I hate to say it, but being a visual person I'm all about the pictures. A picture
is worth a thousand words, and they're also open to interpretation. I like reading blog entries, and if the written word isn't that great it is duly noted-but it doesn't really detract from my overall opinion of the blog like a lack of photos does. I don't want incredibly juicy glamour photos either- I just want to see what the person saw. I feel like a written account of a SCUBA dive trip would be worth practically nothing compared to 30 pictures of the incredible creatures that live in the sea- words just don't do them justice.
I think some travelbloggers have the advantage of a tag team- one takes the pictures(usually the guy) and one writes the blogs(usually the girl). Granted there is some overlap and exceptions with the genders.... But I feel someone who is working alone and makes a good blog entry and good pictures has done at least twice the work as someone working as a team.
Other travelbloggers I have seen write incredible stories, but then post pictures of themselves doing nothing short of getting wasted, partying nightly, hanging out with nobody but gringos, perhaps some day trips to some waterfalls... I just can't bring myself to admire someones excellent critique or an experience in a country when it seems their sole purpose of visiting is to get drunk and sip Mai tai's on the beach with other 'round the world' travellers while making short-sighted commentary on the locals and their customs. I feel like they have exposed their true motivations for travelling, making their opinions moot.
Ultimately I feel if you are posting excellent pictures, there's a ton of work behind that- capturing the shots, downloading to the computer, sorting them, selecting the best ones, color correcting them, resizing, uploading, arranging their order.
If you post excellent blogs, there's a ton of work behind that- researching history and science, having your own opinion, writing the entry, editing your story.
If the written word is so much more rich than the photos, why did television replace the radio so quickly? Pictures facilitate the story. By the same token the sale of travel memoirs and novels probably far outpaces the sale of all those bargain basement photography books we can see on sale at the bookstore("Visions of Ireland-80%!O(MISSING)FF!").
For a travelblog I believe its synergy- A good story is worth 1. Good pictures are worth 1. Put them together and they are worth 3!
Finally, I would like this image described in 500 words or less:
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