To be sure, there are many places on the internet that offer photos. You can use pay services or copyright free sites, as well. These are great ideas but you MUST remember to correctly cite the owner of the pics or you could end up with a visit from the photo police. But what if you don't have the time or the notion to find just the right pic for your blog?
Do what I do, my friends, and take your own photos.
Yep, take your own photos.
If you have a camera enabled phone or even a small digital camera, you can become your own photographer! There are many benefits to using your own photos:
- They are free (no costs to join)
- They are yours to use again and again
- You control how they are used
- Did I mention they're free?
- You can get exactly the shot you want
See? You can't lose with taking you're own photos. I blog about books and there is nothing easier than going to my bookshelf, pulling out a book and staging it exactly the way I want it. Maybe I want a shot of a dog reading a book? Easy, just go grab the dog, some doggie treats, and BAM. Done. Or perhaps I want that all to common Pinterest pic of a stack of books with a tea cup on top? Simple; snag the books I want, set them on the table with a tea cup, get down level with the books and POOF! Instant pic. See?
Once you've taken your photos, upload them to a photo editing site to create them to your liking ( I like picmonkey). BE SURE TO WATERMARK THEM WITH YOUR BLOG NAME. Save the photos and VOILA! Not only do you have customized photos for your blog post, now you don't have to worry about the photo police coming to get you!
Here's a tip: My A to Z Challenge always includes book titles; I start taking photos of books early to ensure I find a book for each letter of the alphabet. I do this process in steps.
- Keep a list of the letters you need pics for
- Take the photos.
- Upload them to a photo editing site and edit (make a collage!)
- Save new photo with the title of the book
- Upload to blog
- Write blog post
Don't try to do all of the steps in one sitting. You'll go batty. Remember, this is supposed to be fun and to keep you from getting busted by the photo police; if you make it too difficult you might not keep up with it. Slow and steady wins the race here, folks.
Where do you find your photos?
PammyPam
