5 Reasons to Have {AMAZING} Photos on Your Blog

All of us who've spent anytime blogging or running an Etsy shop have heard it time and time again: pictures are key. I think we all understand that it's true. When I saw these two photos side-by-side, it really hit home. The one on the left is taken with my "big girl camera" (a Canon 60D) and the one on the right is taken with my iPhone 4S. While it doesn't matter what camera you use to take your photos, make them as great as you can. Here's why. 

1. All photos make a post more interesting. Great photos make a post memorable. You want people to remember what they saw on your blog and to come back for more. 
2. Good photos get pinned. Look at the comparison above. Which photo would you be more likely to pin? Pins get you views. Enough said. 
3. Beautiful pictures get featured on blogs. When I decide on projects to showcase for Off the Hook, I look for the most clear and beautiful photos linked up. Even if you have a fantastic project, I'm not going to put dark, grainy photos on my blog. Chances are the better your photos are, the more people will click on your link. 
4. Pretty photos convince people to give your project a try. You might have an awesome tutorial on your blog, but if it doesn't look pretty, people probably aren't going to invest time into it. Let's face it, the pictures in this post feature the same exact hat. Are both cute? Sure. Would I spend an hour making a hat if I just saw the dark photo? Most likely not. 
5. Pictures are a fantastic way to let your personality and creativity shine through. Have fun with your photos. Decide on a look that you're going for and stick with it. It will set you apart from other blogs and help people recognize your work on Pinterest. I like bright, sharp photos. 99% of the time, that's what you'll find on my blog. 

If you don't have a great camera, don't let this get you down. I've seen some blogs and Etsy shops that have beautiful photos and they use a cheap point and shoot or an iPhone. You don't have to make huge changes in Photoshop either (though I do use PSE 10) - Pic Monkey and other online editing sites work just fine. Just make sure you're using natural light, avoiding flash like the plague, and keeping things consistent and you'll be well on your way to beautiful photos!

And just in case you're curious, here's a tutorial from the early days that has pretty bad photos. While I think it's a beautiful flower and I still make one from time to time, it's simply not as popular as some of my other patterns because the photos aren't as good (the first was added later). This pattern gets tons of tracffic, though, and I know the bright photo is largely to thank.