Skimming through text is practically the default way we casually browse the Internet, even the most brilliantly written blogs.
Photos are your secret weapon when it comes to capturing attention and getting your readers to slow down and take in the scenery.
Since photos are likely the first thing that your visitors will pay attention to, you definitely don't want them to be the last thing they see before moving on to the next page.
This guide will offer three practical tips for bloggers who want to add spice and visual interest to their blog posts by using smart photo editing.
1.
If You Use Filters, Use Them Consistently Sometimes you'll wander across a blogger who really loves photo editing filters but doesn't seem to have a theme.
Half of the photos will have bold vignettes, the other half have luminance ramped up for super-bright colors, maybe a few grainy vintage-style shots scattered throughout...
the result is noticeably disorganized though each photo may look brilliant individually.
Everyday content bloggers (photo bloggers with organized portfolios are the exception) often do better to stick with a theme, preferably a neutral but tasteful in-between.
2.
Don't Underestimate the Importance of Size Bigger is better, right? Wrong - at least in the world of blogging, that is.
If your photos are too large, they'll take forever to load on many computers.
Be aware that your own computer may be superior to the machines that some of your readers may be using.
Whatever you do, do not rely on the thumbnail or resizing features that come with your blogging platform.
These otherwise helpful features still cause the full-size photo to load on the visitor's computer even if they don't actually see the full-size version in their browser.
Use a simple image editing program to appropriately crop and resize your photos and only use the built-in resize feature to make those minute changes for publishing.
3.
Double-Check Your Editing Rights This one isn't exactly relevant to dedicated photographers who snap all of their own photos for their blogs, but most of today's bloggers just don't have the time or resources to undertake such a feat.
Stock photos are the go-to solution for the practical blogger and while many stock photographers release modification rights, many more of them do not.
Double-check the terms of use to make sure that your chosen photos have commercial use and modification rights enabled.
Angry comments from photographers turn off readers much quicker than bad photographers.
Are you ready to take your blog to the next level with outstanding photographs that enhance your writing? Be bold - all rules are born to get broken.