© 2016 Elece Hollis

“A picture is worth ten thousand words,” wrote Frederick Barnard. Words and photographs go hand in hand—like a horse and carriage.  

Photographs can serve as a powerful inspiration for writers. At a writers conference, one writing activity was to peruse photographs posted on the classroom walls and later write about them. The results were amazing as each person saw and wrote about each photo differently.

I use photographs to boost my poetry writing. I once took a picture of my piano with a stem of dried roses lying on the keys. The brand of the piano, Winter, was engraved on a small plaque above the keys. The three images together gave me an instant connect. I wrote my poem about how the memories of the whole year play back during winter months.

I have also used photography when writing articles for online magazines such as Suite 101, Hearth and Home, and Life 123. The photos might be of food to go along with a recipe or even of the steps in preparing a recipe. I might use a photo of a bird to enhance a birdwatching article. And everyone loves pictures of a child blowing bubbles or flying a kite. When I add a photo, I draw in readers. Using my own photographs frees me from copyright issues and saves money on stock photo use.

Vicki Kuyper, a well-known Christian writer, uses photography to illustrate her travel writing.  How I love reading about the places she has been and seeing the photos she has taken of those far away destinations.

Use photography on your blog to gain followers. Anne Voscamp uses her photos and music to emotionally capture her readers. They can’t get enough.

Have you ever chosen a book because of its illustrations over one with text? I bet we all have. The eye loves photographs as much as the ear loves words. So to pump up your writing—grab a camera, get a shot, and write, write, write!
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Elece Hollis is a freelance writer who is published in over twenty-five gift books, cookbooks, and devotional books with Snapdragon Editorial Group in Tulsa, OK. She is also published in several online magazines featuring cooking, childcare, nature, homeschooling, and parenting articles and in various homeschooling and Christian magazines. Elece is mom of seven children and claims twenty grandchildren. She is studying photography further this year at a local college. Her blogging efforts include a photo/poetry blog, Images of Home.