No, Kristi, I think I read you very well.

“Ordinary” backdrop??? What, you mean, a regular curtain will not do for you? I’m sure people here would like to know what you mean by “ordinary” backdrop…and just WHAT backdrop will meet your standards, dear?

“Cheap” webcam? I just told you that we have a $20 webcam that doesn’t distort at all, and my husband looks good in his vlogs. But you have indicated in your article that a $20 webcam will not do. Does a webcam have to cost hundreds or thousands of dollars before it will meet your standards?

You’re hardly poor, Kristi. You have a teacher’s salary, and you can afford a camcorder…these days a basic camcorder will go for a few hundred dollars. (We don’t own one and you really don’t need one to vlog.)

So, what are we *really* talking about here, Kristi? What will meet your standards to the point where you will vlog? You are hardly poor, since you earn a teacher’s salary.

More to the point…my husband earns 4-5 stars for almost every vlog he makes, despite a $20 webcam, used computer, desk/room lighting and a navy blue curtain as a backdrop.

Yet his viewers don’t care about all that. They care that a) he signs beautiful ASL, and b) he has something of value to say.

Maybe we need to look into other reasons which you didn’t state in your article for the real reason why you wouldn’t vlog. Cost is obviously not a factor for you (you can always save up!). Your looks aren’t a problem. Your interest level in vlogging isn’t a problem, since you attended a vlogging conference.

Hmmm?

Admittedly, I’m skinny as knobby cane, but I do agree that it’s about self-confidence. I think we’re all vain to some extent. If we’re going to put ourselves out there, expounding on a topic that’s dear to us, then of course we want to look good. We want to earn the respect of our viewers/audience.

I know I would never present at a conference wearing jeans and a t-shirt. I went to a conference recently, and so much of that initial respect comes from the presenter’s attire and how they present themselves. There’s definitely a parallel to be drawn there. No matter what, we want to look good for an audience. It’s one thing to drag yourself into a boring class at 8am wearing a sweatshirt and pajama pants. It’s entirely another to dress up nicely for a first date/blind date.

Come to think of it, we could all look at vlogging as a blind date of sorts — a blind date with our audience. They may be seeing us for the first time, and we want to put forth our best appearance.

/end rambling :)

Now… your weight concern is probably all about your perspective, what I meant by that is that there are full-figure women who look good because they believe and act like they look good. Look at Monique, the Glam Amazons on that talent show on TV. Many relatives on my mother’s side are overweight, and from what I observe, those who show high confidence and play up their style usually come off looking just as good. I can show you thin girls who look awful because they carry themselves poorly. Lemme test my theory, anybody male here thinks Paris Hilton and Nicole Riche looks hot?
Really, just two decisions- wait until you lose some pounds or go ahead and glam yourself up as you are right now to vlog, either way, you’re gonna have a kick out of it!

Kristi is a very good-looking woman. She has no worries if she ever uses a $20 webcam and an used computer to make her vlogs. She will still look good.

What she’s talking about is, she wants top-of-line webcam, top-of-line computer, top-of-line lighting, makeup, designer clothes, etc just so she can look good in her vlogs.

My husband, Erick, has made many vlogs using $20 webcam and an used computer…and he’s not thin, either. He’s a tall, big man with plenty of meat on his body. Yet he makes these vlogs anyway, and NO ONE has ever left a comment on his vlogs telling him that he looks terrible. He consistently earns 4-5 stars for almost every vlog that he makes.

Your issue and Kristi’s issue are very different. If anything, you and my husband have much more in common, and if my husband can still look decent with a $20 webcam and an used computer, you can look just as good, too.