Blogging Resources/ Style

Blogging – Life Behind The Scenes

Blogger Life - Behind The Scenes, The Charming Olive

A year ago today I dove in to follow my passion. I had a very vague idea as to what blogging was about at the time, what bloggers did on a daily basis, or that blogging could quickly become

a full-time job, and then some.

Little did I know, just how much work was involved but I had this raging excitement to finally go for it. I was stunned, puzzled, and intrigued by beautiful lifestyle images that pulled me in and motivated me to put all my skills to the test. I was going to dedicate my time and energy into making this happen, and so I did! I didn’t let fear stop me, nor the amount of hard work it would take.

I launched my blog last year in early July 2015 to build content while I built my web presence, and then in February 2016 I began to work daily on building up my Instagram and social channels. It’s been a really fun and busy ride since!

To give you a little insight into my personal experience with blogging, I accepted a challenge from one of my close blogger friends, Christine Kong of Daily Kongfidence. She recently tagged me to share my blogging life and behind the scenes of it all.

WHERE DO YOU BLOG?

One of the beautiful things about blogging is that it can be done anywhere, anytime. As long as you have a wifi connection and some power (or portable power) to charge up your phone and or laptop if it runs out, you’re all set to blog! Everyday I work off of my Macbook Pro and iPhone and I take these with me everywhere I go. At this exact moment, I am writing late at night, sitting on my bed with my husband half asleep on one side, and dog on the ground begging to come up on the bed because I happen to be eating a delicious Gruyère cheese quesadilla. Yumm! 🙂

WHERE DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION FOR YOUR POSTS?

Inspirations is all around us. If you seek it, you will find it! I draw inspiration from traveling, and traveling could be as simple as just moving from one city to another. We all need a refresh to keep creativity flowing! I also get it from interacting with others who may not even realize they are being inspirational, from walking on the street or being amidst places of gathering. I can also pick up on inspiration from online (Music, Instagram, Youtube, Pinterest and blogs), from films, and a nice quote or book.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE YOU TO DO A BLOG POST?

This is where it begins to get interesting. This may differ from blogger to blogger, but the process is pretty much the same. Every post consists of a photoshoot, photo editing, uploading images, linking all outfit/product details, writing the content, proof-reading and publishing. In regards to style posts, photoshoots alone can take 30 minutes to 1 hour – if the location you are shooting at is far, or it’s not good at that time of day you’re standing there because of the way the lighting is, or you need to scout for a new location, it can even take 2 hours!

With practice you learn your best shooting spots, times of day, and you learn to prepare more than one outfit to shoot at a time! This quickly becomes a must! 🙂 Consistency is key in any business and it is no different here. Having those outfits shot ahead of time allows for better scheduling of posts. Photo editing takes me typically about an hour, then linking all of my outfit details and writing takes anywhere from 1-2 hours. If you add this all up, you see that it’s certainly is a process to produce a style blog post, but typically 4 hours is about average for me. For a beauty post it takes me a little less, and for a food or travel post, it takes me a little longer.

DO YOU PLAN YOUR BLOG POSTS? IF SO, HOW?

I plan my posts for the week, and if I am super backed up and busy, I will lay out a schedule for the week following as well. I certainly do not have my blog posts written days ahead of time [yet]. Typically, I will start working on a blog post 1-3 days before the day I want to post it, and I always have to do work on it the day of posting. There have been more occasions than none where I have done a whole blog post and posted it the same day, but the shoot was done at an earlier date. That always feels tight and more stressful, because being a blogger is more hard work than people really know.

Blogging is an around the clock business, having to spend sometimes hours a day responding or catching up on emails, coordinating with brands on items and deadlines, catching up on comments on all platforms, crunching numbers, to networking and marketing on social media platforms at different hours of the day, to coordinating looks, creatively and artistically visualizing compositions and areas to shoot, buying/returning items, keeping my devices backed up and safe, general maintenances on the website, and the list can go on and on. It is so fun to wear all the hats and accomplish so much each day, but it can be very overwhelming too, and I am happy to say that I am finding my balance a bit more each day.

WHAT KIND OF CAMERA DO YOU USE?

I started off last year doing my food and some outfit posts by using my old Canon Rebel EOS that i’ve had since college, then my parents gifted me their Canon EOS 60D (current 70D) in the Fall of 2015, which is what we’ve been using thus far everyday. Now we are making an upgrade to the Canon EOS 6D, which is a full-frame camera with this and this lens. We are excited to experience the difference!

WHAT EDITING PROGRAMS DO YOU USE?

I could do this all day, no joke. I really enjoy it! I use Snapseed for color correcting, VSCO for filters, Facetune for quick blemish edits/spots, and Photoshop for everything else.

DO YOU USE A NOTEBOOK TO TRACK YOUR IDEAS?

I am notebook obsessed! I have notebooks upon notebooks, and notepads and stickies all over the place. When I have a thought I have to write it down, otherwise it swims around in my brain all day causing me unnecessary stress. I love checking things off too! I am definitely a list/note person all the way. I even use my iPhones notes eerrryyyyyy day! My life is nothing but notes I tell you! 🙂

DO YOU TAKE YOUR PICTURES?

My husband is my photographer. He takes all the photos of me. I take my own photos when I can in circumstances such as food, some travel shots (that I am not in), flat lays, my own snaps on snapchat, etc. My sweet husband has a great eye for design, his skills at photography are amazing for learning it on the side and on his own, and he’s getting more and more into it! I have relinquished all control over the taking of photos except for times when we argue over creative direction or spot location. That I can’t help! We are both designers; it’s bound to happen! 🙂

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE BLOG POST TO WRITE?

I love all blog post types! I do need to have a variety from time to time, and when I have that need, I switch from a style post to either travel, beauty or recipe post.

WHO KNOWS ABOUT YOUR BLOG?

There are more people than I know that know about it! I don’t like to push my blog onto anyone that may not be interested, so I don’t talk about it unless asked or it comes up in conversation. I get many people approaching me telling me that they are following me (it still makes me blush a little), or that their mom or aunt is following me, or some friend of a cousin … or a neighbor of my in-laws! It’s all a lovely surprise, and I love hearing about it! I love all my supporters!

ARE YOU AN ORGANIZED OR MESSY BLOGGER?

Organized on paper, but sometimes things can get messy. As I already told you guys, my note situation is crazy, so you can probably already visualize my workspace. I also like to research any idea that comes to mind, simply because I am always hungry for information and/or looking for solutions. I like to keep everything out where I can see it clearly and access it quickly – so if things get messy, it is because of this reason! My house may be a mess, but only I will know where I left that specific piece of paper or item. 🙂 But nothing feels better than a clean and organized space! That really helps me think more clearly! Finding the time to clean my house while starting out on my blogging journey has been a real struggle! #priorities 🙂

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST BLOGGING PET PEEVE?

At this point in my blogging journey, I have to say that my biggest pet peeve is that bloggers are sometimes misperceived. I myself had no idea what bloggers did, almost until I started doing it myself.

If we make it look easy, then we are doing it right. Right? Right!

What brands and/or viewers may not know is that it takes a lot of hard work to make a single photo or post look clean and effortless. Sometimes getting that body language right can be a challenge and a half!! When we create work that appears “effortless,” it becomes easy for everyone to think that what we do takes only minutes and that we are just messing around enjoying our “passion.” If you are wondering if you are passionate in any area of life, these 3 traits will help you identify it:

1. You are likely doing it for free

2. You can’t stop talking about it

3. You lose track of time while doing it

Bloggers like myself take pride in what we put out into the world, we have fun at it, and we do it in a way that is specific to our audience and our aesthetics. For me, blogging is about building my brand – The Charming Olive, my personal style, sharing my knowledge and life experiences with the world, and networking with amazing people just like any other great company would. It should not be overlooked as merely a passion or a hobby. It is a full-time business like any other!

Everyday I learn so much and meet such inspiring people. It is truly amazing what happens when we support one another and we choose to shine our light onto the world in a positive way! This journey has been nothing less of wonderful thanks to you and everyone I have met along the way! Come find me on snapchat @ thecharmingoliv and let’s stay in touch! As always, thank you for stopping by!

This was a very fun tag to write and I challenge Careese Quon of Lychee Style to share her BTS blogging details next!

If you have any comments or tips of advice, please do share in the comment section below. I’d love to hear from you!

Blogging - Life Behind The ScenesBlogging - Life Behind The Scenes, The Charming Olive, Adelina PerrinBlogging - Life Behind The Scenes

Wearing: Lace Pleated Midi Dress | Blush Shimmer Crossbody Bag | Blush Shoes | Cheek Highlight

Shop The Look

xx, Adelina

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38 Comments

  • Reply
    Careese
    July 6, 2016 at 6:01 pm

    Adelina,

    I’m loving this post so much!! It’s so amazing to learn about your journey as a blogger and influencer. Your passion for the work you do is very inspiring! Looking forward to sharing my BTS blogging details next on lycheestyle.com.

    Cheers!
    Careese

    • Reply
      Adelina
      July 6, 2016 at 6:28 pm

      Thank you Careese! I am happy that I can inspire someone like you! I look forward to your BTS soon! xox!

  • Reply
    Katherine Valdivieso
    July 6, 2016 at 6:18 pm

    This look is so delicate and fits perfect on you. Wow I love everything you wrote about the behind the scenes. Good job and well said.

    • Reply
      Adelina
      July 6, 2016 at 6:29 pm

      Thank you so much Katherine! You are so sweet, and I am happy you enjoyed the [long] read! 😉 xox!

  • Reply
    Sharon Wu
    July 6, 2016 at 7:30 pm

    Omg you are so inspirational, Adelina! I really enjoyed reading this post and learning more about you and how you blog behind the scenes. Even though we’re doing similar things, we’re doing it all differently — such a beautiful thing in the blogging world! Your husband takes amazing photos of you. Does he edit your photos at all, or just take them and then hand it off to you to edit? Either way, your images are always so perfect. Thank you for opening up and being so personable. I’d love to see more posts like this from you 🙂 hehe <3 xo, sharon

    http://www.stylelullaby.com

    • Reply
      Adelina
      July 6, 2016 at 7:49 pm

      Awe Sharon you are the sweetest ever! Thank you for reading and it makes me happy to hear that I can be of an inspiration! Regarding my photos, I edit them myself. I LOVE this part of the process! I hope everything went well at the vet! xox!

  • Reply
    Meghan
    July 6, 2016 at 8:18 pm

    Absolutely loving your outfit girl!! And I loved reading this post. Congrats on coming this far on your blog after having it for a year. I started as well around this time and its all so excited. Keep it up. I love your content.

    • Reply
      Adelina
      July 7, 2016 at 1:53 pm

      Aww, thank you Meghan! You are the sweetest, and thank you for reading this and being amazing yourself! I adore your style and feed!! xox!

  • Reply
    Emily Rutt
    July 6, 2016 at 8:49 pm

    Love the detail of this post and your dress is simply gorgeous! Thanks for sharing!

    http://www.east91blog.com/

    • Reply
      Adelina
      July 7, 2016 at 1:54 pm

      Thank you Emily! I am happy to share my thoughts and experiences through this journey! xox!

  • Reply
    Claire
    July 6, 2016 at 9:03 pm

    Adelina, I really enjoyed reading this post and getting to know you more! You are definitely on the organized side since you’re notebook obsessed. I love your style and the pleasure is all mine in following all your social media channels. Keep up the great work because you are doing it seamlessly. ?

    • Reply
      Adelina
      July 7, 2016 at 2:02 pm

      Aww, Claire, you are so sweet and you are on fire girl!! You inspire me everyday! Your strength is incredible! Thank you for your kind words! I look forward to sharing this journey with you! xox

  • Reply
    Christine Kong
    July 6, 2016 at 10:08 pm

    I love this post babe! Everything you said is right on point and I personally know how hard you work at this each day, every day and you are such a light to me and anyone around you. You continue to inspire me through your style, your photos, your encouragement, and your words. I have no doubt you will achieve and surpass any goals you set for yourself. I am grateful to have met you and look forward to the next year together! xoxo, Christine
    http://dailykongfidence.com/

    • Reply
      Adelina
      July 7, 2016 at 1:58 pm

      My Michelle!!! <3 You are the sweetest in the world and I am happy and grateful to share this journey with you!! You inspire me and everyone around you every single day! Two is certainly better than one! xox!

  • Reply
    emily
    July 7, 2016 at 7:58 am

    Such a great post! I can totally relate to most of this and I feel like I would have written the exact same things! Ahh the wonderful life of a blogger!
    x Emily
    http://shedoes.com.au

    • Reply
      Adelina
      July 7, 2016 at 2:06 pm

      Haha! I was hoping someone could relate!! So good to hear from you babe, I love your style and feed! Happy to be on this journey together! Keep up the amazing content!! xox

  • Reply
    Jennifer Puente
    July 7, 2016 at 3:45 pm

    Adelina this was so insightful and honest. I loved reading this post, not to mention your outfit is STUNNING. I would say, what has stuck out to me the most about you is your genuine heart and that, love, will carry you very far! It already has! It keep up! Besos!

    • Reply
      Adelina
      July 11, 2016 at 1:05 pm

      Thank you Jennifer! You are one sweet and beautiful girl! Keep going after your dreams and passions! You have so much going for you, and I am happy to share in on this journey with you! I am here for you 🙂

  • Reply
    Airish Abella
    July 8, 2016 at 12:26 am

    Hello, Adelina!

    I love this post. It truly says it all! Lucky you, you’ve got a regular photographer such as your husband. In my case, sometimes I photoshoot myself or ask someone available in our house to take my photos. And yes, it really does take a lot of time and effort in making everything look so perfect <3

    Hope to hear from you soon 🙂

    Love, Airish
    http://www.airishabella.blogspot.com

    • Reply
      Adelina
      July 11, 2016 at 1:15 pm

      Thank you Airish! We all have different challenges and struggles we face on a daily basis. Keeping strong and pushing through them is what makes all the difference in the end! Keep at it beautiful, it will get easier! xox

  • Reply
    Kate
    July 8, 2016 at 7:03 am

    Adelina! This outfit is stunning! And such a great post!
    -Kate // http://www.classyandkate.com

    • Reply
      Adelina
      July 11, 2016 at 1:16 pm

      Thank you Kate! xox

  • Reply
    Kathryn
    July 8, 2016 at 7:45 am

    Absolutely loved this post! I always enjoy your pictures and content and I agree blogging takes way more time than I ever anticipated! But it’s so fun!! Happy Friday love! ?

    FashionwithouttheFortune.com

    • Reply
      Adelina
      July 11, 2016 at 1:17 pm

      Absolutely Kathryn! It is way more fun!! You are doing amazing and I love your style! Keep at it babe, you never know where this can take us! xox

  • Reply
    Amy
    July 9, 2016 at 8:49 pm

    Hi Adelina, are you a full time blogger? I totally commend you for diving in head first to your dreams! It’s hard to believe you have only been blogging for a year. Your content is beautiful and just so inspiring. Thanks for sharing everything that goes into The Charming Olive. I can’t wait to see what the next year brings 🙂

    xx, Amy
    theluxilook.com

    • Reply
      Adelina
      July 11, 2016 at 1:18 pm

      Hi Amy, thank you so much babe! So much of my time goes into blogging, that yes, it is a full time job and then some 😉 I enjoy every minute of it! Excited to be on this journey together! xox

  • Reply
    Melis
    July 11, 2016 at 7:27 am

    amazing post girl, thanks for sharing all the behind the scenes! in love with this dress!

    xx Melis
    http://fashionmews.com

    • Reply
      Adelina
      July 11, 2016 at 1:19 pm

      Thank you Melis! You are such an inspiration and I love your blog! xox

  • Reply
    esther
    July 14, 2016 at 2:25 am

    You couldn’t have said it any better.
    As a up and coming blogger I so agree and I believe supporting each other and doing what you have a passion for is key xoxo
    http://www.lovekept.co.uk

  • Reply
    Marcy
    July 24, 2016 at 4:50 pm

    Amazing article and this look is dream!!
    Love your style

  • Reply
    Paulyne
    February 5, 2017 at 11:38 pm

    Thank you so much dear for sharing your blogging journey! ❤

  • Reply
    Jenn Wang
    February 20, 2017 at 11:28 am

    This is SUCH an amazing post. I know it’s an older one, but I just came across your blog today and was perusing the site. 🙂

    I just launched my blog for the first time on Monday and I can totally relate to a lot of your points already! The funny thing is I also work on the corporate retailer side of things in affiliate marketing, so it’s awesome having a view of both sides now.

    Can’t wait to keep reading your content! You have another follower here. 🙂

    • Reply
      Adelina
      March 6, 2017 at 1:54 pm

      Congrats girl on your launch! That is the biggest and event the hardest step to take! I happy you enjoyed my post! More to come! xx, Adelina

  • Reply
    Alexandra
    March 25, 2017 at 4:24 pm

    This post was so inspiring! I am starting a blog myself and found this to be so helpful! ?

    • Reply
      Adelina
      March 29, 2017 at 5:37 pm

      Hi Alexandra, Thank you for stopping by! I am happy you found this to be resourceful! Let me know if you have any q’s! xx

  • Reply
    Jackielyn
    April 12, 2017 at 10:01 am

    I found this post to be so useful! I recently found your blog in instagram. And I love your posts! Looking forward to your future posts and learning from you along the way ?

    • Reply
      Adelina
      May 9, 2017 at 2:15 pm

      Thank you so much! Means so much! xx, Adelina

  • Reply
    Varuna Jithesh
    April 20, 2018 at 8:15 pm

    Nice and perfect looking outfit..

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