After all, if you take a photograph of a forest and no one around, can anyone hear the camera click?\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019ll leave that question to the philosophers. As for you, you know what stands between you and your audience: a well-crafted, well-designed blog. Let\u2019s take you from the darkroom to the showroom by explaining how to build a spectacular photography blog.<\/p>\n\n\n
You might like…<\/h4>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/shared-150x150.png\")
<\/a><\/span>Shared Hosting<\/a><\/li>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/wp-hosting-150x150.png\")
<\/a><\/span>WordPress Hosting<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\nStep One: Get The Essentials<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
You might have the visual know-how of an Ansel Adams or Margaret Bourke-White, but that doesn\u2019t mean you know how to start a blog from scratch. Fortunately, we live in a world of millions of blogs, which means there are simple solutions to get you there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pick a domain name<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
For many photographers, their website is simply FirstnameLastname.com<\/em>. There. Step one is done. <\/p>\n\n\n\nThe problem? There are hundreds of millions of domain name registrations. What if your name is Abby Smith or Al Jones? Those are probably taken. There are a few options here:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Use initials<\/strong>. Find a unique pairing of your initials and your full name to see if you arrive at a solution that\u2019s simple enough for people to find.<\/li>
- Use an alternative domain suffix<\/strong>. For example, '.co'\u009d is increasingly popular.<\/li>
- Get creative. <\/strong>If you\u2019re Abby Smith, maybe it\u2019s more memorable for you to use AbbySnaps<\/em> or PicturesByAbby<\/em> as a brand name. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Get more tips on choosing a domain name<\/a> for your photography blog. <\/p>\n\n\n\nPurchase a web hosting package<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Register your domain and sign up for hosting in the same place-it\u2019ll keep your life simpler. That means your primary decision will be to choose which web host you want. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But as a photographer who just spent $3,000 on a camera, your pockets may be full of lint. Good news: here\u2019s a place you can finally cheap out: just pick a reliable shared hosting plan<\/a> that gets your site up and running as affordably as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\nInstall WordPress<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
We could go on and on about the different options for your blogging platform. But if you spent your college years studying photography rather than web design, there\u2019s no need to overcomplicate things or reinvent the wheel. We offer one-click WordPress installation<\/a> here at HostGator. It\u2019s a great place to start.<\/p>\n\n\n\nStep Two: Build Your Photography Blog<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
There are two possible approaches here. Technically, you could<\/em> skip straight to step three without sorting out the details first. This might appeal to you if you\u2019re a guerilla-style photographer, always letting spontaneity lead to creativity.<\/p>\n\n\n\nBut what if you\u2019re a wedding photographer? Then you understand the importance of scheduling, consistency, and advanced planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s why it\u2019s worth slowing down and considering your goals. You don\u2019t want to get ahead of yourself and switch blog themes six months down the line. It\u2019s much easier to make these decisions now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Match your WordPress theme to your niche<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
True: you may already know your niche. But WordPress doesn\u2019t. You\u2019ll have to identify a WordPress theme for photography blogs<\/a> that neatly aligns with your goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n- For personal photography: <\/strong>You can go minimalist. No contact page, no blog, no nothing. Just a theme like PhotoMe<\/a> with extensive gallery layouts. This will keep the focus on the photos-and little else.<\/li>
- For professional photography: <\/strong>Look for WordPress themes with 'portfolio'\u009d in the description. You\u2019re also going to need intuitive navigation so people can find out how to reach you. Diamond<\/a> features a photography slider with a sidebar for people who want to know more about you.<\/li>
- For wedding photography: <\/strong>You can adhere to the same principles as most professional photographers. But keep in mind who your target audience is: brides and grooms. They\u2019re on sites like TheKnot, and they want their photographs to reflect that. You\u2019re going to have to pick a theme that screams 'wedding,'\u009d like Vega<\/a>.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
![\"vega](\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/vega-wordpress-photography-themme.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThese are just examples, of course. You can browse sites like ThemeForest<\/a>, TemplateMonster<\/a>, and even WordPress<\/a> itself to explore what\u2019s out there.<\/p>\n\n\n\nLearn your way around WordPress<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
WordPress is going to be your new best friend. And like any friend, you\u2019ll have to learn its quirks to have a great relationship with it. Get particularly used to the following menu items:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Pages: <\/strong>This is where you design and manage site-level sections<\/a> of your blog, including the Home page, your 'About'\u009d page, and contact forms.<\/li>
- Posts: <\/strong>This is where you\u2019ll upload your photos. Depending on the theme you chose, you might include brief stories. Some wedding photographers, for example, attach little explanations about the couple they\u2019re highlighting.<\/li>
- Appearance: <\/strong>This is where you install and customize the look of your blog. If you\u2019re primarily using a template from a theme, you may not have to use this much.<\/li>
- Plugins: <\/strong>Here\u2019s where you can customize your photography blog with add-ons to enhance the user experience.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
The best WordPress plugins for photographers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Plugins are to WordPress what clothes are to people-sure, you can technically <\/em>get by without them, but it\u2019s probably a good idea to use them. <\/p>\n\n\n\nIf you\u2019re unsure of how your site looks, why not add a photography plugin<\/a>? <\/p>\n\n\n\nEnviraGallery<\/a> is one of the foremost names in the photography biz. It adds a drag-and-drop builder for creating video or picture galleries. You can choose prebuilt templates to build good-looking photo galleries in a few clicks. And you don\u2019t have to worry about mobile design; EnviraGallery takes care of that.<\/p>\n\n\n\nOn the backend, WordPress\u2019s own plugin Regenerate Thumbnails<\/a> will automatically create photos of different sizes once you upload them. This will save you the time and effort in editing your own thumbnails-often with complicated and unnecessary software. Even more importantly, it will keep the time you spend posting photos to a minimum. <\/p>\n\n\n\nFinally, you\u2019ll have to remember your audience. Ultimately, people visiting a photography blog just want to click. To indulge them, you\u2019ll want to create sliders<\/a> with Soliloquy<\/a>. It features a drag-and-drop design on the back and perfect mobile compatibility for your viewers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"soliloquy](\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/soliloquy-slider-plugin-for-wordpress-photos-1-831x1024.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nStep Three: Stay Consistent (and a Few Other Tips)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s it. Once you\u2019ve done everything above, you\u2019ll have a website for your photography blog. There\u2019s good news and there\u2019s bad news. The good news is that it\u2019s easy to get to this point. The bad news is that from now on, your success depends entirely on your approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The most important thing is to post consistently. If you don\u2019t regularly update your photography blog, you\u2019ll never know which photographs are going to resonate with people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s a neat trick for consistency: give yourself a big number for when you\u2019ll stop posting new photos if the blog hasn\u2019t gained any transaction. Go on, pick one. Make it big and make it round. Now stick to it. Even if you haven\u2019t gotten any attention after posting 99 photos, it won\u2019t seem so much if the number you picked at the beginning was 1,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Finally, here are a few other tips to use your blog in constructive ways.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First, try experimenting! <\/strong>Sometimes great art can come from experiments. Monet\u2019s impressionist paintings Haystacks<\/em> were a series of ordinary subject matter. But Monet was less interested in the haystacks themselves than in painting an object from different sources of light. Take an experimental approach yourself; commit to growing your skills along<\/em> with the blog.<\/p>\n\n\n\nYou might also try new markets. Only photographed weddings? Experiment with cooking ordinary, everyday things like recipes or tabletops. Hire your first model for a session. Create new categories in your blog so it\u2019s easy for your audience to keep up with all the different things you\u2019re doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whatever you do, it won\u2019t work unless you follow these basic steps. And keep in mind we have more to say about starting a blog from scratch<\/a> if you ever feel like any of these steps tripped you up. <\/p>\n\n\n\nGet your Photography Blog Up and Running with HostGator<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/span>Shared Hosting<\/a><\/li><\/a><\/span>WordPress Hosting<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\nStep One: Get The Essentials<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
You might have the visual know-how of an Ansel Adams or Margaret Bourke-White, but that doesn\u2019t mean you know how to start a blog from scratch. Fortunately, we live in a world of millions of blogs, which means there are simple solutions to get you there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pick a domain name<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
For many photographers, their website is simply FirstnameLastname.com<\/em>. There. Step one is done. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The problem? There are hundreds of millions of domain name registrations. What if your name is Abby Smith or Al Jones? Those are probably taken. There are a few options here:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Get more tips on choosing a domain name<\/a> for your photography blog. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Register your domain and sign up for hosting in the same place-it\u2019ll keep your life simpler. That means your primary decision will be to choose which web host you want. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But as a photographer who just spent $3,000 on a camera, your pockets may be full of lint. Good news: here\u2019s a place you can finally cheap out: just pick a reliable shared hosting plan<\/a> that gets your site up and running as affordably as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We could go on and on about the different options for your blogging platform. But if you spent your college years studying photography rather than web design, there\u2019s no need to overcomplicate things or reinvent the wheel. We offer one-click WordPress installation<\/a> here at HostGator. It\u2019s a great place to start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are two possible approaches here. Technically, you could<\/em> skip straight to step three without sorting out the details first. This might appeal to you if you\u2019re a guerilla-style photographer, always letting spontaneity lead to creativity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But what if you\u2019re a wedding photographer? Then you understand the importance of scheduling, consistency, and advanced planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s why it\u2019s worth slowing down and considering your goals. You don\u2019t want to get ahead of yourself and switch blog themes six months down the line. It\u2019s much easier to make these decisions now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n True: you may already know your niche. But WordPress doesn\u2019t. You\u2019ll have to identify a WordPress theme for photography blogs<\/a> that neatly aligns with your goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These are just examples, of course. You can browse sites like ThemeForest<\/a>, TemplateMonster<\/a>, and even WordPress<\/a> itself to explore what\u2019s out there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n WordPress is going to be your new best friend. And like any friend, you\u2019ll have to learn its quirks to have a great relationship with it. Get particularly used to the following menu items:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Plugins are to WordPress what clothes are to people-sure, you can technically <\/em>get by without them, but it\u2019s probably a good idea to use them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re unsure of how your site looks, why not add a photography plugin<\/a>? <\/p>\n\n\n\n EnviraGallery<\/a> is one of the foremost names in the photography biz. It adds a drag-and-drop builder for creating video or picture galleries. You can choose prebuilt templates to build good-looking photo galleries in a few clicks. And you don\u2019t have to worry about mobile design; EnviraGallery takes care of that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the backend, WordPress\u2019s own plugin Regenerate Thumbnails<\/a> will automatically create photos of different sizes once you upload them. This will save you the time and effort in editing your own thumbnails-often with complicated and unnecessary software. Even more importantly, it will keep the time you spend posting photos to a minimum. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, you\u2019ll have to remember your audience. Ultimately, people visiting a photography blog just want to click. To indulge them, you\u2019ll want to create sliders<\/a> with Soliloquy<\/a>. It features a drag-and-drop design on the back and perfect mobile compatibility for your viewers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s it. Once you\u2019ve done everything above, you\u2019ll have a website for your photography blog. There\u2019s good news and there\u2019s bad news. The good news is that it\u2019s easy to get to this point. The bad news is that from now on, your success depends entirely on your approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The most important thing is to post consistently. If you don\u2019t regularly update your photography blog, you\u2019ll never know which photographs are going to resonate with people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s a neat trick for consistency: give yourself a big number for when you\u2019ll stop posting new photos if the blog hasn\u2019t gained any transaction. Go on, pick one. Make it big and make it round. Now stick to it. Even if you haven\u2019t gotten any attention after posting 99 photos, it won\u2019t seem so much if the number you picked at the beginning was 1,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, here are a few other tips to use your blog in constructive ways. First, try experimenting! <\/strong>Sometimes great art can come from experiments. Monet\u2019s impressionist paintings Haystacks<\/em> were a series of ordinary subject matter. But Monet was less interested in the haystacks themselves than in painting an object from different sources of light. Take an experimental approach yourself; commit to growing your skills along<\/em> with the blog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You might also try new markets. Only photographed weddings? Experiment with cooking ordinary, everyday things like recipes or tabletops. Hire your first model for a session. Create new categories in your blog so it\u2019s easy for your audience to keep up with all the different things you\u2019re doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whatever you do, it won\u2019t work unless you follow these basic steps. And keep in mind we have more to say about starting a blog from scratch<\/a> if you ever feel like any of these steps tripped you up. <\/p>\n\n\n\nPurchase a web hosting package<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Install WordPress<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Step Two: Build Your Photography Blog<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Match your WordPress theme to your niche<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nLearn your way around WordPress<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The best WordPress plugins for photographers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nStep Three: Stay Consistent (and a Few Other Tips)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\nGet your Photography Blog Up and Running with HostGator<\/h2>\n\n\n\n