Why should you step out from behind that camera? Here’s why.

Meet the Pet Bloggers HopIf you scour my blog, you might find one photo of me. That’s pretty much it.

I was having a conversation with a few blogging friends the other day, and it turns out that I’m not alone on that front.

As bloggers – particularly pet bloggers – we spend a lot of time behind the camera, but not that much in front of it. We post countless photos of our furballs and share all sorts of personal stories, but – for some of us, at least – it’s pretty rare that our faces grace the hallowed HTML of our own blogs.

I found this conversation especially interesting, as I recently (by which I mean two months ago) read a post entitled “Lessons Learned from a Year of Staying in the Picture.” This post is a follow-up to a post the author posted in 2012 called “The Mom Stays in the Picture,” in which she talked about the reasons women avoid photos and why she wanted to change that in her own life.

The blogging conversation reminded me of those posts and my own desire to start staying in the picture. Although I have taken approximately thirteen trillion photos of my dogs (give or take), some of my favorites are the rare ones that I’m in too. In spite of that, I never post photos of myself on this blog. For all you know, I have green skin and go around singing about defying gravity a lot. (Hint: one of those tidbits is true.)

This seems to be a fairly common pet blogging phenomenon. I’m pretty sure that I could pick most of your pets out of a lineup, but wouldn’t know you if I stumbled over you on the sidewalk. We should change that. I’d like to know it’s you, should I accidentally stumble over you one day.

With that in mind, I have an invitation for you. Join us as we step out from behind the camera – it’s time to meet the bloggers! The Meet the Bloggers blog hop on December 18 is co-hosted by I Still Want More Puppies, Go Pet Friendly, Kol’s Notes, Life With DesmondNo Dog About It Blog, The Daily Dog Blog, My Brown Newfies, CindyLu’s Muse, Bringing Up Bella, Heart Like A Dog, Rescued Insanity, Peggy’s Pet Place, and NEPA Pets. (With that many co-hosts, you know it’s going to be good. We want you!)

So, that’s the why. Here’s the how:

  1. Join us for the hop on December 18. (A Linky list will go live that day, so make sure to add your post. If you want to add the Linky code to your post, you can find it at the end of this one.)
  2. Grab the badge that best describes you (options and code below).
  3. Your post must include a current photo of you (with or without a furry friend).
  4. Answer at least five (or more, if you’d like!) of the questions below:
    • What’s your favorite non-animal related book?
    • What’s your favorite non-animal related movie?
    • What’s your favorite non-animal related food?
    • Who’s your favorite actor?
    • What’s one thing you have to do every day?
    • What makes you feel fabulous?
    • What do you wish you were more skilled at?
    • What’s your favorite holiday?
    • Favorite meal?
    • What do you like to do in your free time?
    • What one word would people who know you use to describe you?
    • If your pets could talk, what one word would THEY use to describe you?
    • What is one thing you’ve done that you’re most proud of?
    • How is your pet most like you?
    • What can your body do for you that makes you most proud?
    • If you could change one thing about your life what would it be?
    • Other than blogging, what are three things you do that bring you joy?
    • What’s one thing you could do to be more kind to yourself?
    • What drives you nuts about your pets?
    • What melts your heart?
    • If you didn’t have your current pets, what pets would you choose to have?

Will you join us? I’m looking forward to seeing your smiling (or scowling, if you decide to channel Grumpy Cat) face!

The Badges:

Meet the Pet Bloggers Hop
Meet the Pet Bloggers Hop
Meet the Pet Bloggers Hop

The Linky Code:

<!– start LinkyTools script –>

<script src=”http://www.linkytools.com/thumbnail_linky_include.aspx?id=220107″ type=”text/javascript”></script>

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47 thoughts on “Why should you step out from behind that camera? Here’s why.

  1. Pingback: No more hiding behind the words – “Meet the Bloggers” blog hop | No Dog About It Blog

  2. Love this idea. (Not for myself, personally cuz I feel like my face is on my blog a lot, but for those bloggers whom I’ve wondered what they look like!)

    Love that idea of “staying in the picture”. I swear, some bloggers seem to so purposely avoid the camera that I want to quote misquote Princess Bride to them: how come you never show your face on your blog? Were you burned by acid or something?

    I definitely want to know what you gals look like so I’ll recognize you if I trip over you! 🙂
    Jackie Bouchard recently posted..Monday Mischief: What Rita is Reading

    • True… your face even popped up next to this comment! You are an inspiration to the rest of us – I hope you’ll join us anyway and answer some questions. 🙂

  3. Those are great questions. Posting my face online? Scary. (Although, Silas is a very distinctive dog, and anybody who knows me would surely recognize him even without my picture on the blog.) We’ll see.
    Jessica recently posted..Day One: Start Now

  4. I’m in! This comes as a good time. My blog turned 3 a couple of weeks ago. As I do every year, I am reflecting on what direction I want my blog to take. Over the years (and past year especially) I have started to include more “I”s into my posts instead of just the ambiguous “we” (as in the dogs, me and maybe my hubby). I want to continue to grow a stronger voice on my blog and this will be a good launching point for people to get to know me.
    Jessica @YouDidWhatWithYourWeiner recently posted..10 Most Popular Posts of 2013

  5. Reading everyone’s posts about his blog hop makes me smile and also makes my stomach churn… I love the idea but I don’t think I can do it. I’m too much of a paranoid person about online privacy, irrationally so, I know. If you tripped over me in the street my dogs would bark at you so you’d figure out it was me! 🙂
    Bethany recently posted..Black & White Sunday Perched Trio

  6. Great post, I completely agree! So many of us hide behind our pets because it’s easier. I know I take most of the photos that are in my blog and so I rarely even think about putting myself in them. But I’d love to get to know people a little better and you are right, wouldn’t it be a shame if I had run into my fellow bloggers and never even knew it?
    Kristine recently posted..The Grand Unmasking: Meet the Bloggers 2013

  7. What a great post! I’m looking forward to it!! I remember reading that article and the funny thing is – when we look back at pictures (if we have been in any) we tend to be much easier on ourselves than we were at the time. I have looked back at pictures where I thought I looked fat and wondered why the hell I spent so much of my life worrying about the way I looked instead of enjoying the moment. I hope we can all start to love ourselves a little more. I think any picture of someone smiling and enjoying life is a good one 🙂

    I hope EVERYONE participates!!!
    Julie recently posted..Meet the Bloggers!

    • Same here, Julie. I look at photos and wonder why I thought I was so [insert disparaging adjective here]… when I’m looking back, I just see the joy and the good times.

  8. I love this, and I’m definitely going to take part. This comes at a perfect time, actually. My sister-in-law emailed and asked for a recent pic of me and John for a photo album she’s making for Christmas… I toggled through nearly 400 pics on my hard drive, and I wasn’t in a single one of them! But it never would’ve occurred to me without that request or this prompt. I’m excited to see everyone “face to face.”
    Maggie recently posted..Celebrate the howlidays… with a chance to win more dog products!

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