Starting up my business

Jayson Prentice

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Dec 22, 2005
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Location
Terril, IA/Ames, IA
Website
www.stormcenterusa.com
I've been spending my Christmas break working on my new webpage for photography business. I have most of my information up now, still have to make the contact page operational and add some details in the FAQ section.

Any comments on the overall design is appreciated, but what I'm mainly concerned about is my offerings for types of prints. Should I offer so many types such as lustre, glossy, lustre w/ coating, etc. or should I limit this down to only offering glossy and one lustre so I'm not to confuse people? I've yet to decide on my senior photo options, any input there is also welcome.


Jayson Prentice Photography
 
Your background color gives me a headache!!! Maybe something not so bright?
 
Hmm... Actually that is the first complaint as to the colors of the site. But, I will look into a bit of a color change; it might be needed anyway to separate my photography side of the site from my weather and storm chasing side of it.

Any other comment besides the colors?
 
Its pretty basic, witch is not a bad thing. Usually I think that black, white, and greys are the best colors for your background because it make the photos you have on the site stand out more. They are not dominated by the background.
 
A bit of a nit pick but there are a few grammar and spelling errors. The layout looks nice and simple, not at all confusing. Some sites are trying to be too clever and become simply annoying.
 
I agree with Patrice, this could use some work.
"Offering in game shots of players & coaches for any sporting event begins with at just $30 plus travel charge."
 
I suggest for basketball that you put on the 50mm f1.8 and get down on the floor, f4.5 will not cut it in any gym that I have shot in. Sorry but I would not put those basketball pics up as samples of my work.
 
So a good proof reading can be done and change some of the wording around. I know the bball images currently up there aren't the best and I will likely be getting to use the fifty on a Friday night game and add those to it and dump the others. (Just got the fifty yesterday)

MIPhotos, do you mean what program I'm using for the html portion of the website? If that's the case, then I'm just using my html knowledge. The gallery is being done with 'Gallery' software.
 
A photographer's website should look like a photographer's website and reflect--instantly--that the proprietor is a photographer.

I just didn't get that impression when I clicked on your website link.

Having scoured hundreds and hundreds of professional photographer's websites in the course of my (former) creative director duties, I can tell you from firsthand experience that if the opening page doesn't offer something visually interesting and captivating, I click out--never to return again.

You have some very nice work in your galleries, so . . . DISPLAY IT RIGHT UP FRONT.

SHOW ME SOMETHING as a first time visitor to your business.

You're in a visual medium, so show me--I want to see rather than read early on so I can decide if I need to read further.

Secondly, your copy need some help. I gather that you are a college student? If so, head over to your Journalism or Mass Communications department and offer to trade a couple of pitchers of beer or lunch to an advertising major in exchange for them helping you with your copy.

Hardest thing there is is promoting yourself. For some of us, our natural inclination is not to "over promote" and in doing so, we sell ourselves short. Others over promote and/or over promise; that's equally as bad.

But first and foremost, give us a couple of good, captivating visuals that come up as soon as we click on your link. Again, you've got good stuff in your gallery--don't make me wait or try to find it. Get it in front of me as fast as you can.

Jeff
 
Thanks Jeff... My previous design did have decent sized thumbnails along the dividers instead of the lines that are currently there. Would that be an appropriate display?

I'm not getting what you mean by 'my copy', care to expand on it? Thanks
 
This is a photography website. It should look like one. When I see your page I see words first...are you a writer...no, you're a photographer. Show us some pictures right away. Maybe even use a little flash in the beginning to show off your pictures in a slideshow. I want to know that you're a photog right from the beginning of your site. I think Skyhawk is talking about the layout and design of the website when he says "your copy". I could be wrong though...wouldn't be the first time.
 
I've begun adding some pictures to the main page, just a quick change to give an idea of what I'll be doing. I'm not a big fan of flash sites, as most people just skip through them; so just some thumbnails onto the site I think is nice.

I'm starting to learn flash and may eventually establish the homepage into a flash template. That might take a while though to learn the workings of flash.
 
I understand your concern about flash sites, I was just talking about putting a small from imbedded frame in your HTML page right at the beginning that basically has a slideshow of your images. Not doing the whole page in Flash...just a small piece. I'll take a look here at what you've changed in a bit.
 

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