Damsel in Dior: 10 Times I Did It for the 'Gram

Jacey Duprie is the Los Angeles–based editor of Damsel in Dior, a creative outlet that encompasses fashion, lifestyle, travel, and home décor. What started out as a hobby in 2009 has since grown into a business that has been featured in The Huffington Post, Vanity Fair, Forbes, and more. Below, Duprie tells us about 10 times she's done it for the 'gram and what she's learned along the way (like how to pose for pictures). Get ready to take notes for your own feed.

I will be the first to admit that not 100% of what you see on my blog and Instagram are all real-life moments. From time to time, there are things that I will do just to get the photo. I thought I would share a few of those moments and what I've learned. Sometimes faking it until you make it can offer up a life lesson or two, so scroll through to see the 10 times I did it for the 'gram.

Having no plan on getting completely soaked, I sat close to the water in hopes that the water would kiss my feet perfectly enough to capture an inspirational image. A huge wave crashed over me, and it ended up being hilarious. I used this candid moment of me being shocked versus the "perfect one." Sometimes you can't control nature's elements, and if you are open to them, they will deliver a smile or two.

On the same day as the sunset-soaked beach shot, I was trying to stock up on some evergreen content to use throughout the year. I was forcing myself to try and look editorial and hot in this swimsuit, and I read somewhere that if you arch your back in swimsuit photos, that it's more flattering. I ended up throwing my neck out for a week to get this shot, which ended up not even performing that well. Lesson learned? Keep it real.

On a trip to Florida with NetJets, the polo match we were supposed to attend was completely rained out. Stumped on how we could take blogging photos to cover the weekend (it was raining), we decided to grab some bottles and jump into the pool fully clothed. We ended up swimming around for about an hour and sharing some great laughs over how ridiculous it all was.

I kept this vintage car for an extra day after I used it for a Shopbop project. I'm going to admit, I woke up this day feeling cranky. I had just spent a half day shooting for Shopbop, and the last thing I wanted to do was have my photo taken. But, I had seen this sign about a year earlier, and even though I was pretty tired that morning, I sucked it up and headed out to get some good photos. The day ended up taking me to a fun beach I had never visited, and I ended up with some great pictures that did well. I may have "done it for the Instagram," but I ended up having a solid weekend because of it.

Freezing. That is all I have to say about the water that day in Positano. Everyone thought I was crazy, and even I thought I was crazy. I literally yelled, "I'm doing it for the 'gram," before I jumped into the icy waters. Lesson learned? You only live once, and I'll never forget jumping off the boat that day.

Speaking of cold: I had a shoot scheduled with my friend James Nord on a day that welcomed a huge blizzard in NY. I am going to admit that I was not happy in this photo. I swore that the photos were going to be a waste because you couldn't even see my outfit. But it turns out that people love the weather and real-life moments. My readers ended up liking these photos because they captured a mood more than an outfit.

You may or may not have seen the incredible hike we did in Maui recently to Chutes and Ladders. I saw this place posted on Happily Grey's Instagram, and I knew I had to check it out. It turns out that the free climb down the 60-foot rock cliff was incredibly challenging and life-threatening. This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I would have never done had my motivation not been to "do it for the 'gram."

Sometimes, no matter how many onlookers there may be and people whispering "What is she doing?" while you look like a complete idiot snapping photos, you can be in the right place at the right time and a bit of magic happens. When would I ever lean up against a palm tree like that? Never. Is it real? No. Did I do it for the 'gram? Yes. Is it one of my favorite photos to date? Absolutely.

The caption to this photo was "Did it for the 'gram" because I woke up that morning with the intent to hike up to the Hollywood sign just to take this photo. I hated the hike. It took all day. I was exhausted. I guess it was worth it because I snuck in a workout, but the photo didn't turn out as epic as I wanted it to.

Everyone this summer is posting photos with pool toys. As cliché as they are, the lesson in doing a pool photo is that it gets you in the pool!

Have you ever done it for the 'gram? Share your stories in the comments below.