Displaying photo's - which technique do you use?

Lol999 · Oct 4, 2007

Hi, looking for some points of view on displaying photo's on a website. I curently have my own site that I built myself. I have several photo slideshows that I created in DW and are database driven, that is I put a file path to each image in the database and the website user toggles through images one at a time. When I want to add more images I have to update the database and re-load it to the server along with the images. No biggie. However, I'm contemplating a website re-design and am looking at different options for offering a slideshow. I've seen J! Album but remain unconvinced. I have ProShow Gold which can output in Flash format for incorporation into a page. Anyone use Flash techniques? Lets have opinions on what you use, like and don't like as I'm open for advice on this one.

Thanks, Lol

Sideburns · Oct 4, 2007

forget slideshows. Nobody wants to look through them. Use thumbnails.

Lol999 · Oct 5, 2007

fair comment. keep the opinions coming folks.

Jeff Colburn · Oct 6, 2007

I agree with Sideburns. I never sit through slide shows. There are a lot of ways to show thumbnails that work well.

Have Fun,
Jeff

alan927 · Oct 6, 2007

My site is 100% generated by JAlbum, and I've written 3 skins for it (PowerBase, Profiler and Boxer). What makes you say you're unconvinced? Some skins are normal HTML, but others are JavaScript (Lightbox 2, Boxer, ...) and Flash (BananAlbum, FotoPlayer, SVEx, ...).

I prefer the standard thumbnail/slide format as well. Visitors to my site have told me they like how easy it is to find things with the current design.

Slideshows are a pain to me; especially the ones that start automatically. It's annoying to repeatedly have to stop auto-started slideshows.

Lol999 · Oct 6, 2007

Hi Alan, wrt J!Album I meant I'm not convinced there's one that "rings my bell" for want of a better description. I've looked really hard at it and just don't get the feeling it's the direction I want to go in, but I could change my mind as i'm trying to be open to different ideas. I definitely want to go the thumbnail route I've decided, but it's the mechanics of getting there. Hence the question; is it 3rd party driven such as J! Album, javascript created through downloadable scripts, or created through, say, disjointed rollovers in DreamWeaver?

Thanks, Lol

Battou · Oct 8, 2007

Another photographer I know and have semi regular conversations with uses a combination of slide show and thumbnails, however I don't know what he runs it on.

I could ask if you want me too.

Lol999 · Oct 8, 2007

I'm going to go with thumbnails thanks. I've pretty muc decided how I'm going to achieve it, it's just a matter of getting my hands dirty now!

Cheers, Lol

Claff · Oct 8, 2007

Picasa's "Export as HTML page" or something like that. Simple and works every time with every browser. Why complicate things?

Lol999 · Oct 9, 2007

I've got an odd brain. Things that some people find easy to grasp/use I can't get my head round, sometimes because I look for it to be hard when it's easy, sometimes because I'm just thick! I'll be using Dreamweaver, I know the tool enough I hope to get the job done.

THORHAMMER · Oct 10, 2007

youve got an odd brain ? SO do I .....
we must be brothers from another mother... hahaha

I think the slideshow vs thumbnails thing totally depends on target audience.

wedding clients will want to see something more dramatic or moving, slideshows work well here as long as you also have thumbnails.

Comercial clients prob just want to see normal galleries, or maybye some
tearsheets too.

But if you want to showcase art / or journalism I think a slideshow with
background music is the way to go. Personally I love watching them myself. Just for showcasing a theme or something. But you should also have them available in thumbnail galleries.

Combine art with music its a powerful combination. But it has to be
something people want to cilck on , then they will enjoy watching it, not
an unforseen popup....

Lol999 · Oct 10, 2007

we must be brothers from another mother... hahaha

Wll my old man got about a bit but I don't think it included crossing the Atlantic :mrgreen:

I've found a way to do it in DW but I'm still not 100% happy. I think I need to make some trial pages with the different techniques and just play with them at home until I'm satisfied.

Cheers, Lol

NathanJK · Oct 11, 2007

I use simpleviewer for my galleries. It is however a database driven program. It looks fantastic though imo! I agree with a previous poster, I cant stand slideshows and never watch a whole one. However, my wife watches them all the time. Think about who views your site the most and maybe that could help make the decision!