Travel tips / Do you prefer posts with photos?
When you are traveling somewhere you’ve never been before, do you ask a colleague/friend who’s been there for tips on what to see/where to stay/what to eat?
Well, you know I do! That is kind of where my last Friday Question stemmed from – I was looking for camping recommendations (and I got them – thanks!).
I have coworkers who are traveling to Spain + Portugal*, Italy, and London this summer. Two of them have asked me to give them pointers on “must sees.”
Of course, if I was open about my blog at work, I would tell them to start here!
Since I am not, I am going to compile a list of my favorite sites (in Venice, Florence, Rome, Madrid and Barcelona). I bet a lot of my favorite sites will be highly common ones to travel to, so I am going to have to look back at my notes and see if there was any place off the beaten path that I just loved (Santa Maria Della Concezione**, anyone? Ha ha. )
Sagrada Familia – you cannot visit Barcelona without visiting ALL of the Gaudí sites! That would be a shame
You know, I wasn’t going to add a picture to this post, but decided to throw one in, since I have so many, and people often say how they prefer posts with pictures.
The thing is, I do not prefer posts with (a ton of) pictures. One or a few are fine with me, but I really don’t mind picture-less posts. Unless the author is talking about something you would expect to see pictures of (recipes, a race, their garden, their new bike, their new haircut, blah blah blah) I don’t mind if they aren’t there.
And the posts with a ton of pictures seriously slow me down and deter me from reading. Big time. It takes forever for my small computer to load them, and sometimes, they aren’t necessary (in my opinion). I try to get around all of the photo-heavy posts and look for the content – it’s just that when there are a lot photos, I lose track of what I am reading (hmm, maybe I am the only one with this issue?***).
Of course, this doesn’t mean that I don’t write posts with WAY TOO MANY pictures from time to time too. I sure do – my weekly workout recaps, race recaps, recipes, reviews, weekend updates – these all seem to be photo heavy. And I expect people to skim them.
And remember, this is just MY opinion! I know a lot of people disagree with this, so I am anxious to hear what you think! Maybe my thinking will change!
What do you think – what is your sweet spot for posts with pictures? Do you prefer them? How many (poll below)? If you do prefer them, what deters you away when posts don’t have pictures?
Loading ...I really like how Erin does her posts – one related photo at the top, then maybe more photos if she is doing a race recap or a recap of a long run. I always love Mica’s photos too – especially of Bodger! In my opinion, you can’t have too many pet photos!
*Have not been here (yet).
**A crypt made of bones.
***I think that the posts with a lot of photos tend to be more of daily-diary posts anyway, which while I find interesting to read, I do have a hard time following, because there is so much content. I feel like I need to take notes while reading. I will often leave a comment then be thinking “wasn’t there something else I wanted to say?” Again – I am probably the only one with this issue!
Themocracy
I like looking at photos but I am ok without them too. 🙂
I don’t enjoy seeing every bite someone ate in pictures on a blog, but I do enjoy lots of ‘we did this’ pictures… A lot of times if I’m busy I just look at the pics and skim the reading & call it a day! 🙂
I’m a little torn on this one, because a) I love photos, and b) I feel they can go a long way to illustrate one’s point. But for serious, musing posts (and the like), they probably don’t have much of a place. Travel posts: yes please!
Unrelatedly, I had the opportunity to go to Barcelona while I was in France, and instead chose to go to the Cinques Terres in Italy. It was a hard choice, but I would REALLY love to go see all the Gaudian architecture some day!
Cinque Terre is supposed to be beautiful! I only went through there by train. Did you love it?
Absolutely. Such a beautiful area – it was like walking around in a series of postcards! You should go if you get the chance 🙂
I feel like I always need to have a few pictures on my blog or else I feel like people will get bored. Maybe that’s not the case and I’ve been nuts all along! Some bloggers do put up WAY too many pics–5 shots of each bite of dinner, 10 self-portraits per post, etc. When it comes to travel shots though, the more, the better. 😀
I’ve been to Spain, Italy and London (lived there for 4 months) and each is so uniquely amazing. I’d go back today if I had the money.
I don’t get bored, but I know many expect pics! Ha. 5 pics of each bite. Ha ha ha. Yeah. Know those blogs.
I wish I could go back too. I am happy for my coworkers, but wonder if they will appreciate it!
That was a good question because I always assume that if I can’t come up with a picture, no one will read. I bet that’s not true! I like pictures, but I like seeing pictures of people more than multiple pictures of a meal.
I love giving travel tips; it helps me travel down memory lane of the great trips I have taken 🙂 And I definitely ask others. I have a couple great resources. One, for instance, told me to go see the historic jail in Dublin. It was not on any of the guides “must see lists.” It was the best thing I did in Dublin; I think the time there would have been almost a disappointment without it!
That sounds like something I would LOVE to see! 🙂
I really prefer pictures, though as everyone else has said, NOT a lot of food pictures. (No amount of food pictures can make a gross-sounding sandwich look more appealing.)
I also think one of the reasons that I dislike picture-less posts is that I have somehow gotten myself into a hole of reading a lot of blogs that I don’t find very interesting. (Or the writers aren’t very good at keeping it short.) Thus, pictures serve as a good distraction to a lot of blathering “prose.” I don’t know why I “read” those in the first place…
It is hard to get away from those blogs, especially if they read yours… I feel bad when I have to search for something to say on someone’s post.
PLEASE PLEASE tell me if I am ever being too long and drawn out. I think I am 75% of the time 😉
We actually saw that Gaudi church. Ted and I went on Med. Cruise and stopped for a tour thru Barcelona. FANTASTIC! We saw so much of Gaudi’s work. Fascinating.
I am a very visual person, so I love photos in posts. As long as it doesn’t take forever to load, I say the more the merrier!
Unless you’re a really amazing photographer (and most of us aren’t), posts with purely photos don’t do it for me. I guess I prefer posts with words … and if a photo or two will enhance the words, then I’m totally fine with it. That said, I think vacation recaps are different. I love looking at photos, just not too many. ha.
Ha. I am thinking of all the awful food snapshots I have seen. Sometimes I will check out a new blog and just seeing the bad photos is enough to turn me away (I am talking blurry cellphone quality). I know I am not that good with the camera!
I don’t really care either way but sometimes it’s nice :D.
I love Mica’s pics too!
I love that you asked this because I’m always under the impression that people DO prefer the photos. I’m always afraid that text-heavy posts turns people away. It was interesting to see the results of your poll and that this isn’t always the case.
And I’m also under the impression that you can never have too many pet photos — but that also might be because I can’t resist posting pictures of my pup whenever possible. 😉
I always ask locals for recomendations! Or people that have been there because I would like to hear personal experiences. 🙂
I love pictures! Even though sometimes I do text heavy posts (my workout recaps *coughcough*) I really prefer a post to have at least one picture. Even if it’s just a pet photo! Just something to sort of break up the text. However I don’t like a ton of pictures. Seriously like 5 pictures of the same thing for example is just silly. I don’t need to see whatever from 7 different angles. Unless it’s a recipe specific post because then you can get a better perspective of how that particular dish should turn out. I’m visual so that helps me a lot. But a normal diary post, enough with the pictures!
I knew you would relate… you always do 😉
Have you ever thought about taking pics of your runs for your week recap? I would love to see where you run!
I like posts wtih a few phots. That being said, I am lazy and tend not to download them on time. I still owe you the Adam Sandler photo!
I like photos but I hate it when the post is filled with them because it takes forever to load and sometimes I will just skip over it!
I’m horrible at remembering to whip out my camera and take photos which is why I only put the one (usually stock) image at the top and not many other photos 🙂
As for travel advice, I’m happy to give it and I definitely ask for it. However, I tend to get a little irritated when people ask me for suggestions and then just blow them off.
I like your stock images 🙂
Oh gosh, I was going to go off on how I know one person won’t take my tips even though she asked for them, but I thought this was long enough as is!
I like both! Lots of pictures and lots of words. I guess it depends on the content of each though.
I’m definitely the opposite! I’m a visual person so I need pictures to keep my attention. Of course, if the topic is interesting then I have no problem reading without pics!
I like SOME pictures, but generally not reams and reams of them.
I would LOVE to see Santa Maria Della Concezione! I have never heard of it, but am very interested in memento mori.
I like variety…A few pictures scattered here and there are good. I don’t think every single post needs pictures. I do agree with the person above who said that they don’t like too many food-related pictures. Some bloggers that I really love post a picture of oatmeal almost every day…love the commentary…get tired of looking at oatmeal. I love it too, but don’t feel the need to post it everyday! LOL!
I think people get bored with not having pictures on my posts every so often. I do have too many pics sometimes but really try to use them to tell the story. I like looking about posts with pictures but don’t care either way if they are there or not.
And asking people for travel recommendations is a must! You can find out so many great things that a travel book won’t necessarily tell you.
lol now Im all concerned that I use too many pictures!
I like posts with pictures because I like to look at them. I dont even care what the picture is of. It could be of feet and I would like it, but Im easy to please.
However, Ive never seen a post without pictures and thought “damn I wish there were pictures”, so I guess I can go either way.
I wasn’t thinking of your blog 😉
Ha. Love it “I’m easy to please.”
I like a happy medium of pictures in a post – not too many, but at least one. For me, the pictures help break up a post and I can better imagine what someone’s talking about and feel more connected. That being said, I read lots of fabulous blogs that don’t have any pictures in them, so it’s not a must – just a preference.
i like a happy medium….i do not like a ton of words or a ton of pics……
I voted yes, one picture. But that’s not the make it or break it for me. LENGTH is definitely the make it or break it. I agree that too many pictures…especially of the SAME THING get so monotonous and just slow down my computer.
P.S. LOVE Barcelona and Gaudi…such beautiful work!
Ah, length. Some people just go on and on and on… and on, don’t they?
I like posts that have text interspersed with photos. That keeps me wanting to read. Too many pictures without any words, though, and I start skimming down.
I feel like a kid who only likes picture books, but….I do like posts with pictures! At least one. And sometimes if people are too wordy, I kind of lose focus. Geeze, what am I….a 3rd grader??!
I like photos on blog posts if they’re appropriate.
As for asking about advice for trips, I find I don’t need to. The second I mention where I’m going, it’s thrown at me whether I ask for it or not. 😉
It depends. I like posts with a few pictures, but if people are using the pictures to express an experience or narrate an event, I can get impatient. However, if it’s a beautiful picture or something different, then that’s great. To be honest, though, I’m definitely a ‘literate’ learner. I probably prefer words to images and color. That makes me feel a bit boring, but it happens…
I think I am the same way. And I think you and me are the only ones 😉
I’ll admit. I LURVE posts with pictures – even though I read all of the text having pictures make them seem better to me. that is probably why I put so many random ones in mine: e.g. Spencer Pratt.
Whatha think of the qty of pics on my blog?
I like the pictures and quantity of them on your blog – especially since you offset them and don’t make them super huge 🙂
I really try to add some kind of image. If I’m talking about something and have no images, I’ll post an amazon book link that’s related to the topic (even if I don’t mention it) just so I can have an image. And once in a while it sells too 🙂