Five Blogging Tips for New Photographers
If you’re into photography, it’s a given that taking photos is a lot of fun. However, there will come a time when it’s not enough. Eventually, you will want to share your images with the world.
A blog is a great way to do that!
Blogging sounds easy, but it’s not. It can be especially difficult for photographers.
That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it.
With the five tips on this list, you can make the most out of your photography blog, so people actually want to spend time browsing your site.
Use Your Best Shots
More isn’t necessarily more when it comes to your blog. Avoid posting every picture you’ve ever taken on your website. Instead, post your best shots as every professional photographer does, if you're looking for some inspiration then do check out some amazing photography portfolio here.
In order to have great shots to post, make sure you have the right accessories. That’s harder than it sounds.
For example, “If you’re searching for a tripod you can travel with, you’ll need something lightweight and small. If you’re in the studio, however, you can get away with something much heavier. Then there are table top tripods, tripods for iPhones, monopods, tripod legs, ball heads… it gets complicated quickly!”
Don’t feel like you have to get your accessories in order before you start blogging, though. Getting these new accessories can be a great thing to blog about!
Commit to Doing It Regularly
Many people who start blogs have big dreams. They want to create a site that is visited by thousands, or even millions, of people each day. Some dream of it becoming the perfect portfolio, bringing new clients their way, while others hope to monetize the website itself.
Those dreams are guaranteed to be short-lived if you don’t blog regularly.
A blog has to be relevant in order to be valuable, and that means posting content on a schedule. The good news is that you can choose a schedule that works for you. Post every morning or post once a week, just as long as it’s consistent.
Showcase Your Images in Different Ways
As a photography blogger, you would expect to have a lot of images on your website. The trouble is, just listing them one after the other on your site can get boring.
There are a lot of great ways to showcase images on your blog! A few ideas include:
- Using images as breaks on a blog page
- Displaying thumbnail images in a gallery
- Uploading photos that are accompanied by text
- Using a widget to scroll through your newest images on the home page
No matter how you choose to display your images on your website, make sure they are optimized so they load quickly. If visitors have to wait for any more than a second or two for an image to load, they will likely leave your website and look elsewhere. If you are using WordPress like CMS, you can check out our list of The best WordPress Themes for Photographers.
Ask for Permission
As the photographer, you own the images you take, but it’s still polite to ask for permission from the people/company you have shot these, before you post them on the internet, especially if you’re going to discuss the details of the shoot in your blog.
In addition to asking clients if you can post the images from their session online, you should also get into the habit of asking people if you can take their photos if you’re taking pictures on the go.
You also have to consider the possibility that someone else may try and use your images without your permission. This problem can be solved by watermarking all of your images or uploading them in such a way that they can’t be downloaded.
Get Ready to Write a Lot of Content
Many new photography bloggers focus on uploading pictures to their sites. Although it makes sense, it won’t do you any favors. Without text, search engines don’t know what your site is about, which means it won’t show up in their search results!
There are lots of blogging tips out there. Photography bloggers can try listicles or advice articles, like what to wear to a professional photography session. The trick is to think of topics that people actually want to read about.
Don’t forget about using alt text! It’s a great way to label each image and cue search engines into the kind of content that can be found on your website.
Starting a blog can be a lot of hard work, but it can be very rewarding too. It’s a great way to share your images with the world, and it can be a great way to get new clients. With the tips on this list, you can ensure you create a successful blog that reaches your goals, no matter what they may be.