SEO MotionZ Forum

I am about to launch a forum on nature photography, some of my friends said that i should launch a blog also. Is it necessary to do??

That's true if you will launch a blog with your forum, then it will be more good. As, blogs always attract visitors, a great content on your blog will direct the visitors to your site. If they like your content and try to be part of it or have a query then they will join your forum. Apart from this you can make easy announcements of your forum through your blog to the audience. A blog also can be a good targeting medium of your niche as other bloggers will try to guest post and you also be doing guest posting for links which will be in turn good for your forum too.