I'm so terrible at photography that even Instagram can't help me!

Hi amazing, awesome, lovely, beautiful people who read my rambles.
Have I told you recently how much I love you?!

(No in not sucking up, just being nice!)

I have decided I want to learn to take photos. Nothing special, I don't need to take pictures that could come from a magazine or art gallery. I just want to take decent photos. I seem to be like my grandma when it comes to photos. The light is terrible, the placement of my subject matter is all wrong, I have no idea what shutter speeds or zoom lenses are all about. So the logical solution is to use Instagram. The app that makes complete photography hacks like me feel artsy. Epic fail! My Instagram photos are still just as terrible but with a old-timey colour saturation and a carefully blur.

I would love to know if anyone has any tips for absolute novices like me?
Or maybe I should just keep trying with Instagram, surely I can't get any worse...can I?


Much love

Cie

Anti-fashion? Or just a cry for help? :)

Most women learn to present themselves using fashion and dressing to suit their body in their late teens and early early 20s. 
I did the same. I worked out that my boobs and shoulders should be shown off and that I preferred to mostly keep my legs covered (not because I actually had bad legs, although I thought so at the time, but because you show of your best assets and keep the rest covered to avoid looking cheap) 
I got married at 21. I was a size 6/8 and I was super duper fit. Going for a 5km run after work every day was my debrief, a way to separate work and life. (At the time I was in the defence force so I literally LIVED at work so needed separation of the two) 
Then I feel pregnant. 
I was scared of exercising and made the mistake many first time mothers make, I stopped exercising. 
I gained the normal pregnancy weight and probably a little bit extra. Not as much as I felt like I had gained. 
I gave birth to my daughter, I was exhausted but couldn't wait until the six weeks post partum was up so I could go for a run. 
I ran when I could, I ate ok I suppose, not perfect but not terribly and yet the weight wouldn't budge. 

In the past 4 years of my daughters life I have sweated, starved, sworn at the lack or results. Taken heavy duty amphetamine based prescription weight loss tablets and still not much of a change. 

I'm now a size 14/16. I was 53.3kg at 12 weeks pregnant. I'm now 86.3kg. 
I am now at least aware that I'm battling against hormones and insulin levels that come with pcos...BUT... That still leaves me with a problem...

I have no idea how to dress my new shape. 

I have looked at so many fashion blogs. High fashion, thrifty fashion, plus sized fashion. My problem is I can't find another fashion blog anywhere that relates to me. I'm short (only 159cm) I'm not "curvy" or tall enough for the plus sized outfits to work on my body, and the high fashion outfits I adore won't work unless I was 30kg lighter. So where to now? 

Usually one would grab a bunch of girlfriends and ask them their opinion. My problem is after living in 6 different state capitals all over Australia in 6 years my girlfriends are spread far and wide. 

So what's this go to do with anti-fashion blogging? 

I guarantee I'm not the only woman who feels this way. I KNOW I'm not!

So I'm going to start appealing to all my girls far and wide and all the ones I haven't met yet to help me. For the love of the sisterhood help me!!! 

I'm going to post photos of me in 3 different variations of outfit based around a key item each time and I need your god honest opinions. Which ones work and which ones don't and why. It will teach me and in the process teach other women how to dress themselves again! 

Thoughts? You keen? 


Now I need to think of a name for this game. 

Much love. 

Cie

Day 2- Out with the old!

What a busy busy day!!
I tackled my wardrobe today. Wasn't looking forward to that at all!

Once upon a time my wardrobe was my pride and joy. A dazzling array of amazing outfits, shoes and accessories that all made me look amazing....And all fit!
Since having my daughter I have gained 30kg. I have worked my butt off to lose it only to get frustrated with the very minimal results after months and months of hard work and slack off. Diets and drugs (prescription) have failed as well. I have recently discovered that I have pcos (Polycystic ovarian syndrome) which has most likely attributed to at least part of this.
So instead of hanging onto the past (and my size 8 jeans) anything that ...
A) Didn't fit (except for the goal clothes that are neatly packed away! Every woman has these...Right ??!)
B) Didn't suit or
C) Didn't fit with the me I want to be and the style of dress I want to wear or
D) All of the above, went out!! (or dumped in a huge pile in my bedroom until tomorrow when I have to photograph them to list for sale anyhow.) I also ditched the shoes that hurt, look the same as at least two other pairs I own or are just not my thing.
It was surprisingly stressful while I was doing it. It was like being forced to recognize that I'm not the same person I used to be, and I don't just mean the shape of my body!
Once I had finished it was liberating! I had loads of free space and could see exactly what I owned. (which turns out to be alot of winter things! Not so useful in Darwin!!)

So as today draws to a close I'm off to bed.

Cheers

Cie