Create your own Photo blog: Book review

Create your own Photo blog

reviewed by Dr. Eric Flescher, Olathe, KS: (dreric1kansas@aol.com)

Author: Catherine Jameson
Publisher: Wiley Publishing , Inc. 111 River Stree, Hoboken, NY 07030
Released: 2006
Pages: 301
$ USA
$ Canada
UK
# ISBN-10: 0471767743
# ISBN-13: 978-0471767749
Strengths: Good layout, sound advice and techniques. Tabs on the outer edges of the left side are helpful in easily finding the chapter numbers.
Weaknesses: Since thebook came out in 2006 when moveable type was very common with creating blogs, the book focuses on these techniques. While still valuable, it you requre the need of blogger or other blog engines, you may to find other resources or use this book with others that you. Most others like blogger are much easier to use then moveable type.
Novice/Intermediate/Advanced

Rating: 4.5/5

I had created websites but did not know about blogs and how they were different from websites. As I explored more, I found out about their different uses. Blogs continue to be quite popular with many computer users and it is nice to see that some blogs and websites actually have education, visual or other value. One type of blog to create is called a photoblog. The book called Create your own photo blog it one book to help you get started for making your photoblog a reality.

The author is Catherine Jameson is a photographer, writer and has an award winning photo blog called Utata. She has written a book with many ideas and resources and I was interested to find some new techniques about blogging in general for this review as ideas that might help me elevate the use of some of my blogs.

The book is nicely laid out. Throught there was photos and screenshots that help illustrate the points of creating blogs. Ideas penned as designer tips, pro tips, notes are found throughout the book. There are also little icons that look like red mouses that indicate where in the screenshots the tutorials can find the informaton in the tutorials. More authors should use some techniques like this (and some do) which keep one from having to wonder where in the screenshots the focus is.

Twelve chapters encompass the three main sections in this book: getting started, setting up (blogs); use of photos and include Six ideas (p.13) detail six primary reasons for using a photo blog. Mac and PC users are given instructions how to start with general equioment.

Understanding styles and using styles for your intent are outlined. Before 2006, many blogs used the moveable type publishing platform which many still use. Since then there are more publishing possibilities. If you do not want to use Movable Type publishing platform (which allows the users much flexibility unlike some other blogging creation engines). This book may not be for you if you are using blog engines after 2006 (blogger, xanga etc). They are not outlined in detail as the book came out in 2006. Still the book is useful in many ways.

The book outlines (ch.3) the use of photo sites, creating blogs from scratch and using other free photo areas to showcase their photos (flickr etc). Learn skills with shooting your photos, create your blog site, promoting your blog and improving your site are also included.Understanding composition is highlighted (ch. 8). I particularly like the section and how RSS feeds are explained (ch. 10)

This book is illustrated well and that it is easy to read. The book packs a lot of good readable information. There are resources within the book that can be used for comparing and contrasting other blogs and in that way learn how to create and improve your blog particularly with Movable Type publishing platform technology. You can use this book to make your own or use Movable Type publishing platform or some of the other blog engines and you could be fine. The book excels at creating and finding information about photo blog and is a wealth of resources. It is great for learning about style and making your site better is where this book excels. Blogs then and now can do more then just post photos. If you purpose is focusing on photos then this book and the authors insightful instructions can help you.