*YES THIS POST IS VERY MUCH OVERDUE AND I SHOULD HAVE POSTED THIS IN APRIL BUT PLEASE FORGIVE ME I WILL REPENT FOR MY SINS WITH AN ONSLAUGHT OF ENTRIES IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS SO YAY OR NOOOO DEPENDS ON WHETHER YOU LIKE ME OR NOT*
The definition of a blogger has been debated ever since the platform has been introduced into the mainstream.
Honestly, I’m unsure if it actually has been debated, but for the sake of this entry, it has been.
Are bloggers those who write long form entries and personal anecdotes? Are bloggers those who focus on the visual aspects of the Internet, posting photos and having a large social media presence, as well as a front seat at Fashion Week? Are bloggers a combination of both of these things? Can they be both of these things?
However, a large amount of today’s most well-known bloggers are more focused on maintaining a visual aesthetic rather than writing entries.
Punfiltered, I like to think, is very much based on writing. Each of my entries has some sort of longevity, and I spend a long time curating my content. To me, this page is a space where I can express my thoughts and feelings, almost like a personal diary. I consider myself almost more of a writer than a blogger.
Although I do focus on making my page visually pleasing, the most important part is the actual entries.
At this point, it is pretty easy to tell that as a writer, it can be infuriating to see bloggers who focus more on style amass all of this success, and even fit the mold of a “blogger” for most.
However, instead of writing an angry entry, I decided that I would try to write a visually-based entry myself, just to see what it was like and gain a better understanding of what I had planned on attacking.
I originally wanted to do this a few months back, just on a regular Sunday. But I soon realized that the photos were far too mundane and boring. So I decided to restart this venture on a day when I accompanied my two cousins and aunts to look at prom dresses in the LA Fashion District. I knew there would be plenty of things to take pictures of.
Did I like this new approach? Well, I did not dislike it, but it is definitely not for me, nor will it ever replace or overshadow my preferred methods of blogging.
The biggest reason is because I didn’t have the proper equipment to take good pictures. I only have an iPhone 5S, and an older one nonetheless. The pictures came out alright, but not beautiful like most photo-based bloggers are able to do.
The solution to this problem would obviously be to invest in a better cell phone or a camera. But that would be a waste, because I won’t be photo blogging very much.
There a few reasons why. One, I don’t usually do things exciting enough to warrant photo blog entries. Neither do I lead the sort of lifestyle where even doing nothing is aesthetically pleasing.
Also, I’m simply not a strong enough photographer to make pictures the focus of my entries. I would much rather showcase my writing.
Lastly, while this may be a good thing to some, the sort of iPhone photo blogging I did required minimal effort.
I’m not saying that all brands of this do not take much work. In fact, most of them require plenty of effort, that is, if they are working with professional materials, or had a drive to take the perfect photos, none of which I have.
All I had to do was take a fair amount of phone pictures and give them quick captions. It could not have taken me more than twenty minutes to do the entire thing.
I’m not too frequent of a poster on my page, so I want to make sure that when I do post, I am putting my biggest effort into my entries. I did not feel that way about my photo story.
Although this sort of blogging was not for me, I could see why other people would do it, and why it is so successful. We live in a world that depends on vitality. Pictures are easier for a consumer to scroll past than a long blog entry.
While I am aware of this, I am still staying true to my writing-based style of blogging, simply because I enjoy it. In the end, I would rather do what I love than appeal to what other people love.
Do I still think that today’s definition of blogging places an emphasis on style over substance? To a degree, yes. But do I understand the appeal of photo-based blogging, and do I know that there is plenty of effort that goes into it? Definitely.
I do not hate photo blogging, I was just never meant to do it. But, if I’m ever doing anything interesting, and I am too busy to upload a full-fledged entry, photo blogging will definitely be an option.
Punfiltered 