Peek Inside SFGirlbyBay's New Book: See San Francisco

Peek Inside SFGirlbyBay's New Book: See San Francisco

By

Victoria Smith of Sfgirlbybay is one of San Francisco’s OG lifestyle bloggers, having held the title for nearly 10 years. Over that time, she’s lensed her experience in a way that highlights all the reasons we love living here.


Today, she’s releasing those photos in a pictorial ode entitled See San Francisco: Through the Lens of SFGirlbyBay (Chronicle Books), and it will have you shouting your love for our fair city from the rooftops. We caught up with the author to get a sneak peek, as well as the inspiration behind some of her favorite moments.

Schuyler Bailey: What inspired you to write this book?

Victoria Smith: Chronicle Books and I had been talking back and forth about ideas for a book for a while. In late 2013, my editor Laura Lee Mattingly reached out to me with the idea for a photography book based on my photo series on the blog ‘Sunday in the City’ and I loved the idea. I’m out shooting all the time anyway, so to be invited to create a book of my photography was most flattering. And, it was a book that was affordable for me to create, all on my own since I was doing all the writing and photography myself.

SB: What was your favorite part of the process?

VS: Definitely visiting old neighborhoods I hadn't been to in a while and revisiting the shops and cafes I used to frequent, and then discovering new ones that have popped up. I especially loved paying homage to old favorites by including them in the book.

SB: How has the blogging landscape changed since you started?

VS: Blogging has changed quite a bit, but for me personally it hasn't changed that much. With the exception of having the luxury of a great assistant who helps with email and administrative tasks, I still do the vast majority of blog posts myself, and I have a few wonderful contributors who provide me with great photography and unique content. It's definitely morphed from being just a hobby into a full time business, but I think I still have the same passion for sharing beautiful, inspiring images and ideas as I did when I started in 2006. Blogging has gotten more monetized, but I think there's a lot of us who work really diligently to produce a great quality product, so earning an income at it is well-deserved. It can be a lot of long hours and hard work, so you've got to love doing it. And I do!

SB: What’s next?

VS: In the immediate future, I'm teaching my first social media and creative branding course with Ace Camps in Tulum, Mexico with Rena Tom, founder of Makeshift Society.  And a site redesign is in the works!

SB: What are your favorite neighborhoods and a few great spots in each? 

VS: Hayes Valley: Miette, Smitten Ice Cream, Chantal Guillon Macarons, and Two Sisters Bar and Books. 

North Beach: City Lights Bookstore (below), Vesuvio Café, Mashka Jewelry, and Jack Kerouac Alley.

The Outer Sunset: The General Store, Outerlands Café, Mollusk Surf Shop (below), and Ocean Beach.

Get the book here.

Related Articles
Now Playing at SF Symphony
View this profile on Instagram

7x7 (@7x7bayarea) • Instagram photos and videos

Neighborhoods
From Our Partners