Huzzah! Another first post by another regular contributor! Today, I’m thrilled, and I mean thrilled, to introduce you to my friend, prayer partner, and the woman responsible for making me look good professionally. This is Mary Denman, photographer. She’s going to be sharing “Intro to Photography” tips. Sweet, yes? Yes!

by Mary Denman @MaryDenman

I’m so excited to introduce myself and join you here on Frankly, My Dear . . . ! I’m Mary Denman and I’m a photographer who’s also a writer, with a teaching heart like my mom’s.

A few years ago, Molly Jo and I met at Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. I had the pleasure of taking her headshots since I’m the conference photographer. We became friends, so, when she asked me recently if I would write photography tips for her blog, I said, “Yes!”

Blue Ridge Mountains by Mary Denman

Blue Ridge Mountains by Mary Denman

I’m always learning about my craft, and love sharing how to take better photos. I believe everyone can learn to be a better photographer.

Why is photography important to bloggers?

1) Because a lot of text without pictures will not engage your reader. If you’ve been to a blog with a lot of writing and no photos, you know what I’m talking about! Think medical journal. There may be good info in there, but you have to want to read it and concentrate on it. Instead, you would probably prefer to read a site with pictures illustrating the points.

medical text

medical text

2) Because good photography can draw readers in! When you have a great photo or meme, you can use them on social media to catch a reader’s eye and draw them to your blog. You’ve probably seen a great meme on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook or Twitter that made you want to read the article. It works!

3) Because your photos can illustrate your articles or they can inspire what you write about! When I started out, I found that I enjoyed using my own pictures to illustrate what I wrote about. At other times, going through my pictures inspired ideas for articles. The more you practice your photography, the better you’ll get and the larger the resource of pictures you’ll have!

I want to come along side you and help improve your photography. There are some very simple tips that will have a big impact on your photos.

Some of the topics we will cover in the months to come are:

  • Cleaning up the clutter in your pictures.
  • Making sure you have a defined focal point.
  • Learning how to take sunrise/sunset pictures well.
  • Understanding composition.
  • Understanding the Rule of Thirds.
  • Filling your frame.
  • Learning how much perspective matters and how to use it.
  • Creating a meme.

If there are other things you’d like to learn about, or have a question about, please let me know! You can find me over at my blog, www.marydenman.blogspot.com writing about life and lots more photography tips.

Baden-Baden Sunset

Baden-Baden Sunset

I’m excited to join you here and hope that I can inspire you to pick up your camera more often and learn how to take better photos!

TWEET THIS: Frankly, My Dear . . . : Mary Denman: Why is #Photography Important to #Bloggers? @RealMojo68 @MaryDenman #amwriting

And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!

Mary Denman, photo by Peter Hurley

Mary Denman, photo by Peter Hurley

Mary Denman is a photographer who also writes and loves to teach. As a freelance writer, Mary has had articles published in various forms ranging from Focus on the Family publications to magazines to devotions to op-ed pieces. She’s a member of several professional writing organizations including ACFW, My Book Therapy, and Word Weavers.

As a professional photographer, Mary has had photos published in both print literature and online. Her shots have been used by businesses and by fellow authors alike.

Her philosophy is to catch a moment that reflects God’s beauty and creativity, whether in nature, in life or in the face of her subjects. Mary blends the mediums of writing and photography on her blog. www.marydenman.blogspot.com.

Five Things Friday: My Happy Planners
Photoblogger William Kendall: Ottawa Welcomes the World
Sweeten my tea and share: