WordPress and Graphics

Are you ready to add images to your WordPress blog? This tutorial can help you with your decisions on how to use images in your blog before you begin to upload images. Linda talks about placement, colour and resources on finding images for your blog.

Using Stock Photos and Other Resources

If you don't have time to take photographs for your blog, consider using a royalty-free stock photo service. Consider this fact first, though: Even the least expensive stock photography service equates to about $2 to $3 (USD) per blog entry, if you use only one photograph. Since I don't want to spend USD $20 per day or more to illustrate 10 new news stories, I use other resources in addition to stock photographs at Appomattox News. Here are a few examples of things you can do, too, to illustrate your blog:

The image above is a stock photograph that I paid for at iStock.

The image I used to illustrate the story above was taken from Wikipedia, which uses copyright-free images. In most cases, I tell readers that I've taken the image from Wikipedia, sometimes I don't. The best-practices habit is to be transparent about where images come from, though.

The image above was provided by the author's press agent. This means that only a few people will carry this image, and that it is a fresh image for anyone who views it. You can gain access to press images like this if you are a news site, or if your site has enough readers to make the press agent happy about you displaying a photo and article from his or her client(s).

While the press release above contained images for news sources, I chose to use a Web picture instead. This image was taken directly from the Web site about the Crooked Road, which I then cropped for size and interest. When I take images from Web sites, it's only when that story is about that Web site and I always link to the site.

NOTE: Take caution here, as many Web site owners might take umbrage at you using their images. In my case, I justify it by stating that the image lends a repetitive note to the story and the connection to that Web site (much like the 1000 Awesome Things site). While no one has complained about using a Web site image yet, I fully expect it to happen at some point...at which time I'll respond by removing the image and replacing it with something similar from stock photos, from press images or from Wikipedia.

Finally, I use images that are offered to news people or bloggers in general. For instance, the story above is about the recent record-breaking snow storm and it came from the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). Not only did I sign up at their site to receive press releases (which anyone can do), they offer their images free to anyone who wants to use them. I chose this image, mainly because it was striking and because I know a good many of the Appomattox News readers are truck drivers. So, this image might strike a chord with many of my readers.

NOTE: I wrote about how to use press releases as story lines for your blog at DMXZone previously in the article, How to Find and Use Free News and Articles in your Web Site. Remember to use press releases only if they relate to your site and to your audience. Now, you also can remember to look for free images to use with those press releases as well.