Today's post is a very exciting one! It's my second Blogger Q&A post (you can check out the first if you want which was all about working with PRs) and I'm so glad that quite a lot of blogers want to be involved, it brings back lovely memories of the early days of blogging for me when there was such an incredible sense of community. The Q&A for the month of September is all about Blogging in Autumn with some lovely bloggers!
Question One: Are there any negatives about blogging in Autumn?
Jennifer: I adore autumn but for me, things tend to ramp up in pace so I find it difficult to keep on top of blogging alongside my personal life, especially keeping up with social media - long gone seem the days of just writing and taking photos!
Ellis: The biggest negative about blogging in Autumn is the change in natural lighting. It gets increasingly darker each day and the lighting can change very quickly. My biggest bugbear when it comes to Autumnal lighting is the warm amber glow that often appears at about 3-4pm. This is beautiful to look at when you’re not trying to take blog photographs but it seriously impacts my aims to achieve light and bright blog photographs.
Fiona: Instantly I thought about the lack of good natural light when it comes to Autumn. This definitely makes taking images much more tricky and you can't shoot after a certain time in the afternoon!
Lauren: I think the biggest negative for me (and a lot of bloggers) is the lack of natural light for taking photos. There's no lightness before or after work, and it's generally very grey even when I am off.
Kara: For me, no! I used to have real trouble with photography as the hours of natural day light are so much shorter, but I invested in a professional lighting box last year so I can shoot any time of day or night now! I actually find that I feel so much more productive in Autumn/Winter, so my blogging game always steps up around this time of year.
Question Two: Do you change your blog design/photo props/photo style during the colder months?
Jennifer: I use a lot of flowers in my phoography and they’re more of a seasonal item so I think my photos tend to look a bit more autumnal. I don’t theme my blog design around the seaosn but I’ve been thinking about tweaking my blog design lately.
Ellis: I often switch up photo props in the colder months. This can be as simple as adding some new trinkets, leaves or decorative pumpkins to shots or using a different rug or area of floor to take my photo on. It’s also the perfect time to add in anything copper or rose gold related.
Fiona: When writing about Autumn or anything related that’s cosy seeming I do try to have a autumnal theme to my photos but generally I like them to stay bright and white!
Lauren: I haven't previously but this year I've really been trying to improve my photography so I do want to try and add more texture and greys to try and give my photos a cozier feel. As for my design, it stays the same.
Kara: Usually yes! I love adding in seasonal props and last year was all about the munchkin pumpkins (so cute)! I have recently started to try to stick to a colour palette in both my blog posts and instagram, which is blushed pink and gold. I think this year I’m going to try to stick to that, but incorporate Autumn appropriate props where ever I possibly can. I get totally obsessed with Pinterest at this time of year too, there’s always so much inspiration for visuals on there.
Question Three: What do you love (or hate) most about Autumn?
Jennifer: I’ve a natural affinity for autumn as my birthday is in October but one of my favourite things about it is the light - I’ve an insatiable appetite for the warm glow the season brings.
Ellis: I’m a big fan of wrapping up in the brisk cold air and Autumn has to be my favourite season when it comes to fashion and adding quite a few new pieces to my wardrobe. When it comes to what I hate, I really despise waking up when it’s still dark outside. It’s even worse when you head out of the house in the morning and it’s still dark.
Fiona: I seriously love most things about Autumn – I can't get enough of it! However when it gets to November I can't say I love the cold weather. I have a condition that affects the circulation in my hands and feet, which basically means I'm allergic to the cold!
Lauren: I just love how cozy everything is. The layers, the candles, the scents, everything about it make me feel cozy. I also love the crisp mornings... Perfect for a walk!
Kara: Let me start off by saying Autumn is without a doubt my favourite time of year, so I don’t hate a single thing about it. As soon as I notice the leaves begin to turn I feel instantly happier! Where to begin with what I love…cosy jumpers and socks, dark crisp evenings, the beautiful reds, yellows and oranges that suddenly appear in nature’s colour palette, candles (especially my Diptyque ones), berry lipsticks, dark nail colours, good books, halloween and bonfire night, wooly hats, wellie boots, Pumpkin Spice Latte’s…I literally could go on forever!
Question Four: Are there any upcoming beauty, book or holiday releases you’re looking forward to or any Autumn posts you’re excited to publish?
Jennifer: I’ve recently posted my 7 favourite lipsticks for transitioning into fall which was pretty exciting - and the first time this years I’ve got to play with burgundy props - one of my favourite colours. I can’t wait for the big holiday makeup collections to come out too, and I think I'm finally going to talk about my skincare routines, as I’ve had so many requests.
Ellis: I always get really excited for the holiday beauty releases. It’s a great time to grab a bargain as many of the sets and kits include some big beauty products for a lot less than purchasing them individually. It’s also fantastic to try out new products thanks to little gift sets too. I’m particularly looking forward to Too Faced’s Christmas In New York collection launching and hope to pick up some beauty Advent calendars too this year.
Fiona: I love seeing previews of Christmas gift sets and I actually can't wait for the new Zoella Lifestyle range to launch (I need that marble thermal cup!). Also this years Boots Christmas catalogue is out 3rd October, so we don't have long to wait for that.
Lauren: I can't say there are any releases I am particularly looking forward to but I am looking forward to posting about my favourite Autumn makeup! I might also try to start some OOTD's this Autumn!
Kara: In terms of releases, I get more excited about the Christmas launches. I’ve already seen a sneak peek of the Dityque advent calendar and am crazy excited. There are so many amazing beauty advent calendars around now (how insane was the Charlotte Tilbury one last year?) which makes advent all the more fun! For posts, I have already kicked off my Autumnal posts with one dedicated to curling up with a good book! There’s plenty more in the pipeline but I don’t want to give too much away, so make sure you keep your eyes peeled!
What do you think of the September edition of my Blogger Q&A series? What are your favourite things about Autumn? Feel free to answer the questions yourself in the comments below!