fashion beauty friend friday:: blogger mechanics

Welcome to my second Fashion Beauty Friend Friday (FBFF) post! This week we're talking about technology and the tools we use for blogging.

1. What technology do you use in blogging? (computer, camera, video
camera, tripod, etc...)
I use a Dell PC (meh!) to post most of my blog posts. And I use a combination of cameras, depending on how much time I have.

Sadly, I am not fortunate to have a boyfriend/fiance/husband/friend photographer-person who can shoot magazine quality pictures of me, so I'm stuck doing it myself. If I have time and want to take a bunch of photos, I use my Canon Rebel xSi. I have several different lenses for that, plus a tripod and a remote. For quick shots, especially quick shots for What I Wore posts, I use an Olympus Stylus point-and-shoot with a self-timer.

And of course, I do love my little Hipstamatic iPhone app. I use that a lot (obviously not for outfit pictures, but for a ton of other photos). I have over 1000 photos on my phone right now. Clearly, I have some updating and file management to do.

2. What computer and online technology do you use? (blogging system,
photo storage, photo editing tools, etc..)
Right now, I'm running my blog on Blogger, which is okay for now, but eventually I'd like to migrate over to Wordpress. But first, I'd like to actually get back into the blogging rhythm and get a suitable design up on my blog on Blogger before I go tackling Wordpress.

I use Photoshop CS3 for photo editing and an external hard drive for file management. I use Flickr as my online photo tool. To keep track of inspirational photos and things I may want to blog about in the future, I recently started using Pinterest.

3. What is your process for taking pictures?
Right now, since I'm just working out some kinks, I don't have a set process. Generally, I'll set aside a few hours on the weekends (when I have a few hours on the weekends, which happens every 8th weekend or so) to shoot several outfit pictures using my DSLR. Then I load them onto my computer and edit them.

If I don't have time, and I get home from work early enough so there's enough natural light (which only happens when we have a snow day), I'll snap a few quick shots with the point-and-shoot of the outfit I actually wore that day.

And that is why I don't post daily outfit photos.

4. When it comes to backdrops for your photos what do you consider? Do
you scout locations or shoot the same spot daily?
It's been a struggle for me since I haven't had a very good, well lit spot to take pictures and I just don't have to the time to go tromping all over town to find good spots. But, we recently moved in a very bright house and I have a third floor studio space that I can use for pictures in the winter (like yesterday's picture) and a nice backyard that I can use for pictures when it gets warmer (which is happening soon, right?).

5. If you could splurge and get one new piece of equipment what would
you be buying?
A Mac. Okay. Two Macs. A desktop and a laptop. I have a Mac at work and I just love it. It makes me hate my PC even more. I'd also like some more camera lenses and other fun equipment like lights and bounce boards. And I'd like an iPad. And a video recorder. And...oh. Wait, the question was only about splurging on one thing, wasn't it? Okay. Two Macs it is then! (That counts as one thing since it's from the same store, right?)

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Fashion Beauty Friend Friday (FBFF) is the brainchild of Katy over at Modly Chic. Every week, she creates a set of questions and FBFF participants answer them on our blogs. On Friday. See, that's why it's called Fashion Beauty Friend Friday. Visit her blog to find out more or join the fun!

Photo by me