how to take outfit shots if you have no friends (a guest post by olivia)
Well this is totally embarrassing. When Carlotta emailed me asking me to guest post, I suggested I do a tutorial on taking self-portraits for outfit posts. True story. I know my post will pale in comparison to Hannah's hilarious one; try not to throw tomatoes at my head, readers.
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Hello, fashionistas of the blog world. Don't try to pretend you've never wanted to do an outfit post, but your friends/family/cats were busy. Never fear, beautiful and stylish people: armed with only your camera and yourself, you can still take gorgeous photos. I promise. And you won't have to go with the old bathroom-mirror attempt:


N U M B E R   O N E :   P O S I T I O N   T H E   T R O O P S . . .   A H E M ,   C A M E R A
Set up your tripod, or find somewhere to prop your camera. (A table or tree stump works well.) It should be at about waist level, so you won't get thrown out of proportion. For a background, find something simple that won't distract from your photo — a blank wall, a distant forest (if you have good depth of field on your camera), the middle of a street. Not even kidding on that last one.

N U M B E R   T W O :   F O C U S
If you're outside, a stick can be driven into the ground where you want to stand. Inside, focus on furniture or place a stool or plant where you want to stand. On a DSLR, switch to manual focus and make the object nice and clear. On a point-and-shoot, just make sure your camera is placed in such a way that it will focus on the spot you want it to.


N U M B E R   T H R E E :   C O U N T   D O W N 
Set your camera to self-timer (ten seconds is usually good). Try a test shot first so you know about how long it takes.
this is my mother's point-and-shoot... on a DSLR it will surely be in a different place.

N U M B E R   F O U R :   B E   A M A Z I N G
Now, press the shutter (stil on self-timer!) and hurry into the picture. Smiling is generally a good idea, unless you want the whole Vogue look (this works better with a crazier outfit... don't take yourself to seriously if you're wearing something normal-ish). Experiment with poses; find one that's natural, and remember that the camera won't judge you if you look like a complete idiot.


And that's pretty much it! How to take spectaculafabulous outfit shots if you have no friends (or they are busy doing other things besides loving you). I hope that helps somebody somewhere, but if not... well, it was fun anyways.


W H O ' S   S P E A K I N G ,   N O W ?
Olivia = grey eyes, curly hair, extravagant facial expressions. Fashion enthusiast, photographer, writer, actress, and model — all at once. Traveling and big cities make me happy. Vintage is better. Says yes to quests. High heels+jeans rule the world. Prone to boredom and prone to disaster. Blogs at of horsefeathers and would be tickled pink if  you'd stop by. xoxo, lovelies!
------------PS: you can see my outfit posts here.------------
how not to do a fashion shoot (an outfit post by hannah)
Seeing as how Carlotta has some of the cutest fashions and darling outfit posts (raise your hand if you agree -- mine's already waving in the air), I thought I'd share a few tips on some of the ways not to do a shoot of your outfits. I'm self-admittedly not a fashion-guru; I don't know the difference between a jacket and a blazer, and when it comes to what's in, I'm hopelessly lost. Still, I do enjoy putting a few pieces together to create a cute outfit. However, when it comes to modeling my "looks", it takes a bit to get a photo that I'm satisfied with. So here are my sure-fire tips to screw up a fashion shoot.

byhannah
{step one}Underexpose your photo. This is to leave the people guessing about your outfit. If all they can see is a silhouette, then they can't critique your clothes. Is it black, blue, red, grey? A dress or pants and a shirt? And what on earth did you do with your hair?

byhannah
{step two}Stand around looking bored. If you're not into the whole model look, you can easily fake it...and in turn, flop. Instructions: Assume a bored demeanor and open your mouth slightly. While turning away from the camera, raise your left arm and and put your right hand on your hip. It will won't fool them every time.

byhannah
{step three}Be a dork. Oh, wait. That's just me. Moving on.

byhannah
{step four}Make crazy facial expressions. If your expression is silly enough, people won't bother with your clothes. Instead they'll go, "I wonder where she got her nose job?" or "wow, what big teeth." disclaimer: I have never had a nose job. I just happen to think it's funny. Moving on.

byhannah
{step five}Try to snag the sunglasses look. Sunglasses are everywhere come summertime. And if you really want your photoshoot to be a memorable one, make sure to include them in your wardrobe. Tips for wearing them: slide them down on your nose and go "huh?" After doing so, hold onto the edge of the glasses with your hand. It's a winner. (if you're trying to win The Dork of the Year Award...but that's beside the point)

byhannah
{step six}Don't do anything with your hair. Forget about stylish updos -- just put it up! (and hope that it stays) If you really want your clothes to make an impact, don't worry about your hair. Instead, take it and twist it into a doughnut shaped bun at the top of your head, tucking the end of the "pony" into the faux bun. To create an intentional look to it, stick some sunglasses on the top of your head and you're ready to go! It's a crowd pleaser everytime.

and finally...

byhannah
{step seven}Spin by a garbage bag. Want that wind-blown look? Make sure to take a moment and twirl in circles; this assures the crowd that you've got that model look complete with a breeze. For extra style points, stand next to a garbage bag full of dandelions and thatch. And girl, you've got this in the bag!

So remember...if you're looking for a quick fix to flunk a fashion photoshoot, then follow these steps and you'll have funny photos on your hands in no time! Be warned that these tips work differently from person to person. Keep that in mind when trying to impress the crowd with your fashion-not-how.

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In all seriousness though, have a good time! And try not to be as dorky as me. But don't say I didn't have fun with the post + pictures. ;) Perhaps Carlotta will write a real post on how to style an outfit shoot. I can safely say that we'd all love her tips -- and that they'd be easily applicable in our own shoots! But for now, you'll have to be content with these goofy gimmicks. ;)

Thanks for reading my silly shoot styles -- and a big 'ol thank you to Carlotta for having me guest post. Loads of love to y'all!

hannah
{about the writer}
Hannah blogs at Aspire, where she writes about life, photography, faith, simplicity, and occasionally pokes fun at herself. She enjoys a good book, will arm-wrestle you for the last piece of chocolate, and is known to break out into song spontaneously. A photographer, writer, and singer, her end goal is to glorify God in everything she does. And she's pretty fond of laughing...even at herself.
Aspire | Hannah Nicole Designs | Twitter
the girl from dis fromage
hi 'yall. let me start off by saying that i am totally stoked to be part of guest posting for the lovely carlotta. she has inspired me so much with blogging. her talent for choosing just the right words, her kind and helpful personality, and let's not forget her epic photography skills. i love visiting her blog, the simplicity of it all justs draws me in. and the wonder she finds in the little things of everyday life is just fantastic.

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oh. guessing it would be nice to know who's blogging today, right? here in the blog world, they call me "m". i'm just another person who somehow fell in love with photography. its freeing, an escape from the day. there's nothing i enjoy more than having my camera in hand. so i started a blog to share my photos with the world. dis fromage means "say cheese". every photographer knows this famous saying, although i rarely use it. somehow my subjects find their smiles...

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if you were to ask me my favorite thing to capture, i couldn't give an answer. every single thing i view through my camera lens is unique and beautiful in its own way. there is always something to capture. always something to discover. seeing the world through the lens - being able to take a part of it for yourself - never gets old.

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okay. so i have to ask, who's enjoying their summer so far? the days are hotter and longer. the garden hose has suddenly become my best friend. and i'm constantly tempted to run across to the neighbor's pool and jump right in. for me, summer is a time to let go. relax. enjoy life.

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i attended a graduation ceremony for some of my friends yesterday. done with highschool, they're moving onto college. it feels like just yestday we were all in class together. life is speeding past. all the more reason to enjoy every minute of life experienced. sometimes i forget to slow down. sometimes i live each day like i'm promised tomorrow, when really, i'm not. soaking in the moments is something i'm trying to do more often.

well, i'm out of words to say, the summer sun is calling me to come outside. thank you again, carlotta for letting me be a part of this. wishing you all a lovely rest of the day.

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one thousandth follower giveaway.
pastor's girl's ponderings hit a thousand followers a few days ago and gasps of disbelief, amazement, and wonder ensued. I still can't get over it, y'all. This little blog has gone farther than I'd ever hoped, thanks to you. I think a giveaway to celebrate all you've done is in order.

the flower will be cream colored instead of yellow...I didn't have a photo of the actual headband ;)
number one: cream flower headband from Natalie. Simple, flowery headbands evoke a picnic in the park, dressed in a sundress and cowboy boots. And then maybe a leisurely bike ride afterwards. Perfection.


clockwise, starting at top left: caged innocence, belladreams keptthe vintage sea
number two:A twenty five dollar gift certificate to New Fashioned Whispers. This shop is gorgeous, y'all. Each piece is a perfect blend of whimsy and elegant, sophistication and shabby chic. I want everything. Swoon.



number three: A duo of rosette bobby pins from Blythe. These are perfect for adding a little effortless extra touch to outfits in the summer  so pretty!



number four: vintage turquoise cameo earrings from Rachel. I've always had a special fondness for anything cameo, but cameo and vintage and turquoise? Sign me up. These are darling earrings perfect for summer.



number five: Any four prints (which will be reformatted to 4x6s) from my etsy shop or blog.

Five prizes means five of you will find one of these prizes in your mailbox in a few weeks. Want to enter to be one of those five winners?

mandatory entry: 
Comment on this post with your answer to this question: "What are your plans for the summer?" (one entry)

extra entries: 
 + follow this blog via Google Friend Connect (i.e., that little follower's gadget in the sidebar)
+ follow me on twitter
+ tweet about the giveaway (be sure to include @pastorsgirl so I can track your tweet)
+ blog about the giveaway  be sure to leave the link in a comment!

(each with one entry...please leave one comment per entry)

The giveaway will end on Wednesday, June 8th, at 9:59pm – any entries submitted after then will not be counted  and the winner will be announced shortly afterwards.

Have fun and good luck!

-carlotta

(PS I'm heading out of town this week...stay tuned for some amazing guest posts!)