How to Start a Photography Blog: A Comprehensive Guide

I'm sure you've come across photo blogs more than once. If you intend to get serious about photography, you should have one too. With a blog, you can not only increase your visibility, but you can also start making money. Do you think you can't handle it because it's complicated? Then I hasten to make you happy because this article is especially for you! Today I will share the secrets of how to start a photography blog in the easiest way. 

What Are the Pros of Starting a Blog for a Photography Website?

Often when I ask users why they chose the photography blog niche, they answer that they want to share their artistic masterpieces with the world. That's not surprising, because every photographer wants an audience that can easily access his or her great work and will admire his amazing pictures. However, there are a few more reasons why you should start a photography blog:

• An opportunity to make money. When your audience sees your stunning pictures, they will be willing to pay for them. You can always use SEO tools and advertising to attract potential customers.
• Increase recognition. A personal brand is very important because it is thanks to it you will be recognized among thousands of other photographers. If you make a photo blog, you can significantly increase its recognition and get more new clients. This will also have a positive impact on your earnings.
• An opportunity to show your current portfolio. Many photographers post fantastic pictures, but they make a huge mistake, namely, not adding new ones. If you blog on a regular basis, you will be able to showcase your shooting style and different types of photos. It also has a positive effect on the mood of potential customers.
• Storing your pictures in one place. Whether you're a professional or just learning photography, you need somewhere to store your finished work. Why not start a photo blog where you can do this easily? It will have a positive impact on your organization and also help you analyze how your photo shooting style changes over time and what progress you've already made.

Plus, having your own blog is a great way to build a community that you will enjoy and be interested in. You can not only sell your work and get new orders but also communicate with like-minded people and help newcomers by teaching photography.

Do not forget about the photo editor with which you can improve your pictures. I recommend using Luminar Neo, which provides ample opportunities for pros. Beginners will also be comfortable using it.

Starting a Photography Blog: 8 Simple Steps for Beginners

So you've learned what is a photo blog, and how it can benefit you. But you're still wondering how to create one. Here are the 8 easiest steps to start a photography blog.

Step 1. Decide the Focus of Your Photography Blog

You definitely need to find your niche for your blog to be successful. You can't tell everything at once, because this is the quickest way to failure. Focus on the type of photography that you take most often and that you do best. Here are a few examples:

• Film Photography.
• Landscape photography.
• Wedding photography.
• Boudoir photography.
• Food Photography.

Of course, the options don't end there. I'm sure you have an area in which you are a true star. Just find it and create a photo blog! When you fill your blog with photo content, don't forget to use Luminar Neo online image editor! It has a lot of tools for post-processing. You can also use photography presets, which will help you give your pictures a unique style.

Step 2: Choose the Appropriate Blogging Platform

There are many different platforms for all tastes and wallets. There are free options, such as Wix, and WordPress.com, but I wouldn't recommend using them. In my experience, they have many drawbacks, such as not being able to customize or monetize your blog. The second problem is very serious because few people will agree to give up additional income. So if you're thinking about how to start a free photography blog, It is better to abandon this idea, as it has more disadvantages than advantages.

One of the best platform options is WordPress. Most importantly, don't get confused – you don't need WordPress.com (the free platform), but the paid version of WordPress.org. Without any special knowledge, you will be able to install ads on your blog and add many features to it (e.g. an online store for printed pictures). You also have the opportunity to choose one of the WordPress themes, which now exist in great numbers.

Step 3. Choose the Perfect Domain Name

This is one of the most important steps because the choice of blog name and domain name will depend on your recognition. Do not hurry and do not make hasty decisions, otherwise, you might very much regret it later. When choosing a domain name, take into account the following tips:

• A .com domain is an international domain. If you want your blog to be seen by users around the world, you should choose this option. If you want to buy a country-specific domain, keep in mind that you may change the place where you live, which means you will have to change the domain as well. If you go with .com, you won't have to worry about that.
• Do not use specific domain names. For example, if you choose "cakephotography.com," you will only be writing how-tos about cakes. If you choose "foodphotography.com," you can write blog posts on various topics that deal with food photography.
• Use alliteration. Words that begin with the same letter will be easier for your customers to remember.
• If the domain name you want is already taken, do not worry. Perhaps the situation can be remedied by adding some words to it. For example, if you add "the" at the beginning or "HQ" at the end of "lenshood.com", it won't change and you'll have a unique name.

Step 4. Buy Your Domain Name and Hosting

There are only a few steps left before you can start running photography blogs for beginners or professionals. You need to buy the domain name and choose the right hosting. There are many options now. You may be tempted by virtual private services and other benefits, but I know from experience that for beginners it is not too necessary. It is much more important to choose a simple and convenient hosting. 

Step 5. Set Up Hosting

Here you will need to enter information about the registrant, enter the domain name and choose a tariff plan. You will also need to enter payment information and select the necessary add-ons. In my experience, it makes no sense to pay extra for additional features at the initial stage. They will come in handy when your blog becomes popular. Also at this stage, you can customize your blog so that it attracts the attention of the audience.

Step 6. Create Essential Pages & Logo

Essential pages include "About Me" and "Contacts”. You need them so that users can learn more about you and contact you if they have questions or want to take advantage of your services. You will also want to have a separate page with the Privacy Policy. It explains how you collect, use, disclose, or protect information about your visitors to your website. You can write the document yourself or ask a professional to do it for you.

The logo is also needed for recognition of your brand. You need to be creative to make it memorable for your users.

Step 7. Add Plugins

Plugins serve as invaluable tools that bloggers can effortlessly integrate into their websites, enhancing functionality and empowering them to offer a seamless user experience. I recommend installing plugins that perform the following tasks:

• Blocking spam.
• Caching the site and optimizing site load speed.
• Creating a backup copy of the site.
• SEO plugin.

Step 8. Begin Blogging And Start Making Money

Well, now you know what is a photography blog, and how to create it. Choose the topic you want to tell your audience about and start writing. By the way, we'll talk about writing articles for the blog next so be sure to read to the end.

How to Write Content for Photography Blog

Unfortunately, there isn't much photography content on the Internet that really attracts attention. But the good news is that you can create useful content. When I think about defining a really good blog post, I can say that the post should deliver on the promise of the headline and answer questions the audience may have as they read it.

It is safe to say that the bottom line is the result the reader receives. You, in turn, will also get a result in the form of links to your blog. It turns out that a good post helps not only the reader but also the blogger. To the first, it provides interesting material and answers to questions, and to the second it allows you to increase the recognition.

If you want to write a good blog post, I recommend sticking to this structure:

• Description of the problem. Users open this blog for some reason, don't they? Make them feel the importance of the problem without naming the solution at the beginning. Keep it intriguing.
• Solution. If you describe the problem in detail, the reader themselves will want to know how it can be solved. You, as the author, can offer the easiest way or several ways.
• Summary. Summarize the post, and also leave a call to action (e.g., order the services of a photographer).

I want to give some important advice. First, when you write a post, make sure that it is literate. You can use slang if it is acceptable to your audience but don't make mistakes or misspellings. This can drive away potential customers. Also, don't forget about high-quality images. You're a photographer yourself, so you'll have an easier time picking them out than a book reviewer, for example. Good pictures can attract traffic to your blog, so be sure to take care of them.

The best beginner photo editing software will help make your photos unforgettable. I recommend using Luminar Neo, which allows you to enhance your pictures thanks to a huge number of features.

How to Write a Photography Blog: Ideas and Topics

Let’s dive into 5 simple blog post ideas for your photography blog:

• Overview of photo shoots. You can choose from a wide variety of subjects. If you are an expert in photo sessions, give professional advice on the choice of image, photo shooting location, and other important things.
• FAQs. Gather a few complex questions on a topic and give detailed answers to them. Such posts are popular with readers because there are few places where you can find truly expert commentary.
• An ordinary day in the life of a photographer. Tell readers about your day at work, and tell about some little things that will draw their attention to you. You can also tell me about your vacation, and what interesting objects you managed to photograph.
• Business tips for photographers. If you are not a beginner, but a professional with many clients, you can talk about your experience and share your secrets with newbies.
• How-Tos. Talk about how to work with photographic equipment or post-processing apps. For example, you could talk about the best software for photography, list their pros and cons, and name a winner for your taste.

How to Make Your Photo Blog Successful

Unfortunately, you can make many mistakes that will lead to the fact that your blog will not be popular. I have prepared some tips to help you make your blog popular.

Target Audience

Many photographers do not immediately identify their target audience, so their blogs do not get a large number of subscribers. Most often, the goal is to communicate something to existing clients and get new ones. Keep this in mind as you publish your posts.

Promote Your Blog

Many photographers write interesting content and add awesome pictures, but don't promote their blogs. This is a big mistake because no one will see it that way. So how can you do promotion? Here are the best options:

• Social networks. This is one of the best options since a lot of users spend a lot of time on social networks. Leave a link to your blog in topic groups or discussions, send it in personal messages to those you know, and create a separate business page on Facebook or Linkedin.
• Send a link to the blog via e-mail. You can look at your contact list, but if it's small, use special services. Don't be afraid to send a message several times, because often users just don't open it the first time.
• Order advertising in the media. Try to make your offer interesting. If you give advertising interviews to journalists, be sure that potential customers will pay attention to you.
• Ask your subscribers to share a link to your blog. It's very simple and doesn't cost a lot of money, but it's a great way to advertise.

Be Consistent

Be consistent in your writing and don't take long breaks between posts. If this happens, a potential client may realize that you are not working with your blog, which means you are just as inconsistent in fulfilling orders.

Don't Overdo It

Even if you have a huge number of photos you want to show your audience, don't go overboard. Remember that quality is more important than quantity. Otherwise, users might get "lost" in the sheer quantity of content.

Ways of Starting Making Money With Your Photo Blog

Many users are interested in how to make money with a photo blog. Some people think it's virtually unrealistic, while others think it's difficult. If you choose the right way, you will succeed. Below I will present several proven options through which you can make money with a photo blog.

Affiliate Marketing

You can collaborate with software or photo equipment vendors, attract customers for them and get money for it. The most important thing is that the product should be of interest to potential clients. For example, if you decide to cooperate with a company that offers artificial intelligence photo editing, look at Luminar Neo. This software will be useful for both beginners and professionals because it has many features for manual and AI picture editing, which means it will attract a lot of attention.

Sponsored Content

You can publish content similar to your own but sponsored by a certain company with which you have an agreement. Such content looks much more natural than standard ads, so the chance that a customer will pay attention to it is quite high. You get money for every user who places an order with the company you negotiated with.

Membership or Subscription

If you create interesting and useful content (and I'm sure you do), consider giving users a paid subscription or membership to your small photography space. Decide what bonuses they can get for it. For example, a paid subscription means the user can get news and access to posts before anyone else, and a membership means getting access to exclusive content (you'll have to work on it, of course), as well as a small discount on your photographer services.

Teaching

If you publish how-tos on your blog, then this option is great for you. Whether you do them in the form of articles or videos, you can offer users to pay for additional training. Basically, it looks like this: you post an article or video and offer to pay for access to a more advanced version or expert advice. You'd be surprised, but many novice photographers are willing to pay to get an answer to a difficult question or complete instruction that is very easy to follow.

Wrapping Up

Well, now you know how to start a photography blog. There is nothing complicated about it, but there are many factors you should consider and nuances you should not forget about. Read my step-by-step guide again, follow the tips, and you're sure to succeed!

FAQ

What Platform Should I Use to Start My Photography Blog?

You can choose WordPress, which is one of the most popular platforms in general. There are several alternatives, such as Joomla or OpenCart. Regardless of which you choose, only pay attention to the paid versions. The free ones have many limitations, and they don't always work properly.

Do I Need Professional Photography Equipment?

You need the equipment that you use for your work. If you are a beginner photographer and don't have any professional gear, don't buy it just for the sake of blogging photos. The better your business goes, the more equipment you will buy in the future.

How Often Should I Publish New Content on My Photo Blog?

You should create a schedule and follow it so that subscribers understand that your blog is alive and growing. You can publish content every few days, or once a week if you're busy. Most importantly, don't take long breaks between posts.

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