Blogging, Personal Branding, and Photoshop

Blogging

What exactly is a "blog", and what constitutes it from being a separate entity from a normal web site?
According to Merriam-Webster, who coincidentally named "blog" as word of the year in 2004, defined blog as "a Web site on which someone writes personal opinions, activities, and experiences." (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blog)

In this sense, a blog is a website that is specifically a self-reflection of the author and the author's experiences. There are a wide variety of types of blogs, including blogs based on food, beauty, working out and more. Many times, the blog depicts a certain type of lifestyle that the blogger endorses. 

Personal Branding

Dave Carroll explains personal branding in the age of social-media.

Because of blogs and other forms of self-expression via the web, it is relatively easy to promote a group or individual's services with a few clicks. This becomes especially helpful when looking to advertise a service, but it must be done in a way that is SMART. 
Q: Why would you need to be smart about how you set up a blog or another website promoting yourself?
A: Your audience needs to be able to recognize your personal brand and be able to identify the consistent choices in your page so that they can quickly recognize your brand.


Photoshop

With modern photo editing softwares, it is easy to maintain your personal brand by creating a logo or specific symbol. There are smart phone applications that allow users to edit their photos quickly without a mouse or keyboard, such as SquareReady and Facetune. These applications mimic only a small portion of effects that Photoshop has to offer, but do so in a timely and convenient manner.

Photoshop is often associated with the fashion world, as many magazines and other spreads use the tool to enhance the models to what some would call an "unattainable standard." 

Celebrities are often the target of these photo editing software, and some aren't happy with the results. Kate Winslet spoke out on her 2004 GQ cover stating, "The retouching is excessive. I don't look like that and more importantly I don't desire to look like that." (http://www.bustle.com/articles/44027-11-celebrity-quotes-about-photoshop-because-everyone-agrees-people-dont-look-like-that)

There are many tutorials on the web that demonstrate how to do specific things on photoshop. The one below demonstrates how easy it is to create facial hair on the program.