Questions & Answers

photo by Tom b.

First of all I want to say a huge thank you to all of you reading! I wish I had the time to get back to each and every one of your comments but the minutes and hours just seem to slip away. I swear I have the nicest readers. I know a lot of other bloggers have problems with negative comments* but I've been super lucky to have all of you. It always makes be happy to log into my email and see all of your wonderful comments! I've had a lot of questions lately and while I've tried to answer all of them I know some may have been skipped. So... rather than trying to answer them each individually I thought I'd take a moment to try and address the most frequently asked questions. If there are any I missed that you'd like to have answered feel free to leave them in the comments.

*Whoops! Guess I spoke too soon. I think it's hysterical that as soon as I say I don't get negative comments someone leaves one!

What blog template do you use? How do you get your photos to show up larger?

My blog template is called “Minima Stretch”. I like it because it allows my post to be wider and therefore accommodate larger photos. To choose this template, log into your Blogger account then go to your dashboard; click on “layout” then “pick new template” then choose “Minima Stretch”. In order to have larger photos you have to host them somewhere like Flickr or Photobucket then input the html code rather than uploading them directly through Blogger.

Who takes your photos?

Most of the photos used on my blog are taken by me. I have my little point and shoot camera and my (mostly) trusty tripod that I carry around to snap my photos. You can see the set up in the photo above. It involves a lot of running back and forth from behind the camera to in front of the camera and I’m sure appears strange to passers-by that have no idea why I run around town taking photos of myself. Sometimes Tom likes to pitch in and help out which is always much appreciated. When ever he takes photos I always give him a credit underneath.

What kind of camera do you use?

I use a Canon SD1000. It’s several years old, a little beat up and missing the lens protector from a time when a strong wind knocked over my tripod and sent it crashing to the ground. But I love it anyway! It’s small enough to fit in any purse or in my pocket and I find the function keys on Canon digital point and shoot cameras more user friendly than other brands; perhaps because that’s what I’m used to. But here’s the real answer – the one you probably don’t want to hear. Unless you’re investing big bucks in a nice SLR with a great lens, it really doesn’t matter what kind of camera you use. A camera doesn’t take a great photo – you take a great photo. So no matter what kind of camera you have, just learn to use it well. Read the manual! Learn about the ISO, the shutter speed, the aperture, how to use the macro feature for close-ups. I never, ever put my camera on an automatic setting. I’m constantly adjusting the exposure, the white balance, the ISO to get the best results possible with my little beat up camera.

What program do you use to edit your photos? How do you put those frames around your photos?

I use Photoshop CS3 to edit my photos. I really didn’t know that much about Photoshop when I started blogging. Luckily my graphic designer boyfriend gave me some pointers to get me started. From there I took a couple of great online tutorials to expand my knowledge. And really, I’m still just scratching the surface of the things Photoshop is capable of doing. But I figure there’s nothing I can’t learn by Googling it so anytime I’m stuck I just Google away until I find what I’m looking for. The best thing I’ve learned is working in layers. All of the frames I use are applied using layers.

Do you ship to (insert any country here)? I haven’t received my package; can you give me a tracking number?

Yes! I will be happy to ship to you anywhere in the world. All domestic (US) packages are shipped via USPS Priority Mail with delivery confirmation. All international packages are shipped via USPS First Class International Mail. Rates start at just $11.99. Shipping times vary as packages must pass through customs. Unfortunately First Class International packages do not come with a tracking number. If you require a tracking number for your package I will be happy to upgrade your shipping to Priority but it cost at least twice as much.

How do I start my own Ebay/Etsy store?

This is always a tough one because I think everyone has a different path to starting their own store. My best advice is to make sure it’s something you’re going to love doing. Because there are days when it is much more work that you’ll ever imagine it will be. Most Ebay/Etsy stores are one-woman-shows. The person running it is responsible for finding stock, photographing it, writing up descriptions and measurements, packaging and shipping, customs paper work and endless trips to the post office (the PO will not pick up international packages). It’s sort of an endless cycle but if you truly love doing it, it’s worth it.