Laurie Young
Founder & Editor of @theruecollective
Vamp Collective Member
After her husband bought her a Digital SLR for Christmas, she had the kick she needed to get started to feed her creative side. Fast forward to 2016, Laurie has turned her part time passion into her full time job. Vamp caught up with the Sydney residing, Canadian born blogger to find out her tips and tricks of the trade.
Describe your style in 3 words.
Casual. Minimal. Classic.
What don’t most people know about you?
My favourite genre of music is Country.
What were you doing before you started working full time on @theruecollective?
I was working as the Marketing/e-Commerce Manager for a shoe brand.
What do you think makes a successful photograph?
Balance in the frame, the colour tones and having a sharp focal point.
What is the best thing that has come about due to @theruecollective?
All of the incredible people I’ve met – particularly the girlfriends I’ve made!
What do you attribute your success to?
Perseverance and not measuring myself up against anyone else. I think it’s incredibly important to stay focused on your own goals and to never compare yourself to others. Keep your head down and work on improving yourself, this will get you so much further than worrying about what everyone else is doing.
“Keep your head down and work on improving yourself, this will get you so much further than worrying about what everyone else is doing.”
What are your top tips for creating a beautiful image on Instagram?
1. Maintain a consistent aesthetic!! Your feed as a whole is essentially one piece of art, so it needs to be consistent. This is also important for branding.
2. Make sure your feed is balanced and that each photo sits well next to one another. Rotate between posting light and dark images as opposed to having two light and then a dark, if you have blue in one corner balance it out with blue in the opposite etc.
3. If the photo doesn’t fit your aesthetic or sit well in your feed, or if you’re not 100% happy with it then don’t post it. It is always better not to post then to post something that compromises your overall look.
“Make sure your feed is balanced and that each photo sits well next to each other.
Rotate between posting light and dark images as opposed to having two light and then a dark, if you have blue in one corner balance it out with blue in the opposite etc.”
Wise words for those just starting out or looking to take it to the next level?
Blogging is a lot more work than you initially think!! Be prepared to make sacrifices and don’t be discouraged if you don’t find instant success. Most of today’s biggest bloggers had their blogs for years before they took off, it takes time and effort to grow them.
Stay true to your own style. Once you start developing a following brands will approach you with gifts and sponsorship offerings, wanting you to wear and promote their product. It’s important to say no to anything you wouldn’t actually wear/use yourself. Your followers will know when you’re not genuine.
Don’t let it consume your whole life. Make sure you close your computer and put down your phone so as not to miss out on real life.
“It’s important to say no to anything you wouldn’t actually wear/use yourself. Your followers will know when you’re not genuine.”
Right now I’m….
Listening to: No Pressure – Justin Bieber
Eating: Mexican. No joke I eat some form of it nearly every day of my life.
Drinking: Water. Coffee. Pinot Noir.
Wearing: A lot of skinny jeans, tees and sneakers.
Watching: Shameless Season 4 and The Killing (on Netflix)
Reading: Rereading Wuthering Heights