Southern Belle in Training

Fashion, Travel & Lifestyle Blog || Est. 2012 || Virginia Beach, VA

June 3, 2015

Behind the Blog: Who Takes My Blog Photos.


     So thanks to Maine's weather taking a sudden turn for the worst (a few days in a row of rain and  temperatures in the 40s #WHAT #It'sJune), I haven't been able to shoot any photos for outfit posts so far this week! Had I done so, the scenery would have been a little depressing and wet looking, and my attire would have been a throwback to what I was wearing in January/February. That's Maine weather for you! Anyways, I decided that for today's post I would instead do a little fun "Behind the Blog" post.





     Lots of fashion bloggers it seems have one very set in stone person who takes their blog photos. Some fashion bloggers have a contract or relationship with one specific professional photographer. Others use one person in particular in their lives, especially their husbands or boyfriends! I have even seen the hashtag #BloggerBoyfriend going around on Instagram lately. Well- ya girl over here is about to be a senior in college and still is just as single and failing to mingle as she was when she started this blog almost three years ago. ;-) So no #BloggerBoyfriend is taking my blog photos!! I actually have a variety of different people in both NC and Maine that take my pictures or have done so in the past, so I thought it would be fun to share a little post to thank and highlight the people who have helped me out over the past few years! Without any of them- this all wouldn't be possible!


North Carolina


     Just a little refresher- I started Southern Belle in Training on my 18th birthday in 2012, right after I moved South to begin my freshman year at my former college! My blog's very first official photographer was a dear friend from my former school named Michelle. Michelle was (well still is!) a nursing major, and despite her demanding course schedule, she always took the time to help shoot outfits on my little point and shoot camera for my blog. She actually took the pictures for my very first outfit post ever here on the blog!
     Today, Michelle and I barely get to see each other since I have transferred schools, but we still do keep in touch! And I treasure the many memories we shared from freshman year!


Freshman year OOTD taken by Michelle!
Michelle and I at a Christmas party that I hosted during my Freshman year


     When I transferred colleges at the start of my sophomore year, I went through sorority recruitment and joined Alpha Delta Pi shortly after transferring! My sorority sister Perrin, who is in my pledge class, took most of my blog pictures during sophomore year. Perrin is a music therapy major (one of the most demanding majors at my college!) and is super super busy so I sadly don't see much of her this year, but even though she doesn't take my blog photos anymore she is still one of my favorite sisters and dear friends at school!!

OOTD taken by Perrin, Sophomore year

Perrin and I at ADPi Black Diamond Formal 2014!


     This year (junior year) is when my parents bought me my DSLR camera for Christmas, and also when I really started to do multiple outfit posts per week on my blog instead of just a few a month! So since I was upping my blog content, I needed more photographers!!

     I currently have two main photographers at school. One is my best guy friend at school, Max. Max and I met through the internship that we both have with the Ryan Seacrest Foundation's Charlotte location! But luckily our friendship has grown way past that! Max runs the student radio club at school (which I hold an exec position in), we share lots of mutual friends, and he has been my date to a few ADPi events! But most importantly, I think out of all the people who take my blog pictures Max probably gets the most enthusiastic- he is quite the fashion lover himself!

OOTD by Max, April 2015

ADPi Black Diamond Formal 2015 with Max!


    My other main photographer this year is my dear friend Caroline!! We actually met through the strangest circumstances. We had a class together when I first transferred to my current school, but didn't really become friends that semester. Then last August, I learned that her roommate was Perrin (mentioned in this post!), and my roommate was Caroline's high school best friend! So we were always in each other's rooms, visiting each other's roommates. And we just became friends by default! And now this coming year Caroline and I are suitemates!! I cannot wait. :-) Anyways, she also takes a lot of my blog pictures and I've even featured her outfits in a few posts (she has a gorgeous and chic style!).

My blog's rebranding photoshoot - February 2015

Behind the scenes of the photoshoot with Caroline!


     And these lovely ladies below have also helped take my pictures throughout the school year when Max or Caroline are unable to!


Julie (my Little) Jess (my Big) and Haley (another dear friend!)




My BFF Lily! (This is us volunteering at this year's MLK Day of Service- hence the outfits :-) )




Another bestie of mine, Soo Jin!



Maine


When I am home in Maine on school breaks, things are a bit different. The two main people that take my blog pictures would be my parents!! Something that y'all might not know about my mom is that she actually is a photographer. Not in a wedding/portrait sense, but she does artistic and some nature photography, and has sold her work and some local galleries near where we live in Maine! So she knows her way around a camera! And I'm slowly teaching my dad to get there. :-)


OOTD by my mom - Summer 2014








    My third photographer at home is my sweet friend Katie! She and I have been friends for almost 13 years. Fun fact that you might not have known about me: I was homeschooled for most of my elementary school years! Katie was as well, and this is how we met. Anyways, she took the photos for last week's Southern Belle in the Bunk post, and did the photos for this Friday's post as well!

OOTD by Katie - Summer 2014





     And lastly, I have been very lucky to get to work with some photographer friends of mine occasionally throughout the past couple of years!! Shara of Shara Lynn Photography, Meredith of Meredith Sledge Photography, and Olivia of Olivia Miller Photography (Olivia is Charlotte based!) are all the nicest girls, friends of mine, and extremely talented photographers!! I have featured all of their work multiple times on the blog and since this post is already quite long I will just show pictures of me with all of these girls. :-)




    (I sadly wasn't able to find any pictures with Olivia!! I need to change that next school year!)


     Of course- I also love having my blogger friends get to take my pictures when I am lucky enough to have meet-ups with them!! I can't end this post without making a note about that. :-) But I wanted this post to mostly focus on the people in my life outside of the blogging world!


     So now my question for all of the fellow fashion/lifestyle bloggers is- WHO takes your blog photos? Are you lucky enough to have a #BloggerBoyfriend (or #BloggerHusband)? Or do you have a wide array of friends and family like I do??


     xoxo Miss ALK
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24 comments

  1. Sign me up for a #bloggerboyfriend please! Haha .. loved this post! Anything "behind the scenes" is such as interesting read to me.

    -Morgan
    How 2 Wear It [] http://how2wearit.com

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  2. Love this post! I feel like I know you better already!! I am always looking for someone to take my pictures at home and at school. Usually my mom takes my pictures for me at home, though she is still learning how to take them. I sometimes just feel so awkward taking the photos/asking someone to take them for me! ha!
    xo, claudia
    www.chroniclesofclaudia.com

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  3. Love this post. I feel so awkward taking blog pictures. Usually I have my little sister take them. One time, my eight year old cousin took one (and one of the shots wound up on the Lilly Pulitzer Instagram). I'm hoping to ask a few of my friends to take some over the summer!

    xoxo,
    Katie
    chicincarolina.blogspot.com

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  4. Love this post! I'm lucky enough to have a #BloggerBoyfriend who is also my photographer! I haven't had much time during the year to do outfit posts, but I'm definitely planning on changing that now that it's summer.

    XO
    Ashley
    privateschoolprepster.blogspot.com

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  5. I am waiting to get a new camera for fashion photos but once I do, my boyfriend will become my designated photographer...he just doesn't know it yet.

    xoxo, Jenny || Breakfast at Lillys

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  6. My boyfriend and roommate are the best photographers! Friends and families are the best!

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  7. Such a great behind the scenes post! Too bad about the rain. Most of the posts on my blog consist of gym selfies...which are even more awkward because there are people at the gym judging me haha! I'm not going to lie, the selfie stick comes in handy.

    Alessandra | The PumpUp Blog

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  8. I love this peek behind the scenes! Photographers are simply the best :) I'd love a #bloggerboyfriend, but I'm also single and failing to mingle lol.

    xx | Steph @ The Lovely Essentials & Jenssen's Designs

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  9. Love this! My boyfriend will take my pics if I ask him to, but I feel bad bugging him. I've just recently started befriending photographers who are looking to expand their portfolios as well!

    xo Lisa
    Strum Simmer Sip

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  10. Sign me up for a #BloggerBoyfriend.. my ex barely even read my blog (he was pre-med so he "didn't have time", so he certainly never took pictures for me!). I have my best friend Kasie take my pictures for me most times, but I want to start working with photographers who need to expand their portfolios, I just don't know how to go about doing it. It was so nice learning about the people behind the blog! :)

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  11. This post is adorable! Also, I just read that you live in Maine--I visited last year for my cousin's wedding and fell in LOVE. We were in the Portland area :)

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  12. I also have multiple people take photos for my blog, your post really demonstrates all of the people behind the scenes it takes to make a fashion blog possible!

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  13. I don't really have a certain person who regularly takes photos for me! Usually my pictures are from events so I ask somebody I'm with or who is around to take my pictures!
    xx, Mikkaela
    The Southwestern Prepster

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  14. For me it's always my BFF or lately my sweet, sweet #bloggerboyfriend! Love seeing behind the scenes!

    Pick Your Beau

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  15. Love this post thanks for sharing! Btw I love your hair, it is gorgeous!
    xoxo, Ivette
    Glamour State Of Mind

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  16. This is such a fun post! I love when bloggers post about behind-the-scenes. :)

    http://thealwaysblog.com

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  17. Confession: Most of my photos are taken by a #bloggerboyfriend! I'm lucky, because he has an art school background, but also because he has been helping me learn how to use my DSLR. My dad is hands down my favorite blogtographer; he gets so into it! Haha. Loved getting to know more about the photographers behind your photos :)

    XX, SS || A Little Seersucker Sass

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  18. HAHA I love this because my dad says my next boyfriend needs to be a photographer. For now, it's #bloggerdad hehehe. Love you!
    xoxo
    Lauren Ashley
    www.thefashionistasdiary.com

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  19. This is so adorable--I wish I was brave enough to ask people to take photos for me! That's so awesome that you have such a great network of photographers, wherever you are :)

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  20. What a great post, I love to get a sort of behind the scenes on your blog!
    xo
    Syd
    http://www.sincerelysyd9.blogspot.com

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  21. I take photos of myself. Too bad my camera doesn't work with a wireless remote!

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  22. What a great way to remember those that support you through your blogging adventures...I have been considering partnerships with photographers, a lot of bloggers do not know that this is a great way to save money while blogging...a lot of photographers are open to these relationships.

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  23. I love this post! It's so great to have friends that help in anyway possible with something you love. All of your pictures are fabulous! You and your friends definitely do a great job!

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  24. I wish my husband was nice enough to take pictures for my blog! Haha, just kidding-he's nice, but not very confident around a camera ;) You are so blessed to have such a great group of people around you to take your pictures for you! And the photo that your mom did looks like it's straight out of a fashion magazine, which is incredibly cool :)

    xoxo, SS

    The Southern Stylista

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Thanks so much for reading Southern Belle in Training! Comments make my day- so feel free to share your thoughts on this post! I read each and every comment.
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