Last week, Shayla and I talked about our favorite part of blogging, so it’s only fair to address the flip side of that question this week.

Today’s question is: What Is Your Least Favorite/Most Challenging Part of Blogging?

I can answer this in one word: photography.

(A self portrait from last summer.)

I know, I can hear everyone booing in the background, but I have a definite love/hate relationship with photography.  On one hand, I love it, and enjoy looking at photographs and learning about the work of well-known photographers.  I understand the need for decent photographs on my blog, and last year, I started a one-woman campaign to persuade Ryan that we really needed a DSLR to replace our old digital camera.  My efforts were successful, we got the camera, I took a couple short classes (one from a photographer friend), and I attempt to take good (or fairly good) pictures for my blog posts.

On the other hand, photography stresses me out to no end.  I spend weekends trying to get good shots, with Ryan shouting, “Tripod!” in the background as I try to ignore his advice.  I’ve never read my camera’s manual (so sorry, Shayla!), and to be totally honest, I have no idea what I’m doing.  I know where to put the dials to get an okay shot, but if Ryan messes with things for his own blog, then I run to him, whining, and ask him to put things back to normal for me.

I’m a photography drop-out, and I feel okay admitting this.  You know how much I love to write, and especially on my old blog, I wrote long posts without a single picture included.  I challenge myself to take pictures now, and I know they add some aesthetic value and readability to my blog.  But photography just doesn’t come naturally to me.

It never has, and as hard as I try (or as hard as I say I try),  I don’t think it ever will.  But you know that taking my own photographs for this blog is important to me, and I strive to use my own original work in each post, clearly crediting photos that are not mine.  I hope that my desire for accuracy and originality will override my lack of photography skills, and maybe you’ll cut me a little slack, too.

My heart’s in the right place, I think, and I can only get better with practice, but I don’t think I’ll ever really feel at home behind the lens of a camera.

I’d love to hear your least favorite part of blogging, and feel free to be as candid as me.  I know for certain that Shayla will have a different answer this time, since she is a trained photographer who has really encouraged me.  Please visit her blog to read her response.

***Oh, and BIG congratulations to Shayla and her husband on their upcoming arrival later this year!  I’m incredibly thrilled for her!