One Year Blogiversary

A lot has happened on this blog in the past year. 

I started by posting very shy outfit photos of myself and felt even shyer about sharing them. I didn't know how to use the manual settings on my camera, and I was working with a ten second timer on a broken tripod. But after a year of countless hours of practice, some photography classes, and gaining a proper tripod and camera remote I feel accomplished and driven to keep improving myself as a photographer. Outfit Zest is a fashion blog, but really it is an online journal for me to share photos and get creative behind the lens. Although most of the time I take photos of my own outfits, I have also branched into portrait photography in attempt to capture other people's style. I have learned about direction, lighting, technique, and story telling. And each time I shoot, I get to learn a little more. What I love in particular about fashion photography is the element of fantasy that can be incorporated into everyday scenes. Fashion photography isn't just documenting what happened, it is storytelling. 

And then there is the fashion itself which I hardly thought about before I started this blog. I mean, I have always enjoyed getting dressed and putting outfits together but I never thought about where my clothing was made, who designed it, or how it arrived in the store where I bought it. But over the course of this year, I have learned too much. I no longer feel comfortable buying mass produced fast fashion. I have discovered so many beautiful designers who create ethical clothing that I would rather buy. So Outfit Zest officially became a sustainable fashion blog this summer. This means that I will only wear independent brands, secondhand items, or things I have made myself. There is too much waste in the world of fashion and too much money going to unjust practices. So keep an eye out: I have exciting photo shoot ideas to share featuring slow fashion pieces.

A year in review:

Within the past year I quit an unsatisfactory job at a local coffee shop and started teaching. I went to Europe and Central America. I dyed my hair pink. I started my own freelance business. I gained confidence as a blogger and started to really tune in to the things in life that make me sing. Living day to day, it can be easy to forget life's achievements and goals. It can be easy to get bogged down in everyday annoyances and humdrum. I believe that it is important to reflect on the things you have accomplished, feel proud, and appreciate the little moments that brought you to where you are.

Love, Joy