Monday, May 16, 2011

Getting to Know You

As I've read about best practices for running a blog over the past year, one thing I consistently come across is to know your audience and to always offer content that is of interest to them. I tend to mix the content of this photography blog between my current projects, things I find inspiring, guest posts from people I'd like to introduce you to, and how-to type posts with ideas or suggestions. 

I try to keep my reader in mind as I write, but I thought this would be a good time to conduct a short survey in order to offer better and more interesting content. So, dear reader, why do you read this blog (even if it was only one time) and what content are you most interested in reading? With your help, I can offer things that are beneficial and worthwhile to you.

I know there may be people who stop by and read an occasional post but never comment. So, if you have ever read any of my posts, I'd love for you to leave a comment below:

What do YOU want to read about and what would you like to see from this blog? 
Which posts have you enjoyed the most?

Thanks for your help! I sincerely appreciate your comments and your time, and thanks for reading!

10 comments:

Jamie said...

Leslie, I enjoy most of what you post and have written. I suppose that my personal favorite would be the blog posts about the "Homelessness to Home" and "Suicide Survivor" posts.

I love the intimate human connections that are made with these posts and photographs. I have always been a fan of Dorothea Lange's work, and your work in these particular area reminds me of her work.

Your pictures help to transport me into the minds and souls of your subjects which have faced certain appalling circumstances. It is also warming to the heart to see people rebound and continue life! Praise God for giving you the talents he has, and praise you for utilizing them. With much love, Jamie

Kristen said...

Hey, Leslie! I don't comment often but I read all your posts and I think you are doing a great job! I would be interested to hear about how you work with your materials...not so much "what camera" you shoot with (I find that interesting too, but I know it can get annoying when people like a photo that you took and automatically revert to the "what camera did you use?" question) but film or digital, type of camera in a broader sense, etc., as well as output choices. I don't know what you normally use but I remember some Holga shots from Greece awhile back and I thought your senior thesis work was probably medium format since it was squares...I work in a lot of different formats as well and am always interested to hear people talk about why they do so and how they choose what to use for each shoot!

Leslie McDaniel said...

Jamie - I'm not sure which Jamie you are but thanks for the comments & thanks for reading! The projects you mentioned are the things I'm most passionate about - social issues. I'm just trying to figure out how to continue this work beyond creating personal projects.

Kristen - Thanks to you too for being a loyal reader. Good thoughts - I'll keep that in mind for future posts.

Unknown said...

Leslie, my favorite post was the one about a high school student who titled her self portrait, "Please don't look at me."

Something about the girl's story struck me, reminded me of myself. Not wanting to be the center of attention, not wanting people to focus on her... I get that. I've been there. I identified with that girl and her pictures.

Jamie said...

Come'on cuz, you should have known from the charm oozing from my post that it was the one and only.... Jamie Brooks!

Leslie McDaniel said...

Jamie - OH! I know so many Jamies and I couldn't see your profile.

Amers12484 - Yes, her name is Juliette and she's pretty amazing! She is going to do a guest post for me in a couple of months about her Project 365 that she's working on...be sure to watch for it!

John R Felkins said...

I liked your recent post on landscape photography. It helps me as a photographer to know what your thinking when you make the photos. That said, probably my favorite aspect of your site is the human stories. Besides that I guess I wish youd write more about Canon vs. Nikon.....

Leslie McDaniel said...

Hey John. I'm glad you enjoyed the landscape post and also the human stories. It seems that explaining my thought process is of interest to readers so I'll try to include more of that. As for the Canon/Nikon discussion...I'll get right on that. ;)

Jennifer said...

Hi Leslie,
I really appreciate all your advice about photography. I've enjoyed the perspective of someone who has clearly put a lot of thought into her art and how to make it better. I like hearing about the kinds of projects that you tackle and hearing about your approach to making them successful.
I have read all of your posts and look forward to the next one.
My two biggest challenges as a really amateur photographer are getting my kids to smile their natural smiles (instead of cheesy or grimacing) and capturing action moments.
In short, I've enjoyed your blog.
Jen

Leslie McDaniel said...

Hey Jen. Thanks so much for reading & commenting. As for your kids, I'm not sure this would help but keeping your camera out more often might help them to become more accustomed to it and react less to it. Just snap a bunch of random pics while they're playing (on a regular basis) without having expectations. You can also try the "shoot from the hip" strategy in which you hold the camera down near your hip (or anywhere but in front of your face) so they get used to hearing the snap. You can also try just setting up a tripod with your camera and using a shutter release so you're not behind the camera. I'm not sure if these will help but you can try them. You might get some happy accidents. :)