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Archive 2014 · Website Construction Suggestions?

  
 
eeneryma
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Website Construction Suggestions?


For a long time I've been meaning to build a website to showcase my photos. Not sure if this is the correct forum to ask this question, but I wondered if FM-ers have suggestions on how to make this project as simple and easy as possible. What web building software or services did you use? Who do you do your hosting with and why? Any and all suggestions are much appreciated.


Sep 24, 2014 at 02:22 PM
beavens
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Website Construction Suggestions?


I haven't really gotten terribly deep into my stuff, but I currently use Smugmug for hosting and Namecheap for my domain name.

So far it's super easy to customize and it looks pretty good on all formats.

Smugmug might be about $60 a year and the domain is only around $10 a year.

If you're curious to see an ultra basic, barely touched site PM me and I can send you mine.

Jeff



Sep 24, 2014 at 02:26 PM
Photo GeekMan
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Website Construction Suggestions?


My site is hosted on Hostgator which you can use for as little as $4/month (or you can go crazy and spend $13/month for their "best" plan). You can use almost any Registrar to register your domain name.

For my site, I use a slightly modified photography theme for Wordpress called Pictorico. It's pretty, clean and showcases my photos pretty well without needing any real coding chops on my part. Updating is simple and easy.



Sep 24, 2014 at 03:10 PM
RustyBug
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Website Construction Suggestions?


You might also do a search in the Pro Forum for some ideas (might be similar in PP and Alt Forums, iirc) ... as there used to be a thread or two dedicated to the subject every so often.


Sep 24, 2014 at 08:21 PM
eeneryma
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Website Construction Suggestions?


thanks to everyone for their suggestions. Much appreciated.


Sep 25, 2014 at 10:11 AM
Camperjim
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Website Construction Suggestions?


I would agree. If you do a search you will find lots of suggestions and discussion. I will just add a few comments which might save you some effort. First, I opted for Zenfolio. At the time it was half the cost of Smugmug but I am not sure if that is still true. Both of these provide similar services and if you like what they offer you will not do better. What they offer is relatively low cost hosting, plus templates that make it easy to develop a professional look with little effort. For upgraded costs, they will also provide printing and handle the sales. Zen uses mpix for printing.

Your goals were a bit vague. What is your audience for this "showcasing"? I quickly found that friends and family will look once when your website is new. After that traffic will be thin. If you want to do some serious promotion and sales, you will need a solid plan to achieve success. In addition to flickr and the free hosting services, there are tens of thousands of individual photography webpages. Just having a decent webpage will not attract viewers. I know I quickly lost interest and my webpage is more than a year out of date and it is less than two years old. I put mine together initially because I thought I needed an online gallery for applications for artist registries and for gallery exhibitions and juried shows.



Sep 25, 2014 at 10:25 PM
FarmerJohn
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Website Construction Suggestions?


Jim - have you found that a website makes a difference in the gallery applications?

I do not have a website, though I've been considering it. Thinking about SquareSpace right now...
It does not seem to have the 'upload your images to us and we will use them for whatever we want to promote our services' clause that picasa/zenfolio/smugmug/etc have.

- John



Sep 25, 2014 at 10:34 PM
RustyBug
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Website Construction Suggestions?


eeneryma wrote:
showcase my photos
as simple and easy as possible


You might take a look at WIX for drag & drop build your own or with their canned templates.

I've been looking through a variety of sites, and will not be using the Smugmug, Flickr "legalized theft" sites when I go live. I think the variety of approach to website development is as opinionated as it is for an image or pp, so it becomes a matter of personal preference @ objectives ... i.e. for gallery, personal, storage, sales, promotion, etc. as to which type of platform/build is optimal.

The "legal theft" sites are very convenient and the risk/reward associated with them is likely making a mountain out of a mole hill if you are actually making $$$ selling through them. Philosophically (get over it Kent ), I don't care to pay money to others so they have carte blance license to my work.

In the meantime, my opinion of WIX is that I seem to keep going back to it for brainstorming what I want to build. I went back to it last night to start a new project that I think will actually have lasting power for me ideologically (more about what I want to do than about WIX).

You can put together a gallery pretty easily with the templates. Some reviews bash WIX @ their architecture is not optimal for SEO. Imo, that is a matter of important / not important @ people Googling to find you vs. you directing them to your site. For my needs, it will not (initially) be that important for SEO to meet my objectives. Should that need for optimal SEO change later, I can always change platforms. But, won't that required a duplicate effort and more work ... yeah, if I ever get that far ... I'll cross that bridge after I get famous. In the meantime, I'm still developing the content and have it available to share in what seems to me as a nice combination of ease and/or creativity for your site.

I've not taken my WIX projects live yet, but my temperament keeps taking me back to them ... the weak link in this being me making up my mind, rather than WIX. FYI, I set a goal every year @ something and 2014 is rounding the final turn ... I'll be going with WIX, lest I continue my analysis/paralysis in quest of optimal into 2015 and beyond.

You can build "offline" and they will keep it stored while you edit / build until you decide to publish (as do others), however long that may take. I looked at GoDaddy several years ago, but I find WIX to be a bit more intuitive @ drag/drop editing. FWIW, there are different (and likely better ) routes than WIX, but for what I'm sensing you are trying to achieve ... eh, it's worth a look see @ what you think about it.

HTH




Sep 26, 2014 at 05:54 AM
Camperjim
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Website Construction Suggestions?


John, trying to get into galleries is a big issue. I started by trying to become accepted for the artists registries for two local galleries. One asked about my website and it was helpful. In both cases the gallery committees reviewed emailed images. I was eventually accepted by both but one required numerous phone calls, emails and visits. Getting on the registry meant having some of my images on the member's pages for the online webpage. Being on the registry means very little when it comes to actually having prints in the gallery. Although I am on the registry, one gallery has not even considered my work for display in any exhibition. I was more successful at the other gallery. I was accepted for a member's exhibition, then won a juried competition and then invited to exhibit as part of a larger exhibition. For other galleries, I have been able to exhibit by being selected through juried competitions. In any case, the webpage is only one small easy to do step in trying to be accepted for galleries. It might not be important, but it is expected that as an artist you will have a website. Good luck if you are trying for gallery exhibitions. The situation is even worse for photographers. In my area there are no decent galleries dedicated to photography and most galleries look down on photography as an art medium.


Sep 26, 2014 at 08:56 AM
RustyBug
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Website Construction Suggestions?


Camperjim wrote:
most galleries look down on photography as an art medium.


Granted, it has its own "stereotype".

I'd suggest that is because so many (not referring to anyone here) photographers don't know boo about the tenets of art in photography beyond pushing a button. In some regard photography is an art medium for people who can't draw (I are one) ... but that doesn't mean we shouldn't understand the tenets of drawing, color, light/shadow, scale, mass, line, shape, form, texture, tone, mood, etc. After all, photo+graphy is drawing with light.

I think that the ease and volume of photographers and photographs that exist inundates and dilutes the ability of a photograph to carry the same weight as the perception @ which is required for say a bronze sculpture or a fine watercolor (where there is no "undo" button or software program to do it for you).

I dare say that while few photographers really study photography ... even fewer really study art. THIS ... imo ... is where photographers leave themselves to come up short when trying to intertwine with those versed in other medium also. It's an uphill battle for all artists, but the common photographer really must go above & beyond the "ooh's & ahhs" of pretty pictures to play in that arena.

Someday ... in my field of dreams ... I'll have a place (retreat/workshop) to foster that development to more strongly connect the two. Pipe dream likely, but it's near to my heart.

In the meantime ... I just pulled the trigger @ WIX for my online project and it is now live. Not ready for prime time viewing yet, but that's because I'm revamping things to customize to my editorial agenda and content ... but the ease of use is still there for as custom or simple as one desires.



Sep 26, 2014 at 09:53 AM
ben egbert
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Website Construction Suggestions?


I just abandoned my web page which was at Hostgator. Lots of work and even lots of hits but very few bothered to leave me a message. I used it mostly for photo tips, and trip location stuff with pictures to show various Icons.

I use SmugMug for photo hosting.



Sep 26, 2014 at 05:37 PM
Camperjim
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Website Construction Suggestions?


RustyBug wrote:
.......Someday ... in my field of dreams ... I'll have a place (retreat/workshop) to foster that development to more strongly connect the two. Pipe dream likely, but it's near to my heart.

......


RusytBug (Kent)... First we all have names, I have a hard time with RustyBug as a form of address. Second, I would agree with all of your comments. Third, I thought I would also mention my pipe dream of connecting art and photography. I spent considerable effort trying to find artist residency programs that might take a newcomer and a photographer to boot. I applied to a half dozen or so where the odds of success seemed at least worth the effort. I was rejected by all of them. I am still trying to find ways to move beyond the technical aspects of photography. I need something more than just looking at composition, light/dark and other more advanced skills which I still consider to be just technical. Instead I am looking to expand my skills so I can use photography as a medium for developing and expressing my artistic goals, vision and intent. Well, I am not sure what steps are next, but Kent, we have conversed enough that I know you understand.

Sorry if we are getting too far from the original topic. Jim, aka Camperjim



Sep 26, 2014 at 09:17 PM
eeneryma
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Website Construction Suggestions?


Thanks again for all comments and suggestions. From talking to artists and photographer friends, marketing and promotion for professional purposes takes up a great deal of their time. A website is a first step. I think the overall process of creating a website is a task which will bring me a greater understanding of my photography and what I'm trying to create and convey. I've spent 6 months going through photos I've taken over the last 10 years, culling out my favorites, and organizing them into categories. Ultimately, my own personal gallery for others to see...


Sep 27, 2014 at 12:02 PM
RustyBug
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Website Construction Suggestions?


I just noticed the "TOP 15" button ... looks like Fred has made a mini-portfolio feature for us.

I was going to ask about how much you had culled your 10 years down to for your promotion, but now I'd challenge each of us to fill in our own TOP 15. Could be interesting to see what we each come up with.



Sep 27, 2014 at 03:21 PM
eeneryma
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Website Construction Suggestions?


I’ve been taught that photographers make one body of work their whole lives. If you can define and identify the threads and ideas, it will help you refine your work and you as an artist, giving you a stronger mission and sense of purpose.
Since I work full time and don't make a living from photography, it is a part time but consuming challenge and passion for me...as I assume it is for many blogging on this website. Of the thousands of photos I take each year, there are probably 100-150 each year that like a lot, but only a handful that I think fall into the exceptional category. To capture that incredible moment where everything comes together...that is the challenge and reward for all of us.



Sep 27, 2014 at 03:43 PM





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