Why NYFW?

When I first started photographing bloggers, which was almost by chance in the first place, I was shooting a group of bloggers in Downtown Dallas and everyone was asking who was going to New York Fashion Week. A science major in college and steadfast in practicality, I was confused by this conversation. Can you just choose to go to a fashion week? I thought it was invite-only. I thought it was, for lack of a better word, for important people.

I got my first taste of New York Memorial Day weekend of 2016. I was a second shooter at a wedding in Princeton, NJ, and the lead photographer suggested we hop over to NYC for the rest of the weekend. True to my practical tendencies, I typically set the bar low for new experiences, tempering any disappointment that might come from greater expectations. New York was wonderful.

Four days after I got home I was on another early flight from Dallas to La Guardia, this time going as a blogger’s photographer for the long weekend. That was my first look into what I call “Club Blogger.” The truth is that bloggers are “important people.” With less runway shows and more “exhibitions” influencers are able to interact, share with their audience, and sometimes even get products to shoot, share, and earn commission on. It’s all very interactive and of course brands benefit from people sharing what they’re putting out.

At Bauble Bar HQ looking so good...

Traveled with Brooke Burnett and photographed her all around the city

Met with a jewelry designer at Laduree SOHO

First runway show I ever attended

Rooftop blogger brunch hosted by Amanda Miller

The Dutch NYC

I saw the business side of blogging. I was still living in a world of making these beautiful moments, dressing the part, dancing in sunlight, sipping martinis in a dark bar — curating and enjoying moments that I could dance around and take photos of to share with the world! It’s not quite that simple. There’s deadlines and guidelines and quotas. I wouldn’t say it was disheartening, I would say I’m thankful I got a good look at what it takes to produce killer content to get brands to notice you and take you seriously.

Since that first taste, I promised myself I would go back every New York Fashion Week — both September and February.

I continue to go because (and Jacey Duprie touches on this beautifully) I heart NYC, and I especially love embracing a city by photographing people in it. New York offers nearly every background I could hope for, I love the light, and I love that bloggers are there with inspiring looks. I actually prefer February because I’m a sucker for photographing layers, coats, boots, and menswear inspired looks. Whenever I get back to Dallas, I find myself explaining, “I love going to New York and I love that when I leave I know I’ll be back in six months. I love photographing people and I love photographing people in New York. NYFW is a great time to go because everyone’s there! I’m always happy to go, and if I can offset a trip to New York even a little bit by photographing people, then that’s great!” By going every year I’ve built up a client base of people who know they can shoot with me. If you’re curious, just go. Immerse yourself, don’t wait until your “credentials” line up, just jump in.

Fashion Week is for important people. I’m not important people, but I love photographing them. I love being up for anything and meeting new people. It’s always an adventure. I learned last September when I was getting far too serious about the numbers of my final payout from the weekend, that the experience has to be more than numbers on a balance sheet, and that was the worst experience so far. I almost left early. I’ve since remembered to embrace whatever comes my way. I’ve shot with some of my favorite bloggers — people I followed while studying bio and just imagining what it would be like to have a life that let me travel and wear the clothes I want and meet fascinating people.

Let yourself explore. Let yourself create. Let yourself breathe.

I go because I love it.

xo Becca

part one of a fashion week reflection, part two on how I shoot while I’m in New York

The First Beckley Dinner | This Year is Your Year

The very first Beckley Dinner — a stepping stone in bringing more people into the community of sharing what it means to be authentic, passionate, and driven. On May 30, 2019 we gathered around one large table and, to put it simply, embraced every moment.

“This Year is Your Year” was the theme of the evening. It’s a response to something my soccer coach once said to me, “Next year is your year,” which was also the worst piece of advice I’ve ever been given. As people gathered and guests dove deeper and deeper into thoughtful and refreshing conversation, dusk settled in, and dinner was served. White lights twinkled and candles flickered. Peaceful music carried us through the evening as the wine flowed, and soon we were well into the evening feeling as though we were catching up with old friends.

Joined by a simple love of life, connecting with people, and using our gifts to navigate our place in the world, this was simply a calming and truly rejuvenating evening. A feeling of wholeness has made this a challenging post to write. Nothing will be the same as being there, happy, and with a healthy dose of sweat across my forehead from choosing at the last minute to wear a wide-brim hat to the event, but just happy. Simply happy.

For those who were there, thank you. You made the evening special. Without any fluffy language or hyperbole, I mean exactly that. You made the evening special. Your choice to attend, your willingness to share, your openness to meet and embrace new people. Thank you. And I am also very thankful to Taylor who hosted us in her beautiful home that was an integral part of our vision. Elizabeth, my right hand at Beckley deserves such a giant thank you. She prepared and cooked the meal and was with me through every step of planning this inaugural dinner. Marshall, who arrived early to help with literally anything and was certainly put to work, and who captured the evening so beautifully through his own lens. And my husband Andrew, who stepped in and helped with everything else I could have possibly needed throughout the night — all the little things that keep the party running smoothly that you, hopefully, don’t notice. Thanks babe.

xo, Becca

P.S. Stay tuned for upcoming events. When we say “First” we mean “First of many”!

When Should You Hire a Photographer for Your Blog?

A little about my background: I taught myself photography by photographing content for my food blog in 2010. It was a simple time, when I'd conceptualize, shop for, cook, photograph, and post all in one day. Now, most bloggers shoot multiple looks at once for multiple blog posts, planning out their content weeks, or even months in advance. The ideal scenario would be to literally have an "Instagram husband," where your days are dedicated to being inspired, creating content, and capturing images as the inspiration strikes. Some bloggers do have an "Instagram husband" who is someone that's available to shoot them basically wherever, whenever. Other people buy a nice camera, like a Canon Rebel, and hand it off to their friends or other bloggers to get a shot they need. Shooting with a s/o or a friend or a fellow blogger are all scenarios I encourage, especially when you're just starting out as a blogger, but when should you make the jump to invest in a photographer for your blog? 

Ashley Robertson

1. If you run your blog as a business

Paying a professional photographer is an investment, but it should be an investment that will yield you a tidy return. Ways to run a blog as a business are by making commission off the clothes or items in the photos, or by partnering with brands to do sponsored posts. Depending on your aesthetic, or on the guidelines of the sponsored posts, more often than not you will need high-resolution photos that will go on your own blog and that can possibly be used by the brand paying you to post. Having consistent, clear, professional photos helps bloggers and influencers stand out as being able to produce professional content that make brands excited to work with you. 

2. If you need images ideal for each social media site 

There's nothing like shooting an outfit or a blog post and looking back at the photos and realizing there's no photos that fit just right on Instagram without cropping your feet off awkwardly; or that there aren't any photos you can use for the banner image of your blog post; or that you have a million full-body photos, but you forgot to get a detail shot of the purse. Photographers that work with bloggers for a living usually know where the images are going, that you need enough options for each place the photo could end up, and that they all need to be clear, in focus, and on-brand. This ranges from Instagram photos, to Pinterest crops, banner images, Instagram stories. Negative space, color palettes, detail shots, campaign references. It's our job to know what you need without you having to know how to articulate it. 

3. If you prefer having plenty of options

And we do it in less time it will take you to get the same amount of photos. If you're paying good money for a photographer, you're basically outsourcing the photography and editing portion of your blog - this means you're making that part of blogging easier for yourself. When you hire a photographer, you should be getting plenty of options for photos, not just chancing into five good ones over the course of thirty minutes. We get the shots, we edit them for you, and send them off for you to choose your very favorites to post. (I can't speak for every photographer, but I will say you have great odds of end up with more clear, well-composed photos than with shooting with an amateur.)

we get the shot - and then some

4. If you are looking to save time

When well-planned, photographers can shoot anywhere from 3-6 looks in one hour, delivering plenty of edited photos for each outfit. There are a lot of amazing "Instagram husbands" that can get great photos, but if you're short an IH and need to create content for your week's worth of posts, it's wise to invest in hiring a photographer for an hour and getting it all done at once, than shooting sporadically. 

5. If you're looking to curate your brand

Shooting with one or a few professional photographers, can help you hone in on your brand by guiding and being a part of your creative process to give you consistent photos. This can be achieved without a professional photographer (all of these points can, technically), but it's our job to confer with clients to make sure the photos we deliver represent not only our brand as photographers, but mostly the blogger's brand. Sometimes it's as simple as picking up on the blogger's vibe, but it can become a more intimate relationship where your photographer is invested in helping you stand out with your personal brand. 

Whether you shoot with friends, or consistently hire a photographer, or even do a hybrid of both, the most important thing is that you enjoy it and are able to create something true to you. All forms of blogs, blog photography, etc. are great, but if you're wondering if you should make the jump and invest in a photographer for you blog, hopefully these five points will help you decided if it's the right choice for you. 

To learn more about how we can help you build your brand as a blogger or small business, click here.

cover image + slideshow images | Fashion Jackson

Creating Consistent Photos for Your Brand

BRANDING. There's that wonderful word again. Part of branding is having consistency, well all of branding is having consistency - it just depends on how you define that. 

There are a million different directions I could go with this blog post, but I am going to start with just one: Instagram. 

"How do I get a consistent feed?!"

I'll tell you.

REMEMBER: What you enjoy looking at and what inspires you, might not be what you are good at creating. One of my favorite bloggers is Julia Engel (Gal Meets Glam), but my Instagram feed looks nothing like hers. I learned I tend to shoot and edit with more contrast and am drawn to cooler tones... and a lot of denim. I will shoot more similarly to her brand from time to time, but I've learned to play to my strengths and market myself a certain way. 

I asked, and you all told me your favorite instagrams to follow - the people whose feed you look at and you just think, "I like this vibe!" 

1. DEFINE YOUR STYLE

Each of these bloggers has her own sense of style. Some are feminine, some are summery, some are vintage, some are laid back... Having a sense of style doesn't mean only wearing certain things, but it means knowing what makes you feel like your best self and expressing yourself through you clothes, accessories, or home decor in a way that is uniquely you.

2. HAVE A COLOR SCHEME

Identifying with a color scheme is one of the easiest ways to start adding continuity in your feed. Editing and filters can only go so far - WHAT you take photos of matters the most. For example, Ashley (Teacher Diva) is good about keeping a thread of soft pinks throughout her feed, and finds the color everywhere - flowers, drinks, clothes. Pick a few colors that work for your brand AND are what you happen to see every day. Try to pick a couple neutrals and then a pop of color, like green, blue, cream, with a pop of peach or orange 

3. SHOOT IN CONSISTENT LIGHTING

Something that may not be as obvious at first glance, but a huge way to have consistent photos is to shoot in the same type of light as much as possible. Either in the shade, or at dusk, in the bright sun, or inside with cozy ambient light. Once the first two are nailed down, and you are shooting in consistent light, you will start to really see all your images coming together. This really helps keep your whites and blacks consistent, which creates a huge impact when looking at all your photos together. 

4. PICK A FILTER OR TWO

Since we are talking about Instagram, let's talk about VSCO - the app that is the easiest way to add consistency in your feed without using Instagram filters and picking what suits your brand best. Because life cannot all be one color scheme, or one type of light, I suggest you buy all the filters - maybe a total of $20, and play around with the filters to find what fits your brand. This helps keep your color tones (whites, blacks, etc.) the same throughout your feed, even if the photos were taken by different people at different times. Be careful about using them subtly, I can speak for every photographer when I say there is nothing like delivering one batch of photos and then seeing something COMPLETELY different on someone's feed. But when used correctly, by all means, add a filter at a strength of 20-30% to add some continuity to your feed. When executed well, it's a game changer. 

Other good editing tools: Snapseed & Filmborn

5. USE A PLANNING APP

For a while I was against this, because if you are doing the first four, they should all go together. But I have learned, especially when I am sitting on a lot of content that needs to be posted, it helps to see it all laid out. 

I send myself 3 or 4 photos from only 3 or 4 shoots, and then add a few detail shots of other things that go with my color scheme, run them all through VSCO (adding a slight filter), then open them in my planning app. Then I rearrange them until there is a good thread of each color or texture running through the 9-12 photos. And if I'm traveling or out and want to post a photo right there from that night, great! Nothing should stop you from being spontaneous and posting what you love. Even if a photo doesn't fit sometimes, if you love it, you should post it, and then just pick up right where you left off in your feed. 

Favorite planning apps: Planoly & Preview

Tag me if you try any of these tips! I'd be so excited to see how you apply them to your own feeds!

As always, have fun with it! If it's stressing you out, take a step back to remember why you do what you do and what makes it enjoyable. Give yourself a reasonable set of boundaries to establish your brand, and then go wild!

Also note: what's really on trend right now is not giving a s*** - so shoot in mixed light, wear a funky accessory, don't highly edit your photos, and you will surely be on-trend. 

How to Shoot Product Photos for your Blog

Mail day! (Really every day in the blogging community) One, two, even three times a day, a courier arrives at the door trading you a package for your signature. Door closes, package ripped open: more products. More products to try, photograph, and post about. Cosmetics, hair products, snacks, teas, grooming essentials, kitchen gadgets - all mailed to bloggers all the time to post. Some make the cut and their pretty posed photo makes it to the pages of the blog! Some never see the light of day and end up in the guest bath or given to your best friend because - well how much Clinique does a blogger really need? (And we can talk about that later - discerning what makes it to the blog and what doesn't). But let's talk about photographing these beauties. 

Some easy tips whether you're using your phone, mirrorless camera, or DSLR: 

1. Find a spot with good lighting

Usually by a window or well-lit spot in your home, this makes capturing clear images so much easier. When you find a place or two that work well for you, stick to those spots, and style them according to what you're photographing. Usually the bed, side table, and maybe a windowsill, balcony, or patio are great go-to's. 

2. Shoot with a low f-stop (but not too low)

This applies to people shooting with a mirrorless camera or a DLSR. The f-stop is how blurred the background is, and affects how much light is let it. A lot of people are looking to achieve a really blurry background, so they set the f-stop as low as it can go. For some lenses that's an f-stop of 3.5, others as low as 1.2. That blurry, creamy background is beautiful, but you want to make sure that enough of the product is clear and in focus. Try shooting with an f-stop around 2.0-3.0. If you still want a really blurry background, put the products far away from the background, so there is more room for the background to be blurred.

black marble laptop case for Janet Gwen Designs

The entire computer is in focus, and is far enough away from the wall behind it, making the laptop case clear and fully in focus

3. Set a scene

It doesn't have to be fancy, but gather some items in your home that make you happy and relate to the product. They can be the same color scheme, or just relate to each other in some way. This puts the product in context, and gives you a way to represent yourself and your own brand.

anthropologie home scents

to go with the gold tones of the diffuser, i gathered candles, with white and gold labels, a gold frame, my gold watch, and even grabbed a jar from my bathroom, and put them in front of my antique gold mirror

4. iPhones are really great for flat lays

Save yourself the headache of adjusting the ISO, aperture, and shutter speed for getting all the products perfectly lit and in focus for the flat lay you envision. iPhones are really great for capturing products and it's much easier to see when you're getting a straight, clear image on your phone. 

Product photos should be a fun chance to capture something you love and want to share. It doesn't have to be literal - this isn't an e-commerce shoot. What's important is to capture how it applies to you, and by finding good lighting, getting a clear photo, and staging it properly, you can have fun with the rest.

Happy shooting and happy mail day! 

S H O P  T H E  P O S T

Inspiring Spaces - Dallas

SOCIETY

Bishop Arts District

SOCIETY by Jackson Vaughn is a tiny candle shop in the Bishop Arts District that looks - and smells - exactly like you walked into someone's candle-filled study. It's eclectic but cohesive. Knick knacks and enough scents to spend a whole afternoon smelling. Walking in is instantly relaxing and cozy, and even though it's small, it's easy to get lost in there.

HOUNDSTOOTH

Sylvan Thirty

Houndstooth Coffee is a slightly mellower Houndstooth than it's sister location on Henderson. The muted greens, natural wood, and sleek blacks and whites, make this a perfect place to get some work done, but mostly chat with a friendly neighbor. It makes the city of Dallas feel like a small town, where most people who walk through stop to say hello, catch up, and go on with their days. Natural light streams in, and the palm fronds that lean against the side windows make you feel like you could be anywhere in the world (other than Dallas). 

Set & Co.

Davis Street

Housewares, magazines, furniture, and every other perfectly-curated trinket you can imagine. Walking in to Set & Co. is like walking into your interior-designer-friend's house and wanting everything for yourself but then actually being able to buy it. It is owned by a husband and wife who are just as cool as their store and it is always a welcome space where you can wander, peruse, and treat yourself.

Place on Parry

Fair Park

Place on Parry is a blank canvas plus a little bit more. An all-white event space that is literally anything you want it to be. Rentable as a photo studio, workshop space, a place to host a dinner or engagement party, it's lofty ceilings and open floor plan are perfect for letting your creativity take over. It has a huge window in serving as the street-side wall that let's in so much light, that would make any photographer swoon.

Americano

The Joule Hotel

The food is amazing, that's a given. But the color palette at Americano is what makes this Italian-American restaurant inside the Joule Hotel so special. Lovely hues of turquoise, red, and green against a black grid of windows really transports diners into a world where siestas and afternoon Aperol spritzes replace the mid-afternoon slump and another cup of bland coffee. It's comfortable, it's happy, there's pizza - it's wonderful. Added bonus: there's a neon sign in the very back that reads: IT'S ALL IN YOUR HEAD. (what Instagram dreams are made of)

Local Press & Brew

Oak Cliff

The best place about Local Press & Brew is that this coffee shop slash juice bar not only makes all their products locally, but they also sell and support work of local artisans. It's sleek and contemporary without losing any sense of hospitality. White subway tile, minimal wood stools, marble tables, a wall of mirrors, and beautifully displayed local goods make Local a perfect place to stop in, grab a green juice, take a breath, recharge, and tackle the rest of the day.