Another Photography Website - Opinions please.

[southend4ever]

Hi All,

Having seen the support you have given a fellow blues photographer for his site I wondered if you could provide some feedback please.

My dad is trying to set up his photography website at:

http://www.grahamhammondphotography.co.uk/

Ideas as to what information he should put on his site would be most welcome. How he should structure the information he writes about himself and how he presents the site would be most welcome.

As you can tell when you visit the site at the moment he is in the process of building the site, but he has plenty of photos to add. He works for himself and photography is a hobby but he is hoping to take it up once he retires from his job this year.

I really want to help him but have to admit I know little about photography. If you could spare some time to provide some feedback I would be really grateful.

On behalf of my old man, thanks for your input.

Regards,
Greg

 

[South Bank Hank]

Sorry Greg but you lost me at "Please register to view the photos"

 

[southend4ever]

Sorry Greg but you lost me at "Please register to view the photos"

Wow, he didn't have that the other day! That is shocking! Never come across that before. Thanks, SBH, great feedback, that's really naff.

 

[EnglandShrimper]

Sorry Greg but you lost me at "Please register to view the photos"

. . . . +1

 

[South Bank Hank]

Wow, he didn't have that the other day! That is shocking! Never come across that before. Thanks, SBH, great feedback, that's really naff.

Yep, just needs to think about what he's trying to achieve with the website.

 

[Zoe]

WHat does he want to do with his photography when he retires? Does he want an outlet for being a bit arty and the website is a forum for him to share that? Or does he want to make money from it? If it's the latter he needs to pinpoint how exactly he'll do that (as in what area: weddings, advertising, family portraits, sport etc).

Once you know that it's much easier to work a website around those aims.

(Hello by the way - my 1st post)

 

[Zoe]

I work in photography btw, wasn't my intention to jump in here feet first - I was gonna lurk around for a bit tbh

 

[southend4ever]

Hi Zoe,

I think he wants to build a bit of portfolio. I imagine his intention is to start doing some work for friends with portraits and family shots etc. He is learning rapidly at the moment and takes his camera everywhere. He would like to eventually make some money from it for sure. He has been to a few weddings etc but I would suggest he doesn't have a clear idea.

Would you recommend going down a specific path or keeping the options open?

 

[Berrichonne shrimper]

Just a thought but does he really want his name splashed all over a forum.

 

[Jam_Man]

Some feedback:

Theres no "front screen" or home page, takes you directly into a gallery.

Id expect there to be a home page saying what the site is for, ie a personal hobbyist, a pro photographer offering services etc.

Music. I wouldnt put music on a website, its extremely irritating in my opinion.

 

[southend4ever]

Some feedback:

Theres no "front screen" or home page, takes you directly into a gallery.

Id expect there to be a home page saying what the site is for, ie a personal hobbyist, a pro photographer offering services etc.

Music. I wouldnt put music on a website, its extremely irritating in my opinion.

Thanks Jam.

Will have a word. I added the music and put the gallery on. He is due to add a lot more photos but I liked the concept of a gallery to get an instant idea of his work, incase people stumble across the website as opposed to going out their way to looking for it.

I have looked at other sites and people seem to have an introduction with photos dotted around. Obviously everyones ideas for an aesthetically pleasing site vary.

Will re-consider the music. I think you are right, I have come across many sites whereby that irritates me. Of course there is always the option to turn sound off but I know I have exited sites in the past because of music. I'll have a mess around with this again at some point and see what I can do for him on the software that he has bought. It's effectively a wizard so it's fairly limited.

 

[southend4ever]

Just a thought but does he really want his name splashed all over a forum.

I am sure he would much prefer his son 'splashing his name around a forum' than having Berrichhonne shrimper do it as you have to me on multiple occasions. Thanks for the feedback, maybe I could get him to change the name of his website to:

www.hidingbehindacomputerscreenphotography.com
www.anonymousphotographer.com
www.ishootyourload.com

He quite frankly doesn't get a choice in the matter. I am asking the good people of Shrimperzone for their help regarding a photography website not a political debate veering off subject. As per normal if you have an issue please drop me a PM and we can discuss.

 

[Berrichonne shrimper]

No problem at all master hammond,i love your posts and respect you and funky kongs membership of the cs crew and your efforts to work from home,after barma you are my fav poster.
Good pics daddy hammond took but tell him to get on linked in and facebook and also find a trade.

 

[Jam_Man]

Thanks Jam.

Will have a word. I added the music and put the gallery on. He is due to add a lot more photos but I liked the concept of a gallery to get an instant idea of his work, incase people stumble across the website as opposed to going out their way to looking for it.

I have looked at other sites and people seem to have an introduction with photos dotted around. Obviously everyones ideas for an aesthetically pleasing site vary.

Will re-consider the music. I think you are right, I have come across many sites whereby that irritates me. Of course there is always the option to turn sound off but I know I have exited sites in the past because of music. I'll have a mess around with this again at some point and see what I can do for him on the software that he has bought. It's effectively a wizard so it's fairly limited.

Having a gallery on the front page is a decent idea, but at the moment it feels like you have just arrived in the middle of the site. How about having the normal homepage type feel, but add the gallery down one side or along the bottom ?

That way you get the feel you are at the front door, yet still getting the demo ?

 

[Jam_Man]

No problem at all master hammond,i love your posts and respect you and funky kongs membership of the cs crew and your efforts to work from home,after barma you are my fav poster.
Good pics daddy hammond took but tell him to get on linked in and facebook and also find a trade.

Is there really any need for you to hijack his thread with personal sniping ?

If you havent anything to add to the thread then dont visit it...

 

[OldBlueLady]

Is there really any need for you to hijack his thread with personal sniping ?

If you havent anything to add to the thread then dont visit it...

I thought he was making a fair point about his dad's name being splashed over the forum, it's not normal practice to use people's whole names, then he's just come back to see the response? I think most people know when berrichone is on the wind up about something and seems to me he's not here, in fact I'm pretty sure he's supported s4e in his previous disclosures about mental health!

 

[Jam_Man]

Its his Dad, its his choice and surely the purpose of a website is to gain attention, not hide from it.

 

[OldBlueLady]

Its his Dad, its his choice and surely the purpose of a website is to gain attention, not hide from it.

Agreed, just didn't think the comment from you to berrichone was needed.

 

[Jam_Man]

My comment was based on him telling his Dad to get a trade which I felt was necessary when he was just trying to get feedback on his website...

 

[southend4ever]

Any support regarding my mental health was lost since Berrichone started to single me out and use my full name on the site. I know full well it is a wind up given that I have PM'd him asking him to discontinue using my full name in threads on the site. It's a little dig and he knows it. As long as it is good natured I don't mind but being as I don't personally know Berrichone I am not exactly qualified to interpret for him but there really isn't a need to side track here.

Jam, I like the idea of a more basic front page that can introduce the site and what it's about. You're right, the reason behind me posting his name is two fold, one his website address has his name in and he wants to spread the word about his site. This isn't a case of I know something you don't know and this is the person that told me!

I'll take a look at the site again tonight Jam. I think I will definitely remove the music. I'm pretty sure I am limited to what I do but given as he continues to request help I can only try my best on his behalf. Thanks for the advice. Sorry for any disharmony that this thread has caused.