Blog Reviews by Bloggeries

If you like photo blogs, then you definitely need to take some time to check out Hawksdomain.  Hawksdomain is the handle of the blogger, and also the name of this photo blog.  This photo blog can be found on its own domain at and the blogger calls this blog ‘My view of the world’.   The blog has been created to showcase the photos that the blogger has taken, and most of these pictures you will see have been taken while she was driving.  You can see how this process would work as this technique definitely adds an added element to the photos showcased on the blog.  The blogger is also very active in social networking, and if you are interested in photography, you can get involved in some of her circles through information found on her blog.  To see some of this blogger’s talent in photography, check it out for yourself through any of the recent bloggeries which speak for themselves:  Sun Setting in the Trees, Eeerie Moon, Spectacular Sunrise, Pioneer Crossing Park ~ Part 1~, Curves Ahead, GOPMan, Coming and Going, AV8TOR, A Midsummer’s Night Sky, and Wooden Fence.

The blog is well designed and organized and very easy to navigate.  Bloggeries are centralized and in black text on white ink.  There is no strong color scheme, as the photos on the blog are left to stand out for themselves, and add to the overall appearance and aesthetic feel of the blog.  In the left navigation bar you will find a search bar, Entrecard, Photography Forums, Facebook links, Blog Calendar, Recent Posts Menu, Blogroll, and various advertising and widgets.  You will also find a pull down menu with the Categories listed on it and this menu includes a variety of categories such as specific areas of the country, nature categories, and the unique category of ‘Personalized Plates’ among so much more.  While the blog is centralized there is currently no content in the right navigation system, and I do suggest the blogger fill up this section with some color and some content as this empty space leaves a lot of unnecessary white space for the blog.  Otherwise, as expected, each bloggery contains relevant photographs and often, the photographs are the bloggeries themselves.  As mentioned, the pictures speak for themselves and are quite breathtaking, and a beautiful way to showcase this blogger’s creativity and talent.

Overall I give this blog a 3.8/5.  This blog scores well on all accounts and I have addressed some of the finer suggestions this blog may want to take advantage of.  The content is well done and the brief descriptions for each bloggery are appropriate, and the pictures are beautiful.  Content is also coming in daily which is always an excellent feature of any blog, and the blog is well organized and easy to navigate for the most part.  I might suggest moving blog meat content such as Recent Posts and Categories Menu further above the fold in the blog, as they currently seem to be lost amongst some advertising and readers may not want to spend the time looking for these essential blog features. I think simply moving them would make this blog even easier to navigate.  Also, as mentioned, some use of the side bar would be very advantageous to the overall appearance of the blog.  Overall however, this blog is an excellent blog, and I truly enjoyed spending time with it.  Fellow photographers or those with an interest in photography will definitely enjoy this blog as well.

-Chrissie

Selling or Buying a Blog? Visit our Blogs For Sale.

Bloggeries is going to look at a personal Sandro photo blog. This blog is being used by 20 year old Sandro to showcase his work, talent, and passion for the field of photography. You can find a wide range of photography on this blog including cars, landscapes, portraits, and a number of creative expressions through the use of photography. Sandro uses 3 different cameras for his work, all Canon products, which you can find more about on his About page. Sandro does not just take photos, he writes about them as well, and has an interest in the field. His blog contains displays of his work, reviews of photography products, and even profiles of well known artists. If you would like to see some of Sandro’s photographic creations, and read about his interest, check out some of his most recent bloggeries: Smart Car, Canon EOS 450 D/Rebel Xsi, Trams in Budapest, Edward Steichen, Yousef Karsh, Bicycle, International Airports, and my personal favorite, Geometry.

Navigation on the blog is very simple. Bloggeries are right marginalized and there is a left navigation bar that starts off as one navigation system, and is divided into two navigation bars towards the bottom of the blog page. Bloggeries are in black text on white background and headlines are highlighted in blue. The overall appearance of the blog is very simple and clean, and this lends the reader to focus more on the artistry in the pictures rather than the blog template. In the left navigation system there is a bridal photo which serves as a blog header with the headline “My Photo Blog”. Also in this left bar you will find AdSense, and Sandro’s portfolio which includes Cars, Conceptual, Landscapes, Portraits, and Slideshow. The navigation bar then includes a box of random photos and a tag cloud before it divides into the two navigation systems. In the left navigation system at the bottom, you will find the Archives Menu, Categories Menu, and Copyright information. Categories for this blog include events, Famous Photographers, News, Personal Journal, Photo Stories, Published Photos, Reviews, and an Uncategorized section. In the Right navigation bar you will find an Inside Menu that will take you to pages of photos with categories such as cars, portraits, and the like. You will also find here the About page, blog Meta info, and Feeds information if you would like to subscribe to the feed.

I give this blog a 4/5, as it is very well done and scores well on all accounts. As mentioned, the appearance of the blog is clean and attractive and nicely laid out for the reader. Navigation is done well also, with an organized template that allows the reader to go exactly where they want to go. The only suggestion I would make at this point is perhaps a Recent Posts menu so the reader can see what activity has been recent in the blog. There are however no navigation issues on this blog as it is very well organized. The blog scores well for content also, each bloggery is written with a strong personal voice that shows the passion Sandro has for his art, and this adds meaning to each of the pictures he displays for his reader. Activity is the only area where I would suggest some changes for Sandro as currently there is no clear consistency with activity. I am seeing bloggeries coming in every other day or with a few weeks in between. If he would like more traffic and a consistent readership, regular posting would serve him well. As this blog grows, I think Sandro will do very well with it, as it is a beautiful portfolio of some very good talent and give him the audience he clearly deserves.

-Chrissie