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While I was catching up on emails and RSS feeds yesterday, I ran across this video for
Tumbleweed Tiny Houses.
I’m not sure how I originally found these guys, but somehow over time I’ve become quite a fan (of their company and their houses). Their philosophy of building houses that provide “just what is needed and nothing more” and doing so in a way that is graceful, elegant, and inspiring, really resonates with me and what I’m trying to accomplish.
I’m not interested in building web “McMansions”, filling all that space with widgets and gadgets and flashbangery toys, and dealing with all of the related maintenance headaches they can entail. I’d rather build web “tiny houses” that are graceful, functional, and elegant, and most importantly, provide just what is needed for your business.
Video below… Enjoy!
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Using images, videos, and podcasts are all great ways to spice up your blog and give your audience a break from reading (what I’m sure are your maaaah-velous words!)
Here are two of my favorite resources for images (one free, one paid):
Compfight
Compfight provides a great lens into the massive creative resources of Flickr and makes it easy to find images that are Creative Commons licensed (including those licensed for Commercial use), originals (potentially some high-definition stuff here), or in the public domain.
When possible, please use appropriately licensed imagery. There’s a ton of great stuff out there contributed by amateur and professional photographers – if they’re going to let you use it for free, at least give them credit. That being said, much of the content on Flickr is unlicensed and could be considered in the public domain (whether intentionally or through oversight). In that case, use your best judgment (and still give credit!)
Sometimes, even with tools like Compfight, searching images on Flickr can just be overwhelming. Maybe you have a specific image in mind — “I’m thinking of a sunset, over a cornfield, with a red barn…” — or, you’re working on something more “corporate” and need those (waaay overused) pictures of improbably diverse, young, and beautiful people “working together”. In that case, look no further than iStockPhoto.
iStockPhoto Search
You can use it’s “intelligent” search functionality to discover and easily refine search terms. This can be especially refreshing after searching through the masses of Flickr photos that are uncategorized, unnamed (img-001.jpg, anyone?), untagged, or any combination of the three.
Prices range from very inexpensive (they feature a free image every week and also have a “dollar bin”) to quite expensive (especially if you need very large images or need to purchase images frequently). For most bloggers, this is a great “occasional” resource for their regular posts and something to seriously consider if you’re thinking of making the leap to print (e-books, marketing materials, brochures) since the license pricing for these uses is very affordable.
So, to sum it all up…
Break up the text monopoly (monotony?) on your blog by adding some great pictures. Your readers will thank you!
Use Compfight or iStockPhoto to find the aforementioned “great pictures”. When possible, use licensed imagery and at the very least, give credit to your source.
I’ll leave you with one final caveat:
Don’t use crappy photos or clip art. What’s crappy? Pixelated. Blurred. Microsoft. If you use photos, either don’t use a border or use the same border on each one. Consistency is your next best friend after simplicity….
“Is your presentation making the audience lose trust in you?“ (via sparkyfirepants.com)
Good advice as always, Mr. Pants.
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