By: Evi Abeler
Great content has been essential for all blogs since the beginning. But great photography is something a lot of bloggers struggle with. A beautiful, well-styled picture can elevate your blog, capture your audience and create media attention. Also social media loves images and can’t get enough of them!
Image Strategy
Whether you DIY, use stock photography or collaborate with a photographer the first thing is to think about your image strategy. What does your blog stand for? Who is your audience? Who else is out there? How can you set yourself apart? Define your blog’s core message and look for style words that go alone with the message. For example: clean & simple, luxurious or hand-made.
Get Inspired
Look for images that inspire you and fit your style words. Rip out pages from magazines and create a visual mood board for your blog. Of course Pinterest is a great place to get inspired! Do you like graphic images, moody ones or maybe black and whites are your favorite?
Define Your Style
Based on your blog’s core message and your mood board define a style for your photos. If your blog is all about clean and simple, then go with a plain background and minimal props. More luxurious? How about shooting everything in a fancy frame? Maybe there is a certain filter that you like? You can use VSCOcam to edit and add effects, add text overlays with Over or collage or frame images with Frametastic. Once you have picked a style stick with it. Consistency will make it easier for you and makes you look professional.
Keep it Simple
Once you have a strategy, done your research and developed a style block some time in your calendar for photography every month. Your audience loves behind the scene photos of you and your work. You can use them in blog posts, share on social media or make gifts for your clients out of them! You can also show off some happy followers! And every once in a while hit the video button and record a clip. You can make a short movie in no time with Director or a fun stop action video with Stop Animator.
Improve your Photography
As with everything you will only get better with time and practice. There are some great online classes, skill-shares and meet-ups that you can join.
