How To Be An iPad Blogger

 

Hey there :)

(image from weheartit)

So I've been blogging since about January/Febuary and in that time, I've not once used a PC/laptop, Instead, all content has been produced from my most trustworthy piece of technology, my iPad. Now, this all came about because when I started my blog my laptop had completely broken down and there was no way I could afford a new one, so instead I decided to turn my iPad into a mini laptop... Just so you know, I'm not saying these are the best/must have things to do to be able to blog from your iPad, they're just the things that have helped me on my blogging journey...enjoy!

(image from weheartit)

 

(image from weheartit)

 

(image from weheartit)

(image from weheartit)

 

 

 

Kensington Keyboard

Now, it isn't vital to get a keyboard, but it does make blogging A LOT easier! It gives you maximum screen space and makes it feel like a proper computer. There are loads of different brands and styles of keyboards to choose from, but I chose this one^ by Kensington, it has multiple adjustments so you can positition it in which ever way suits you and it folds away nice and neatly (perfect!). I would certainly recommend this to anyone looking for a keyboard, even though at £79.99 it's a bit pricey, it's definitely worth it.

 

 

 

Camera Connection Kit

Now as ipads don't have a USB input, it was a must for me to find a way to upload pictures from my camera straight the ipad and this was the answer... As well as being a usb source, it also allows you to upload files/images from memory cards at a flick of a switch. Now, this pacific one is somehow not supported by the ipad so it does have some timimg difficuilties, but once you know how to use it you'll never look back!

 

 

The Apps

There are loads of Apps out there aimed at the blogging comunity, but for me, these are the ones that seem to work best. This isn't to say the others aren't great too, but for my prerferences these hit the nail on the head...

 

 

I use google's Blogger to host my blog, and if you've ever tried to write a post on the actual site from the ipad, you'll know It's almost IMPOSSIBLE! It takes ages to upload images and is EXTREMELY hard to scroll down, so I had to find another way to create my content... Now, there is a Blogger App, but it's VERY basic and it doesn't have half the features this beauty has...

This, in my opinion, is one of, if not the best, blogging apps availible. It allows access to a huge range of blogging platforms and after inputting your login info, you have total access to all blogs under that account. Down the right hand side, it has direct links to the most useful sites for bloggers, i.e. YouTube (you can drag any video desired straight onto your page), flickr, instagram...it even allows you access the World Wide Web within the app, so you don't have to keep exiting it all the time...

The document itself has all the features the normal Blogger site has, so there's no problem creating a good looking, well layed out post and you can easily insert links/captions just by double clicking on the word(s)/picture(s) you want to link... At £2.99, this App is a real bargain and will make the process of anyone blogging from their ipad a LOT easier!

 

 

(example of some of the images editted with Pixlr Express)

When I first started out, I must have tried about a thousand different photo editting apps and not one could match the standard of Pixlr Express. Totally FREE at the App Store, it has a wide range of features such as cropping, retouching, FX, overlays, text and many more...

The app is constantly adding new features, which are ALL availible to download without paying any extra costs (FINALLY, an app with no hidden costs!), the current of which is a wide range of stickers to apply to images, a wide range of text options and, the most exciting of all, Alex Box for Illamasqua has teamed up with Pixlr and created their very own selection of editing options i.e. makeup stickers, overlays...this feature allows you to upload images to the Illamasqua site, allowing you to share your creations.

When you first download the app, you can get a bit overwhelmed with the amount of features availible, but once you get the hang of it, you're creating great looking images in no time! This is definitely my most prized photo editing software and I would advise anyone to give it ago, especially as it's free!

 

 

I hope you enjoyed that, I know I did. The main purpose for the post was just to share with anyone who's thinking of/trying to blog from their ipad what apps/accessories I found worked best for me.

As usual, don't hesitate to leave a comment and I'll get back to you as soon as I can :)

 

 

 

Thanks for reading x