I know you love them - Website critique :)
/forum/topic/716390/0

end

Scott Mosher
Registered: Oct 23, 2006
Total Posts: 1404
Country: United States

Due to the fact that my day job goes from fun to frustrating in a matter of minutes, and my hours are going to be cut even more next year, I've decided now is the time for me to start promoting my biz more and going beyond just sports. So I revamped my blog, am testing a new homepage/portfolio, and I've finished getting a bunch of other paperwork done.

So here is my site, I'm open for critique on layout, font sizes, portfolio images, everything really

Some things I know are wrong such as:
- Portrait porfolio has no images in it
- The photo of me on "The Photographer" will be changed
- I'll be cropping all the portfolio thumbs to square so they won't have extra color around them.

Thanks!



Sam Hassas
Registered: Jul 11, 2007
Total Posts: 5964
Country: United States

I like your splash page. Your logo is good but not great. Not bad either though. Very simple and simple is good. Some of the buttons don't work yet, (blog, portfolio etc) you probably know that. I'd prefer an all black screen. I don't like the gray and it confuses the eye as the pictures are rolling.
That said, the layout looks good and it seems to have a Blu feel to it with a twist. Like that.
Shoot more stuff and fill up your portfolio. You have good images but nothing stands out as dynamic. Offer to shoot the best looking family you know for the cost of prints only. Find the best looking recently married couple you know and offer a post wedding session.
Wishing you much success Scott.

~Sam



RichCoyle
Registered: Dec 03, 2004
Total Posts: 98
Country: United States

A little too much flash (the revolving buttons on the menu).

You have a button for Portfolio but also have each of the included items on their own buttons; I'd kill the Portfolio button.

The grammar on the "The Photographer" page needs some work; have a professor at school read it and make recommendations. If a client like me reads it you may lose a potential sale.

Just my 2 cents; good luck with your venture.

Rich



Saad Syed
Registered: Jan 24, 2007
Total Posts: 2914
Country: United States

The menu system is wayyyyyy over done and distracting. I love the preloader animation though. Overall, it has potential.



Scott Mosher
Registered: Oct 23, 2006
Total Posts: 1404
Country: United States

Ok, I've done a fair amount of work on the past while, and now that school is done I am really starting to crank on it.

The site is a template I'll be purchasing, so there isn't much I can do with the animations in the flash. I took some of the suggestions and made some changes, both to the layout and grammar.

Only bug I can think of and know of is the text on "the Photographer" page. Unless you think I should leave it that way



The Grays
Registered: Nov 10, 2008
Total Posts: 463
Country: United States

I really dig the intro to the site!! That little loader is super cool!

I do agree with a lot of the others though. The site is very busy and distracts a bit from the images.

I know this has nothing to do with the site really, but I would highly suggest thinking about your branding and marketing as much as you can. If you eventually want to shoot weddings on the high end, then I would make the site all about weddings (or have the site be all about sports etc if that is where you are headed) because a high end bride wants a photographer that shoots weddings and shoots them well. They do not want a sports photographer shooting their wedding.

I know I have said this a few times to others, but the about section should be as personal as you can make it. Brides have an emotional connection to their wedding in a big way and want to feel connected to you as well. If they feel comfortable with you, then they are much more likely to hire you. If you can make them feel that way after looking at your site, then you are one step ahead of most photographers out there. Check out Jasmine-Star.com to see what I mean. We are revamping our site and it will be up by years end and are taking it in that direction.

Hope that helps!

-Zach



end