The Magic of Pictures
A picture tells a thousand words. Seriously. If you aren’t using photography on your blog, think again. Blog readers love photos! Photos break up longer posts, add substance to shorter posts, and draw readers through a post. And they’re fun! Don’t you want your blog to be fun?
How and when should you use photos on your blog?
1. To illustrate techniques/instructions. Trying to explain how to do something? Use photos.
2. To make a point. A photo underscores the main idea of your post.
3. To grab the reader. A photo keeps readers from clicking away before they read your post.
4. To create a memorable experience. Everyone is a visual learner to some extent. They’ll remember you–and your blog–a lot longer if you add a visual element.
5. For totally gratuitous purposes. Such as the photo at the top of this post, whch serves multiple-duty as it also illustrates a technique, makes a point, grabs the reader, and creates a memorable experience. (Who can forget that silly horse?)
Blog readers are also ten times more likely to comment on a post that includes a picture. And while I made up that factoid completely, it’s still true. Photos generate comments. (Now if no one comments on this post, I’ll have to shoot myself in the head. So please, don’t make me have to hurt myself.)
This post isn’t intended to provide any kind of technical direction. That isn’t my talent. I’ll tell you that I use a Canon S5IS and recently started using Photoshop Elements 6. Whatever kind of camera and software you use for your pictures, remember these key points when placing photos on your blog:
1. Make your pictures sharp and bright. Dull, blurry pictures aren’t going to do you a lot of good. Get to know your photo software and use it.
2. Take interesting photos. Try different angles, different lights, different perspectives. Find a shot that will capture attention in your readers.
3. Don’t settle for the first photo you take. Take dozens! And take pictures everywhere, all the time.
4. Make pictures smaller, not in width but in kilobytes. Remember that some people are still on dial-up.
More ideas:
1. Get a Flickr account and keep recent photos in your sidebar.
2. Add a photoblog to your blog as a sideblog and change it out daily or weekly.
What about you? Do you use your photography on your blog? How do you feel about the use of photography on the blogs you visit? Add your own tips if you got ‘em!
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I always love the pictures on your blog, Suzanne. That’s something I need to learn to do more often.
I love that pic. I only recently added pics to my post and it does make a huge difference.
I don’t really take many myself though. The creative commons section of FlickR is a wonderful resource and I get most of them from there.
I just started using pictures and I think they are a great way to grab the reader. One question though - is there such a thing as too many pictures in one post?
Sandy, well, I LOVE pictures in posts, so for the most part I’d say no, but then of course there has to be some limit, I suppose. It’s important to keep your picture files from being too large–remember that people on dial-up have trouble downloading pictures. Also, the pictures should have some point, even if it’s a gratuitous one, LOL. I think just use your judgement. There’s certainly nothing wrong with using a lot of pictures, but if I do a post one day with a lot of pictures, then the next day I’ll use fewer, etc. I try to mix it up.
I love photos so much sometimes I won’t even read a blog without them. I just found your blogs and am enjoying them immensely. They are stunning. LOL