Pin It: A must-have Word Press plugin

September 5, 2012
Pin It: A must-have Word Press plugin

I am interrupting the “Pinterest, Best Practices” series for a fast little tip. If you have a Word Press blog, you need this free and useful plugin. It’s called the Pinterest “Pin It” Button, and you can find it by clicking on that link right there, or by adding it through the WP Plugins area on the dashboard of your blog. If you are looking in the Plugins directory, make sure you get the correct one – by Phil Derksen, with a 5 star rating. And why should you get it and install it on your blog? Because of...
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Leveling the Light

August 9, 2012
Leveling the Light

This is a super basic tip for photo editing, but one that can make a big difference. Every so often, despite my best efforts, something isn’t quite right in the settings on my camera, and I end up with a shot that I am just not happy with. I see the same problem sometimes when I am moderating photos for DessertStalking as well, and sadly I often have to decline an otherwise acceptable photo, because of a cloudy appearance, which is really just a lack of contrast in the shot. The solution is not that difficult, and it only...
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Pinterest: Best Practices for Bloggers, Part 2

July 16, 2012
Pinterest: Best Practices for Bloggers, Part 2

If you are a busy blogger, your first question might be “Why? Why does Pinterest matter to me at all?” The number one answer to that question has got to be that Pinterest is driving enormous amounts of traffic around the internet these days. There are days when it is the number one referrer on my food blog and it is always in the top 3 or 4. I don’t know about you, but I rather like traffic, since it pays the bills. Equally important though, Pinterest is another place where you can establish yourself as a valuable resource...
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Pinterest: Best Practices for Bloggers, Part 1

Pinterest: Best Practices for Bloggers, Part 1

The overwhelming question for a busy blogger is “What can Pinterest do for me?” That is the bottom line, right? If I am going to devote my time to something, it needs to bring value to my work, to my readers, and to my life. Used correctly, I believe Pinterest can do all of...

Throwing My Light Around

Throwing My Light Around

I run into the problem of uneven light, both as a blogger and photographer, and when I am moderating photos for DessertStalking. So often, I get a photo that has blown-out highlights in the background, and not enough light in the foreground, resulting in the subject having no definition or texture – just kinda...

Work

Work

I think what Ira Glass has to say about writers, is true of blogging, in all of its aspects, as well. It is true of the cooking, the photography, the writing and the design and implementation of a blog. The day I start thinking I can’t learn anything new, when I think I can’t...

Take it outside!

Take it outside!

We’re getting to the time of year when getting good photos of the food I’m cooking becomes more of a challenge. I never use the flash, so I need lots of natural light to make things look right.  It is not such a problem for desserts or snack type recipes, because those will usually...

Schedule your food porn submissions wisely

Schedule your food porn submissions wisely

Does it make a difference when you submit your photos to the food porn sites? I think there are ways to do it that maximize the benefits to your blog traffic. Aside from personal satisfaction and bragging rights, getting published on food porn sites is all about getting some new people on your site,...