*This ethical jewellery UK post is an AD and features GIFTED content.
It feels great to be back to blogging and even more so to be sharing such a fab ethical jewellery UK brand. My regular readers will know how important sustainability and making ethical choices is to me. From our food, to travel and even fashion. Nobody is perfect, I'm certainly still a work in progress. But as part of my work as an On a Mission charity ambassador, I really want to support brands that are making an impact and offering us sustainable choices we can trust.
Now I have an exciting opportunity for you to win your choice of gorgeous boho jewellery from Life Less Ordinary. Match my style and pick out the bracelets that mean the most to you. You can even have them engraved with words and co-ordinates that mean the most to you. Read on to the bottom of this post to find out how you could win!
Life Less Ordinary is a UK ethical jewellery brand with a great message. Set up by Brighton couple, Aimee and Joseph Cooke, the brand was inspired by travel and a longing to live differently, and with purpose. It's a brand that completely aligns with my own values. That's why I'm so proud to share them with you, and to be working with them.
Because we both love to travel, we have tried to see as much of the world as possible. On our travels we have met some incredible individuals and been inspired to take some weird and wonderful adventures. These experiences were part of what formed the idea for Life Less Ordinary. We met people who had started charities. People who had fled from terrible lives and were now safe and happy. Some who were saving elephants. Others who had given up stable jobs to go out into the wild and see where life took them.
– Aimee & Joseph Cooke
Perhaps you'll start to see a real connection between their values and my own at this stage. The couple sold their house, quit their jobs and decided to see where life took them. Deciding to give up everything at home to travel the world was a huge turning point in my life. I can really identify with how it changes a person, and their values. It opens our eyes to the world around us and shows us that we need to be the good in the world. That we must do all we can to protect our world.
While their original idea may have come to them while on the bus, it's an idea that quickly took flight around the world. It was the couple's travels that inspired them to keep charity at the heart of all they do, and to support their chosen charities by creating ethical, fair trade and cruelty-free products. Now their cotton bags are fair trade, the tagua nuts they use are cruelty free and even their business cards are made from recycled T shirts!
The couple create boho travel bracelets and donate 10% of the sales of each one to their chosen charities each quarter. They are currently supporting the following 3 charities:
Read: Why you should be investing in sustainable fashion
The bracelets come in a range of gorgeous styles to suit every traveller. Choose from the Reserva Collection to protect a classroom-sized area of the Chocó Rainforest in Ecuador. This site is home to iconic species such as the Ocelot and the Two-toed sloth, and also to a number of critically endangered species of monkeys, frogs and birds. You can personalise the front and back of the bracelets with a message or name. And the bracelets are made with tagua seeds which are also known as vegetable ivory and grow on palms in Ecuador. Even better, the materials are super durable and won't damage easily, perfect for if you're living an action-packed travel life!
You will see the bracelets I picked out in the images in this post, if you would also like to have these bracelets, they are listed as the following:
Read: Keeping travelling memories close on my next adventure
For each of these bracelets, you can choose the colour of the handcrafted band and in some cases you can combine the colours. You can also have a personalised message engraved on the back, I chose the following three words to be engraved on mine:
These were all messages that really spoke to me and since putting these bracelets on, I haven't taken them off. They're great reminders that although my path may be different to that of others, that it's the right path for me.
Okay now let's get to the really fun bit! Here's how you can WIN your own choice of bracelets! I have 4 opportunities to win – the winner will get their choice of favourite product from the store. And 3 runners up will get prizes of £10 each to shop online for their favourite products. Supporting a good cause and getting that gorgeous boho style – a perfect combination!
All you have to do is make sure you are following @absolutelylucy and @_life.less.ordinary_ on Instagram – and comment on today's competition Insta post with one sustainable change you have made. Make sure you enter by May 1st, 2020, and I will reveal the winners on Instagram! This competition is only open to those living in the UK.
*This "how to start a blog" post is an AD.
One of the questions I get asked the most is "how to start a blog?" So I thought it was time I finally wrote a post on this topic while we're all deep in lockdown and suddenly have all this time. With weeks left in isolation and potential for further extensions into the summer. It's a perfect time to start a blog. Why is that? Because starting a blog takes time, patience and a lot of learning. It's one of those jobs you could easily put off forever, but instead, why not take the opportunity you've been handed during lockdown to make the most of the time by investing in your business, or your hobby?
If you had told me six years ago when I started blogging that this website would have helped me travel the world solo for six years. That I would get to work with high profile travel and lifestyle brands and have amazing opportunities. I don't think I would have believed you. I started this blog as a hobby, something to add to my CV.
Over the years it has taken on a life of its own. Even winning highly commended in travel at the UK Blog Awards. I have had amazing opportunities like hot air balloon rides and safari camp stays in Sri Lanka, free stays in Slovenia, Romania, Thailand and Bali. I've attended music festivals in across Europe with brands like Ryanair and Debenhams. But the reason I've had these amazing opportunities is because of the work I put in from the beginning to build up Absolutely Lucy into a brand of it's own.
This is an important thing to think about when you're starting out. Whether you want to run a blog in the business sense. Or whether you simply want to write and put it out there but don't plan to grow beyond friends/family. This will dramatically affect the amount of money you spend and the time you invest into working on your blog. Be honest with yourself about how much you want to give this blog. They can easily take over your life if you give them the time. If you just want to try blogging as a hobby, or aren't sure about where it will go – you don't need to worry about following all of the points in this blog. This post is aimed more at those who want to know how to start a blog with hopes of it becoming a business.
It can be difficult at first if you want to write about ALL the things. But if you want to know how to start a blog, choosing a niche early will really help you later on to cultivate your content to really give your audience value. If you can at least narrow it down to a few things, that will really help you to stay focused. Don't forget, you can always change niche later on – just be sure that your audience will enjoy the change and keep following.
For example, I started writing a lifestyle blog, but then changed to a travel blog – and later I narrowed it down even more to adventure travel and solo female travel. I still cover other topics like fashion, sustainability and responsible travel, lifestyle, careers/blogging and wellbeing in smaller amounts. But when I do this, it's always in a way that relates it to my audience. Keep this in mind when choosing, and always choose a niche that you enjoy and can write lots of content about, otherwise it will show.
Choosing a name for your new project can be tricky. But it's important to pick something that is memorable and unique to you. Try to avoid overused and cliché phrasing – for example the word "nomad" is hugely overused in the travel blogging industry. Also you need to pick a name that can grow with you over the years as the focus of your blog might change. Don't pick anything too specific or you may find it holds you back.
For example – don't go for something like Adventures of a Teenager in Paris – why not? Because you won't be a teenager forever and it will be difficult to work around that. I was lucky and when I thought of Absolutely Lucy – it was actually one of the first names that came to me. It's also meant that the name has fit well with my full career of blogging and while I'm focused on travel, it also encompasses all topics.
This is the most important one – I get so many messages from people wanting to know how to start a blog because they want to make money easily. Let me start by telling you that nothing about blogging is easy. Blogging is time-consuming, it's complicated and the truth is, every time you think you're getting the hang of it, you'll learn about something else that you should be doing. Unless you get very lucky, it's unlikely you'll be making any money off your blog straight away or even for the first six months to a year. You have to be prepared to work a lot for free before you ever get anything back.
Don't do it for the money – it's obvious when people are just in it for the £££. Do it for the passion, for the love of the topic and that will shine through. You audience will see your passion and will engage with that. Helping you to grow a community and stand more chance of making money in the long-term. Blogging is always about the long game. I was lucky and started earning within a few months of starting my blog but that's because I took the time to build up an audience. I certainly wasn't earning enough to even justify the costs of setting this blog up for a year.
Over the last two years, the ASA have become the regulators for bloggers and influencers in any capacity. They have guidelines available for any paid work including ADs and Gifting. It's important to follow these and will make it much easier if you do it from the start instead of trying to fix issues later on. Find more about the ASA guidelines in the posts linked below:
I actually didn't even realise quite how many blogging platforms there were until I started putting this post together. You have so many to choose from so take the time to do a bit of research and compare different functionalities of each with the type of blog you want to start. I'm a lifelong WordPress girl and have been with them from the start, but you also have Blogger, Tumblr, Gator, Squarespace, Wix, Medium and Ghost. When I started out, WordPress was the only one I knew of, but it's by far the most popular. It's a great option if you have no coding experience but want to be able to set up a website in minutes. Plus free themes, plugins and full control over every aspect of your website.
Just like blogging platforms, there are loads of hosting providers to choose from. The main question here is – do you want to work with brands and make money from your blog? If the answer is YES, you need to go self-hosted. It's your choice whether you do it from the beginning or wait, I went self-hosted after 4-5 months and it was the best decision. Going self-hosted takes your website from www.wordpress.com/absolutelylucy to www.absolutelylucy.com and just means that you have full control/ownership over your website.
Brands will only want to work with self-hosted sites so if this is your goal, it's best to get set up before you start to approach them. Do your research when picking a hosting provider, I found this whole process very confusing so luckily had a good friend who helped me with the process. If you're not sure, choose a hosting provider with a migration service who can change everything over for you. I bought my domain name from GoDaddy and my website is hosted by Bravenet – I've found both great over the years and really supportive.
Increase the functionality of your website by introducing the right plugins. This can help increase the speed, the organisation and the look of your website both for your audience and Google. Plugins are kind of like an add-on which you can add to your site to help tidy it up. I used loads of plugins and find them super helpful for growing my site. These have included social media plugins which link to my social feeds, Smush which is a great one for compressing images and making your website run faster. The GDPR Compliance plugin is great if you want to ensure you're abiding by the ASA regulations. There are loads more great ones which will help if you want to know how to start a blog. The trick is, anytime you find something you can't do – research it because there's usually a plugin that can help you.
You have a choice with themes and logos – it all depends how much you want to spend. If you are setting up a new business and want it properly branded, I recommend working with a designer who have give you a branding package. These help you with a new logo, plus colour themes and a choice of fonts. You can even get a designer to create a brand new and unique website just for your business. However, this can be pricey, costing anywhere from £150+ for a branding package, to thousands for a full website redesign. It all depends on what stage your business is at and how much you wish to spend.
Another option that is more budget-friendly, is to create your own logo using Canva or another programme. Then picking a blog theme with full functionality from a website like Envato or Themeforest. You can set it all up yourself and just spend around $50-70 on a theme. Or, if you really don't want to spend any money – WordPress has a lot of free themes which, although basic, are great if you just need something simple.
If there is one tip I can give you when reading about how to start a blog – it's learn SEO. It might seem a daunting task but search engine optimisation is a huge part of blogging.Making sure your site is up-to-date helps you stand the best chance of your content being found organically. That means when people search in Google for topics you cover, that your content will actually show up in results, helping a much wider audience to find your site. There are lots of great posts explaining SEO in more detail – like the one I have linked below. You can also download great plugins that can help make SEO a lot easier, such as the Yoast SEO plugin.
It's worth getting a friend to look over your website and test it to make sure everything is working properly. Get them to check it is easy to find everything, and that all text is easy to read. If they find any text or graphics cannot be understood, it might be worth checking out these free fonts and script fonts, to see if they might be better for your site. Check out the font bundles for free and premium resources. These could be useful if you need to redesign or tweak the layout and style of your website. You can also use them for graphics, branding, invites and any marketing you might need for your website. While checking the lettering of your site – make sure you check every link in the menus and any imagery is still relevant.
Checking your blog's DA and Google positioning is really important for keeping track of your views and audience. This information is what you will present to brands when pitching to them. You can check your blog's DA using Moz and the goal is to get it as high as possible. One factor that can cause your DA to remain low is broken links which are easily fixed and can make a big difference. Checking for broken links is really easy to do by downloading the Broken Link Checker plugin from WordPress, or finding an equally good tool in your own blogging platform. You can then identify any broken links and either fix the links or remove them from your website.
This is a huge job and one I am currently working on myself by going through hundreds of old blog posts to bring them up-to-date. If there's one thing I can really advise you to learn as early as possible, it's SEO – search engine optimisation. But if you didn't learn it early on, you have a lot of work you can be doing. Make it easier on yourself by reading some blog posts about SEO and downloading the Yoast SEO plugin. It provides you with all the boxes for creating meta-titles and meta-descriptions. It can check keyword density plus readability factors which can all influence your positioning in Google and your DA. These small things can make a big difference. Plus it really helps to update your content regularly so your website stays relevant.
The links on your website are a very important factor in strengthening your website in the eyes of Google. Each blog post should have multiple links to various other blog posts relevant to the post. This helps to make the entire website stronger, but also helps to strengthen categories and individual blog posts by linking them to similar content. Links to outside sources are equally important and you should always be including links to high authority websites in your blog posts. High authority sites are ones with high DAs that appear high in Google searches, come from reputable sources and are relevant/similar to your own website. Combining the two of these is an important part of SEO optimisation of your website.
This can be done in a number of ways and just helps to keep your website as easy as possible for Google to process. So much of blogging is just keeping Google happy so that your website can be found as organically as possible. Over the last 18 months, I've been having regular clear outs of old blog posts. This is also useful to bear in mind if you're in the process of finding out how to start a blog. If content is no longer relevant or can't be brought up-to-date, I've been deleting the post and redirecting the page to a more relevant post, It helps even out the addition of new blog posts by removing older content – when you have 600+ pages on your website – this is a necessity. You can also look at shortening blog URLs and redirecting the old links, and tightening up on interlinkage.
If you're not already working with brands – what are you waiting for? There is no right time to start, there is no number you have to hit before you can. So why not start today? I was working with brands from early on in my blogging career both in a gifting and paid capacity. Make sure you read the blog post I have linked below on pitching to brands and setting your blogging rates. Always remember that if you are working with a brand and are providing a service by sharing their product with your audience. You deserve to be paid!
Create a media kit using programmes like Canva which is great for all graphic content. You can sign up for the free version of Canva here which is great for all the basics. Or get a Canva Pro subscription which gives you unlimited access to design materials, images and much more including creating your own brand kit.
Either upload it to a page on your website, or download a copy to send directly to brands in PDF format. Don't just pitch to everyone. Take the time to research brands that would be aligned with your blog's values. Choose brands you love and use all the time, brands that would resonate with your audience. Always pitch with suggestions/ideas for content. Always ask if there are any opportunities, or to let you know about future ones.
This is huge and something I wish I had started from the very beginning – but starting at any time is valuable. Think of a mailing list like your personal address book with direct contacts to all of your followers. If you want to make money from blogging – this is a good place to start. You can read more about affiliate marketing in the next section of this post – but think of it as a way to gain passive income 24/7. The bigger your audience, the better because you have a direct contact with them.
Even better – you have complete control over these followers. Imagine if Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook went down tomorrow, you could lose all of your followers. But you will always have your email list! And approaching brands with a solid email list can be a great way to secure work. I use MailChimp which is great and free (up to 2000 subscribers), although there are lots of other options available.
One of the main draws of blogging is being able to set yourself up to receive passive income. This can be done through affiliate marketing, or selling products online. It means that even when you're on holiday or asleep, you can be earning money. It takes time to set this up, but put the work in and grow an audience. You can make money simply off their clicks on your website! Sign up for affiliate marketing partnerships with networks such as AWIN, Impact Radius, Rakuten, CJ. Then join programmes of brands that you love so you can earn a % off any purchases made through your unique links. Read more about it to find out how to start a blog and get started with affiliate marketing.
If you've read this blog post on how to start a blog and still want to try it – I'm hoping that's because your passion for blogging far outweighs your hopes of getting paid. No blogger can honestly say they're in it for the money. Blogging is all about building a community and sharing your passion and knowledge with others who want to learn. That's the truly fun part – if you make money out of it or get to do amazing things – that's just a bonus!
Have you always wanted to start a blog? Do you still want to start a blog after reading how much work is involved? What blog would you like to start?
If ever there was a perfect blog post for complete escapism during Coronavirus, it's this one sharing my experiences at Tikal Guatemala. Watching the sunrise from Mayan ruins hidden deep in the Guatemalan jungle. I felt like I had stepped onto another planet. From the deep, guttural groans and cries of the howler monkeys (seriously, watch my Guatemala stories highlight on Insta to listen). To the panicked squawking of parrots and birds flying across the misty canopy high above the jungle. We emerged in darkness and swirling fog at the top of the 230ft Temple VI to await the sunrise. Only a small crowd make it to Tikal for sunrise. Sitting with the hushed audience behind me, it felt as though I were Queen of the Jungle.
Watching on as my eyes adjusted to the darkness, and light started to creep across the trees. Honestly? I thought the sunrise was going to be a write-off. It looked like the sunlight would never pierce the thick fog to light up the gloomy jungle. But as the jungle started to wake up. Most of the crowd left thinking the best bit was over, just minutes before beams of glorious sunshine burst through the clouds. Lighting up the jungle, piercing through the mist until we could make out various other temples in the distance poking through the canopy. Just minutes before I had written off the sunrise in my mind. But it turned out to be one of the best sunrises of my entire life.
The ancient Maya city of Tikal, Guatemala is one of the most spectacular, and the largest excavated Mayan site on the continent. Dating back to between 600BC and 900AD, the ruins of around two dozen huge pyramids and structures can be found in the rainforest of northern Guatemala. This ancient city is one of the largest archaeological sites of the pre-Colombian civilisation. Temple VI – the best spot for sunrise, was actually the largest pre-Colombian structure in the Americas.
A UNESCO World Heritage site, population estimates are at around 90,000-100,000 inhabitants, with the most likely figure being at the top end of these numbers. The dynasty who ruled over the site potentially spanned 800 years and 33 rulers in that time. The grounds of the national park span around 575 square kms, with around 16 square kms making up Tikal itself. But interestingly, just 100 years after the site was built, the Maya civilisation collapsed and the structures were left to be reclaimed by the jungle. It wasn't until 1848 that the lost city of Tikal, Guatemala was rediscovered.
Located in the Peten region of Guatemala, Tikal is a little out of the way unless you are visiting Flores or travelling overland from Belize. With most people flying into Guatemala City, further south, and the transport between places relying on slow minibus travel, your best option might be to take a domestic flight to Flores. This could also help save you a LOT of time as my bus rides from Flores–Semuc Champey–Guatemala City totalled nearly a whopping 30 hours split over different days. Luckily I had planned in some stops in other epic locations along the way. If you have unlimited time and are backpacking, this journey may not bother you so much. But if you just have a two week holiday, flying will save you a lot of time.
Because of its location, you can only really reach Tikal by shuttle bus or by car and the drive takes around 1 hr 30 from Flores. If you go by shuttle, expect to be on the road for around two hours with pick-ups. I recommend taking a tour if you plan to go for sunrise because it means you can nap on the bus and save your energy for walking around the park.
Exploring Tikal is like being lost somewhere between Jurassic Park: The Lost World and an Indiana Jones movie. With structures such as the Temple of the Great Jaguar and The Two-Headed Serpent Temple. It's easy to believe Harrison Ford will come running through the grounds, or a dinosaur will loom out of the mist. Growing up I was obsessed with these films and it was a real dream come true to get to explore such an epic location. By the time I visited, I had already visited several other Mayan ruins including Chichen Itza, Coba, Cancun and Tulum in Mexico, and Yaxha in Guatemala. Tikal blew me away and was by far my favourite of them all. Why?
Tikal was a breath of fresh air to visit. While it was a bit more expensive because of permits for early entry, it only cost around £50 total per person, this included the bus, tour and entry for both sunrise & day. This was definitely worth paying as it meant gaining access to one of the lesser known Mayan sites. After seeing how crazy busy Chichen Itza and Coba were, it was lovely to be able to walk around and explore without masses of people. It made the experience all the more spectacular and memorable.
The sunrise Tikal tour leaves at 3am from Flores and takes you by minibus to the park. There a guide will take you to Temple VI for sunrise. After sunrise, you will be given a tour of the park by the expert guide who will talk about the history and traditions. Plus the fascinating growth and disappearance of the Mayans. They'll also talk through the wildlife, the temples and much more as you explore the grounds. You have the option for how long you stay at Tikal, with staggered return times. I stayed from sunrise until around 11am. By this time we had seen all of the temples and it was getting pretty hot to walk around. (Remember: It is in the rainforest so expect high humidity and heat)
I really recommend the sunrise tour. I know some people were a bit less keen on it because of the early wake-up call. But it's really not a big deal to get up early for one day. Especially if it means a once-in-a-lifetime experience like seeing the sunrise over the Mayan ruins in the rainforest. A very small number of people make it to Tikal for this time. So it means you get a really special experience accessing the park this early. You can escape the crowds and enjoy the park before the real heat of the day hits, and trust me, it gets hot. If a 3am start really isn't for you. There are also pick-up times at 4am and 6am to reach the park, but you won't make it for sunrise with these tours.
I actually booked the Tikal Sunrise Tour through my hostel – I was staying at Tikal Backpackers Hostel in Flores and they offered a tour with a guide and travel included. I paid around £50 total – this included transport, a guide, plus my entrance tickets for sunrise and the day. If you book like I did, you will also need to pay a visit to the Banrural which is an office at the nearby shopping centre in Flores. You will need to purchase the entrance ticket for sunrise and the day ticket the day before you plan to visit Tikal. This is because the ticket office at the park will not be open at sunrise. If you book through a travel agent – you may pay a slightly higher rate from my research, but you will get all your tickets included.
Okay so you've booked your trip, but now what? What do you need to pack and prepare to take with you? It's important to pack your bag well and to be smart when choosing what to wear – this can have a big impact on how much you enjoy the trip. As I mentioned, the Mayan ruins are in the jungle and are very hot and humid, particularly if you visit on the edge of rainy season like I did. It's still epic and worthwhile visiting, but you will want to put a touch more thought into what you take with you. Here's my packing list for the day:
Please note that in the park there is nowhere to buy water/snacks, only a restaurant at the entrance. If you arrive for sunrise, nothing is open other than sometimes a coffee stand at the gate. Be prepared and shop the day before.
Flores is one of my favourite places in the whole of Central America. I loved the beautiful town set on the lake. There was so much to do there – when I visited it was actually their annual festival that happens every January. The streets were filled with music, dance, food and fireworks! This is a great time to visit, but even if you visit another month, there is plenty to keep you entertained. Check out these epic tours to other Mayan ruins nearby:
If travelling solo or backpacking independently isn't for you, there are plenty of other options. Don't let it put you off travel if your friends can't come with you, instead why not book a group trip? It's a great way to meet new people and not sacrifice adventures. Check out these epic Intrepid Travel tours for some ideas:
Have you visited Guatemala? Would you like to explore Mayan ruins in the jungle, or kayak across a lake? Do you prefer group travel or solo travel?
*This professional photoshoot blog post is a collaboration with Perfocal
We may all be cooped up inside on Lockdown at the moment – but that doesn't stop us planning for the future! Let this guide serve as some positive inspiration for what you can do when you're finally able to get back to normal. You guys are constantly asking me – "who takes your photos?" "how do you manage to get such great travel pics?". The truth is – it's all me! I've spent the last few years really working on my photography skills – it's a passion of mine and one that I love to develop. But I know that not everyone has the time, the inclination, or the equipment to be able to do this. So what happens if you just want great pics?
You might want epic travel photos or the perfect family photoshoot – but minus the selfie sticks and blurry shots that you sometimes get left with when you're doing it in a rush. Have you thought of hiring a family photographer to help create the perfect shots? We've all learned a few lessons in gratitude over the last few weeks and how important it is to hold our loved ones close. So perhaps getting some family snaps would be a lovely way to celebrate when we're finally out of quarantine? Not only is it a great way to capture happy memories, but it also gives you something fun to look forward to when this is all over.
If you're anything like me, you're living in pyjamas and loungewear right now. So why not give yourself something to look forward to and when this is all over, consider booking a future photoshoot to make you feel good. Get your hair done and feel extra glam in front of the camera. It could be the best remedy for getting back to normal. It could also be great motivation to really look after yourself during this strange lockdown time by eating healthily and working out at home.
Hands up if you've ever felt awkward in front of the camera? Yup, me too! It seems crazy to me now, but a few years ago I couldn't speak to the camera and hated Facetime. I always took photos but usually of everything else around me. Fast forward five years and I glow with confidence when I take photos and talking on Insta stories is an absolute pleasure. What's my secret? I forced myself to have more time in front of the camera. The more time I spent on camera, the more comfortable I became and the confidence built. So if you're struggling with confidence, perhaps a professional photoshoot with someone supportive is exactly what you need to kickstart your new confidence!
One of the reasons I love photography so much is because it captures memories and moments. Photographs are my souvenirs and my way of being transported back to a moment no matter where I am in the world. A family photoshoot or travel photoshoot can be the perfect way to capture your happiest times with the ones you love. Why not take the opportunity to get some gorgeous photos of your little ones before they grow up and treasure the final prints forever.
We've all got camera phones, but a professional photoshoot offers a chance to get higher quality photos and editing all included in one package. It means that for a one-off payment, you can save yourself thousands on photography equipment and countless hours learning editing skills.
Looking for the perfect gift for the person who has everything? I always love giving experiences as gifts and a photoshoot is a great way to do that! Whatever your motivation – whether that's confidence building or simply getting the perfect photos. It's a great way to spend a day and to get some great shots with your friends, family or loved one. You don't have to book straight away – why not buy a gift card and give it to someone special? If you're looking for a great gift while stuck in Lockdown – this could be a perfect treat to look forward to.
Remember the old days when we used to wait weeks or months to develop film? Isn't it crazy how times have changed? Well not only is it a much faster process these days but you could have your full-edited photos within 48 hours after a shoot. No waiting around, you could have them framed and hanging on your wall within 3 days!
Life may have slowed down lately, but we all lead busy lives and if you're struggling to find time for yourself, booking a photoshoot could be a great way to make time. As straightforward as calling an Uber, it's super easy to book photography services online and to get a fast and efficient service with high quality photos. Don't we all just want a simple and efficient service that yields great results?
Booking a photoshoot can be a perfect way to celebrate any occasion. Whether it's a new baby or birth announcement, a wedding or engagement, a new home, family photoshoot, travel photos or even a boudoir photoshoot. There's plenty of great excuses to book a professional photographer and really mark the occasion, while creating memories you can share with friends and family, and look back on years down the line.
For those on a budget – photography services don't have to be expensive. Actually they can be much more affordable than you think. Most companies/photographers will have different pricing available depending on the length of shoot and what you're looking for. If you go into it with a clear idea of what you want and plan well with the photographer, you can get maximum results for the minimal timeframe and have the smallest hit on your wallet. Plus don't forget, you're investing in photographs that you'll treasure forever.
You can learn so much with the right photographer. They know all about angles, lighting and how to make you look and feel good. Booking a photographer could be a great way to learn new skills that can inspire your future photoshoots. You might choose to book a regular professional photoshoot, or to even develop your own photography skills based on what you learn at the shoot. I actually learned a lot of what influenced my photography style today by shooting with other people.
Have you ever had a photoshoot with a professional photographer? Would you like to? How do you feel about having your photo taken? Love keeping the memories, or hate to look back?
