diff --git a/src/components/blog/blog-card.tsx b/src/components/blog/blog-card.tsx
index e77587d..7d587c9 100644
--- a/src/components/blog/blog-card.tsx
+++ b/src/components/blog/blog-card.tsx
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 import { Skeleton } from '@/components/ui/skeleton';
 import { LocaleLink } from '@/i18n/navigation';
-import { PLACEHOLDER_IMAGE } from '@/lib/constants';
 import { formatDate } from '@/lib/formatter';
 import { type BlogType, authorSource, categorySource } from '@/lib/source';
 import Image from 'next/image';
+import BlogImage from './blog-image';
 
 interface BlogCardProps {
   locale: string;
@@ -23,34 +23,29 @@ export default function BlogCard({ locale, post }: BlogCardProps) {
       <div className="group flex flex-col border border-border rounded-lg overflow-hidden h-full transition-all duration-300 ease-in-out hover:border-primary hover:shadow-lg hover:shadow-primary/20">
         {/* Image container - fixed aspect ratio */}
         <div className="group overflow-hidden relative aspect-16/9 w-full">
-          {image && (
-            <div className="relative w-full h-full">
-              <Image
-                src={image}
-                alt={title || 'image for blog post'}
-                title={title || 'image for blog post'}
-                className="object-cover hover:scale-105 transition-transform duration-300"
-                placeholder="blur"
-                blurDataURL={PLACEHOLDER_IMAGE}
-                fill
-              />
+          <div className="relative w-full h-full">
+            <BlogImage
+              src={image}
+              alt={title || 'image for blog post'}
+              title={title || 'image for blog post'}
+            />
 
-              {blogCategories && blogCategories.length > 0 && (
-                <div className="absolute left-2 bottom-2 opacity-100 transition-opacity duration-300">
-                  <div className="flex flex-wrap gap-1">
-                    {blogCategories.map((category, index) => (
-                      <span
-                        key={`${category?.slugs[0]}-${index}`}
-                        className="text-xs font-medium text-white bg-black/50 bg-opacity-50 px-2 py-1 rounded-md"
-                      >
-                        {category?.data.name}
-                      </span>
-                    ))}
-                  </div>
+            {/* categories */}
+            {blogCategories && blogCategories.length > 0 && (
+              <div className="absolute left-2 bottom-2 opacity-100 transition-opacity duration-300 z-20">
+                <div className="flex flex-wrap gap-1">
+                  {blogCategories.map((category, index) => (
+                    <span
+                      key={`${category?.slugs[0]}-${index}`}
+                      className="text-xs font-medium text-white bg-black/50 bg-opacity-50 px-2 py-1 rounded-md"
+                    >
+                      {category?.data.name}
+                    </span>
+                  ))}
                 </div>
-              )}
-            </div>
-          )}
+              </div>
+            )}
+          </div>
         </div>
 
         {/* Post info container */}
@@ -99,12 +94,7 @@ export function BlogCardSkeleton() {
   return (
     <div className="border border-gray-200 dark:border-gray-800 rounded-lg overflow-hidden h-full">
       <div className="overflow-hidden relative aspect-16/9 w-full">
-        <Image
-          src={PLACEHOLDER_IMAGE}
-          alt="Loading placeholder"
-          className="object-cover"
-          fill
-        />
+        <Skeleton className="h-full w-full rounded-b-none" />
       </div>
       <div className="p-4 flex flex-col justify-between flex-1">
         <div>
diff --git a/src/components/blog/blog-image.tsx b/src/components/blog/blog-image.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..49c3213
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/blog/blog-image.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+'use client';
+
+import { Skeleton } from '@/components/ui/skeleton';
+import Image from 'next/image';
+import { useState } from 'react';
+
+interface BlogImageProps {
+  src: string;
+  alt: string;
+  title?: string;
+}
+
+export default function BlogImage({ src, alt, title }: BlogImageProps) {
+  const [imageLoading, setImageLoading] = useState(true);
+
+  const handleImageLoad = () => {
+    setImageLoading(false);
+  };
+
+  return (
+    <div className="relative w-full h-full">
+      {/* loading skeleton */}
+      {imageLoading && (
+        <Skeleton className="absolute inset-0 h-full w-full rounded-b-none z-10" />
+      )}
+
+      {/* actual image */}
+      <Image
+        src={src}
+        alt={alt}
+        title={title || alt}
+        className={`object-cover hover:scale-105 transition-transform duration-300 ${
+          imageLoading ? 'opacity-0' : 'opacity-100'
+        }`}
+        fill
+        onLoad={handleImageLoad}
+      />
+    </div>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/src/lib/constants.ts b/src/lib/constants.ts
index 856a240..b6abc30 100644
--- a/src/lib/constants.ts
+++ b/src/lib/constants.ts
@@ -2,9 +2,3 @@
  * in next 30 days for credits expiration
  */
 export const CREDITS_EXPIRATION_DAYS = 30;
-
-/**
- * placeholder image for blog post card
- */
-export const PLACEHOLDER_IMAGE =
-  'data:image/png;base64,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';