81 comments

How to be a Fashion Blogger WITHOUT a DSLR & Other Things….

fashion blogger polaroid

Have you ever been afraid to start something – a new blog, a new project, or whatever? Or told yourself you'd start when you have _______ (fill in the blank)? I know I have. We're so good at putting things off because we don't have the latest thing (camera, phone, bag). We get paralyzed because we start comparing ourselves to others and think we can't be that good, and then we quit, before we even begin. I'm here to tell you that you don't need all the things you think you need to be a successful fashion blogger, the only thing that's important is that you are YOU. And that you start where you are, and use what you have.

Here's how:

Don't have a DSLR?

Use a point & shoot, or your phone. One of the very first outfit-of-the-day blogs was a girl taking pictures of her outfits in the mirror everyday and I'm pretty sure we all know how things have taken off since then. Back in the day (2004-2005) we just wanted to show what we were wearing – photo quality wasn't that important. Now so many style bloggers have their pictures taken by their husbands or boyfriends, with a DSLR, outside, in a beautiful setting, that in can seem very intimidating if you're stuck taking your outfit photos outside on your balcony with your point & shoot on a tripod using a timer (raises hand!).

The fact is, excellent quality photographs go a very long way towards making your blog appealing, pin-worthy, etc., but it's NOT THE ONLY THING that's important. If I had to wait for a perfect setting and for my husband (who works a million hours a week running his OWN company) to take my pictures, I'd never get any up, so I do the best with the resources I have, which has always served me well.

Can't afford Photoshop?

Use iPhoto, pixelmator, or gimp to crop and edit your photos & create graphics. I used to use Fireworks & Dreamweaver back when I was coding my website, but for many years, I've just used iPhoto to edit my photos & Pixelmator to create graphics. Since both of these work well for me, I've not seen a reason to change, but I may at some point in the future. Figure out what tools you need to do your best work on your blog and then use the most affordable one you can find right now. Aspire to upgrade when your blog becomes profitable, or you're ready to invest in a new resource, but you don't have to start out with the best, most expensive tool there is.

Don't have the skills or the money?

Start small and learn as you go. It's a million times easier to start a blog now than it was when I started, but I still see people get hung-up on “the little things” related to design & creating a blog, which brings them close to giving up. I happen to be the world's biggest self-hosted WordPress fan, but if Blogger appeals to you or having a WordPress.com blog is easier for you, then take that route. Don't let all the people preaching WordPress stop you before you start: you can move platforms later if you really want to, but at this moment, what's more important is to go with your instinct, and what is easiest for you to manage.

In the beginning, you don't have to have a customized theme, or pretty social media buttons, unless you already know how to do that. And I certainly wouldn't recommend paying $1,000 + to have someone design something for you right off the bat. Start creating content, play around yourself with css and your theme, read tutorials, copy ideas from other blogs and maybe you'll learn enough that you won't have to pay someone else to do it for you. If by the time your blog is profitable, you want to hire someone to re-do it for you, then definitely do it, but please don't get hung up on your blog's theme being PERFECT right from the start. I have talked to way too many bloggers who get stuck on the theme being perfect before creating content. I guarantee your readers aren't worried as much about how pretty the theme is as you are; they're focused on content. And anyway, with more and more people reading blogs on mobile (25% of my blog's visitors are via mobile) or in bloglovin', on Facebook, etc., they might not ever SEE your desktop theme.

Don't have business cards?

Make your own. I've seen lots of hand-made business cards in my time, and they're always more interesting than a lot of “over-designed” ones. Buy a stamp and business card printer paper, actually print photographs, cut them up, and put your information on the back. Use index cards to print your information on. You want the people you meet and interact with to remember YOU, and I guarantee a handmade business card created with passion will get the job done.

Unfortunately nowadays it seems as if to be a successful, popular fashion blogger you have to look like all the other successful, popular fashion bloggers. It's NOT TRUE, being you is what sets you apart and is what will ultimately make you successful.

Celebrate yourself, and don't be afraid to start where you are. Everyone has to start somewhere; perfection takes time. Focus on the big stuff: content, content, content, while constantly striving for improvement, and presenting everything you do with passion – it's contagious and will keep people coming back to your blog.

Have you done this? Worked your way up to having better tools once your blog became more successful? Or have you been afraid to start because you DON'T have the best tools?

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81 Responses

  1. Maya

    So true about the business cards, everytime at a party I hand mine out and everyone loves them. While theirs are still ‘being printed’, which is a shame because if they had spend 1 hour or so themselves on it, it costs less and is even prettier 🙂

    Reply
    • krystal

      What do your business cards look like? Im so excited because I’ve just decided to design my own! I’m constantly on Pinterest looking for inspiration!

      Reply
      • Maya

        I’ve used one of my favorite photo’s from a blogpost (this one – http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8241/8454926391_137f3b0e32_o.png) and on the other side in a handwritten font I wrote my blog name big and then underneath it my site adress, email, facebook and twitter 🙂
        Very simply but it works

      • Beth

        I love that its hand written! But I have awful handwriting 🙁 Any suggestions?

  2. Sarah

    This article is great advice. I literally just started a blog am only 4 post in and haven’t had the courage to put any photos up but this has defiantly given me the confidence boost to put photos out in the big fashion blog world. Even if they are taken in my back garden. Thanks!

    Reply
  3. Esther

    Love, love, love everything you said here the best thing is to believe in yourself, believe you can do it and you will do it.

    Thanks

    www.houseofsienna.blogspot.co.uk

    Reply
  4. Nike Peterson

    Love this article! I blogged for the first two years with a cheapie $100 point-n-shoot and Picasa editing software before I could afford a DSLR and Lightroom. The irony is that I had a couple shots from that cheapie camera/Picasa combo featured on huge, national sites (like HuffingtonPost) that helped me earn the money for my big girl camera. I say ‘rock what ya got’ — know your point-n-shoot or iPhone inside and out. Push it to the edge. Take a gazillion crappy pictures until you get the right image. NOT having equipment helped make me a better photographer down the road and taught me so much. I’m so glad I had that experience and didn’t wait to start blogging.

    Reply
  5. Rachel

    I totally agree that iPhoto is an acceptable substitute for photoshop. I own the full edition of photoshop and I know how to use all of it properly, but about 75% of my blog photos I edit on iPhoto as it is quicker and easier to use. I only resort to photoshop if I had to put up with bad shooting conditions in the first place!

    Reply
  6. Julz

    This is how I actually feel about youtube right now… I’ve been wanting to start my own channel but Im just stopping myself.. Thanks for this! I needed to read this with encouragement!

    Reply
    • Kenneth Jacobs

      I’ve been wanting to start a Youtube channel too! I guess it doesn’t have to be “perfect” but at least if we start, learn, and grow we’ll make it better as we go a long! Good luck to you and your Youtube channel!

      Kenneth

      Reply
  7. Ariana

    Great post! I was so there a year a go when I first started blogging. I changed my theme like three times in the first few months. My current theme is great but I am not in love with it anymore. But you are so right although I do plan to do a blog makeover in the near future its important to focus on good content to drive readership.

    Ariana
    Shopaholic Undercover

    Reply
    • Kiesha

      I agree. I think I changed my theme about 5 times before I stuck with the one I currently have. As a blogger you have to make sure you choose something that speaks to YOU and not because you want people to like it. In any design functionality and navigation is a key aspect of design as well. What good is a cool design when no one can find your old posts? 😉

      Kiesha
      http://GlamorBelle.com

      Reply
  8. Sarah G.

    I can so relate with the first, second and third ones cause even though I do have an SLR, I don’t always have someone to take my photos for me so I just use a tripod and a self timer, I actually prefer to do it that way though cause I don’t have to worry about another person making a mistake of accidentally changing the settings since I use the manual mode on my SLR and I can’t for the life of me understand photoshop so I just use picasa, picmonkey, iPhoto or Paintbrush to edit my photos and graphics.. As for the third one, I google several HTML codes and CSS to get my blog to look the way it does, because of that, I stumbled upon several widgets/gadgets that help me link my socials on my blog easier! Great post! It made me realize that I’m really not the only one experiencing these!

    xx
    Sarah

    Reply
  9. Lauren Dinkens

    I still somewhat feel this way about my blog. Though I haven’t let it stop me from creating content, I still feel like a big reason why I’m not gettign as much interaction as I want is because I don’t look like big-time bloggers.

    Reply
  10. Filipa

    My blog is almost one year old and don’t own a DSLR but that doesn’t represent a big problem to me. Sure, I’d love to have one and when I get the chance to invest in a good one I’ll do it. But for now I’m satisfied with my digital camera, because it really isn’t bad, and I try do use it in the best way I can.
    When it comes to photos editing, I use Photoscape mostly. It’s something I’ve been using for years and I got used to it.
    Also, I still don’t own any business cards, but I think that making one yourself is the best idea you can do.

    xx

    Reply
  11. Leslie Corona

    Thanks for the great advice! I am starting my fashion blog at 34 with nothing but an iphone and I must say it’s very intimidating but I still feel I must do this, that I have a point of view, so wish me luck! lol.

    Reply
  12. Sarah's Real Life

    Such good advice! I started my blog almost a year ago and for the first several months I did basically everything on my iPhone. Was it stunning? No. But did I get a lot of readers who were still interested in what I had to show them? Yes. Obviously you should always aim to keep improving, but if you’re just starting out, it could end up being a big waste of money to buy all the “must-haves” before you know whether blogging is something you’ll do long-term. And for the record, I did upgrade to a “real,” very nice camera, but it’s still not a DSLR! I also never paid for PhotoShop…now I’m using Pixlr.com, which I recommend. The “express” version is super easy to use!

    ~Sarah of Sarah’s Real Life

    Reply
  13. Mike Panic

    I really wish you’d consult with someone in the photography community before you write posts like this, it’s kind of annoying and filled with false positive information. A DSLR is a TOOL, it’s not magic, filled with rainbows and kittens and glitter. The tool you use to achieve your desired result shouldn’t matter, the knowledge of how to use whatever tool you have to the best of your ability matters.

    Furthermore, the files produced by even entry level DSLRs are so large they will quickly fill the SSD hard drives of your Macbook Airs, and I’m willing to bet few of them will ever be printed so shooting at the full resolution is silly.

    In a previous article published here I strongly suggested the Canon G-series, and even the used older ones like G9-G12 are awesome cameras. They are built solid and have the ability to add a hotshoe flash and / or an off-camera flash & trigger system. The SD cards (in some DSLR models but not all) that p&s cameras offer also allows quick transfer to iPads with a cheap adapter and editing in an app like Snapseed.

    I’ve shot fashion campaigns and supplemented my pro-series Canon DSLR with a G10 and had the images run in the look books. Believe me when I tell you the goal is to produce quality content, just because you can’t change the lens and just because it doesn’t cost $1500+ doesn’t mean your results will suck.

    Regarding business cards, 1k of them costs about $18 with shipping from sites like nextdayflyers.com, in matte or glossy, full color both sides. If you can’t do graphic design don’t fret, for $5 you can have someone at fiverr.com design one for you! Under $25 you can have a solid representation of yourself without wasting hours upon hours doing arts & craft time creating your own.

    Reply
    • Grechen Reiter

      i honestly don’t see where we disagree here; i don’t recall saying that you have to have a DSLR or “your results will suck” as you say. or that a DSLR is “magic.” i was simply trying to point out that it’s not necessary to have the most expensive tool, to produce quality results. again, i don’t see where we disagree. but thanks so much for sharing your professional opinion.

      we may, perhaps, disagree that the only way to have a “solid representation of yourself” is to have professionally made business cards. they’re nice, and easy, and generally inexpensive (mine are professionally made) but if you happen to be an arts & crafty person and you can produce business cards that are unique, and will stand out in a sea of moo cards or white stock with logos on them, then more power to you…

      Reply
      • Mike Panic

        I disagree in how the title is written. It’s reads, and perhaps it’s only me that’s reading it this way, that “most” fashion bloggers already have DSLRs but there is kinda sort of a workaround if you can’t invest in one.

        It’s not even a matter of “starting small” it’s about being as smart and effective as possible with the time and effort you put into anything to maximize the return on investment.

  14. Dee

    Thanks for this encouraging article (it has come at a right time for me) , I don’t own a DSLR and just recently upgraded to an Iphone which is what I use to shoot images for my blog.

    I shoot myself on a tripod that is really old (I have to be really careful with it as one “leg” is broken and it could tip over). I also have an old laptop which is really slow. It takes me forever to do the most basic stuff sometimes.

    I have been feeling intimidated and discouraged because I know the “quality” I want in my head with outfit shoots and videos but I currently can’t achieve that with the tools I have. So I have been putting a lot of things off and not promoting myself as much.

    I know it shouldn’t matter but I do know that a person with beautiful content (in my opinion shot with a good DSLR using professional editing tools) has an easier time getting readers and viewers. I would compare this to “judging a book by its cover”

    I think readers and viewers do compare content according to what they get accustomed to seeing out there. If your content is not up to standard it can easily get dismissed as unprofessional and you have to work twice as much to prove yourself. At least that is my opinion.

    But as you said everyone starts somewhere. I have to constantly remind myself of this and not limit myself.

    Thanks
    Dee

    www.msdeekay.com

    Reply
  15. The Science of Happy

    These are all great, definitely start small. Try and take advantage of business card offers, I got my first lot for free from Moo in the UK because I stumbled across a website offer and everyone I’ve given one too has been very impressed!

    http://thescienceofhappy.blogspot.co.uk/

    Reply
  16. Bethany

    PicMonkey.com has saved my LIFE. AND it’s only $5 a month. It has all you need to edit photos. I’ve made my point and shoot photos look 100000 X better just by editing them through PicMonkey. It also allows me to re-size photos and still have a good resolution. Definitely recommend it!

    Reply
  17. Andrea Bañuelos

    This article it’s like…You’ve totally read my mind! I’m just too worried because of this…but tomorrow I’ll give people some handmade business cards and take some decent pictures with my point and shoot.
    Thank you!

    Andrea,
    www.velveteenmannequin.blogspot.com

    Reply
  18. Nadya Helena

    I don’t disagree with this article, but I do have to say that the term “fashion blogger” is WAY more than just shooting pics of yourself. I’ve seen a blogger who made it big just doing luxury handbags review, and blogger like Garance Dore who started as an illustrator and work her way around.

    I know that the purpose of this article is to encourage future personal style bloggers to have more confidence in themselves. But you forgot to mention those other fields of the so called “fashion bloggers” that exist not by shooting pics of themselves but are still very passionate about fashion.

    I hope I get my point across here 🙂

    Reply
  19. Teresa Vu

    I am so glad I came across this post and it’s true. I’ve always wanted to manage a fashion blog but because I couldn’t afford a fancy DSLR camera I kept pushing it off and the thought of going up to someone and asking them to take a photo of my outfit just seemed like an awkward conversation. Then one day I was just like the heck with it, I know it’s seems late but I’m going to start one even if I don’t have all the fancy top-notch things cause it’s always better late then never (:

    Reply
  20. Monica

    Today was a great day to find this post. During the weekend I moved my blog to a self host blog. I feel like an island, like I´m new again. I lost all my followers from bloglovin and wordpress.com. So I have to start again, but this time I know how 🙂
    I moved it as I have plans with my blog, not because it is big with a lot of visits. This post made me remember my fears: no one will read my blog because I dont have a DSRL camera. No one will read it because there are a lot of bloggers out there, but I found my niche.
    Now with a self host blog I have fears too, but reading this made me remember that I don´t have to be perfect 🙂
    http://thirtysomethingchic.com/

    Reply
  21. Debbie Baker Burns

    I like the idea of handmade business cards using photos. Debbie @ ilovemylemonadelife.com

    Reply
  22. Lara

    Amen to this. I don’t have a DSLR and used my iphone for a while. Now I use a canon point and shoot. While I definitely wish I could have better photo quality, I’m not unhappy with the results. This was a great article and made me feel much more secure about my lack of DSLR and editing skills!

    xox Lara www.weheartbeautyblog.com

    Reply
  23. Lara

    Great article. I don’t have access to DSLR, but that shouldn’t (and doesn’t) limit me and my interests in fashion blogging.

    xox Lara www.weheartbeautyblog.com

    Reply
  24. Kelly

    What an amazing post, thank you for sharing!

    xx
    Kelly
    Sparkles and Shoes

    Reply
  25. Alexa Badea from The Style Side

    I have an IFB account for a while now and every time I read your posts I get motivated and inspired to be a better me!
    I think this is the most important thing for every person, for every blogger, BEING A BETTER VERSION OF THEMSELVES EVERYDAY.

    Good luck & I hope you write forever because you’re dope!

    Alexandra from The Style Side
    thestyleside.wordpress.com

    Reply
  26. K Janai

    Very very very helpful. Every point you spoke on, is me all the way. By blog is a little over 2 months old, and it’s so overwhelming. Don’t get me wrong I love making post, it’s just beings though I have no camera, no one to take my pics, it’s hard. I just want my blog to be as personable as possible. I need help!!

    HELP???

    Reply
  27. Susana

    TOTALLY TRUE!!! I get lots of compliments on my pictures and I only use a point-and-shoot camera. First, I used a simple Canon and now I use a Nikon One. I hate taking a humongeous camera with me, and these perfectly fit in most purses. The trick is to take pictures in good light and a nice or interesting setting.

    For any of you wanting to start a blog, DON’T be fooled by all the “business” of fashion blogging! It has gone very commercial, and it now seems like it’s JUST about getting people to buy from sponsored links, as opposed to true style.

    Just today, I had someone comment on the purse that I featured, telling me that they were shocked how it looked so good…they had actually bought it about 7 years ago and it lay in disgrace at the bottom of some back pile in a closet. I wear ALL of my clothing regardless of how old it is, and always try to look stylish and polished. That’s (to me, at least) what a personal style blog should be…and trust me, I like shopping like the next girl, but wearing the latest for the blog’s sake…no! Thank you very much! That’s pushing people to be even MORE consumer-oriented than most already are!

    xo,
    Susana
    www.akeytothearmoire.com

    Reply
  28. Lucy

    Very well written.
    I’ve gone through ALL of the above. I change my WordPress.com blog time and time again. I don’t think I’ll ever be satisfied but it’s all about the journey. And really, I’m focused more on building the foundation, which is the content. Focus on the content and the people will come.

    Reply
  29. Searching for Style

    Before I criticize this post, I’d like to say that I find IFB to be a fantastic resource and I love most of the content you produce. But I do find that so much of your content is based on the presumption that we are all style bloggers. A lot less than one percent of my blog images are either photos I have taken or photos taken of myself. Most of the blogs I follow are of bloggers who rarely take photos of themselves. It would be nice if IFB’s approach was a little less styleblogger-centric.

    Reply
    • Jennine Jacob

      Thank you so much for your suggestion!

      These points can be taken for any kind of blog. A DSLR is jut as important if you are covering news, showroom visits, museum exhibitions, events, etc. Not just personal style blogs. The author was using her blog as an example as I encourage our contributors to blog from experience. Even though I no longer run a “personal style blog,” I personally think other types of fashion bloggers could benefit from applying some of the visual branding personal style bloggers do.

      There are so many niches within fashion blogging and it’s difficult to cater to them all. I really think it’s important to the bloggers to take inspiration from other niches to transform and evolve their own niche.

      Hope that helps!

      Reply
      • Searching for Style

        Yes, I agree these tips are useful for non-style diary blogs. My comment was relating to the IFB content in general. Most of it is helpful, but I do find that there is a general presumption that most of us are style bloggers. Not to say I don’t love what you are doing, this is just something I’ve noticed. 🙂

  30. Naina

    I worked my way up. When I started many years ago, there was only Blogger. I made 5 Blogger blogs – each representing one page of my “website”. Each blog was connected to the other. Each blog was just one page – a page with a portfolio of my work. The actual blog had stories I wrote each week, connecting and linking up with other bloggers across the world.

    I am a professional photographer now but I started with a Point and Shoot and a film camera and photographed my first two client assignments on these. The clients was perplexed at the equipment but loved the results.

    Technology has changed our lives immeasurably in the least couple of decades – there will always be something better. “Play it by ear” and “execute quick” are two things that drive me.

    Reply
  31. Rima

    Thank you so much for this post! When I started my blog almost a year ago my boyfriend helped me with the design, details and even created my header for me since he started out as graphic design pro. We would do fun photoshoots for my posts since he is an amazing professional photographer. I felt like my blog was looking all kinds of legit!
    Then….we broke up. Besides being heart broken I felt lost as far as creating the same quality of images for my posts. I’ve always had a love for polaroid & disposable cameras and since they’re pretty straight forward as far as thee outcome I just had my sister start taking them! I feel like they look cool and unique as well as displaying my tomboy/skater personality!

    Reply
  32. Ashley Taylor

    This is a great read and something every new blogger should know. I use a point and shoot, and when my boyfriend can’t take pictures for me, I use a tripod and self timer. What makes the difference is the editing and pixlr.com is my angel. SO easy to use and even have a photoshop-esque option, for the more experienced. Love it! As long as you have good lighting, you’re good. Practice too! Take 10000000 shots of different angles, in different lighting. You’ll figure it out 🙂

    xo Ashley
    thetiniestfirecracker.com

    Reply
  33. snow

    This is really inspiring, I have been feeling down like I need a better camera to have a good blog. I’m going to try my best!!

    Reply
  34. CK

    Thank you so much for writing this post! The biggest reason I felt it was ‘ok’ to start my own blog was that one of my favorite bloggers let it slip that she takes her own pictures with a tripod and a timer (stylishwhitefemale.tumblr.com). Now I’ve been blogging for over a year – I take all my pictures with my teeny point-and-shoot, but I can’t wait to graduate to my first DSLR. I also played around with themes and platforms before deciding to self-host on wordpress. I love that you are helping to motivate other women to get out there and START blogging! Thank you for the positive feedback!

    Reply
  35. dahi.

    i did it just the way you wrote above. and yes i can tell that the readers will come, the money will come, and the design will come!
    i’ve started my blog in march 2012, not knowing anything about html and css and my blogdesign changed frequently in the course of time and now it’s perfect, i’ve got my sponsors, nearly 800 readers via GFC and … guess what – still no DSLR xd

    sending you a great bunch of love
    dahi
    http://www.strangeness-and-charms.com

    Reply
  36. Natasha

    Thank you so much for this post! It can be intimidating sometimes when you see what the more established bloggers are able to achieve. But it’s always good to remember that you have to start somewhere. And if you wait until you have the perfect camera/location/skill set you would never get anywhere.

    Reply
  37. Bohmyi

    My blog doesn’t have photographs on it that I take myself (usually images I find on the Internet, credited, and then also outfit ideas using Polyvore) and I don’t think I’m going to start anytime soon, so I’m lucky with that. I do however feel like there’s a lot of things money can do to improve my blog – the look of my blog, a smartphone, a custom domain, etc.
    I am, however, grateful for all the things I already have. I recently got my own laptop and it’s been such a blessing for my blogging.
    This post is so useful! I’m still a beginner blogger so I’m learning. 🙂 x

    Reply
  38. Stef

    I guess im somewhat lucky to have the “essentials” such as the dslr, and a little cash to start my own wordpress hosted site. But there are definitely other things that hinder me like what outfit to blog this time, who will take my photos and all that. I guess its just a matter of being creative and also time management. And hopefully someone out there will appreciate what ive got to offer 🙂

    Reply
  39. Somto

    I had a lot of difficulties with trying to make my blog look high-tech but this post has really helped to understand that perfecting the layout/template and content will take time (I just got back to blogging and trust me- it’s been a long process) and I should focus on what I need than what others want. Thank you so much! This article was very, very helpful!

    Reply
  40. Kylie Rae

    Thank you so much for sharing this with us! It is quite intimidating being a new blogger and feeling like you have to keep up and/or be up to speed with latest and greatest technologies, but you’re so right — it doesn’t make your blog. As a new blogger I try to remind myself of these exact things, so I greatly appreciate you reiterating this not only for me but others too!

    Reply
  42. anggraeni tyana

    i really think that this article is inspiring! I do believe that you don’t need any personal camera just to take a photo for your blog. i admit that sometimes its pretty intimidating to see someone’s blog with such great photo and professionally taken. i’m posting about my own personal style too, and i’m using my pocket camera. the outcome is not bad at all.
    this is very helpful and kinda relieving!

    http://ombrecarousel.blogspot.com

    Reply
  43. Laura Michaud

    I have always done my fashion shoots in my dining room which has a beautiful background of yellow and white damask wallpaper. Then one day I decided to switch rooms and take my photos in my office which has a plain background because I thought that looked more professional. I then learned that my readers missed my damask wallpaper background and that was one of my signatures! Funny how people are. Yes, my blog is about fashion, but I feel that my damn wallpaper is part of my style now!! Ha ha!

    Reply
  44. Brandy Saldana

    I wish I had read this before I started blogging! I started out with using a point and shoot and didn’t really like the quality and eventually bought a DSLR. It ended up being one of the best decisions I made because I actually use it for everything!

    I also relied on a tripod on my apartments balcony for some time, and now my boyfriend does take my photos! I also agree with the theme. Sometimes that is all people focus on instead of the content, when it should be the other way around! I’ve stumbled upon great blogs and am amazed how well something is designed but how unoriginal the content is. Being unique is what people should aspire to be.

    Thanks for the post! I am forwarding this to a friend who constantly has an excuse like the ones listed from starting a blog. Should give her the little nudge she needs to start =]

    Brandy
    willbakeforshoes.com

    Reply
  45. kendall

    this is EXACTLY how i felt, word for word, before I finally started my blog. it is too easy to caught up in every little thing. you just have to start! great article!

    x Kendall

    dipped in yellow

    Reply
  46. Meg McEvoy

    Thanks for the inspiring post! I have been having plenty of self-doubt with starting my blog. I had a design company that I found on e-lance.com design a logo for me pretty inexpensively, and that (and a few CSS tweaks) helped me to feel confident in my design, even though I am still using a free wordpress theme.
    I am very new to blogging on this is my first time reading IFB, but I will definitely be back! Thanks, Grechen!

    Reply
  47. Erin

    I agree with many of the items in this article but I have to disagree that it’s a good idea to copy the theme of other blogs. I think that it’s probably unavoidable to NOT draw inspiration from the style or layout of other blogs, but to actually copy style elements, name, etc. without giving credit or asking permission is not cool at all.

    Reply
  48. Lupe

    AHHH! I sooo needed this post. I have been so hung up on what I “don’t” have and been lagging on moving forward with my blog. This came at the perfect time. Thank you!!

    Reply
  49. Tiffany Ingram

    I found this article to be very helpful and inspiring. It is time for me to take my skills to the next level.

    Reply
  50. Shweghna Gursahaney

    I don’t have a DSLR nor money to finance my blog but it’s working quite fun 😀

    Great tips!

    Reply
  51. Wilma Bullo

    This is indeed a great help. I do not have money to buy DSLR yet or buy a very beautiful theme for my self hosted wordpress blog. I bought a domain and ask my friend if i can share his hosting, and he allowed me to. I think it is the blogger’s challenge to be creative and be resourceful. It is just the matter of your passion and your time to invest to improve your blog.

    God bless all fashion bloggers!

    Wilma

    Reply
  52. Frantic But Fabulous

    It’s also a great reminder that for our readers, content is the most important thing. For the most part, they don’t know (or care) if we have fancy photos or business cards. They just want something interesting or helpful to read.

    Reply
  53. The Dazzling Diva

    This post is really encouraging, thank you. I’ll be the first to admit, it does get discouraging when you feel like you don’t quite “measure up” to other bloggers, many of whom you admire. So it’s nice to hear that I’m not the only girl out there with a tripod and so-so self picture taking skills. But I’m working to balance theme, quality and content in hopes of gaining new blogging friends and followers just because they happen to like what I have to offer.

    www.thedazzdiva.com

    Reply
  54. Adela

    I started taking photos with my iPhone.. Then I moved to quite decent point and shoot. DSLR is hopefully on the cards soon.. Thanks to IFB’s tips I discovered pixlr which made a huge difference and learnt few tricks about design. I’m trying to constantly improve and be the best I can 🙂
    Adela x

    Reply
  55. Nasreen

    I wish this post was up before my hiatus, camera was a big factor of that. but great tips and even with my DSLR, I think it’s good to keep these in mind

    http://lazyobsession.blogspot.ie/2013/05/oasap-summer-giveaway.html

    Reply
  56. Kajsa J. Andersen

    Business cards sounds like a great idea! You never know when you need them and it´s great to have them close at hand.

    http://kjandersen.wordpress.com/

    Reply
  57. Isaac Oiza

    my blog is still a mess, i say to myself most times and i get intinidated some times but then i think and remember ‘its a step at a time…just have fun’

    Reply
  58. Mil

    Often times I too feel that my blog is not up to part with the rest of the fashion bloggers I have come across. It is very overwhelming, however, this was a very encouraging article. I appreciate it!

    Mil, from
    href=”http://www.Embracemystyle.blogspot.com”>Embrace My Style.

    Reply
  59. WeeVoyages

    It is so true about iPhoto! If you are not a professional photographer, iPhoto is the best way to edit your pics!

    Reply
  60. Efani

    You can do any thing without anything 🙂
    Basically you need passion & determination .

    Reply
  61. Monika Jones

    Great post! Thank you for all the tips. You give me some new ideas. I haven’t thought about handmade business card before. I’ll try this for sure!

    Reply
  62. narda

    Yes, of course being scared on your first attempt of writing your own very first blog is quite natural, but later on this will change into excitement and fun! So, you don’t have to be embarrassed when you are so, as long as you have the determination, positive outlook, and creativity, you can do it! Just like me, I am still feeling afraid until now, even I did already published many contents on my blogs. This is a great post and thanks for sharing it 🙂

    Reply
  63. Dazzlin Sana

    Thank you for such words of encouragement. I don’t have a DSLR and use my Samsung Ace Duos to take pictures. It’s only 5 mega-pixels. Then I use different apps for Android and make them look better on my cellphone only. Then I send them on my laptop via Bluetooth or sometimes just upload them directly on my blog as new post saved as drafts via the Blogger app and done!
    After receiving no bashing on the picture quality and finding them better than a few others sometimes keep me going in the right direction and boosts my spirits up high.

    agirlsfancies.blogspot.com

    Reply
  64. adhi wahyudi

    this info is so useful and what a great post for beginners. thanks for the writter for the tips and also havent set my thought on making business card, but thats a great idea to try.

    Reply
  65. Beth

    I will definitely be taking these tips to heart! Thanks so much for the advice. It was such an encouragement to read through this article since I just started a fashion blog with a couple friends. It can be very stressful but it truly is a lot of fun!

    My mates and I have talked about getting business cards but I like your idea of being a little more creative with it.

    Will try to stay positive about it all 🙂

    Reply
  66. El

    Great post! My blog is about beauty products and since I live alone and don’t have anyone to take close-ups of my face, I haven’t had any makeup pics to post yet. I’ve tried “selfies” but they just look terrible or bad quality. I have a SONY point and shoot but have been borrowing my sister’s DSLR. I know there’s no way to take a selfie w/ a huge camera like that! 🙂
    http://glossyglamblog.blogspot.com

    Reply
  67. shalenabrietta

    I was very hesitant to, start my blog because I don’t have a camera, just my phone. And financially speaking, I didn’t have the means to buy awesome clothes for post after post. But I finally caved and I’m working very hard on it. I still don’t have a camera, but my mother and grandmother are “surprising” me with a Fujufilm XF1 this Christmas and I couldn’t be more happier or thankful. Until then, I know my blog isn’t going to be the way I want it to be, but I still put hours and hours into it a day. It’ll grow and I’ll grow with it. Thank you so much for this post! I’ve read it at least 3 times this week.

    Reply
  68. Sneha

    I really like this article. It’s been quite helpful because I’m going through pretty much the same thing mentioned at the beginning; I have started my own fashion blog but I constantly worry that I don’t have this or that to make it popular. Right now I don’t have a very good phone or camera so I’m thinking about buying an iPhone for the moment. I don’t want to spend too much money on a camera right now, so hopefully this will do until I really need to upgrade.

    Reply
  69. Sneha Narayan

    I really like this article and can relate to it because I’m going through the exactly the same thing mentioned at the beginning. I recently started my own fashion blog and I constantly worry that because I don’t have this or that, that it won’t be noticed or become popular. I don’t have a good camera or phone and I’m pondering over buying an iPhone 4s because I don’t want to invest in a DSLR right now. Any advice on what I should do would be great!

    Reply
  70. XO Style Stalker

    I changed my blog theme about 15 times, which isn’t an exaggeration. And while I like the self hosted WordPress themes, I’ll probably end up teaching myself how to code a theme from Photoshop.

    Reply
  71. Nathalie

    Thank you for this. I just started posting IG pictures of my style and now working towards my blog on WordPress. I don’t have a professional camera and looking at other blogs got me intimidated. Your article really encouraged me to keep going. Thank you so much!

    Reply