I never thought I would share this... And not because I hate the pictures or anything (the photographer was great), but just because I was embarrassed with myself.
Today, I have decided to be completely transparent with you all. I will be sharing some never before seen pictures from my very first blog shoot... EVER.
I showed up that day, not knowing what I was doing, really had no vision in my mind for the shoot or what outfits I'd wear, and on top of it all, I was having the worst bad-hair-day ever.
My photographer (who is also my mentor), took one look at my chipped nail polish and said, "you can do better than this." Trust me, I was devastated. Because I knew I could do better! I just had to put the time and effort in.
After this first blog shoot, I started to properly prepare for future shoots; getting my makeup done by makeup artists as often as I could, making sure my hair wasn't crazy, showing up with a plan and a vision for the shoot, and actually intentionally planning out my outfits!
And you know what? A transformation took place! Amazing what a little bit of planning and effort can do. So here below, are pictures from this first shoot, and as you continue on, the pictures transition into a more recent shoot.
I decided to use these two photo shoots because they were both based off of the same jacket. I just had my life together a bit more in the most recent shoot.
I now think about how each shoot represents me as a blogger, every photo I post is an image of my "brand." Looking back at this first shoot makes me cringe... but knowing that there has been so much growth since then, feels quite rewarding.
I share this post not to brag on myself, but to remind people that things take work. When you are passionate about something, reflect that passion onto your work. You want to do something? I am a strong believer that if you work hard enough for it, you can achieve it. I took the time to invest into what I was striving to do, I discovered myself in so many ways, found inspiration, and realized what I really wanted from this whole "blogger thing."
The difference between these two shoots is easy to see. Whatever it is that you are striving to achieve, document where you are at right now, so that in a year from now, you can look back and see how much you have achieved. When you can actually see growth, it makes it easier to keep pushing forward, to keep working hard towards your goals and aspirations.
I hope you have enjoyed my transparency. I apologize that this post wasn't really about fashion, but since that is what this whole blog is about, did you really think I was gonna leave you with nothing?
This jacket in fact, was a gift from my big sister. Being the lucky duck that she is, she had the opportunity to tour around Europe with her college choir ensemble. They made a stop in Salzburg, Austria (better known for where they shot The Sound of Music) and she came across this jacket. And being the lucky duck that I am, she loved (loves) me enough to buy it for me!
So if you were hoping I would reveal where you could get a jacket like it, that really sucks. Sorry, take a trip to Austria I guess.
P.C. Ike & Tash