I’m back at it again with some #truthbombs for all the other Instagram boyfriends out there trying to make it in the wild world of being an Instagram boyfriend to our fashion blogger girlfriends. This week I’m going to talk about how to survive one of the most inevitable and common that happens in our lives with our significant others.

Here is what you need to know when she asks “can we go shoot an outfit real quick”?

 

Your free time = best shoot times

Luckily, I don’t work a traditional 9-5 job, but for those of you who do you just need to be warned. The Lord decided to present his best light in the early morning (“morning glow”) and during sunset (“golden hour”). So, for those of you who are laggards in the morning, be ready to wake up and get a good shoot in before work. For those of you who are all about hanging around in your La-z-boy after work then just give it up. Put on “Started from the Bottom” from Drake and get pumped because your attitude needs to be on point (see point #2). Honestly, while all this sounds hard, just know that ironically staying active, seeing sunrises and sunsets, and being on a better sleep schedule are actually better things for your health….. Or maybe that’s what she’s just telling me.

Have a good attitude cuz otherwise it messes up her mojo

 

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I don’t care how you feel, I don’t care what happened at work, I don’t care about any bumps or bruises you have there is a 1-2 hour period where you better bury all of your concerns deep down… and that is during a photoshoot. You are her muse during this period, and your attitude is contagious. Just smile, be proactive and energetic and help her capture that bright glow that is needed to complete her Instagram feed. You have a choice here, easy way or hard way. If you make her go through this photoshoot the hard way with a bad attitude then you’ll pay for it in resentment for at least 4x that (2hrs x 4 = 8hrs). However, if you choose the easy way then most of the time you get a very serving and happy girlfriend that will give you treats and kisses.
…… I just realized I’m being trained like I train my dog Hazel.

 

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Quantity or quality… you’re just wrong.

The fundamental question when shooting is should you take more pictures faster with a focus on quantity or less pictures slower with a focus on quality. You know, I just never win here and I don’t think I’m alone. Sometimes I take maybe 70 pictures and there are at least 6 good ones, but I cannot express the anger felt when that SD card goes into the computer, light room opens, and the plethora of photos to choose from and edit are there.
On the flipside, I barely escaped sudden death when the SD card went in and I missed or botched an angle on the outfit without any alternatives. More could be best, Less may not be more, but more may not be best. I have literally no idea, but I do know that “take one more” actually means “take 15 more”, so at least take that wisdom. Godspeed, guys.

 

Every shoot should start with a three step checkpoint:

Question #1: Are there any hair ties in the picture?

Hair ties are weird. Sometimes she wants them, sometimes she doesn’t, but NEVER can they be in the shot. If you take a picture at the perfect angle and there is a hair tie on her wrist then you may as well just not show up because that’s basically the equivalent.

 

Question #2: What is the main focus?

Our girlfriends spend a lot of time getting dressed up and pretty. Although it’s very natural and admirable that you want to capture that beauty, just note that 9 times out of 10 if you focus too much on her and not the clothes then you are wrong. Best rule of thumb is just to ask what the focus of the picture is. In fact, if you ask then it actually shows that you care.

 

Question #3: Where are we going to eat after this?

Again because the Lord decided to shed his best light during dinner, the best question you can ask to start a shoot is where are we going to eat after this. Sometimes it actually gets me in the zone. There is nothing better than eating a burger after the mental exercise of finding that perfect angle.

 

Always comment and like her photos “First”

If you aren’t the first to comment and like a photo on Instagram then do you really even care? You are the number one fan, and regardless of whether you are with her or not when she posts, you ALWAYS have to be the first to comment and post. This is not a trivial thing. Tapping that heart on Instagram is basically like tapping her heart and telling her you love her.

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Stay strong, guys – you aren’t alone out there.

Signing off before she gets home,

JJR