Blogging without pictures

These days, practically everyone has a some way of taking a photo and posting it on the Internet. I still remember the days when a 2 megapixel compact camera was a rarity, when it was really exciting to have a digital photo of yourself, and blogging was practically a logical extension on an online journal with the world as an audience.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words - does this mean that each and every blog post should include at least 1 picture or illustration? I must admit that having something to look at does captivate someone's attention compared to a sea of text. Strategic use of graphics to augment your words can serve to amplify the effectiveness of your blog, more effectively than can be done with words or pictures alone.

While it's nice to do so, it's not always easy to find an appropriate or convenient photo to go with the rest of the post. In some cases, finding the right photo seems to be the hardest part of writing a blog post, and can actual stop your blog dead in its tracks if you simply will not click on "Publish" until you find that very perfect photo for the job.

In general, using a picture that is not yours or "stock" lacks that personal touch, and in some cases will land you in hot soup (just as if you're using someone's photo without a model release, or using someone's pictures without permission).

There's no hard or fast rule for this. It's largely a matter of what kind of audience you're reaching out too, as well as your personal style. Besides a photo blog (which would be rather pointless without any photos), it's generally OK to use a photo or an illustration once in awhile to break up the monotony of text. OR, you may opt for a high photo-to-text ratio (especially popular with some asian female bloggers like Wendy Cheng a.k.a. Xia Xue), which is quite OK these days since internet connections are much faster than they were back in "those old days".

Just because you're a photographer doesn't mean you can't have a text-concentric website / blog. Just take a look at Thom Hogan's website - he's a serious writer as well as a photographer, and it does require some focus and thought to go through his articles, which as often picture-free.

In my humble opinion, a blog is a form of expression, which allows anyone to reach out to the masses. More importantly, it's a form of communication, so it shouldn't be a case of "I speak, you listen". Every blogger should be prepared and looking forward to getting feedback and responding to inputs from readers - after all, if nothing comes back, then what's the point of publishing online?

I like photography, though these days my forefinger spends less time over the shutter button compared to before. I like writing too, though working in a multi-national semiconductor manufacturer, there's not a lot of time spend outside of work (detailed writing about work is a surefire career-limiting activity). Yes, someday, when I'm no longer working in this industry, I may look back and make a career out of my life's experiences (like Scott Adams does with Dilbert). So, if there's something to write about (or at least I find an interesting way to write about something mundane), it'll find its way into my blog, either illustrated or sans-photo.

[UPDATE: 23 Mar 2017] There's always an option of using royalty-free stock photography as part of your blog post. Perhaps it's better than having no photo at all, but it might give an impression of being disconnected / generic. Searching in the Internet, there are more than enough free resources to keep your post illustrated.


How about you readers out there? I'd like to hear what you look forward to in a blog. As for fellow bloggers too, do share your thoughts on how you choose to connect to your audience.