Sometimes words aren’t the right thing; sometimes all you need is a picture to look at. Whether it is to understand what life is like somewhere in the world, to convey a feeling that words cannot express, or just to soak in some cuteness from the universe, photo blogs can usually do the trick.
Below is a selection of nine awesome blogs and photo sites that offer amazing, priceless images, each in its own way.
ffffound
I recently mentioned ffffound in a post about 10 websites that will help you feel better, but ffffound is much more than a quick pick-me-up. It is a website where a closed (invite-only) group of artistically inclined individuals share photos. Some can be disturbing, some contain nudity, but in a given page I can usually find at least a couple that make me think or feel something.
Ffffound is easy to navigate: Simply hit J to scroll to the next image, and K to scroll to the previous one. No text, no lengthy explanations. Just photos, photos, photos, as far as the eye can see.
Pictory Blog
Unlike ffffound, in Pictory Blog every photo has a story. Rather than a never-ending torrent of photos, it is more of a carefully curated drip. Just a few photos are published every day, and they come from all over the world. Photos are submitted by readers by themes, and the blog ties in tightly with Pictory magazine itself.
For example, check out this gorgeous long exposure scene, which was submitted as part of the “in deep” theme and links to all photos published from that theme. The blog and the magazine both make me feel like taking my Canon 600D and seeing what it can really do.
Boston Globe Big Picture
If there is one website I think of when I think “photo blog”, it’s the Boston Globe’s Big Picture. Every few days a new post goes online, showing a close-up of events from another part of the world. Each photo has an informative description.
The Big Picture is one of my favorite ways to keep up to date on important global events, and really look at them for myself rather than just read what others think about them.
In Focus
The guy who was originally behind The Big Picture, Alan Taylor, left the blog in January 2011. But he did not give up on telling stories using photos. Quite the contrary, he amped up his act and set up shop at In Focus, The Atlantic’s photo blog.
Alan is a pro Web developer, which may explain why In Focus looks so similar to The Big Picture, right down to the “j/k” shortcuts for flipping between photos and the black images that “may contain objectionable content” which you must click to view. If you like The Big Picture, you’ll love In Focus.
Chromasia
The Chromasia blog is a part of Chromasia, two companies run by David and Libby Nightingale. Simply put, the blog contains stunning photos. They are all by David, and can be purchased as prints or cards. The blog is very lean on text – you will have to guess (or make up) the story behind each picture yourself.
One very unique feature is the link that says “show the original” below each image – you can hover your mouse over it and see the non-Photoshopped version of the same photo. It’s as if David really lets you into his studio, and shares what parts the camera and the computer both took in the creation process. Lovely, and very open.
The Sartorialist
This one’s for the ladies: The Sartorialist contains mainly street photos of people, mostly from New York, going around town in spiffy, creative, and interesting wear. That is not all you would find on the blog, however, as can be seen by the photo from Morocco, above. If you like street photography and enjoy fashion, this is one blog to check out.
Pixelcandy
If I ever start a photography blog, I know what I want it to look like – Pixel Candy. This is the personal blog of German photographer Thomas Bonin, and it is absolutely gorgeous. I don’t mean just the photos, either. The format itself is compelling and artistic. It makes your monitor into a picture frame – there are no scroll bars, no comments, no words. Just a single image at any given time, taking up your undivided attention.
There is also an “archives” button that takes you to a long thumbnail view, but the highlight is definitely the single-image view. In a word – wow.
Flickr Blog
The Flickr Blog is interesting because it curates and shares the work of Flickr community members and amateur photographers alongside “official” photos from NASA (above) and other public bodies who join the Flickr Commons from time to time. Flickr is the 900lbs gorilla of the online photo-sharing world, but its blog feels fresh, fun, and not pretentious in any way.
Cute Overload
Cute Overload is right what it says on the tin – adorable pictures, usually of furry, fluffy animals. It may not be the most artistic photo blog on the planet, but it is certainly one of the cuddliest. From flying squirrels to kittens hugging puppies to ducks wearing sandals, Cute Overload has it all.
In Summary
This has been one challenging post. There is such an abundance of excellent photography blogs online sharing priceless images, picking just a handful was tough. But here they are.
Did you like them? Did I miss an important one? Sound off in the comments!
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