You've got a vision. You have a camera, which is the ideal tool for expressing yourself. You have an uncanny ability to capture the right moment at the right moment. You've got everything a skilled photographer could require. So, what gives you the impression that something is missing? You'll still require someone to see your photographs. Photography Blog.
After all, can anyone hear the camera click if you take a picture of a forest while no one is around?
We'll leave that to the philosophers to answer. You, on the other hand, are aware of what lies between you and your target audience: a well-written, well-designed blog. Let us take you from the lab to the showroom by showing you how to create a stunning photography blog.
Step 1: Get The Essentials
You may have the aesthetic skills of Ansel Adams or Margaret Bourke-White, but that doesn't guarantee you know how to create a blog from the ground up. Fortunately, we live in a world where there are millions of blogs, so there are simple ways to get there.
Pick a Domain Name
Many photographers' websites are simply called FirstnameLastname.com. There. The first step has been completed.
What is the issue? Hundreds of millions of domain names have been registered. What if your first name is Abby Smith or your middle name is Al Jones? Those are almost certainly taken. Here are a few possibilities:
Use initials: Find a unique combination of your initials and your complete name to see if you can come up with a solution that's easy to remember.
Use an alternative domain suffix: For example, “.co” is increasingly popular.
Get creative: If you're Abby Smith, a brand name like AbbySnaps or PicturesByAbby could be more distinctive.
Purchase a Web Hosting Package
It'll make your life easier if you register your name and sign up for hosting in the same location. That means the most important decision you'll have to make is which web host to choose.
However, if you recently spent $3,000 on a camera, your pockets may be stuffed with lint. Good news: there's finally a spot where you can save money: simply choose a dependable shared hosting package that gets your site up and operating as cheaply as possible.
Install WordPress
We could go on and on about the many blogging platform alternatives. There's no need to overcomplicate things or remake the wheel if you spent your undergraduate years studying photography rather than web design. At HostGator, we provide one-click WordPress installation. It's a fantastic place to begin.
Step 2: Build Your Photography Blog
Two ways may be used in this situation. You could technically jump right to step three without first working out the facts. If you're a guerrilla photographer who likes to let serendipity lead to creativity, this could be for you.
But what if you're a photographer who specializes in weddings? Then you realize how crucial schedule, consistency, and early preparation are.
That is why it is essential to take a breather and assess your objectives. You don't want to get ahead of yourself and have to change your blog theme six months later. It's a lot simpler to make these choices now.
Choose a WordPress theme for your Niche
True, you could already be aware of your niche. WordPress, on the other hand, does not. You'll need to find a WordPress theme for photography blogs that closely matches your objectives.
For personal photography: You can go for a minimalist look. There isn't a contact page, a blog, or anything else. Just a PhotoMe-style theme with a lot of gallery layouts. The attention will be on the photos—and nothing else.
For professional photography: Look for “portfolio” in the description of WordPress themes. You'll also want sensible navigation so that folks can figure out how to contact you. For those who wish to learn more about you, Diamond has a photos slider with a sidebar.
For wedding photography: You can follow the same guidelines as the majority of professional photographers. However, bear in mind your intended audience: brides and grooms. They're on social media sites like TheKnot, and they want their photos to reflect that. You'll need to choose a motif that shouts “wedding“, such as Vega.
Of course, they are only instances. To see what's available, go to sites like ThemeForest, TemplateMonster, and even WordPress itself.
Learn your way around WordPress
Your new best buddy is going to be WordPress. And, just like any other buddy, you'll have to get to know its eccentricities if you want to have a good connection with it. Get to know the following menu items in particular:
Pages: This is where you create and administer your blog's site-level parts, such as the Home page, “About” page, and contact forms.
Posts: This is where you'll save your images. Brief tales may be included, depending on the subject you choose. Some wedding photographers, for example, include brief descriptions of the couple they're photographing.
Appearance: This is where you install and adjust your blog's appearance. You may not need to use this much if you're primarily using a template from a theme.
Plugins: This is where you may add add-ons to your photography blog to improve the user experience.
Best WordPress Plugins for Photographers
Plugins are to WordPress what clothing is to people: you can get by without them theoretically, but it's a good idea to utilize them.
Why not use a photographic plugin if you're not happy with the way your site looks?
EnviraGallery is a well-known name in the photographic industry. It has a drag-and-drop gallery builder for building video and photo galleries. With just a few clicks, you can create professional-looking photo galleries. You also won't have to bother about mobile design because EnviraGallery will take care of it for you.
WordPress's plugin Regenerate Thumbnails will automatically make photographs of various sizes when you post them on the backend. This will save you time and effort from having to alter your thumbnails, which is commonly done with cumbersome and useless tools. Even more essential, it will reduce the amount of time you spend publishing images.
Finally, keep in mind who you're speaking to. People who come to a photography blog mostly want to click. You'll want to use Soliloquy to make sliders to gratify them. It has a drag-and-drop back design and is fully mobile compatible for your readers.
Step 3: Stay Consistent (and a Few Other Tips)
That is all there is to it. You'll have a website for your photography blog once you've completed the steps above. There's good news and terrible news to be had. The good news is that getting to this stage is simple. The bad news is that your success will now be dependent on your strategy.
The most significant aspect is to post regularly. You'll never know which images will resonate with people if you don't update your photography blog regularly.
Here's a smart approach for maintaining consistency: set a huge number for when you'll cease adding fresh photographs if the blog hasn't generated any revenue. Take a chance and choose one. Make it large and round. Now stick to your guns. Even if you haven't garnered any attention after sharing 99 photographs, if the number you chose at the start was 1,000, it won't look that bad.
Finally, here are a few more pointers on how to get the most out of your blog.
First and foremost, try experimenting! Experiments may sometimes result in excellent art. Haystack was a sequence of typical subject matter in Monet's impressionist paintings. However, Monet was more concerned with painting an item in various light sources than in the haystacks themselves. Take a risk and commit to improving your talents at the same time as the blog.
You might also go into new markets. Are you only interested in photographing weddings? Experiment with cooking commonplace items such as recipes or tabletops. For a session, hire your first model. Create new categories on your blog to make it easier for your readers to keep track of everything you're doing.
Whatever you do, if you don't follow these simple principles, it won't work. If any of these stages have tripped you up, bear in mind that we have more to say about creating a blog from scratch.
