State of the Blog

Since I know you are reading this post, it means two things:

First, I owe you a massive thank you. As an adventure photographer and writer in the digital age, my audience does way more than morally support me. You’re supporting pillars of my business. After claiming to be a good storyteller for nearly a decade, I am at a loss of words when I consider how to thank all of you. I cannot even begin to express my gratitude for your role in my business.

Secondly, you’ve probably noticed it’s been mighty quiet around the blog. While I’ve consistently published 12 images on instagram each week, I haven’t published a dozen blog posts in 2016. This silence is the single biggest reason I am writing this post today, as I am eager to change the pattern. Starting today, I’ll be publishing content far more frequently.

Taking a Look at the State of the Blog

Brendan Van Son, my friend and cohort with Your Photo Adventures, recently wrote a similarly titled blog post. I thought it was a smart move and decided to steal his idea. That’s right, I’m an artist stealing an idea (coincidently, prolonging the longest running artistic tradition).

Before looking towards the future, I think it’s important to look back at two big changes that I initiated in the past two years.

March 2014: Creating Jeff Bartlett Media

Although I continue to use the @PhotoJBartlett name on social media channels (instagram, steller, twitter), I flipped my business name and website to Jeff Bartlett Media in March 2014.

I made the switch to highlight the wide variety of media services I offer through my business, which go beyond the photography content I share under the @PhotoJBartlett name. If you aren’t familiar with the services I offer, feel free to take a quick look at my Partner With Me page to learn the details.

January 2016: Moving Away from AdventureFreelancer.com

The mission statement on Adventure Freelancer used to say it was my outlet to write about the art and craft of adventure.

I always thought the difference was obvious: Jeff Bartlett Media was a portfolio; Adventure Freelancer was a blog. In hindsight, I realize this was a really stupid idea. Not only did I struggle to create enough content to push regular updates onto two separate websites, but I was also created confusion among readers and potential clients. When I switched from PhotoJBartlett.com to JeffBartlettMedia.com, I opted to keep the separate blog. I even paid to have the sites redesigned to look similar.

Finally, I kick started 2016 by eliminating Adventurefreelancer.com and moving it all onto an individual site. Since you are reading this, I already know you are in the right place!

Looking Ahead: Now What?

Now that everything lives on a single website, I’ve developed a solid content plan. As my career has shifted away from writing towards images, I’ve really missed the opportunity to tell some incredible stories. On some trips, I come home with a hundred images but only 15-20 land on instagram. Once in a while, I come across some truly inspirational characters working on some incredible personal projects. I am also a complete gear-head, with copious amounts of camera and outdoor gear that I use regularly but rarely talk about. Finally, I am also pretty opinionated, especially about subjects like leave no trace, conservation, and sustainable travel.

Basically, it all boils down to this: I have a whole lot more content than I have been sharing, so I plan to bring these stories to life using photography, writing, and – I can’t believe I am saying this – video.

Looking ahead, I plan to continue my daily efforts on social media, but I hope to focus more and more energy here on website, which means regular posts once again. I don’t plan to blog daily; however, I am planning 2-3 weekly posts, including:

• Long-form storytelling
• Photo essays
• Travel Guides
• Gear reviews
• Opinion Editorial

it all boils down to this: starting today, there will be plenty of new content on it’s way! I am excited and I hope you are too!  I just have one more favour to ask of you:

Sign up to the Newsletter

I am relaunching my monthly newsletter, beginning July 1st. While that is just over a month away, I want to encourage you to sign up right away. It’ll have highlights from the blog, exclusive downloads, and discounts on print sales, along with a collection of other content. Don’t miss the change to sign up: