Are you a talented and aspiring photographer? Take it to the next level and start sharing your beautiful pictures with the world with your very own photography blog.
By PROMO CONTENTUpdated: FEBRUARY 22, 2016 18:31How to start a photography blog(photo credit: PR)
Photographers have a beautiful way of capturing the moment through a lens, whether it be a lioness hunting her prey in the african savannah, in the moment action shots, all the moments in life, big or small! Photography is a form of art which feeds the mind and lets it run wild, it allows us to wander someplace else and try and understand the moment captured. It takes talent and usually a high-quality camera, whichlets be honest, in this day and age, is a great investment. Capturing memories as well as capturing moments to share with the world, it allows us to get up close and personal in situations we may not find ourselves encountering in our day to day life, therefore we can travel there using our eyes and our mind. With this in mind, if you are a talented photographer, or just love taking photos and are starting out in your career, a photography blog is the perfect way to get your shots on the web and share your passions with the world...and trust us...the world will love you back. Why wait when you can start your own photography blog now?Sit back, relax and take 15 minutes to follow these 8 easy steps to get your photography blog online.
Thought about what you want your domain name to be? If not give it some thought and let yourself brainstorm with a couple of ideas before making up your mind. Now head to Bluehost to check if the domain name is available by entering the name in the box that says ‘new domain’ then click ‘next’.
OK! So what happens if you already have a domain? No problem click on the 'I have a domain name' below
You will be prompted to pick a plan. The starter plan is the one recommended for anyone who’s not already a familiar blogger:
Next you need a host for your domain name. Hosting is basically renting a space on the web to display your blog. Bluehost has great rates and will provide you with the domain name for free - if you use them as your host.
This really is the best deal available for hosting websites and blogs.
See the screenshot below for the package settings chosen in the example.The ’Domain Privacy Protection’hides your personal address and phone number from being displayed publicly.
Click the PLAY button below to see a full-walkthrough of the process here:
Once registration with Bluehost is complete the next step is installing WordPress to your Bluehost account.
WordPress is a blog and website building software. Many known sites are made with this amazing software. Don’t worry, it’s really easy to use and even easier to install on your website.
Login to your Bluehost account, navigate to the ‘MOJO Marketplace’ section inside the cPanel, Click One-Click Installs and Choose WordPress
On the next page click Install button.
Select your domain and click the Check Domain button.
Check the box that says Terms and Conditions and then click the Install now button.
Once the installation is complete, on the top part of the screen, you will see a message with a link to “View Credentials” - These will provide you with the Address, Username and Password you need to login to your WordPress Admin Panel.If you haven’t changed them during the installation you want to save your credentials somewhere you can find them. After login you may change these to something more memorable.Simply type your Admin URL into the web browser. You will see a login screen same as the one below. Enter your WordPress Username and Password you saved from the previous step.
You are now officially logged into your own blog. Hurrah!
Congrats, you now have your very own photography blog. Isn’t this a great feeling? Welcome to the world of online blogging!
Only one more step is left before you can share with us your world captured through a camera lens.
So whilst yor camera is charging, you will need to choose your WordPress theme. The theme will determine the style of your blog, structure and navigation, whilst also portraying your concept and personality.
Make it unique and easy to navigate, whilst grabbing your reader’s attention, with photography it is all about the images, therefore simple and clean with large imagery is usually the way to go...
WordPress provides many free themes you can pick from. You can browse them here.
Alternatively, you can find a larger range of more complex themes available for purchase with customized style and added features.
Here are a few special ones that we love:
TOGRAPHY
"Tography is professional, elegant WordPress theme developed specifically for photographers to showcase their portfolios. Take a look at just a few of the exquisite features for yourself. Take it for a spin now!"Learn More / Download |View Demo
VIEWPOINT
"I created this special photography theme to showcase the best work of you, my buyers – the photographers. Its minimal and sleek design is almost invisible and thus perfectly frames your pictures. Smooth scrolling animations accentuate each individual photograph. The theme is easy to use and set up.
... and of course, you get support directly from me, the developer."
"This template is a responsive and retina-ready HTML5 website with grid system layout.Stamford uses Isotope2 for enhanced site speed and stability, is optimized for mobile touch and swipe gestures, and features hover-intent detection, a sophisticated blog setup, lazyloaded gallery page and completely flexible text boxes."
Successful blogs become successful for all sorts of reasons, but they all share one thing in common — great photos. From beauty bloggers to reviewers, the best blogs have gorgeous imagery to go with their content. Most of the time these photos are taken by the bloggers themselves. So how do they do it? How do they find the right voice and style for their photography on their blog? There’s no standard answer, but the tips below will help to curate a gallery of images your audience will love and you will be proud of.
Everyone has a voice. Whether it’s writing or photography, everyone has a distinct style about how they convey their message. Even if you’re just taking photographs of products, how you style the photo, how you light it, and how you edit the final images are all indications of your photography voice.Finding your photography voice is important for any emerging photographer, especially those who blog as well. Your photography voice will carry beyond your written content as most readers are pulled in by great images. However, in the end your photography voice must blend with your content.The best way to find your photography voice is to take a day and photograph images that interest you. It doesn’t matter what you photograph or how you edit it; just free yourself to take pictures that inspire you. At the end of the day gather all the images and make a list of the similarities: the subject, the composition, the angle, your intention, etc. This is your photography voice. Keep it in mind when curating photographs for your blog and other social media.
When you look at photographs on blogs or online galleries, what is the first thing you notice? For many people, it’s the size of the photograph. Larger photographs tend to get more attention because the images stand out from the written material.Whether your equipment is a digital single lens reflex or the basic camera on your smartphone, the images will need editing. No matter what camera you use, your photographs start off in a large raw format — the original, unedited photograph that you shot. When people export their photographs and edit them, many choose to make the photographs smaller, thinking that the smaller photograph will look better. In reality, the opposite is true — people are more likely to respond to larger photographs.So how should you post your photography? What size is the “magic” size? The truth is that there is no magic size — it depends on your blog. If your blog is just your photography, large photographs are best. If the blog is a mix of photography and content such as reviews or photojournalism, then creating a specific size just for your blog will streamline your entire site and make it look cohesive.You can make the choice how big the photos are on your blog. To do this, use HTML coding when composing your post and change the height and width of your photos. This will not change the quality of your photo, but it will make the photo larger or smaller on your site.
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Photographers with a great sense of composition are generally the most successful. Their photos are bold, strong, and convey an emotion. This is because composition balances the visuals in a way that makes sense to humans. A good photograph has a composition that evokes a feeling and makes the viewer perceive the image as though the photo speaks directly to them. Some people have a rare gift for composition. They just know when a photograph looks right because it's instinct for them. Because composition starts off as an instinct, it can be easy to leave it only to instinct. Don’t fall into this trap. Learning about composition takes a little research and practice before you start finding a rhythm for it. Once you start looking for good composition, you will almost always find it.The best way to begin to learn about composition is by utilizing the rule of thirds. In simple terms, the rule of thirds says that placing your primary subject within the four corners of a nine-panel grid makes the most impact in the photograph. The best way to think about it is this: divide a photograph into three rows and three columns. The corners of the middle section are the corner points to which the rule of thirds should be applied. By placing your subject at one or two of these points, you will create a dynamic and bold photograph. It is that easy, and it is that hard.
You're starting to think your photography skills are getting stronger. You’re feeling more comfortable with the camera in your
hand. Your blog posts are getting more traffic. People are beginning to engage your work. You’re done now, right?You could be, but if you’re a blogger who’s looking to expand your readership, then you need to make use of online photo communities.Online photo communities such as Flickr, 500px, VSCO, and Instagram are great places to post your photography. These communities can help you can find more readers to link back to your blog. Sites like these provide photographers of all levels with feedback from the community which can help strengthen your photography. In fact, online photo communities tend to be generous with advice and feedback, something that could be really useful to you as a photographer.These communities can also provide something else — inspiration. Many bloggers follow photographers with a wide variety of styles, culling inspiration from their galleries. For a budding photographer, or even a veteran, following different photography styles through an online community can give creative insight that brings their photography to a new level.
Photography can be a great tool for creating a high standard for your blog, but it’s also an independent profession. If your work can speak for yourself, then you’re not just a blogger that dabbles in photography, you’re a photographer.For photographers (especially those who excel in product, portrait, and street photography) building an online portfolio is an exceptional way to create a second source of income. Building a separate photography website can also work as an online portfolio, but be sure that the domain name you use is your name or business name so people can find it easily.When you build your online portfolio, remember that it is not necessary for you to post all of your photographs. Pick the strongest 20 photographs you have and post them, then add as you see fit. It helps to create specific galleries for different types of photography. This way when people view your portfolio, they can search by type of image — product, street, landscape — and make a decision about whether to hire you or buy a print of your work.Learning to take great photos is a fun learning experience as well as a great skill for you to have as a blogger. Following these tips will make your photography stronger, ensuring that your blog will receive more traffic which can translate into a successful blog. So pick up your camera and get started!