by Michelle Heffernan
Did we need any more proof that this county is teeming with talent? We caught up with three top Waterford bloggers, flying the deise flag in the worlds of fashion, food and photography. Get on your Insta now as you need to follow these Waterford Bloggers
Aoife Power – Leather Confessions
Hi Aoife! Tell us a little bit about yourself and your blog.
I’m Aoife, I’m 28 and I work in retail. My blog Leather Confessions is a fashion and lifestyle blog. I post mainly about my own personal style and current trends, as well as everyday topics about life.
When and why did you decide to begin Leather Confessions?
I’ve been blogging coming up on 3 years now. I really just started because I noticed I was using my Instagram account to post about my style and fashion I liked. To me, it wasn’t enough. I felt I wanted to talk more in depth about fashion and style. The aim of Leather Confessions is really to highlight a different kind of style that I felt, at the time wasn’t currently in the Irish blogging industry. I guess you could say I wanted to be that blogger I felt I was looking for.
What kind of time commitment is involved in blogging for you?
I constantly have to have something to upload. This is difficult because I work 5 days a week which means on my days off I have to try and get a week’s worth of content. You have to be consistently active, posting every day, interacting every day. It’s a lot harder than people give credit for. Your life is completely taken over trying to be creative and coming up with ideas. If you love it though, it’s worth it.
What would you say are the pros and cons of blogging?
The pros are having those who follow me reaching out and interacting with me and messaging me. Getting to chat those who follow me and seeing them, for example, style something in a way I have and love it-It just means so much. There’s actually loads I love about blogging-getting to write about topics I love, shooting photos of my favourite outfits, meeting other lovely bloggers, getting to network in the industry, attend events. Also some of the opportunities I’ve gotten through blogging have been major for me, like styling a fashion show and I also got to MC one. The con for me is that it’s very hard to switch off. I’m forever trying to create content and annoy people for photos of me. I can’t have a day off, I constantly need to be on it.
A lot of people think that blogging is something that brings financial rewards. Is blogging a source of income for you or has this ever been a goal for you in blogging?
For some it definitely is. For me, I only recently got my first opportunity to earn any sort of financial income, and that’s after 3 years of blogging. I honestly don’t seek out these opportunities. I’m still thrilled to be working with brands and companies I love even if it doesn’t give me financial gain.
What advice would you give to someone considering starting a blog?
My advice to anyone considering starting a blog would be to just go for it. If it’s something you really want to do, it’s so worth it. Also make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons. If you’re doing it to get free things or money, you have it all wrong. You also need to prepare to put some time into it, but if you love it it’s not time wasted.
You can find Aoife and Leather Confessions at leatherconfessions.com or on Faceebook/Instagram @leatherconfessons
Mark Power –Waterford Epic Locations
Tell us about you and how you began Waterford Epic Locations
My name is Mark Power as you can tell from the surname, I’m born and bred in Waterford. I started vlogging over 10 years ago, shooting and editing video as a hobby, Then about 2 years ago, after studying Tourism, I decided to share Waterford Epic Locations on Facebook and have received over 1 million views so far of my adventures with me and my children of locations around Waterford and the Sunny South East . I want to get people to come to Ireland’s Oldest City and see and experience what I see every day from our Copper Coast, our mountains, rivers, lakes ;then in turn more money would be spent and more employment created in and around Tourism sector in Waterford.
Do you need to be very IT literate to start a blog?
I don’t think you need to be very knowledgeable to put content online now days as everyone has the potential to upload content via their phones. I shoot with amateur equipment and I dress a lot up with editing software and add Epic dramatic music which makes the edit more engaging and easier on the eye.
What , for you, are the benefits of publishing a regular blog?
The benefits for me are that I have a memory, a moment and an experience frozen in time with my children, nothing can top that. I get a lot of people from Waterford thanking me for “finding a new spot for them”, and they go and have an adventure themselves and make some of their own memories. I see a lot of pride of place in people’s comments when their town, beach or area is showcased and it’s nice to see that.
What advice would you give to someone interested in beginning their own vlog?
My advice to anyone who wants to produce online videos is to go out every day and shoot and edit even if it’s from your phone. The more you do the more you will learn. Shoot around your house, the back garden, any of our beaches, the mountains, the city whatever, just keep doing it and you will find a style and a niche that is you. If you have a passion for something stick with it
You can find Mark Power and Waterford Epic Locations on Facebook and Instagram @WaterfordEpicLocations
Andrea Veighey-Waterford Foodie
Tell us about yourself and your blog Waterford Foodie
I work in administration but I’ve always loved food, trying new dishes and visiting new restaurants. I enjoy cooking and photography, when you put those two together a food blog was a great idea for me to explore. I originally started Waterford Foodie in March 2016 to share food photos of what type of food was available in local restaurants and cafes around the Waterford area but that developed into sharing some of my own recipes and cooking creations too.
Do people find it odd that you take photos of food?
When I’m dining out, in a restaurant or café, I will take photographs of the food that’s been served to the table. This may involve moving plates or cutlery etc around the table to make the photo look better. Luckily, I have a very patient boyfriend and family who don’t mind me rearranging a table setting or sometimes standing up from the table to take a flat lay photograph of the table so I can upload it to Instagram. I know some people find this strange and I have received the odd strange look!
What kind of time commitment is involved for you with blogging?
I like to cook and photograph at least one meal a day. Generally I upload a photo or two 5 of the 7 days but this can change in any given week. Between looking for inspiration for new recipes on social media, cooking shows & recipe books, coming up with new recipes, cooking, photographing food, uploading photos, writing blogs, replying to emails and comments on the blog, it is a big commitment, but i thoroughly enjoy it!
What are some of the pros and cons of blogging for you?
I love cooking and photography , I enjoy giving others food ideas and encouraging more people to cook. I like to share dining experiences in Waterford so people from Waterford and surrounding counties can support local restaurants and café businesses. The cons are, it takes up a lot of free time, you need to keep uploading regularly to keep your blog current and to gain more, and some people don’t understand why you want or need to take photographs of your food!
What advice would you have for anybody starting a blog?
I would say to be yourself, be original, don’t try to copy someone else’s blog, blog regularly and enjoy yourself, if you don’t it will reflect in your commitment to your blog
You can find Andrea and Waterford Foodie at waterfordfoodie.wordpress.com or @waterfordfoodie on Facebook and Instagram
