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Hi,
I have been trying to put together a small web site to load up my photographs.
Could you please take a look and let me know what you think.
Here it is...
Its not about selling photos that might come later just working on the layout for now.
Thanks
Just took a look at your web site. I think the initial impact is rather fussy, too many things on the screen makes it rather distracting, try just one good photograph with your name below then link into a gallery and information about yourself. One other thing remove your name overlay from the pictures, people want to see your work, they will know who you are from the initial page and information page. If you want to get some idea of a good looking website for photographers should look like go to
www.amazinginternet.com and look what they produce. By the way I have nothing to do with that site, I just think their work looks good from a design point of view. I hope you are successful in the future and gain work from your site, all the best.
Hi John. Just a bit of feedback...
I agree with mack's comments in so far as the flashing buttons are not a great idea as they become irritating after a short while.
Also, as Mack says, maybe just the one quality image on the homepage and maybe a little smaller. This will speed up the loading of the page which is critical on website to keep the viewers attention.
I would also say that i have fallen into the trap of saving and displaying multiple copies of images of the same subject which is OK for personal record keeping but the single best image of each subject is probably better as the subject matter will vary more and again hold the viewers attention.
Just my tuppence worth as i have done a couple of website design courses but one up to you as you've done it and created one. Well done. Mine is still in the offing!
One thing i do like a lot is the scrolling left hand frame - i think it works well.
Best Wishes
Stuart
Hi
I agree with most of the above. I do not however agree about the scrolling left hand frame. I don't like it, but that of course is only MY opinion.
Take a look here: for design tips. I have posted this link before.
The opening page needs impact! Make it stylish, not fussy. Do not be afraid to start with any templates that come with your web design software. Definiteley take off the overlays on the pictures. You can slice your pictures with PS and make them difficult to download if you want.
Here is an example of a website that I am working on at the moment for a photographer. It is attached to the end of one of my own websites so that I can test it out and get feedback from Stylestudio.
Keep working at it. Websites should always be a 'work in progress'. Best of luck.
Keith Hart
Hi John...some more feedback for you: -
I have just had a browse of the website and additional links and must agree with the comments so far.
The front page lacks impact, taking on board the comments from Mack & Stuart, it dosen't encourage you to continue. I like a minimalistic look - "Less is More" - try for a more "Urban" feel. I suggest you loose the multiple colours, and the top frame link / banner.
On a more positive note, the gallery links do take you to more pleasing pages, simple colours, nice presentation with just enough information. Don't dislike the scrolling lhs frame, but could you use another method?
Congratulations so far, web site design can be a thankless task and you're actually getting somewhere, so keep at it and hope you find the critique useful. I am also just in the process of a similar project and have just put up a site for a friend, (80% complete). You're welcome to take a look at it for idea's and see what you think. Your comments of course welcome in reply.
Dave Wood Photography
Cheers Nigel.
See here for another ePHOTOzine discussion on websites and a good example of a stylish site.
www.retouchme.co.uk
Don't give up, keep experimenting, best of luck.
Keith Hart
Tacky.
Have a look at Pete's.
This is the sort of thing you should be aiming for IMHO.
Get rid of the tacky early 90's style flags and that joke of the day thing,and anything else that bounces or flashes they really drag it down.
Clean cut, simple and easy to navigate is all that is needed. No gimmicks.
Hi again JJmills
Just took a look at Dave Woods site and Pete's and that is the kind of image I was getting at, both nice and clean, to the point and initial impact. Remember it is the first page that the client looks at that gives him the confidence in you, just as your business card should do. In other words it looks professional.
Hope now after all these guys on here have given you some help your web site will look great by the time its finished.
jjmills
Are the comments you are getting helping, you posted this topic 2 days ago but have not commented since. If you want help at least acknowledge the help people are offering (whinge over)
I've looked at setting up a website for a couple of years and have decided to use clikpicthe templates are already set out just chose the style and colour then it is a simple matter of uploading the photos and typing the text. The cost is 35 a year and you can buy domain names with them (xxxx.co.uk, xxxx.com etc) To me this seemed the easier option as all the hard work is down and it is just a case of selecting what you want.
On feedback on your site so far i would agree with the above comments. The thumbnails running along the bottom may work better. Also you need to select the best of a group of images as in you Queen Mary 2 there are a lot of shots are very similar. You need to decide which are the best of the group and just post those rather than giving the impression you have uploaded every shot you took that day.
Also no need to show the date the shot where taken on as it gives the same problem as mentioned above. It also would be good to be able to go from one gallery to the next without having to back to the homepage. Not sure of the reason of putting your calendar on the website do you want people to know what you are doing.
i hope you find this comments helpful my advice would be to look at using someone like clikpic as it may be easier in the long run or at least follow their style. Consider what shots you upload as many are very similar and you can tell they where all taken on the same day which does not look good.
Hope comments left so far do not deter you as I would not consider starting from scratch so well done for that.
Phil
PS Hopefully my website will be up and running in a couple off weeks so check back on my portfolio (in the near future)and i will welcome your comments
Hi All,
Sorry for not posting back sooner, just been a more than busy few days.
Thanks for all the feedback and suggestions so far.
I will be working on a new front page and will move the copyright watermark.
Have also been working on a Slideshow page, if anyone has the time to review.
The calendar is just for testing now may use it for whats on in the Highland region if it works.
Again thanks
John
Home Page
Perhaps you need to look at the helpful comments above again,
And take on board what has been said!
The slide show just says come and have a look at my holiday snaps,
Fine for family viewing,
put torture for anybody else.
Hi andytvcams
I am taking onboard what everyone has said just have not had the time to act upon it.
The shots will be slimmed down, so and so forth...
The slideshow is just for testing as is the whole site.
As I said earlier I will be working on it again taking onboard all the comments that have been made.
I think this site is great for feedback and airing ones thoughts, just to note over the past few days over 175 people have taken a look at my site and I am greatful to the few that have taken the time to post a reply, they all help.
Thanks again.
John
Hello John
For a good FREE stats counter try here
Hit counters (which should NOT be visible to the visitor) are a very important tool for the website developer. You can see who is visiting your site and what is being looked at. However, remember that 175 'hits' can mean different things. A 'hit' can be a page load or it can even refer to a 'html' object, therefore there can be many 'hits' per page. It does not necessarily mean 175 individual visitors.
The above stats download is very useful. You can use the 100 logfile version for FREE or pay a small sum per month to increase your logfile size.
Best of luck and looking forward to the new look site.
Keith Hart
I will restrict myself to just commenting on your comment that you want to get it right in the camera and not to edit. That is your privelege but flies in the face of the whole point of modern photography which has returned us to the early days when every photographer did his own processing ... but the computer makes it so much easier for us today and opens up huge opportunity. You have a very good camera and it is a pity you do not match it with a good editing programme. To me the camera and editor are two legs to walk the digital road, without both one is a cripple.
In the Falls album I noticed different versions of the same photograph which to me is pointless unless you are commenting on the fact for some reason .. tutorial etc.
You appear to be using a template which is fine if you don't want to learn even basic html, which is about as far as I have got, but it does mean that it looks like numerous other sites who's owners have used the same template.
I dislike thumbnails at the size you are using and you will see what I like in my site . These are based on the premise that a viewer will not want to view every shot so I give them a reasonable sized image to really be able to see if they can be bothered to wait and download the large version which are near full screen size. I contradict myself somewhat since the large versions are organised so that one can work your way through each album without returning to the thumbnails.
I aim to cull my page fairly shortly since there are better, fresher anyway, shots on file waiting to be seen.
This is where I am after around four years of learning and development which started with me using the 'Save as html' found in MS's Word and then studying the html that the programme wrote for me, later I bought an old book on the subject from a discount store which serves as a reference.
I well know how much effort you have put into your page so I wish you the best with it as you cull and update it. Happy to help if I can in any way.
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