Today I am doing something a bit different on the blog! I have a feeling it’s going to be very relatable for other bloggers and Instagrammers. I am sharing some never before seen, behind the scenes pictures (unedited) from my blog and Instagram. Call them ‘bloopers’ if you want. I like to think of it as real life interfering with Instalife. These pictures make me laugh, because getting the perfect picture for a brand or blog can be such a serious thing. And these pics bring a little bit of light back into the whole process. Enjoy!

Before I get into the ‘Behind the Scenes’, I have one serious note. Everyone knows what people post on Instagram or other social media outlets is just a fraction of the truth. We love portraying a certain part of ourselves on the internet: a bit more glamorous, filtered, organized, happy, energetic and fun. We choose what we share, because we enjoy sharing those beautiful moments, but also because we are afraid or ashamed to show the truth. Even though “everyone knows this”, it can still cause a lot of pain, envy and shitty feelings. Young girls trying to have that picture perfect #instalife or moms feeling like they are failing at #momlifeisthebestlife. And I’m pretty sure it isn’t any different for boys and men. So, this one is for all of you. Because #lifeismessy.

I personally like seeing and sharing pretty pictures. The world can be an ugly place, so why not highlight all the happiness, love, beauty and fun. But that doesn’t mean I want to hide the other aspects. I often share “real life” posts on my blog, where I let you in on the truth behind the pretty pictures. And today I am doing that as well, because I don’t mind having a laugh at my own expense every now and then. I’m not perfect. Far from it. And I’ve got the pictures to prove it…

Windy City

These pictures actually gave me the idea for this blogpost. We were shooting a watch for a cool brand, but it was such a windy day! I had a concept for the shoot, but we ended up having to shoot in front of our house, because of the terrible weather. The pictures that didn’t make the cut still make me laugh.

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Just keeping it Casual

You know how you just need that one shot for Instagram? It needs to look cool and effortless. Yeah.. you hardly get them in one shot. This is how many clicks it takes to get that one casual pic. The first picture was for a collab I did with a delicious vegan brand, the second was an Instagram shot I asked my wife to take on our way out to lunch. Let me just say, she was pretty hangry with me by the time we got the shot…

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The Lookbook

I could fill up ten blogposts with ‘lookbook bloopers’, but I will share two of the most common ones. Me trying to convince my daughter to stand still for a picture. And me busting silly, embarrassing moves during a lookbook shoot.

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Hashstag Fitmom

You all know I love yoga. Aya and I practice yoga five times a week. Sometimes I film or photograph our sessions for Instagram or my blog. I try to make these videos and photo’s a little aesthetically pleasing, by tiding up our bedroom, putting on my fancy yoga pants, holding in my stomach and catching a moment where Aya is doing something cute:

And to be fair, it’s easier for me to focus on my practice when there is no mess around me. And Aya does cute things on repeat. But there are definitely days when this is what we actually look like during our yoga sessions:

Breastfeeding Bliss

Remember my breastfeeding days? I loved sharing breastfeeding photo’s, because I think it’s important for women to feel strong, empowered and proud when it comes to breastfeeding. #normalizebreastfeeding and all. But as a working mom, some of my sessions where at the office, with two plastic things attached to me, sucking the milk out of my boobs. I only ever shared those milk pumping selfies with my wife and my sister, to have a laugh. But, for the sake of this post I will make an exception.

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What’s in a moment?

Toddlers and babies have this thing where they can be extremely Happy or Content one minute and Devastated and Upset the next. Or one minute they look like the cutest little angels and the next they are all over the place. It’s all about capturing the right moment. And sometimes you get lucky and capture them both. These pictures were taken 10 seconds apart and I’m in love with all of them.

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Hope this made you smile. Make sure you do more of it today.