Photos & Blogging

Five of my blogs feature one or more photos on the majority of the posts.  Photos serve more that one function with respect to blogging.  During the writing stage of the post, photos can help jog your memory of the event.  I always upload my photos before starting to write the post.  Then I add the alt tag and align them as desired and start writing from there.  This helps me to establish the flow of the post.  For example, if I'm blogging about a restaurant I usually start with a picture of the restaurant followed by a picture of the appetizer, followed by one or more pictures of the entrées we enjoyed and finally a picture of the dessert.  In this way the post flows in the way the dining experience unfolded.  This seems logical to me.  I essentially am using the photos to help organize what the final post will look like. 

Photos as mentioned can help jog your memory of whatever you are writing about.  I often refer to the photos for those little details that are easily forgotten.  Many of these photos never make it onto the post though.  For example, I always take pictures of the restaurant menus and interiors that I will be blogging about.  This helps in adding great details to the post that I may otherwise forget.

Photos help to make the post come alive for your readers as well.  I think they find these posts more interesting and enjoyable in comparison to those posts without a photo.  I know I enjoy reading blog posts that include pictures.  Sometimes as in Wordless Wednesday posts the most important part of the post is the photos.  In other posts the photos may serve as 'how-to' guides as a photo can show the how-to so much easier than a long, detailed written how-to. 

Garden Gnome
©2009-2011