Are you taking pictures on your phone or with a fancy schmancy camera? Truth is, for most of us, our smartphone is more than enough to capture stunning imagery. Here is a breakdown of the pros and cons for each.
DSLR
Pros
Quality: DSLR cameras typically have larger sensors, which can result in better image quality!
Lenses: DSLRs allow you to use different lenses for various purposes, such as wide-angle, telephoto, or macro, providing greater flexibility and creative control.
Manual Controls: DSLRs offer extensive manual controls for settings like aperture, shutter speed, and ISO, allowing advanced users to have precise control over their images.
Optical Viewfinder: DSLRs often come with an optical viewfinder, which provides a clear and lag-free real-time view of the scene, making it easier to compose shots.
Cons:
Size and Weight: DSLRs are bulkier and heavier compared to smartphones, making them less portable and convenient to carry around.
Cost: DSLR cameras and lenses can be expensive, especially when considering additional accessories and equipment needed for professional shooting.
Learning Curve: DSLRs have a steeper learning curve due to their advanced features and manual controls, requiring some time and effort to master their full potential.
Limited Connectivity: DSLRs typically have limited built-in connectivity options, making it more challenging to quickly share or transfer images wirelessly.
iPhone
Pros
Size: iPhones are lightweight, compact, and readily available, making them incredibly portable and convenient for spontaneous photography or video recording.
Convenience: Since most people carry their smartphones at all times, an iPhone offers the advantage of capturing unexpected moments without the need for carrying additional equipment.
Easy to Use: iPhones have intuitive user interfaces and automatic settings that make them accessible to beginners or casual photographers without much technical knowledge.
Easy Connectivity: iPhones have built-in Wi-Fi, cellular data, and various apps that make it easy to instantly share or transfer images and videos to social media or other devices.
Cons
Image Quality: While iPhones have made significant strides in image quality, they generally cannot match the level of detail, dynamic range, or low-light performance of DSLRs, especially in challenging conditions.
Limited Controls: While iPhones offer some manual controls, they are not as extensive or precise as those available on DSLRs, limiting creative control for advanced users.
Fixed Lens: iPhones have fixed lenses, which means you have limited options for focal length or specialized lenses, reducing flexibility for different shooting scenarios. Depending on your iPhone, you may have access to more features when it comes to lenses.
Battery Life and Storage: Continuous use of the iPhone camera can drain the battery quickly, potentially limiting the shooting time or requiring additional battery packs for extended sessions.
It’s important to note that both DSLRs and iPhones have their strengths and weaknesses, and the choice ultimately depends on the specific needs, preferences, and budget of the creator. Don’t be fooled though — photography is a skill and things like lighting can be a huge factor when trying to capture the perfect shot! I’ll be honest, most of my content is shot on my iPhone. 📸 🤳
My Sidekick: Nori
Anyone else have a side kick? This is mine! Her official name is ellie but we only call her nori. She is definitely more of a nori.
🐾 she is a boston terrier x french bulldog
🐾 she can hike for +10km 🐾 she can sleep for +10hrs
🐾 she has two dads
🐾 she loves dried liver treats, cheese and rotisserie chicken
🐾 she had a sister and in hindsight, I wish I could have had them both
🐾 she is only 19lbs, a tiny thing!
🐾 she is obsessed with water
Fun fact — when I was 14 I made a bucket list. Raising a puppy was on that list… can I cross it off? This weekend my grandma said, I hope your kids are as well-behaved as your dog. I couldn’t agree more. I am sure any pet owner would agree.. if you are thinking about getting a dog. It is an adventure that’ll make your heart sing! From unconditional love to endless tail wags, dog’s make the best friend!
Accountability to me
Putting things out there is what makes me accountable. I mean, posting on Instagram to my followers or talking about it on TikTok. When I tell other people, it’s what really holds me accountable. Maybe I’m just letting the universe know what I am ready for 🙃 It might not all stick and I might change my mind on things but I find I am more productive and motivated when I share my goals and what I am working towards. This could be sharing it on Instagram, or writing a blog post.. like this. It could be adding it to my “productivity journal” where I note monthly goals and doodle. Maybe it is just dreaming with my partner before bed or on a walk! Maybe it’s just sharing my goals with friends and family.
So what do I have on the go?
PROFESSIONALLY
– taking on more social media management clients as my marketing and communications agency continues to grow
– working with influencers to understand their value and create a clear vision for their business
– expanding my own opportunities to speak and educate on social media and branding
– creating a content calendar that includes more video content and is more strategic
– planning a new service offering that will support entrepreneurs in a new way, unlike anything I’ve seen before
PERSONALLY
– excited for gyms to reopen so I can lift heavier and get back to it!
– improving my meditation + yoga practice
– making sure I am drinking more water
– saving and planning for the wedding!
Should Employers Hire Influencers?
One time I had an interview for one of the larger North American agencies that manage online influencers, despite them knowing very well that I am an “influencer” and them having a policy that they do not hire influencers. Fun fact, I have interviewed at pretty much all of the top agencies but never felt like any were the right fit for me. Personally, I think that this policy gives off “dated” vibes. I’ve been working in influencer marketing for a long time, a very long time. I have experience as an influencer/creator, talent manager, agency director and on the brand side of things. A brand is going to pick an influencer (or creator) because of their content, their brand alignment or because they want them based on their personal taste, following count or whatever factor they’re set on. This agency was pretty set on their way of thinking and didn’t like the idea of having someone who does brand deals working on their talent management team because of a conflict of interest.
On the flip side, many influencer talent agencies have influencers on staff and their talent roster is okay with that. If I am managing mommy bloggers and personally am not a parent, it’s unlikely the brand is going to want to work with me. It’s also unlikely your employee is going to be pitching themselves instead of their roster – again, a conversation worth having with your employees. A little bit of flexibility goes a long way for employees. I mean, they could just go work for another talent agency and make money from their personal brand and from their job.. right? Retaining your staff is a lot cheaper than hiring.
As a person.. a human.. a whatever.. I think it’s important that we do not let working for someone else hold us back from building our own personal brands. If you want to make money, you need to be influential. If you are influential, you will make money. Using employee and founder stories in marketing is not a new trend, but it’s something more and more companies are tapping into on social media because it works. I’ll use myself for example — more than 90% of my new business comes from my personal brand (not directly to my company!)
Why? Because they trust me and want to work with me. People buy into people. Of course, it can become a conflict of interest in certain situations but I don’t think it warrants a strict policy against letting any talent managers take on their own brand partnerships – even ones that are 100% not related to their job (ie. an inbound message from a brand that doesn’t work with your talent/employer)
Have tough conversations and be transparent, transparency always wins. Communication is key! If you’re not leveraging a personal brand, sharing the wins of your team or sharing your founder’s story, you’re cutting yourself short! Also, stop holding people back… or they’re going to leave.
Costa Rica Trip
It’s our goal to continue to travel every Winter. I am from Canada, where the weather is extremely cold in the Winter months. Aaron and I both wanted to check out Costa Rica and we’re so glad we did.
We stayed in Tamarindo, Monteverde and La Fortuna. If you’re looking for more tips or want recommendations for places to see, where to eat or anything else.. just reach out to me!
small space: new flooring
Oh boy! Imagine having a water leak and not knowing how bad it was.. until it was really bad. Well, that was us. Our mobile home has really old plumbing, many of which have since been replaced and updated. However, we had a really bad leak. It was in the bathroom corner, on the shared wall to the kitchen and leaking under the counters by the kitchen sink. It ruined the flooring in the hallway and the kitchen. It started to bubble and that’s when Aaron decided to cut a hole in the wall and find where the leak was originating from.. thanks babe.
We then had a plumber come and fix the leak the next day, as soon as possible. It was pretty… wet. Luckily, we were able to fix the problem quickly. This project was the most hands-on one that we’ve been a part of at the mobile home. We did the complete demo ourselves, just Aaron and I. However, we did tap into family to support us with laying the new floors.
We went with vinyl plank flooring that we found at Costco. It was from Golden Select and we found the price was really good and I liked the look of it. Honestly, it was pretty easy to install. We were lucky to have support from experienced men that knew what tools to use and had a strategy on how best to lay the flooring.
Honestly, it looks so much better! I’m also SO happy to not have any carpet anymore. By having all the same flooring, the space also looks bigger. Have a better look by checking out my Instagram/socials: @boywhoblogs
