I am delighted to announce the formal launch of the ActiveRainPhotoBlogger group today here on ActiveRain. This is an exciting opportunity for all us here in the Rain to learn better ways of presenting our photo blogs, sharing resources for those presentations and having the BEST photo blogging available on the Internet. We will have tutorials on developing rich SEO for your blog posts , branding and copyright features to protect your valuable photo property, contests for developing the best community posts and most importantly a place where we photo bloggers can call home here in the Rain.

Photo Blogging is for everyone. We all use photos to enhance our blogs post. The difference may be as subtle as recognizing that the Photo doesn't just have to enhance the story, it can be the story. Another key difference is that the photo is yours. We will have members that will write tutorials on enhancing your photos to present the best story. From color enhancement to cropping the subject, it is all important in the presentation.

We will share the resources for applications, software and slide show programs that can work best. Photo Journalism has come to the Rain. In fact it has always been here but perhaps not highlighted to the extent that it will be.

We Welcome You to join this group and to help build it to exciting new levels. Below our wonderful new Logo designed and created by our group administer, Debi Boucher, are the guidelines and goals for this group. Please read them over. We welcome your ideas and membership in the ActiveRain Photo Blogger Group.

The Goals and Guidelines for the group are as follows:

The major goal for this group is to provide a type of photo journalism for ActiveRain members that would present our photos in better presentation form. By presentation form, I mean in a more complete way than just adding a picture to a post. It could be a single photo of course or it might be a slide show that could have more to it than just photos. It might be a series of photos that creates a story. For the more complex presentations, there are various tools on the Internet that will facilitate this and we can share those resources that will help each of us learn better how to present our photo stories in exciting formats that will be enjoyed by our members as well as consumers.

ActiveRain has a requirement for it's posts that receive points toward a members standing, that it contain no less than 50 words along with any photo, video or slide show. Respecting that requirement, the ActiveRain Photo Blogger Group will also require at least the minimum number of words (50) in the description or story. Photos, videos, or slide show presentations with no minimum word description will regretfully be deleted from the group posts.

The type of photos that are not suitable would include, obscene, offensive, or photos that would depict personages in any manner deemed derogatory. We have full decision powers over what is obscene, offensive or deemed derogatory and our decision as it pertains to this group shall prevail. Those posts will be deleted from this group. As a member, you are encouraged to invite others to seek membership that would contribute to the overall goals of this group.

The goals for our group would include: to present your own unique photos that inspire, images that inform, images that excite ,images that would enhance our cities and communities by telling a story and in positive ways contribute to the enjoyment and enlightenment of our respective readers. The only real caveat to this group is that the photos and materials you present here are your own. You will be encouraged to use the resources we share to add your name or your own copyright marking to all of your photos.

This is a photo blogging group that use their own photos and the photo (s), videos and slide shows become the inspiration for and an integral part of the post.

One of the first administrators to be announced is the multi talented Debi Boucher who knows a great deal about taking photos and making presentations with them. She also designed and created the wonderful ActiveRainPhotoBlogger logo that you see above. I am looking forward to working with Debi and our group members will have a real professional that knows photography as well as photo presentations for guidance.

Brad Andersohn, one of the amazing talented staff of ActiveRain had agreed to be our counselor and adviser to help us each have the very best experience with our photoblogging efforts. We are all looking forward to welcoming our experienced ActiveRain members and new members alike. We actively invite your participation in the ActiveRain Photo Blogger Group.