Photographers are not writers | Tips from a writer on Blogging as a Photographer

Here is the first post from Melissa, one of Fotoskribe’s Content Creators (also a first class writer). She answers the question:

I hate blogging, what do I write? I’m a photographer not a writer!

As a photographer, your art is in your beautifully captured images. As a writer, my art is with words. Many of my clients will hand me an outline of thoughts and then tell me, “Okay, Melissa. Make it pretty.”

I love language. There is nothing better than getting a sentence to bend to my will and roll off the tongue in such a way that its words resonate. I love finding that one perfect word that makes the paragraph solidify. I like making things sound beautiful.

But when blogging, sometimes artsy prose is just a bad decision! You want your readers to feel at home on your blog, not to feel like they need a dictionary to get through a post. At the same time, you don’t want to create content that is too dry or too stuffy. How do you strike a balance with your blog content to keep readers coming back for more? How do you add text to your photography blog without being a writer?

Relate to your Readers

Speak to your readers. Any content that you write should work towards fortifying that relationship. This applies both to the topics you choose to write about and the words you use to draw them in. Visitors to your blog will get to know you, your brand and your voice. They’ll begin to learn what they can expect from you. Let your unique personality shine through.

Help them feel like they are a part of the day. If you’re posting about a wedding, help to paint the picture of the day. If you’re posting about something that inspires you, invite the reader to understand that part of you. Use a conversational tone instead of a “professional” tone to keep your post on a more personal level.

Less is More

I’m sure you’ve seen posts on forums with the note, “tl-dr” (too long, didn’t read). That’s the opposite of what you want people to find on your blog. Keep your paragraphs short and pointed. Avoid using too many words. Break up big long sections to help your reader’s eyes stay focused.

Like this?

Yes, just like that. Vary the length of your paragraphs and sentences to avoid tedious walls of text. The eye should be able to move across the blog post and zoom in on key points. Like a great picture, you want to draw the eye to your main ideas. Keeping your content focused and condensed allows you to accomplish this.

Find the Best Word

Language is amazing. There are so many interesting words that exist for you to pull on to write your content. We talked about how many ways you can say beautiful a few months ago. Finding the right words is so important. It is what truly can elevate your content and delight your readers.

Your words need to paint a picture. The best way to do that is by using strong words. Readers relate to words that evoke an emotion. A recent study showed that when reading a textural word, the area of the brain associated with touch was activated. The words themselves helped to engage the reader’s brain further. Using rough instead of bad paints a better picture and truly engages your reader.

Here are some quick tips to help you in your search for the best word:

• Certain words lack impact and don’t add anything to your sentence. Words like “great,” “good,” and “bad” don’t pack much of a punch. Think about stronger words like “exceptional,” “shining” and “foul.”
• Find words that can be eliminated. If you’re using really, actually or that in your writing, try moving the words around. Experiment with stronger verbs:

Actually seeing the venue that had been decorated was really amazing. Could be amped up: Once the decorations had been placed, the venue was transformed.

• Have fun with thesaurus.com

Expand your vocabulary. Discover a few new words. Just be careful to use a word that makes sense in your sentence. Obfuscate is an awesome word, but no one uses it. Remember to keep your reader in mind.

Whenever you are creating content, be authentic. Your blog and your website are a place where your clients and potential customers can come and spend time. Make sure that your content comes from the heart and you’re already halfway there. Want to talk more about blogging? Contact Us! We’re always happy to help.