I love pictures. I love blogs with pictures. But I don’t love blogs that are overloaded with pictures and no explanations. These are some tips for all of us who love the visual aspect of blogging.
1. Don’t use more than four pictures per post (generally). Adding a post to your blog once every ten days with all the pictures of your last fantastic hike or outing is just overwhelming. There is too much to absorb and no mental or emotional space for a reader to take it all in.
2. Concentrate on one theme. Focus on sharing one part of your experience. If you saw dozens of beautiful flowers, post about the yellow ones one day and the blue ones another day. Or separate them by botanical family if you are more scientifically minded. If you saw vistas and waterfalls on your hike, show us one of these on one day, and the other another day. Or group them by trail sections. My point is, give the reader a handle to attach to the content.
3. Add descriptions. Don’t make people guess what the pictures are (unless it’s a game you are running). Even if you don’t know the exact name of a flower, insect, etc., tell us what you do know. Or point out what interested you. “See the oddly bent antennae?” “Note the contrast of the red body with the yellow belly.” For scenery, tell us why you took that picture. Where is it? Do those hills have a name? Is that building historical, or the best known for something? Or did you just like the way all the elements were arranged. Get involved with the photograph and let the reader know why you are sharing it. This will bring you into much closer relationship with your readers, and they will be more likely to return.
4. Ask questions. If you ask a question you will get better responses than “lovely picture.” Adding descriptions is a good beginning to give people a reason to say something. But you will get them even more involved if you ask a specific question that requires more than a yes/no answer. It’s just like making a conversation with a stranger. You have to draw the reader out. Especially good questions will ask the reader to share something from their experience that directly relates to your photos. If you have pictures of interesting masks you might ask, “Did you ever wear a costume mask for anything other than Halloween?”
5. Memes are not creative. Sorry, but I’m not a big fan of memes. Bloggers use them as an excuse for not thinking up something personal to write about. Give us a photo for a reason you choose, rather than giving us a reason to think you are a lazy blogger.
In conclusion, even blog readers who love photos will only skim yours if you display a large pile of unlabled pictures. Just think of how you feel when an acquaintance thrusts a photo album into your hands and wants you to look through it, but they don't sit with you and point out the good parts. Don't create that kind of atmosphere for your readers.
