We all bring something to the table. Something different, something refreshing.
During swim week I spent some time chatting about the fashion industry with friends and fellow blog authors. We stumbled across the conversation on whether or not blogging is on its way out and are we becoming too much of an over saturated breed to be considered relevant or credible with all the new blogs going up lately. Naturally a topic like this got me thinking and I wanted to share my story.
I embarked on the blogging adventure in November 2008, just a few days in to owning my first dslr camera, a canon rebel and a kit lens. What most people don't know is that I started blogging as an outlet to share my then new hobby, photography, and I simply needed a place to share my amateur snaps (they were so amateur but people related to them) in a no judgement-follow if you want to but let's keep it positive-zone. Blogging for story telling and development of a skill made me a more committed photographer and gave me "street cred" as a "miami blogger and photographer" then going by the name of Ohh Snap Kar Gar. Through my blog, I attended Art Basel for the very first time in 2008, got one picture published in an Ocean Drive magazine of an event at the very same Basel held at the former Charcoal Studios, frequented the growing Wynwood art and music scene (man do I miss watching Rachel Goodrich), did a series on local music talent titled "Music is my boyfriend" - because the sole reason for buying the camera in the first place was to stay positive and busy post a huge breakup to my ex fiancé, and while I was trying to stay busy I developed into a new person simply because of a blog, a camera and it's burgeoning opportunities.
The original domain for my site then was Ohh Snap before Kar Gar, till I managed to forget to renew my ownership on godaddy (rookie mistake) and then refused to buy back my name which had gone up for sale (seller wanted to sell back to me) for a few hundred bucks. The result, I flipped it and reserved it, new domain, new name, new content and whipped out all my old content.
2011: rebrand to Kar Gar Ohh Snap and focus my blog on fashion while still incorporating my photography which at that point my amateur skills had honed into to what people were calling "raw talent". Switching my focus opened up opportunities I would have never expected. I always had a dream moment of being published in general and then two years ago I was being published in numerous sites. The most major one was shooting street style for Elle Magazine's UK Print and it was the best feeling to see my name printed in a fashion magazine. With the growth of blogging and social communication I've been able to evolve into a doer and creator of my dreams. I'm not trying to say I've made it, by no means at all, but I'm trying to say that the internet has been a powerful and integral beacon of opportunity for my personal and career growth.
Lately, I've noticed an influx of newer Miami bloggers and while it is intimidating to see younger girls gain a following in no time, it's also amazing. The old school internet jitters that we went through aren't as ambiguous for them and why should we "hate" on them for that? For my old school peeps, do you remember figuring out the intricacies: Blogger vs. Wordpress, Flickr vs. Tumblr, cause god knows there was no instagram or pinterest. The industry has developed and I take pride in being a novice when I started because the industry so-to-speak was a novice at blogging also and look us now, it's a blogging phenomenon//a cultural phenomenon - new and old bloggers alike.
Every time I see a new blog being launched, or I'm asked for advice on the do's and dont's, what camera to use, etc. - I respect that. I respect the desire to better one self and most definitely the desire to create. It's a competitive but fruitful adventure. I admire everyone who breaks down the barrier of insecurity and conquers the "what if's" and goes for it. Someone once told me to enjoy the blogging wave while it lasted and that was three years or so ago. I now proudly say: The wave is real, the hustle is real and most importantly the industry respect should always be real. Ain't nobody got time for a mean, rude girl.
2008: Self portrait, when blurry pics where my thing and people thought I was being artsy.
