What Point of View Should I Use for my Photography Blog?

As a photographer, your blog is somewhere your customers can visit to get a feel for your images and your brand. When you first start blogging, one of the important decisions in building the “voice” of your blog is what “point of view” you want to use.

What does that mean, exactly?

The “point of view” in your blog is the voice of narration you use. If you’re talking about a wedding, are you saying:

“I loved photographing the bride’s shoes.”

“We loved photographing the bride’s shoes.”

“Shelby loved photographing the bride’s shoes.”

These are three different kinds of point of view: first person singular, first person plural, and third person. The point of view you choose is completely up to you, but here is some information to help you visualize the differences.

First Person Singular: I, Me, Mine

This is the most common point of view that we come across at Fotoskribe, and it’s definitely the easiest for most of our photographers as well. For photographers who work by themselves or for teams who have one photographer taking the lead, this is often the best choice.  Most bloggers write from this point of view anyway, because it sounds more personable and relatable.

I loved the detail on the bride’s shoes. One of the bride’s little bitty cousins kept calling them “Cinderella shoes,” which cracked me up!

Your readers can follow the story from YOUR point of view, as both the blogger and photographer. This helps them to connect with you on a personal level. If the goal of your blog is to help potential customers get to know you as a person, using the First Person Singular point of view can help you achieve that goal. Remember, people will buy you first.

First Person Plural: We, Us, Ours

Of course, not every photographer works alone, so for teams (like our own here at Fotoskribe), sometimes the best method of blogging is to use the plural first person.

This takes the point of view of the team as a whole, as multiple photographers all sharing their story together.

We loved the details on the bride’s shoes. One of the bride’s little bitty cousins kept calling them “Cinderella shoes,” and we all thought it was hilarious!

It’s a slight change, yes, but if you’re all working together as a team, like we do, then you’re writing from the company point of view. After all, the client knows you as a team!

It can sometimes be tempting to use this point of view specifically because you want to have a “company” feeling to your blog, but we would advise against it if you’re a single photographer. Your clients know you as one person, one voice, and that’s how you want to connect to them.

Third Person: He, She, They, His, Hers, Theirs

Now, this point of view is incredibly rare on blogs, because the goal of a blog is to be more personal and approachable. However, there are a few times that we’ve seen this work, specifically with photography teams and in blogs that focus on the point of view of the photography subject.

Sometimes, if your photography team is split up, it’s necessary to talk about each individual photographer’s favorite parts:

Shelby loved focusing on the details, especially the bride’s “Cinderella shoes,” as her little cousins called them. Melissa, meanwhile, was getting beautiful panoramic shots of the whole ballroom, taking in the way the light filtered in through the tall windows.

This point of view allows the different photographers on a team to talk about the different aspects they cover and can in fact help you sell your team, showing the different ways your team captures every detail, big and small. You can also combine this with a plural first person point of view, using “us” and “we” until you want to single out a specific photographer’s favorite moments and shots.

We have also seen blogs that are completely about the story of the photographic subject. For example, a wedding blog from the bride’s point of view would read something like:

Her favorite part of the day was when she and her husband shared a kiss at the altar and her nephew started cheering and whooping. Some of her favorite images are of her nieces and nephews all gathered around the table playing while the adults danced.

This puts the focus on the client and removes you, the photographer, from the equation. If that’s your preferred way of blogging, go for it! The most important part of a blog is that it authentic to you as a photographer.

Keep your Point of View Consistent

One thing to keep in mind is that once you choose a point of view, keep it consistent. Remember that your content is just one part of your marketing strategy, so your posts should have a level of consistency.  If one blog is in first person and then three are in third person, it can become confusing to your readers.  Try to pick the voice that is best for your brand and stick with it.  That way, you can continue to share and re-share your older posts. For more information on how your blogs can be a part of a larger marketing strategy, make sure to take a look at “Getting more mileage out of your Images.” 

And of course, here at Fotoskribe, your blogs are our business. No matter what point of view you choose to use, we are here to make your blogs sound and look great, so let us know what style fits you best!