or the countryside to spot new and exciting locations. It is so much fun to no longer be predictable but to reflect my spontaneous, crazy and wild locations. But most importantly, showcase our beautiful country. 

STYLING

Once I know where I am going to shoot, I have a very distinct sense of which outfit will work on which location. All the outfits I feature are looks that I wear from day to day. Sometimes, I will plan to shoot an outfit which I have worn before, and on other days, I put together a combination which I am planning to wear on some other day. But it’s always about what will work on that particular location, The aesthetics, and if the outfit is practical for the location, e.g I will not wear a sheer or short dress if I am planning to shoot in a small village or slum.

PHOTOGRAPHY

On the day of the shoot I wake up early, since the light is so perfect before the sun gets too high on the sky. Alternatively I shoot just before sunset, to catch the perfect colors which are so beautiful on a late afternoon. I prefer outdoor photography and natural sunlight. And I always feel like I am chasing the sun to achieve this.  Normally I will shoot multiple looks during a session (not less than three looks at a time) I do my hair and makeup at home before going out, so I only need to touch up and change the lip colour and hair (if need be) during the outfit changes. The whole shoot will normally only take a couple of hours.

PHOTO EDITING

I am very particular about the quality of the photos I put up on my blog and strive for the highest quality possible. If I have done the shoot with a professional photographer, he will normally submit the edited photos. However, if the camera has been in the hands of my brother or one of my non-professional friends or family, Whom I supervise, I have to do the editing myself. I use Photoshop lightroom. And I have found that I can do this quite comfortably while watching TV on a chill evening. 

EDITORIAL CALENDAR

With my bulk of edited photos, enough for 3-4 posts I now start planning my editorial calendar. Apart from my Beautiful Mondays posts which are largely not picture heavy most of the time and are rarely fashion related, I slate the outfit posts for particular dates using a simple monthly planner on my computer. However, sometimes I am happy to let myself be inspired by a particular incident to put up an ad-hoc post. Flexibility is the key, and I strive to consistency as my main guiding star.

COPY WRITING AND PUBLISHING

My fashion posts mainly focus on the clothes, and when I am ready to put up the post, I write the text to accompany them just a day before, or even on the same morning before the post goes live. I prefer to write late at night or very early in the morning with a short story or incidence in my life. And the more up-to-date this short anecdote is, the happier I am. I only go live once I am happy with the text, photos and their overall presentation.

PROMOTING THE POST

Once the post is live on the blog I share it on all my social media platforms.  Trying not to do it all at the same time but spread over some hours – just in order to catch as many potential readers as I can.

I hope this post was useful. Have a great start to the week.

silvianjokisignoff