Critique my site!

FattyMcJ

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Heya folks, and thanks for clicking into the thread.

I've been working on my website for the past few weeks, with the help of some local people and friends (schwettylens) giving their ideas and critiques.

Now I'd like to ask for a wider audiences opinion. That's where you come in! Please take a look around, and feel free to post here what you like, what you don't like, and also why. Be as harsh as you'd like, I won't get my feelings hurt, I want to get better!

FMJPhoto.com - Wedding & Portrait Photographer - Jason M. Schoshke


I'd like to make the site as user friendly as possible, while keeping it simple and clean. Also, if you find any bugs, PLEASE let me know!

Thanks! ;)
 
I work for an advertising agency and I map site websites. The site looks nice! Just a few things. You don't need "email" at the bottom -- that's what the contact page is for. Switch the location of your "about" and "portfolio". Also, you don't need a Facebook link in your main navigation. You have a logo button for that.
 
I like it, looks great. Sure puts mine to shame.
 
I would also make the text on your contact page match the font on the rest if your site or if that's not possible than a similar font like Arial.
 
I work for an advertising agency and I map site websites. The site looks nice! Just a few things. You don't need "email" at the bottom -- that's what the contact page is for. Switch the location of your "about" and "portfolio". Also, you don't need a Facebook link in your main navigation. You have a logo button for that.

Ahh, so you'd prefer the About me to come before Portfolio? I read somewhere that you want people to go to your portfolio first and since we read left to right, it's logical to put that before. But looking at other sites, it's not that way. So...I'll swap it and see how that works.

As for the Facebook link, do you think I should get rid of the logo at the bottom for that? Or just leave it and take out the nav bar link? Maybe ad a small logo to the nav bar and get rid of the bottom button? What would you do?

I would also make the text on your contact page match the font on the rest if your site or if that's not possible than a similar font like Arial.

Good catch! I'll fix that right now.


Thanks for ALL the comments so far guys! I really appreciate it!
 
On a design note. I'm not liking the font on the about page. It weighs down the design. But otherwise, I think you are going in the right direction. As a guide, serif fonts are easier to read lots of copy on paper (books, newspapers), but a san serif font is easier to read a lot of copy on a monitor. I think a nice clean san serif font will work better.
 
Looks good. Any way to get your pictures to be larger when viewing? One thing I like when I look on peoples websites is for the picture to "pop" not have to get closer to my computer to view. Great photos by the way. Do you know Dawn Sparks from your town? She just did both my cousins weddings and is amazing! Would love to visit there someday! Also, think it is great you offer the "teach" people....I would take lessons if I lived closer...don't think you want to travel to NY!
 
my 1st view was people with very yellow teeth! nice site tho
bigthumb.gif
 
On a design note. I'm not liking the font on the about page. It weighs down the design. But otherwise, I think you are going in the right direction. As a guide, serif fonts are easier to read lots of copy on paper (books, newspapers), but a san serif font is easier to read a lot of copy on a monitor. I think a nice clean san serif font will work better.
Thanks! Fixed to Helvetica :)


Looks good. Any way to get your pictures to be larger when viewing? One thing I like when I look on peoples websites is for the picture to "pop" not have to get closer to my computer to view. Great photos by the way. Do you know Dawn Sparks from your town? She just did both my cousins weddings and is amazing! Would love to visit there someday! Also, think it is great you offer the "teach" people....I would take lessons if I lived closer...don't think you want to travel to NY!

The Slideshow, and Portfolio galleries are stretchy. On my 27" iMac I have my web browser (I use Firefox, Chrome, AND Safari to check things) open up pretty big, and the photos are VERY large, but when I shrink the window a wee bit, they automatically adjust in size to a normal web size. That way, anyone with any size browser window can see the full photo. Try stretching out your browser window and let me know if it changes/doesn't change. Also, what browser are you on?...maybe my code is messed up for that browser (please tell me you don't use IE lol).

my 1st view was people with very yellow teeth! nice site tho
bigthumb.gif
Hmm, on my screen it looks pretty normal. The whole photo has a warm feel to it, but maybe I should go back in and whiten them up a bit. Thanks for noticing!
 
Nice, clean, WYSIWYG. easy to navigate.
your pricing page is kind of at odds with the rest of your feel. You have a nice, clean, refined feel until you get there and it kind of reads like an infomercial. Same with all of the colors on the contact page. You have a clean, black and white site that makes your photos the focus of everything. The bright red and blue lettering doesn't flow with it and kind of looks tacky.
The giant blue facebook button is another eyesore on a beautiful site. Downsize it to print? Something like a print across the bottom that includes your Blog*Facebook*YouTube*Twitter*Google+ and or any other web presence you may have.
The title/logo/name at the top of the page. I am on a fairly decent sized monitor and it's pushing your pics off the bottom edge of the page.
Your about page-lose the contact link and bio link. If I go to your about page I expect to learn about you. You have a contact page for the contact part. If I want to contact you, I click on the contact link to get that... Put your BIO on that About page.

It's truly a beautiful site.
 
Looks good.&nbsp; Any way to get your pictures to be larger when viewing?&nbsp; One thing I like when I look on peoples websites is for the picture to "pop" not have to get closer to my computer to view.&nbsp; Great photos by the way.&nbsp; Do you know Dawn Sparks from your town?&nbsp; She just did both my cousins weddings and is amazing!&nbsp; Would love to visit there someday!&nbsp; Also, think it is great you offer the "teach" people....I would take lessons if I lived closer...don't think you want to travel to NY!<br>
 
Nice, clean, WYSIWYG. easy to navigate.
your pricing page is kind of at odds with the rest of your feel. You have a nice, clean, refined feel until you get there and it kind of reads like an infomercial. Same with all of the colors on the contact page. You have a clean, black and white site that makes your photos the focus of everything. The bright red and blue lettering doesn't flow with it and kind of looks tacky.
The giant blue facebook button is another eyesore on a beautiful site. Downsize it to print? Something like a print across the bottom that includes your Blog*Facebook*YouTube*Twitter*Google+ and or any other web presence you may have.
The title/logo/name at the top of the page. I am on a fairly decent sized monitor and it's pushing your pics off the bottom edge of the page.
Your about page-lose the contact link and bio link. If I go to your about page I expect to learn about you. You have a contact page for the contact part. If I want to contact you, I click on the contact link to get that... Put your BIO on that About page.

It's truly a beautiful site.

Thank you for really digging deep! So on my pricing page, would you prefer me to get rid of the photos and have it all just text? Or less photos more text? Get rid of the first section? Maybe get rid of the "heading" for each section? What would make that better?

I'll make the header logo a bit narrower vertically so it doesn't push the bottom stuff so much. Hadn't thought of that before!

And I just fixed the About->Bio Contact->Contact links. No more interim gallery links to confuse people.
 
The About page isn't working.- works now :D

And I for one, appreciate the email at the bottom. Its easier sometimes than digging through a bunch of pages, and doesn't take too much space.

Your pricing page looks amateur, if I was shopping around and saw that I'd immediately click out and keep searching. For one, there's a lot of words I'm not going to take the time to read, I scrolled down for the bottom line. All of the stuff included in the Asterisk should be on your contract and reviewed in person/on an email when someone expresses interest, rather than on your website.

I'm assuming you don't really give ALL of the images you take, so I would take that off or include a specific number (up to 50 images, ex), otherwise people think they are going to get 300 images. People assume prints can be made from CD's, so instead of mentioning it on your website, mention it in person or in email.

All the extra stuff you offer, modeling, automotive, etc, either take off, or add actual images to your portfolio. It just takes up space, and makes you seem like you're not specialized in portraiture and weddings.

Don't add extra for the studio rental fee. If you're going to offer it, it needs to be built in to your overall costs. Have you done the COGS thing?
 
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Your education thing kinda weirds me out. If your looking to mentor someone, I think there would be a better way to advertise that then on your website for clients.
 

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