I have been using Facebook in a few different settings over the past couple of years and finally can't resist its pull, despite my wariness. It is time to share some of my blog on FB at https://www.facebook.com/GreenGourmetGiraffe I have added the above button down the sidebar while I am playing with FB settings and may make it more prominent once I am happy with how the page is going.
I expect to upload each post, some random meals and other esoteric information. It might also be a place to share a few photos that don't make it to the blog. If Facebook is your thing, you know the drill.
For anyone wanting to set up a blog Facebook Page, I found it useful to read the advice by Amuse Your Bouche.
With a new Facebook account, I needed a "cover" photo. It has occurred to me from time to time to update my header photo. Once I started to look at photos from my Facebook account, it seemed a good time to update my header. As always it is work in progress. (You can see the previous header in my designs post if you have forgotten what it looks like.)
All About Party Bags is a UK website the specialises in filled party bags but also has an e-magazine. The latest issue of the e-magazine is a Fairy Issue. The Fairy Toadstool birthday cake I made for Sylvia this year is featured among the idea for fairy cakes. If you have children in your lives that are as interested in fairies as mine, there are lots of great ideas for fairy parties.
FoodGawker
After seven years of blogging I am now getting photos accepted by FoodGawker. And still experiencing some rejection. I now have 29 submissions accepted, 24 of these in 2014, and less that that rejected (17).
It took quite some time until I felt my photos were of a reasonable quality to submit. It has been an interesting learning process, though at times it feels brutal. Their criteria can seem harsh at time. It has made me more aware of the importance of natural light in photography. I was advised to move a black line from one photo a while back, did so, resubmitted and was pleased to find it accepted the second time. They still find me guilty of underexposed, overexposed, fussy backgrounds and too tight composition.
The more effort I put into a photo, the less likely it seems to be accepted. A good lesson about simplicity. Yet I still can't predict with any level of certainty if a photo will be accepted. I thought it would be fun to upload a collage of some of the photos that FoodGawker has rejected. I am quite fussy about which photos go in. (But if they think these are bad, I am glad they never saw some of my early blogging photos!) However I have come a long way since my first FoodGawker picture was accepted last year.
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| Great old style ice cream sign in Brunswick - makes me feel nostalgic! |
As I have said before, I wish I had more time to update my blog. When I have a moment I tinker. Here are a few of the pages I have updated over the last few months:
- Child Friendly Almanac - I have added some new sections - lunchboxes, day trips and movies
- New Recipe Index Categories: Novelty cakes has split into two sections and I have created a new Sourdough section
- Reviews and Reflections has a new section on Street Art posts. (This page could really do with some anchors when I have time.)
- Other pages that get updated on the go are Basics, Blogging Resources, and Favourites.
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| Spell check please! |
Vegan MoFo
Finally a reminder that Vegan MoFo (Month of Food) is on in September and you can sign up now (deadline 27 August). I have signed up (hurrah) and am still preparing ahead to cope with a busy month offline. Hope to see some of you there and to have others of you cheering from the sidelines!
The new header is great, and congratulations on moving to Facebook :) I really like having the separate blog FB account, in part as my news feed for that is food-specific and I can keep my personal account more for individuals than blogs or cafes. Congratulations, too, on the Food Gawker photos! I have never submitted anything but am quite sure they would find plenty to criticise in my photography...
ReplyDeleteThanks Kari - I am still thinking about the difference between my blog and personal FB feed. And I think FoodGawker has made me make more effort with photos and look at them a little differently but I do think I might have got a few more accepted earlier if I hadn't been so critical (and also time poor which is the other issue) - I am sure you have some FoodGawker worthy photos there.
DeleteI am liking your new header, very vibrant and fresh. I have a FB page, but it is not one of those ones that people can 'LIKE' not sure how to do that. But to be truthful, I don't use it much, so not that worried either. I haven;t had a picture accepted by FoodGawker yet, but I haven't bee that proactive in sharing either. But I am pleased for you. I have signed up to Vegan Mofo too, thanks to you of course from last years encouragement.
ReplyDeleteThanks Shaheen - I quite like the new header too - check out the link from Amuse your bouche if you want advice on setting up a blog page (which you can lLIKE) rather than a personal account. Will look forward to your mofo posts - food gawker takes a bit more time so I guess it is whether you have time for it.
DeleteLove the header and congrats on Foodgawker :) My pics are never good enough hehe
ReplyDeleteThanks Cate - oh you have lovely pics on your site
DeleteYour new header is fab love the colour. Glad to hear that you have signed up to MoFo looking forward to seeing what you create.
ReplyDeleteThanks Lorna - it is strange how when I look for green photos there don't seem to be as many on the blog as I thought - well not where the green is nice and bright
DeleteHappy to see you over on facebook! I've "liked" the page :) Love the new header too.
ReplyDeleteIt's surprising how much time blog housekeeping takes isn't it? I have a million and one things I'd like to do but often end up stuck at the computer for 2 hours getting frustrated!
I know the feeling with Foodgawker. My photos are accepted more often than not these days but I have a LOT of rejects.
Thanks Emma - thanks for the 'like' - blog housekeeping is neverending and I find I can spend hours and barely make a dint (and it is hard to find time for even a brief moment!) Your photos are beautiful and I am sure FoodGawker loves them but I think it is helpful to share that we all have rejects too.
DeleteI love the cake in the first photo and the green theme too! :D Good to see you on facebook too. I too have a huge list of "things to do" that I wonder if I'll ever get around to finishing it!
ReplyDeleteThanks Lorraine - it seems ironic that some of my favourite photos are FoodGawker rejects - including that cake! And I am sure if we got the blog housekeeping done there would be a new development on the web to suck up our time :-)
Deleteliking the new look! Glad to hear you're doing Vegan MoFo. I signed up too but part of me is already feeling a bit overwhelmed!
ReplyDeleteThanks Veganopoulous - I was feeling I had Vegan MoFo under control but as it gets closer I am feeling overwhelmed too
DeleteWell I LOVE your photos!!!!! And thanks for the Vegan MoFo Reminder!!! OMG! I almost forgot to sign up!
ReplyDeleteThanks Jennifer - great that you remembered to sign up - vegan mofo seems to come around again quickly
DeleteI love your new banner and I've liked your page on FB. I know what you mean with Foodgawker - it always seems to be my best images that are rejected. Sometimes I think it's a lottery xx
ReplyDeleteThanks Charlie - I feel like my best images are rejected by Food Gawker too and part of me wants them to be there and part of me fears if I just did photos for food gawker I would lose some of the personal touch in my photos.
Deleteugh. Foodgawker. Not the nicest website. But i will continue trying! Good thing you never gave up!
ReplyDeleteThanks Amber - yes Food Gawker can be mercilessly brief in their rejections - I sometimes wish for a conversion rather than a couple of words
DeleteExciting times! Great you are on Facebook - looking forward to your updates as well as your mofo posts! And congrats on getting your pics accepted, I'm not surprised because they're really good. That fairy cake is gorgeous - I wish I could achieve that level of cake decoration :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Kate - your cakes are gorgeous (and I hate it after a photo when you see something that you should have removed - the plastic bag annoys me in the toadstool pic but I quite like the quirky cheezel)
DeleteLiked you on Facebook and welcome to FB and I like your new header!!!! I’ve experienced this before with FoodGawker when I started food blogging two years ago and I had tons of rejects as well! I’m curious about your Vegan MoFo theme and I’m sad that I won’t be participating due to travels.
ReplyDelete