Blog - A weblog, which is usually shortened to blog, is a website where regular entries are made (such as in a journal or diary) and presented in reverse chronological order. Blogs often offer commentary or news on a particular subject, such as food, politics, or local news; some function as more personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic.
Photoblog - A photography blog, picture log or simply a photoblog, is a web application which contains periodic posts containing user-taken photographs on a common webpage. These posts are often but not necessarily in reverse chronological order, from the date when the photograph was taken.
I started this blog to kill the time when we are resident in Oslo. No decent TV or the toys I play with at home. I started to explore the possibility of starting a Blog to record my thoughts about Torshov, Oslo, Norway and anything else that came to mind. I really wanted to start a Photoblog but I could not get the Blog to look the way I wanted it so I thought in the meantime I would start Torshovblog. As you may have noted the blog is hosted by Blogger. A fantastically easy to use blog publisher provided by Google. The only downside as far as I am concerned is it is not a very good basis for a photoblog. Although it is very easy to upload photographs to Blogger. I compose the text in a text editor because I need a spell checker! I use a freeware programme called Text Pad but you could use Notepad, Wordpad or even Word. I just cut and paste the text into Blogger.
Whilst exploring photoblogs I came across another disincentive to going down that route. I came across a photoblog by a David Nightingale who just happens to live in Blackpool. I looked at Davids photoblog http://www.chromasia.com/ only to discover that the photographs I had in mind to publish on my blog, David had already published them, mainly shots taken in and around Blackpool and the Fylde coast. Not only that but his were significantly better than mine. I was utterly dejected. To make matters worse Chromasia had just been voted number one photoblog on the Internet and was receiving in excess of 3000 hits a day. Plus he obviously had a band of very dedicated fans who not only regularly viewed his site but many of them posted comments about his work on the blog. Was I to risk the accusation of plagiarism. Well no I wasn't. David's fans had already seen off a couple of other sites who had endeavoured to copy Chromasia's style. So I chickened out. It has to be said that even without plagiarism to emulate David's photoblog would be no mean feat. In the time I have been viewing Chromasia I don't think there has been a day when he has not published an image. And when you read his blog and see what obstacles he has had to overcome in achieving that amazing feat. It is unlikely that I could aspire to posting a photograph a day. And it is not just the daily posting David closely monitors the comments on his images and provides a constant stream of feedback both technical and intellectual. You just have to admire his dedication and commitment. However I live in hope and I am busily working away in the background trying to get to grip with the complexities of Pixelpost in the hope that I will eventually get my photoblog up and running.
UPDATE - 15th August 2006: I now have a rudimentary Photoblog up and running at Digiphotology. I ended up using Pixelpost which proved quite simple to setup once I got my head into gear. I don't think it is as potentially sophisticated as Movabletype but one step at a time.
If you are remotely interested in photography you really should have a look at Chromasia. I will be superprised if you don't become a regular viewer. If you are interested in Photoblogging the Internet is teaming with information, tools and advice. A quick Google will show up tons of stuff. Here are just a few links of interest.
Photoblog.org
Photoblogging
Photoblogging with Blogger
Introduction to Photoblogs and Moblogs
PhotoFriday - a weekly photo challenge
Photobloggies - annual awards
Photoblog Magazine
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