Photo Blogs: Make Yours a Work of Art

If you treasure your photos, a photo blog is a great way to organize, store and preserve your photos. But anyone can upload a few photos and call it an online 'album.' So how do you turn your photo blog into an online album that you'll be proud to share with friends and family? Just use these simple tips:

Tell a Story
Want to upload photos of your latest family vacation? Great...but take a few minutes to think about how you'll organize your online photo album. Will the photos loosely follow your trip itinerary? Will it focus on the scenery? Will it focus on family? Or will it be a combination of both? And remember, sometimes less is more. You don't have to upload every single photo. Just use your very best photos - the ones that tell the story best.

Size Matters
It's true...size does matter! By varying the size of your photos, you'll create visual interest and your photo blog will be easier to view.

Leave some Space
Use plenty of white space. It will give your photos extra impact.

Mix it Up
Try to vary your formatting techniques. Because after all, you want to create the best presentation for your photos.

Choose Your Words
Use headlines and captions to enhance the story, but not to tell it completely. When adding headlines and captions, there are a few things to keep in mind:

• Make sure your captions are aligned with your photos. For example, if your photo is centered, your caption should be centered.

• Insert a single return between your photo and caption. This makes it easier to read the caption and doesn't take away from the photo.

• Choose the right font and size. Studies show that Verdana is the easiest to read, and anything over 12 pt is easily readable. If you do use a smaller point size, try bolding it to enhance readability. On the other hand, you should save the very large fonts for headlines.

• Keep your captions short. Since you want the photos to tell the story, you shouldn't need to use a paragraph for each caption. If you do need to add more information, use a short caption and then follow it with a paragraph.

• Don't be afraid to use color for the text in your caption. Your caption should have a high contrast with the background of your photo blog so it's easy to read.

• Don't use all caps for a caption or headline. It's much more difficult to read, and it also seems like you're screaming.

• Use headlines and subheads to break your photo blogs into sections. Try to use a different color than your captions to help set the headlines apart.

Photo blogs give you the opportunity to show off your photos in their best possible light, and by following these tips, you can be sure your friends and family will always be looking forward to your next online album.