Blogger Interview # 27: Ashley Sisk

1.          Can you tell us a little about yourself and your blog?

My name is Ashley Sisk. I married my best friend on October 17, 2009. Shortly after our wedding, I decided that I needed a hobby. I've always enjoyed taking pictures and found myself pretty good at editing pictures from my point and shoot, so I bought my first DSLR in November 2009 and shortly thereafter started Ramblings and Photos. As a result of blogging, I re-discovered my creative spirit, enhanced my photography and editing skills and made some incredible friends. As of November 2010, I upgraded to the Canon 7D and will soon be opening my own Etsy Print Shop.

I'm by no means an expert, but as I learn new tricks or skills, I'm happy to share my lessons learned with you on my blog.

2.     Are you a full time blogger? How did you get into blogging and why?

I’m not exactly sure how to answer that question. I have a full time job, but I spend an equal amount of time blogging (including writing blog messages, visiting other blogs, email and photography time).

It all started because I was bored and desperately seeking a creative outlet (as I said above). I don’t know about you, but growing up, I was always involved in some sort of activity that kept me busy. The moment all of my activities ran out, I felt lost. Photography and blogging have given me new purpose and introduced me to some incredible people.

3.     If someone was interested in blogging, what would be a few things you would suggest?

A lot of bloggers start in “lurking” mode which means they read a lot but may not participate in challenges or comment on messages. This typically gives the person a chance to feel out the blogging community and see if it’s something they’re interested in.

I didn’t use that approach at all. I think I started with the camera and then went searching for like-minded individuals. That search first took me to The Bump’s photography forum (http://thebump.com – an extension of The Knot designed for mothers or moms to be). I had already created a blog and was going to use it as a journal of sorts to record my progress as a photographer. Over the course of time, I started meeting other people…became introduced to photography challenges…took on editing challenges, etc. It was a very natural process.

I would say that any blogger who is getting started should try to focus on their own journey first. It’s very easy to get caught in a numbers game where you look at the number of followers you have and somehow think you’re less of a blogger because no one is following you. Blogging is all about community, and you get out what you put in…participate, comment and create content – that’s the real key!

4.     How do you build a community around a blog and social media?

I just I just answered that question but I started making friends by commenting on other blogs. They would inevitably come back to your blog to see what you wrote or posted…and if they liked your work, they might even recommend your blog to another person.

I think it also helps that I host Scavenger Hunt Sunday. From the very beginning, I wanted to encourage other photographers (at all levels) to get their creative juices flowing. I make it a point to visit every entry.

I've also recently started using Twitter and Facebook. I'm not exactly quite sure how to best use these types of social media, but it's one more way for my readers to connect with me.

5.     What are your three favorite blogs to read? What makes those blogs special?

Good question…I actually read a ton of really great blogs and I keep a long list of resources on my blog here: http://www.ashleysisk.com/p/inspiration.html

But, I do follow a few bloggers pretty regularly:

a.      The Paper Mama (http://thepapermama.blogspot.com) – This woman is a creative genius and has an incredible personality. I love Chelsey’s blog because she does such a great job of encouraging others to really get out there and have fun. I also think she’s done an amazing job of branding herself.

b.     The Bonnie 5 (http://thebonnie5.blogspot.com) – Karli and I quickly became friends after a short while. Her photography is absolutely beautiful, but what I love about her even more is her big heart. Even though we’ve never physically met, I feel as though I’ve known her for years by the way she writes.

c.      Mortal Muses (http://mortalmuses.blogspot.com) – I joined the Mortal Muses a couple of months ago as one of the contributors. I am inspired by all of the photographs that are submitted each week into our Flickr pool. It really pushes me to be a better photographer.

6.     Which one plugin would you suggest all bloggers to have?

I don’t know much about widgets – if you come over to my blog, you’ll see that I keep things really really simple, but I will tell you that I think every blogger needs a Google Friend Connect widget (or easy way to follow a blog). There’s nothing more frustrating than to fall in love with a blog and not know how to follow them.

 And the other thing is making commenting easy. If I can’t figure out how to comment on a blog, I will keep on moving.