Some Pictures Are Worth More Than 1,000 Words

Half Dome and Yosemite Valley
Taken in Yosemite National Park, USA on 27 September 2009 by Jimmy Harris.

Three things happen every time I look at pictures like those you see in this post:

  1. I want to jump in the car and go back to see all of these places.
  2. I remember the importance of not sitting at the computer all day long. There is no substitute for sunshine on our backs.
  3. I think about how to really incorporate multimedia into my stories. I have spent countless hours working with words and learning how to use them to paint a picture, but sometimes all you really need is that photo.
Shot by CheWei Chang Yosemite Valley Tunnel View

Some Pictures Are Worth More Than 1,000 Words

I am embarrassed to say I haven’t taken my kids to Yosemite yet. I have shown them pictures and talked about it but it is not the same. These pictures and others help to illustrate what I am talking about but there are some things that you really need to see to appreciate.

Taken by Gabriel Rodríguez.

The General Sherman in Sequoia National Park is stunning. They say it is the largest tree in the world by volume. But that doesn’t have meaning for everyone.

Look at these numbers for a moment and maybe you’ll gain a greater understanding/appreciation for why this tree captures our attention.

Feet
Meters
Height above Base 274.9 83.8
Circumference at Ground 102.6 31.1
Maximum Diameter at Base 36.5 11.1
Diameter 60′ (18.3 m) above base 17.5 5.3
Diameter 180′ (54.9 m) above base 14.0 4.3
Diameter of Largest Branch 6.8 2.1
Height of First Large Branch above the Base 130.0 39.6
Average Crown Spread 106.5 32.5

What Kind Of Writer Are You?

Last week I shared a story about what happened when I was asked what kind of writer I am.  Let me sum it up for those who missed it and don’t have time to go back.

I am the kind who is constantly looking to improve his craft and searching for more effective tools to do so. It is why there is a new theme here and why during the next week or so you might see more changes to how things look around here.

One of the ways I want to improve my craft is by becoming more adept and more polished at using pictures in my posts. This theme lends itself to that.

It is clean and built so that larger pictures work well with it.  Those pictures are a big part of How To Tell A Great Story.

People who are good with numbers and visualizing things in their minds might find the table with the information about how large the General Sherman is to be enough to appreciate its size, but some still wouldn’t get it.

I am not trying to produce a blog that is all things to all people but that doesn’t mean I am going to ignore tools and resources that will enable more to understand and appreciate what is going on here.

Words in combination with pictures/videos are much more effective at telling the backstory than just one or the other.

In my world it would be a mistake not to look for opportunities to become a better and more effective storyteller.  Michael Jordan isn’t my favorite basketball player (he is in the t0p 10) but one of the things I respected most about him was he never stopped trying to improve his game.

The lesson I took from that is the best can always get better and that is what I am trying to do, get better.

What about you?

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By Joshua Wilner

Hi, I am Josh Wilner and I am happy that you have decided to visit my corner of cyberspace. I am a writer/marketer/friend and family man. My professional background includes more than twenty years in working with businesses to help them do a better job of connecting with their existing and prospective customers. More specifically I have worked with companies of all sizes from the Fortune 500 to the new start up to help them build, develop and grow their social media and marketing plans. I love spending time with my family and friends. I enjoy music, reading, writing, playing sports and laughing.

4 comments

  1. Words and pictures, yes. Also comparisons. Rather than numbers, what would really bring that story to life is if they told us how many people, arms stretched out and fingertip-to-fingertip, it would take to circle that tree’s trunk. Etc.

    Reply
    1. TheJackB – Someone complained that this page doesn’t tell you what to expect to find here in this blog so I aim to rectify this with the next line. I am a father who writes about life, parenting, business, politics and fiction. I don’t use an editorial calendar because I don’t map out what I am going to write that far in advance. The primary focus will be on things that relate to children and parenting. But the nifty thing about that is that encompasses a wide range of things. Sometimes I work with companies on their PR/Marketing efforts. If they provide products or services I will disclose it. Here is an incomplete list of companies that I am currently or have recently worked with: Nintendo, Philips Norelco, Subway, Frigidaire and Mattel. Want to know more about me, keep reading. If I wanted to provide a professional description it would looks similar to this: Jack has a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from California State University Northridge. He has been writing for print and web publications for more than twenty years, covering a wide range of topics including: business, technology, parenting, politics, education, sports and religion. That is far too serious so I prefer to use something like: The Jack B. is a writer and author of 39 unpublished books and three screenplays. A former athlete and would be superhero he still fights for truth, justice and the American Way. Though he may look like a grown man, don’t fool yourself he is still a boy at heart. When he is not engaged in Walter Mitty like fantasies he is a husband, father and friend and blogs at TheJackB. Hmm…obviously I have since moved from Random Thoughts over to this place, but that is ok. This page is a work in progress which is a good description for me. I’ll probably tweak this on a regular basis so feel free to keep checking back in because you never know what might show up. I am a prolific writer and update frequently so don’t forget to scroll down the page to see what nugget of wisdom you just might have missed. Here is a short selection of posts to get you started. A Father Describes Parenting A Father’s Burden How Sister’s Helped to Train A Father of “Daddy’s Girl” Inside the Blogger’s Studio- A Dream, Er Nightmare The GermoPhobe What I Dream About I am In Love Becoming a Dad Dad’s Most Important Job A Decade of Dad Grandpa Donuts Why Your Post Sucks and Everyone Hates Your Blog A Letter To My Children- Things That Matter A Letter To My Children-2011 Dad Balances Fear Versus Reality Q&A With Daddy Blogger JackB Save The Last Dance For Me- 75 Years of Marriage An Uncertain Certainty Four Generations & A Wedding The Best Thing My Father Ever Said To Me 1 Foolproof Way To Become a Better Writer The Story Of A House- The Final Days He Died A Hero Twenty-Five Links That Will Make You A Better Writer/Blogger Thanks for coming by, I hope you like it. If you want to reach me use the contact form or try talk-to-jacknow-at-gmail-dotcom You can also find more information by clicking About Me and reading my profile there. Also, I encourage you to sign up for my newsletter using the form on the top right hand side of the page.
      Josh says:

      @RobBiesenbach:disqus You are right. Last night I showed the pictures to my kinds and one of the first questions my daughter asked was how many people we would need to wrap their arms around the trunk.

      Turned into a nice ‘debate’ between the kids about whether we’d need fewer basketball or football players to do it.

      Reply
        1. TheJackB – Someone complained that this page doesn’t tell you what to expect to find here in this blog so I aim to rectify this with the next line. I am a father who writes about life, parenting, business, politics and fiction. I don’t use an editorial calendar because I don’t map out what I am going to write that far in advance. The primary focus will be on things that relate to children and parenting. But the nifty thing about that is that encompasses a wide range of things. Sometimes I work with companies on their PR/Marketing efforts. If they provide products or services I will disclose it. Here is an incomplete list of companies that I am currently or have recently worked with: Nintendo, Philips Norelco, Subway, Frigidaire and Mattel. Want to know more about me, keep reading. If I wanted to provide a professional description it would looks similar to this: Jack has a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from California State University Northridge. He has been writing for print and web publications for more than twenty years, covering a wide range of topics including: business, technology, parenting, politics, education, sports and religion. That is far too serious so I prefer to use something like: The Jack B. is a writer and author of 39 unpublished books and three screenplays. A former athlete and would be superhero he still fights for truth, justice and the American Way. Though he may look like a grown man, don’t fool yourself he is still a boy at heart. When he is not engaged in Walter Mitty like fantasies he is a husband, father and friend and blogs at TheJackB. Hmm…obviously I have since moved from Random Thoughts over to this place, but that is ok. This page is a work in progress which is a good description for me. I’ll probably tweak this on a regular basis so feel free to keep checking back in because you never know what might show up. I am a prolific writer and update frequently so don’t forget to scroll down the page to see what nugget of wisdom you just might have missed. Here is a short selection of posts to get you started. A Father Describes Parenting A Father’s Burden How Sister’s Helped to Train A Father of “Daddy’s Girl” Inside the Blogger’s Studio- A Dream, Er Nightmare The GermoPhobe What I Dream About I am In Love Becoming a Dad Dad’s Most Important Job A Decade of Dad Grandpa Donuts Why Your Post Sucks and Everyone Hates Your Blog A Letter To My Children- Things That Matter A Letter To My Children-2011 Dad Balances Fear Versus Reality Q&A With Daddy Blogger JackB Save The Last Dance For Me- 75 Years of Marriage An Uncertain Certainty Four Generations & A Wedding The Best Thing My Father Ever Said To Me 1 Foolproof Way To Become a Better Writer The Story Of A House- The Final Days He Died A Hero Twenty-Five Links That Will Make You A Better Writer/Blogger Thanks for coming by, I hope you like it. If you want to reach me use the contact form or try talk-to-jacknow-at-gmail-dotcom You can also find more information by clicking About Me and reading my profile there. Also, I encourage you to sign up for my newsletter using the form on the top right hand side of the page.
          Josh says:

          @RobBiesenbach:disqus Hope you and the car were ok. Yosemite is awesome, so much to see and not nearly enough time.

          Reply

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