Questions (and Answers) v. 11
Can you share some tips for taking your Instagram photos?
Sure! While I'm always trying to improve my Instagram game, I think I've learned a thing or two over the years:
- Wipe off your phone's camera before you take any pictures. Sometimes my shots end up super blurry and I can't figure it out, and then I wipe off the back of my phone and suddenly everything is clear again. Rocket science, people.
- Lighting is key. Make sure you aren't trying to shoot a photo into the light, or it's going to end up really dark.
- I use VSCO Cam to edit my photos--and I like to stick to the same three or four filters so my Instagram feed looks consistent as a whole.
- Sometimes I'll take a picture that I really want to share, but it isn't "good enough," i.e. it's too dark, too grainy, kind of blurry, etc. Over the last year I've decided to mostly not share those photos, but that's up to you. Sometimes you sacrifice likes or lose followers for posting photos that aren't perfect. Sometimes that's worth it. Depending on what you use the platform for, sometimes it's not. Instagram is weird. But it should be fun, so remember that.
When exploring a new city, what are three places you always check out (i.e. parks, the local diner, historical landmarks/monuments, etc.)? How do you find them?
As many of you guys have noticed, my favorite way to explore a new city is by walking around a lot and eating all day long. I'll ask for recommendations from people who live in the area, but in general I always want to find a great local coffee shop, a cool place for brunch, and a restaurant that serves amazing dinner. Rob is really good at finding cool places, happy hours, etc; so that makes exploring a lot easier.
When we were in San Francisco last month, we looked up a few places, but found the majority of the things we did by simply strolling by. It helps to have friends in the area, though!
What are your biggest fears/anxieties and how do you cope with them?
Oh, you mean other than everything? I've been a pretty anxious person for most of my life, so chances are I've managed to be afraid of almost everything: death, illness, the ocean, outer space, going to the dentist.
I've gotten much less irrational over the last year, which I'm proud of, but I guess I would have to say that my biggest daily fear or anxiety is that I'm not doing enough with my life; and that can regularly manifest itself in weird and different ways. Coping with it is often easier said than done--I just do my best and try to remember to give myself a break when I fail (which happens a lot).
Did getting married change your life a lot? Does it feel different than dating did?
While planning our wedding, there were multiple times when all the little details seemed kind of stupid--we had been together for almost five years and I kind of already felt married. Even after our wedding ceremony, I didn't feel some magical transformation or anything, I just felt happy to have vowed to love Rob forever and that all of our friends and family were there.
It really wasn't until our honeymoon and after that I realized something had changed--and now, over a year later, I'm slowly starting to realize that "feeling married" is something that will grow with us every day. It's the commitment and the work that goes beyond the flowers and the dress and the champagne toasts. And yeah, it feels different. But better.
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Now it's your turn! I want to hear your answers. And as always, if you have a question you'd like me to include next time, let me know!
Photo: V.A. Photography Workshop by V.A. Photography.