As you know, I’m a huge fan of blogging, especially in preference to social media, and I’ve written a number of articles about how and why I blog.
In the last couple of weeks I’ve come across three new blogs and started following, and have greatly enjoyed the posts so far.
All three I feel are in some ways on similar pathways to me, which means it’s likely you’ll find some common ground with them too.
Yuri’s blog has been around a while, but has seen something of a rebirth recently, as like many, Yuri has found social media sites like Instagram to be lacking in terms of community. In his words – “let’s face it, the communication on Instagram is pretty much non-existent”.
What I really appreciate about this site, aside from the photographs and thoughtful writing, is that Yuri completely gets that his blog is about photography, so it looks like it was designed by someone with a strong visual sense.
In fact it’s one of the best examples I’ve seen of a photo blog that makes it beautifully easy for the reader to immerse themselves in the work, without clutter, distraction, social media littered over the pages, photos that are too tiny, or, my worst bugbear, ads everywhere.
If you want to see how good a photography blog can look (and how simple this is) look no further than Yuri’s.
Jason was building up a good following with his Tyrannosaurus Fir blog, before, as I understand, some technical hitches late last year meant he needed to rebuild the site.
It’s now renamed Darts and Letters, but the old posts are still there are well worth rummaging through.
Though Jason makes some lovely photos amongst the very scenic part of North America he resides in, I enjoy his writing even more, which I would describe as honestly tender, and emotively ramshackle, especially his recollections about his adventures with his sons.
I hope he would take this as huge compliment.
Andrew’s site is genuinely very new, the oldest post is from 6 Feb this year. The clever name of the blog is subtitled “My journey of philosophy through photography”, which in many ways is what I could call 35hunter too.
It feels like we’re on a similar pathway, hunting for many of the same things.
Off to an excellent and thought provoking start, Lens Taoism is one of the blogs I now look most forward to seeing new posts on. His photography is lovely too, I especially like the nature triptychs, like the one on his introductory essay.
Photography blogging is alive and well in 2020.
I hope you’ll be encouraged to perhaps repurpose some of the time spent swiping through hundreds of social media posts on autopilot, and instead use it to follow and support genuinely interesting and thoughtful photographers and writers like Yuri, Jason and Andrew.
Which blogs would you recommend we check out?
Please let us know in the comments below (and don’t forget to tick the “Notify me of new comments via email” box to follow the conversation).
Thanks for looking.
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Thank you Dan, appreciate your kind words!
Great recommendations. I’m already following Andrew’s blog and I’ll be very interested to check out Jason’s work.
As you know, I came to blogging recently and have noticed that quite a few bloggers who I used to follow have left or stopped completely. On a positive side, I have found yours and Andrew’s…
From those who are still active even if not often on WP I’d recommend
Matt Hart’s blog – https://matthewhartphotography.wordpress.com/
Josh White – https://jtinseoul.com/category/blog-2/
Chris J Wilson – http://christopherjwilson.com/
Victor Bezrukov – http://www.victorbezrukov.com/log/
I found Andrew’s blog via you I think!
Thanks for the other recommendations, I know Josh and Victor’s already, and look forward to exploring the other two.
Very good selections, Dan, and descriptions why you like them. Thank you for sharing. Here is a blog I’ve followed a long time on WP.com, the others are on Tumblr. https://melindagreenharvey.com/
Thanks Frank, always good to hear from you.
I very much like Melinda’s blog already, very poignant writing about her parents, and photos to match. Thanks for introducing us to her.
Thank you very much for the kind inclusion in your post Dan. I certainly am new here and will be following some of the other recommendations here as I build my own list of blogs to follow. As a newcomer I have greatly appreciated the warmth and welcoming words from Dan, Yuri and others. I look forward to building even more connections and learning how to better preset myself and my thoughts based on those who can been doing this much longer than I have.
Andrew, you’re more than welcome, your blog is off to an excellent start.
Those are great blogs and excellent suggestions, Dan.
Thanks Chris, any others to add that you follow?
I don’t read blogs consistently, other than yours and Mike Johnston’s (The Online Photographer). Not sure why if you ask me! Even those you mentioned, as nice as they are – haven’t had me going back…
My web browsing is usually something popping into my head, and then I’ll just do a web search and read articles and blogs and forums where they talk about the subject I’m interested in…
And then the news, I’ve been a bit of a news junkie lately… I have news aggregators I keep checking both here in the US and my native Brazil…
I’m flattered Chris!
I often browse quite random stuff like you, or maybe something that’s an offshoot of something I already know a bit about, like cameras, or Star Wars or Marvel.
But my main reading is a core dozen or so blogs around photography, poetry, philosophy…
I’m the opposite to you with news, I avoid it as much as I can! Just so skewed and sensationalist and, well, depressing.
Instead I follow stuff like Beautiful News (https://informationisbeautiful.net/beautifulnews/), Behavioural Scientist (https://behavioralscientist.org/) and Reasons To Be Cheerful (https://reasonstobecheerful.world/)…
Always love some blog suggestions! Thanks!
It’s very thoughtful of you to include me in the conversation, above! This is exactly what I’ve always enjoyed about your essays and thought pieces, Dan……..the dedication to be your own catalyst for the exchange of ideas, divergent opinions, insights, etc. and not be just primarily an echo chamber (like some of us). It’s not nearly as easy as it looks, what you’ve managed, at least from my humble point of view. Thank you for being such a wonderful steward of community. And thanks again, for specifically including me in this way. I’m looking forward to seeing Yuri’s and Andrew’s pages. And while I don’t have a specific recommendation to offer about another blog exactly right now, this is a good reminder for me to take advantage of opportunities to foster intentional community.
Thanks J.
I do think many blogs take the attitude “it’s my blog and I’ll do what I want” and don’t really consider how their blog reads (design and content) for others. But if a blog really is entirely personal, then why publish it online at all?
If you do, like most of us, use a blog as a way of sharing your own thoughts, as well as encouraging the thoughts of others, and want people to enjoy reading and be willing to respond, then I think you need to try to set the blog up to be conducive to that, you need one eye on how to try to, as you put it, “foster intentional community”.
Thoughtful & amusing piece – “The End Game” – on Gregory Simpson’s ULTRASomething – https://www.ultrasomething.com/2016/07/the-end-game/
That’s where I’ve been going wrong, not replicating exactly the photographs of others!
Thanks for sharing these Dan, I needed some new ways to provoke thought
Glad you appreciate them Nigel. You’ve been quiet around these parts lately, you used to talk loads.
Yeah, Been in a struggling in a number of superficial ways that is making it difficult for me to think clearly about photography. Trying to focus on gear reduction in the meantime.