Life meets #Lumia: Erika Nicole Kendall
Erika Nicole Kendall is one busy woman. The 30-year old New Yorker is a mom, wife, and full-time beauty, food and fitness blogger and coach for the popular site, A Black Girl’s Guide to Weight Loss.
A self-described “fairy fitness godmother” who spreads the gospel of healthy living with large doses of humor and candid self-observations of her own journey to fitness, it’s no wonder that Erika’s online community is huge.With more than 132,000 Facebook followers, 12,500 Twitter followers and 12,000 e-mail subscribers, she always has to be connected.
With her Lumia 1020, she is. In this latest installment of our Life Meets Lumia series, we see how the smart device helps Erika manage her business, especially on the go.
Lumia: Go-to device
Erika puts the Lumia through its paces every day. From responding to client emails and monitoring her chatty online forums to snapping mouthwatering photos of her latest healthy recipes, her phone is her go-to device.
“My 1020 is basically my [work] desk away from my desk,” Erika said.
Among the most-used apps on her home screen are Evernote for note-taking, research and digital organization (“I can’t live without it”), WordPress to manage comments on her blog, and the FourSquare app 4th and Mayor to share with readers the restaurants and other places she frequents.
She added that she especially likes Evernote’s audio-recording function to record notes and reminders when she’s out and about, whether it’s running with her two Husky mutts or enjoying a morning coffee and bagel in her Brooklyn neighborhood.
The Lumia 1020 is also her go-to camera. While she has a fancy DSLR camera, Erika says her phone has all the firepower and flexibility she needs. One of her favorite photo apps is Smart Cam for its ability to capture sequential shots.
Food-Photo Tips
In fact, she’s become such an expert on mobile photo-taking that she led a workshop on how to take better food photos at the recent BlogHer Food ‘14 conference in Miami.
Here are some of Erika’s top food-photo tips so your own photos will stand out from the crowd:
1. Skip the rule of thirds. “With food, the best shot you can take is the overhead shot,” Erika said. “When you see it, you’ll really feel like you’re at the table.”
2. Be judicious when cropping. If you zoom in too tightly, the viewer can’t tell exactly what the dish is, she said. Provide context by showing most of or the entire dish.
3. Avoid filters. Yes, there are fabulous photo apps with tons of filters, but use them sparingly when it comes to food. Instead, show the true and vibrant colors of vegetables and other food — your photos will look more appetizing.
Are these tips helpful? Give us a shout — and check out Erika’s blog while you’re at it!