This past weekend I went to a blogging conference called Blogging While Brown. I have to say that I couldn’t have had a better experience for my first blogging conference.

I should mention some background. While I’ve got a lot of “blogging friends” or “internet friends” (as Husband J says), most of my real life friends have no interest in social media (outside of Facebook), don’t understand Twitter and think my blogging is my cute little activity. I have to admit that I was looking forward to the conference because I’d be surrounded by people who understand what it’s like being an internet content creator (it ain’t easy!).

While I’ve been able to meet a variety of great bloggers, in my past blogging life I’ve often felt like the only one or one of very few Black or Latino bloggers writing about certain topics (like travel!).  That’s not a bad thing in and of itself, but I believe in the fact that a variety of perspectives and visual representations of diverse people should be present in all forms of media including emerging media like blogs. My choice to go to Blogging While Brown (“BWB”) was not only about learning more about blogging in general but also to get inspired about my role as a blogger of color in an online world that often sidelines us (just my opinion, of course).

Since I often think in lists, here are 5 reasons why I’m glad I went to Blogging While Brown:

1. I met a really nice down to earth, friendly, diverse group of bloggers.
I’ve not always heard the best things about blogging conferences. I’ve often heard from some people that the atmosphere can be cliquey, impersonal or just downright unwelcoming. I have to say that I was able to meet so many cool people this past weekend. The conference was small enough that I could have multiple conversations with people throughout the weekend but large enough that I still didn’t meet everyone. Bloggers came from all over the country (shout out to my new Jacksonville, Florida  friends!) and wrote about everything from relationships and beauty to health and politics. Some folks had been blogging or writing professionally for years, and others were new to blogging. It was nice to get perspectives from all levels of experience.

2. Many of the well-known and successful bloggers openly shared themselves and their experiences. 
I’ve often heard that when some bloggers hit “the big time”, they are not so friendly at conferences like these. Yet at Blogging While Brown, many of the the most successful bloggers with well-known sites were very friendly and accessible. Case in point, one of my favorite bloggers, Patrice Grell Yursik, of the blog Afrobella.

I started reading Patrice’s blog years ago when looking for resources for my wedding blog for Black women with natural hair (i.e., not chemically straightened). While not the first natural hair blogger, she’s really the first in that niche to translate her blogging into bigger opportunities. She has partnered with M.A.C. to produce her own shade of lipgloss and has also live tweeted from the red carpet at the Oscars. She’s really taken her blogging to another level. She was so nice to me, super down-to-earth and really honest about her experiences during her panel (I missed it, but followed the tweets on the BWB conference hashtag).

3. I learned new things that will help move me forward as a blogger (and even some things I didn’t think I needed).
I thought I knew a little about SEO, but I learned a ton about it from Luvvie Ajayi’s SEO 101 panel. The panel on blogging and brands was probably the most helpful for the future, and I really liked the honesty of the panelists representing advertising and public relations firms (Big shout out to Jennifer Polk, VP at Edelman Digital, for our nice talk during the conference). Moral of the story for that branding panel: be genuine, honest, and ethical when dealing with public relations agencies and brands. I’ll probably never want to publish a book (just being honest), but I thought many of the issues discussed during that panel were important in understanding how to export your blog to another medium. I would have loved a TV panel that talked about more than television news because I think many bloggers can become more than guest talking heads (TV hosts maybe?).

4. The conference paid attention to important social justice issues. While many conferences focus on monetization, branding and content creation, I really did appreciate the fact that the conference emphasized the importance of blogging in moving forward social issues and alternative narratives. From addressing AIDS to community organizing, the conference tackled subjects that are affecting communities of color. I’m working on an online project that has nothing to do with travel or food, and this inspired me to move it forward because the conference reinforced to me the need for vital socially conscious and relevant information online.

5. I never knew what to expect from the engaging speakers and my fellow attendees.
From the hysterical presentation by Scott Hanselman and Luvvue Ajayi, which had me rolling on the floor to the Twitter haterade and in person interrogation of the founder of Media Takeout, Fred Mwangaguhunga, there were definitely parts of the conference that kept you on your toes and laughing in your seat.

While the conference was great, here are some things I would change:

1. It’s not cheap. Although the conference was valuable, it was not cheap ($250 before late registration). Most blog conferences aren’t though, so I can’t say that BWB was out there in terms of costs. They did include breakfast and lunch both days though. Speaking of food….

2. I’d love more healthy food options for breakfast and lunch. A crudite plate wouldn’t be so bad. Some fruit? Help a sister out.

3. I would have liked to know what speakers were going to discuss in the panels beforehand. While I didn’t need a full outline, sometimes knowing what was going to be discussed would have helped me make a decision about breakout sessions beforehand.

I have a feeling the conference will be farther away next year, and I hope that I’ll be able to attend again some time in the future. I was definitely re-inspired and felt energized about blogging in a way that I haven’t been in a long time. At the very least, the conference made me understand my little voice here is important, even if I don’t have the hits, Facebook likes and Twitter followers that others say I should to feel important and valued as a blogger.

A big thanks to my fellow conference attendees and to the conference organizers for a stimulating and fun weekend.

I know that I came back, threw up a teaser full of Argentina pics, and then haven’t posted all week. I’m taking a little bit of a blogging hiatus. This is actually all my fault because I just didn’t plan well enough in advance to make sure that posts would be coming forth as I make some moves. Don’t worry; things are good. I’ll hopefully be popping up here and there in the next few weeks, and hopefully with some surprises. Allow me a few moments to be cryptic.

I hope all is well where you are.

Love,

T

I don’t know if you’ve noticed it yet, but there is a big, orange badge on the left side of the blog now. Yours truly is now a featured blogger on a site called Uencounter.me. What’s that? Well, it’s a new site that is essentially a virtual pin map with a social twist.

I love maps. Sometimes I just look at them for the fun of it. You all should be used to my dorkiness by now, so this should not come as a surprise. I used to have a great map connected to my personal Facebook profile, but after one of the many Facebook changes, it went away. Now I’ve got one that won’t go away. I can pin many of the places, I’ve been with descriptions of what happened there and who accompanied me. I can follow others who are pinning the places they’ve been or lived and even join discussion boards.

I think Uencounter.me is such as great idea is because it’s not just a map but a way of connecting to people. There is a section where you can search for your long lost friend from camp or that person you met while traveling years ago. Plus, there is also a section to THANK people. Imagine getting a chance to say thank you for the first time (or even the second time) to someone who’s touched your life. Essentially, Uencounter.me is a way of virtually connecting through the places we’ve been.

If you click on the badge, it will take you to my pins, which have links to my blog posts. It may look like I’ve only got a few, but if you narrow the map to very local and specific places, you’ll see that I’ve got about 40 pins up so far with more to come. Feel free to check me out there, and become one of my “links.” I warn you that Uencounter. me can become addictive.

I am going through an internal debate that many bloggers and amateur or wanna-be photogs probably do at some point. I’m considering whether or not to get a DSLR camera. These bad boys are NOT cheap. Not in the least. Therefore, it means that I am going to be hemming and hawing over the decision to invest in a “fancy schmancy” camera as I’d like to call it.

While I enjoy using my “point and shoot”, it occasionally bugs me. When you blog primarily about food and travel, you want the pictures to be as inviting as possible. I’m occasionally surprised at some of the shots I’ve ended up with like this:

At the same time, occasionally I’d just like a little more camera power. I’d love to be able to take more pictures in settings with low light (Restaurants at night have mood lighting). I’d love to be able to get crisper photos. I want a little more, and I feel like you guys deserve more, too. Oh fine! Who am I kidding? I also have blogger envy. I want my pics to be pretty, too. (Insert pouty face)

At the same time, I realize that it’s not just about the camera. It’s also about the technique. Is this just an issue of me getting more out of the camera that I already have? Do I need to learn about some of the manual settings on my point and shoot? They do actually exist. I’m not sure how to use them, though.

Here are some of the issues holding me back from making the DSLR plunge:

1. DSLRs are pretty big.

Did I mention that I am lazy? A DSLR may turn me into a pack mule, and I swear there is a cottage industry out there just for camera bags. Since I walk everywhere, especially when I’m at home and often when I’m traveling, the thought of adding yet another bag to my shoulders doesn’t really seem so fun. I want a more powerful camera, but do I have to sacrifice my shoulders to do it? I like to throw my current camera into my purse or travel day bag, and just go. Plus, I find a big camera can scream “TOURIST”, and sometimes I just want something I can hide away quickly when in certain places.

One day after reading one of my favorite food blogs (especially for food photography), Cumi & Ciki, I recently found of out about micro four thirds cameras designed by Olympus and Panasonic. They have the power of a DSLR but are more compact and can fit suped up lenses just like a DSLR. I’ve been loving Cumi and Ciki’s pictures now for months, and I was completely sure they were using a big honking DSLR. Nope. I was shocked when they revealed that they have been using an Olympus EP-3.

There’s a nice write up on the relatively new Olympus micro four thirds Pen line here.

At the same time, I’m sure if you add a good lens or a special flash that might negate the weight issue, so maybe a micro four thirds camera might not be the answer?

2. Cost

Uh…retailers are not exactly giving these cameras away. Even the Olympus EP-3 isn’t exactly cheap (EP-3s are actually the top of the line for Olympus micro four thirds cameras, so maybe it’s not a good comparison). I recognize that to get more out of technology, I’ll need to invest in it, but even I get a little nervous about big purchases (Don’t shake my hands after I buy an international plane ticket. My palms sweat). Most DSLRs start at about $400 USD for older models but can go above $1,000 USD. I’m DEFINITELY not spending $1,000 USD on a camera unless I’m changing my name to Annie Liebovitz. Even $700 still makes me cringe a bit.

This Nikon D5100 above is retailing for about $650 USD for just the body.

3. Sweating the technique

As I mentioned above, if I’m going to invest the money, I guess I need to invest the time to learn how to use an expensive camera correctly. I know that buying a DSLR doesn’t make you an expert photographer overnight. I’ve seen some pics taken with DSLRs, and let me tell you that I don’t know if I really saw much of a difference from “point and shoot” quality.

Does this mean that I have to invest in a class or spend more time that I might not already have (or make sure that I free up the time) to learn how to use my future camera?

4. Everybody’s got a favorite.

Sometimes I wish I could get a straight answer about which camera to buy. There’s no right or wrong answer because everyone’s got a favorite. One person swears by Canon, while another would never give up their Nikon.

So, I ask you, my lovely online community, do you own a DSLR? What brand? What you do like most about your DSLR? What do you like least about it? Any words of advice for a camera buyer? Anyone own a micro four thirds camera? I have to admit I might be leaning towards one of those….