Starting a photoblog

aivzdog · May 31, 2017

Hello,

I'm creating a photoblog to share my work with the world and hopefully get some clients through it. But I have a question.
Should I create a photography website with the blog as a seperate page on it or should I make the main site a photoblog?
I'm currently going through free wordpress themes and will decide soon.
I was just was wondering what is more attractive to people, a photography site with a blog page or the full site as a blog?

waday · May 31, 2017

I guess it depends on your clients, but if you do a blog, make sure it's updated regularly.

IMO, a photo site with a side blog might be a better option, because you can always nix the blog, if needed. If you go for a blog first, then you'll have to have a major redo of your site to convert it to just a photo site.

aivzdog · May 31, 2017

waday said:
I guess it depends on your clients, but if you do a blog, make sure it's updated regularly.

IMO, a photo site with a side blog might be a better option, because you can always nix the blog, if needed. If you go for a blog first, then you'll have to have a major redo of your site to convert it to just a photo site.

Right now, I have no clients. But I would like to soon.
I think I will go with a website and a blog part of it. Now, to decide on a free wordpress theme...decisions!

vintagesnaps · May 31, 2017

What kind of clients? for pet photography? If so, I'd think the photos would make an impression as they seem to capture the personalities of the pets.

I've seen sites for some of my other interests (quilting, etc.) that people started, did for awhile, then haven't posted on their blog section for 2-3 years or more. Unless you really like to write and journal, you might need to keep it short and sweet to make it more workable and better be able to keep it updated.

aivzdog · May 31, 2017

vintagesnaps said:
What kind of clients? for pet photography? If so, I'd think the photos would make an impression as they seem to capture the personalities of the pets.

I've seen sites for some of my other interests (quilting, etc.) that people started, did for awhile, then haven't posted on their blog section for 2-3 years or more. Unless you really like to write and journal, you might need to keep it short and sweet to make it more workable and better be able to keep it updated.

I mostly shoot pets, but I also enjoy photographing pretty much anything.
Keeping a blog up to date wont be a problem. I have another blog for something else that I post to. I would like to post every day or every other day on my photo blog on my website. Showing off my best shots.

Designer · May 31, 2017

Make the blog a (small) part of your professional website.

The_Traveler · Jun 1, 2017

aivzdog said:
Keeping a blog up to date wont be a problem. I have another blog for something else that I post to. I would like to post every day or every other day on my photo blog on my website. Showing off my best shots.

Look hard at your current blog and try to picture how interesting that sort of stuff will be to future clients who probably don't want to hear about the social aspects of your life.
I have a blog on my photo site and it is an effort to write a substantive post that will actually reward people who come to visit it.

tirediron · Jun 1, 2017

If I am a potential client, all I care about is your ability to deliver the quality of work I want at the price I can afford. I don't care about your holiday snapshots, or the new lens from Nikon, or anything else. Blogs are for friends and/or other photographers. They are not for clients. Some people use them as a portfolio, posting all their recent & current work to it. That may work if your target market is predominately younger (<40), but IMO, your priority should be an attractive, professional-looking and easy to navigate website.

Designer · Jun 1, 2017

aivzdog said:
I would like to post every day or every other day on my photo blog on my website. Showing off my best shots.

If I were going to do this, I would make my comments educational in nature. Educate your clients and they will support you. See how Lew does it.

Light Guru · Jun 1, 2017

tirediron said:
If I am a potential client, all I care about is your ability to deliver the quality of work I want at the price I can afford. I don't care about your holiday snapshots, or the new lens from Nikon, or anything else.

Exactly all of the photo blogs I have seen the photographer ends up blogging about gear because feel the need to blog regularly and have run out of other ideas. Clients do not care about your new lens, body, flash etc.

padrelar · Sep 9, 2017

The key to successful blogging in any field is to add value. Even a lens review from the perspective of a pet photographer can add value if your clientele includes inspiring pet photographers that are looking to you for instructions (could turn into a video or workshop of sale). Photographers, although not only photographers, often need multiple avenues of contact to potential clients and multiple income streams within the field to make a living. That said if you are only out to sell pet photos and packages and rely on one stream of income the the lens review would detract from value to your potential clients. It all depends on who you determine your client to be, and what they consider of added value.

Olivia Green · Apr 26, 2018

Too late but need to get this out for future.
A combination of portfolio website and photo blog is the best thing you can do for your photography business. Blogging not just helps you build relationship with clients but also helps in something called as search engine optimization. Google loves it when you update your website frequently.
Go with a website builder that allows you to create your photography website and photo blog within the same platform. Pixpa is one such platform where I've built my portfolio website. Also, fully optimize the alt tags for all your photos to rank even well. Hope this helps!