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HOW TO FAKE A CUSTOM BLOG

01.26.10

So, you have a blog, you’ve read the tips for blogging, and you’re good to go.

Except…except you have blog envy. You keep seeing the ProPhoto theme around, and you keep wishing you could giant images AND a sidebar AND custom flash galleries AND be able to pop all the images you’ve just processed into a post by hitting a single button. Look no further, peeps.

ProPhoto 3, the latest evolution of the ProPhoto WordPress template, is packed with fabulous features I didn’t even know I wanted and soon couldn’t live without. The templates look fabulous right out of the box, and it’s easier than ever to link your Twitter, Facebook, RSS feed, and bio page together in merry harmony. (Click the ‘about’ link at the top of the blog to see how quickly and seamlessly your bio information loads.)

It’s also easier than ever to populate a blogsite with the option of featured galleries for those too lazy to click off your blog to view your work. (See my own blog, here, and click on galleries for an example.)

Likewise, those sweet little tabs that live on the left of this blog, even when you scroll down? They’re called drawers, and they’re my favorite new feature. On this blog, they pimp Facebook and sell the Projection & Sales Merit Badge. On your blog, they could book a wedding or send you an e-mail or link to your favorite local businesses.

For those who are scared of customizing a WordPress theme (and yes, I’ve gotten e-mails admitting to the fear), I say: it’s easy. Really. Jared provides video tutorials for every major step in the process. When I had a question, I e-mailed tech support and got an answer within a few hours. If you’re really scared, you can purchase ‘Handheld Installation’ for $80 and have the icky technical portion of your blog-making taken care of lickety-split.

I’m not here to brag, though. I’m here to share the WordPress-themed goodness with all of you lovely people. So, use code

BNDCMP717

to score $10 off the latest ProPhoto theme ($199 new, $89 to upgrade from a prior ProPhoto theme). This theme’s ease of use, vast tutorial knowledge base, quick support responses and innovative features make purchasing a no-brainer.

(If you’re ready to buy, click here, as the ‘buy now’ page is rather hard to find.)

Tags: blog, blog theme, blogging, jared henderson, netrivet, prophoto, wordpress

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Karyn - January 27, 2010 - 5:11 pm

You tempt me. With your shiny and your awesome. =)

Karen ReVelle - January 26, 2010 - 5:11 pm

Wow… Thank you for the coupon! Totally have been thinking about migrating BACK to wordpress from blogger, cause posting the pix is the biggest hassle! When I was new to blogging (still am, really), WP seemed too hard to customize. But I hear nothing but amazing things about ProPhoto! This is definitely the icing on the cake to be my incentive to buy it. Thank you!!

amy b - January 26, 2010 - 4:56 pm

bummer your code didn’t work. upgraded anyway.

brandcampblog - January 26, 2010 - 4:50 pm

Oh yes, Sherry — spiffy, eh?

Sergio Ruiz - January 26, 2010 - 4:17 pm

PP3 is really cool, I got the upgrade several days ago and the theme rocks!
It has all those features that a photog needs to spend less time blogging and more shooting pics.

s h e r r y - January 26, 2010 - 12:17 pm

Oh cool! I thought the PP3 galleries were JUST for blog posts. But you can have them in your menu bar TOO? (That might just push me to upgrade from my PP2 theme!!)

THE BEST KEPT SECRET OF WORDPRESS

01.21.10

You all know that I *heart* blogging, and think every photographer who moderately enjoys both writing and shooting should have a blog. (Heck, writing is optional — some of the best photo blogs don’t need many words.)

You also know that I blog on Tuesdays and Thursdays – but what if inspiration strikes on Monday? Or Friday? Do I just table the idea until one of the blogging days?

Nope. I use the best-kept secret in WordPress. In your WordPress dashboard, where you normally go to hit ‘Publish,’ click on the ‘Edit’ link beside ‘Publish immediately.’ Fill in the date and time you’d like WordPress to take care of your publishing, and voila!

See that? I wrote this post yesterday. (I am a ninja! Heeiiiii-yah!)

Spreading your client sneak peeks out over two days brings you twice the traffic, but you can blog ‘em in one sitting. Heck, you can blog a month at a time, if you’d like! No more excuses for neglected blogs!

Tags: blog, blogging, wordpress

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Jeanette LeBlanc - January 21, 2010 - 12:58 pm

Seriously – I just discovered this last month and I tell everyone about it. Best kept wordpress secret indeed!

Marissa Rodriguez - January 21, 2010 - 12:25 pm

Great tip! I totally didn’t know about that one!

muyiwa - January 21, 2010 - 12:00 pm

@Leeann Marie – that is exactly my process! I even wrote an action that does the watermarking for me, and on the mac I use a program called Ecto to handle my posts. I wasn’t too pleased with the way wordpress handles multiple image posting.

Dana Scheller - January 21, 2010 - 11:44 am

hehe. Leeann I thought of you when I saw this. Love this feature…sad to say I haven’t taken full advantage of this yet, but it’s a goal for this wedding season!
thanks,
d

Leeann Marie - January 21, 2010 - 8:22 am

I do this ALL. THE. TIME! It’s great and,just like you said, it ensures that your ideas don’t go forgotten!

There was a bit of a bug for the WordPress 2.9 release, so some of my scheduled posts would say “Missed Schedule”, and not publish. I changed the publishing times to something really random and now they’re hitting! (Just a word of warning).

I have around 20 drafts of single images sitting in my queue too, so that if I’m totally lost on what to say, I just schedule one of those!