Website ideas - need your help!!

Rob · Feb 23, 2006

Hey there TPFers!

I'm going to wipe my website and re-do it completely, probably with a hacked up copy of simpleviewer, so it's nice and clean.

Anyone got any clever ideas for me? I'm going to make it more like a portfolio site for the various people, separating them out into single galleries of work. It's going to be cleaner, slicker and better at displaying the pictures.

If you've seen a good portfolio site then please post a link so I can have a look to get ideas.

I'd also like a new logo, any of you skilled PS experts out there want to help me out?? :hug::

Thanks!!

Rob

kelox · Feb 23, 2006

Not any good at web design but I wish you the best of luck.

Rob · Feb 23, 2006

Thanks

Rob

JohnMF · Feb 23, 2006

im a graphic designer, i could help you come up with a logo if i get the time. Failing that, i know there are a couple more designers on here, ArchAngel for one

Rob · Feb 23, 2006

Thanks... I'll probably be asking for help!!

Rob

Digital Matt · Feb 23, 2006

For a portfolio site, I think it should be very clean and simple. Check this out for reference. www.johnkaplan.com

He's got a great book out on portfolio's as well.

Arch · Feb 23, 2006

yea i could help with a logo rob....no worries....let me know what your after :thumbup:

Rob · Feb 23, 2006

Thanks guys... I will let you all know later!!!

Rob

Rob · Feb 23, 2006

Well, this is what I have so far...

http://www.ukphotographs.com/rob/

...anyone got any ideas what I can do to improve it??

Rob

Arch · Feb 23, 2006

I like the little flash player, but im affraid i know jack about web site building....the only stuff i touch is the more 'traditional' graphic design, so i can give you opinions on logo's, layout etc, but not web based tech stuff....... I do like those image viewers tho so it looks good so far. :thumbup:

MommyOf4Boys · Feb 23, 2006

I like it Rob, it is looking good..only thing missing is more photos of your great model Tom..I love looking at your shots of him, he is beautiful (is it ok to call a guy beautiful?) hehe.

woodsac · Feb 23, 2006

We need to know something about "Rob".
Some type of background or personal info. What you enjoy shooting...something. Right now it looks nice, but that's it.
How do we contact you? Do you do custom or freelance work? Where are you located?

I think if you give the viewer some type of friendly introduction on the first page, then lure them in to click around on some images, more people would be tempted to stay. Also, I know you've just got it up, but maybe once you have more images uploaded, divide them up into individual portfolios. That way, the viewer doesn't have to search through everything. They can get to exactly what they are looking for

Hope that doesn't sound harsh Rob? Because I like what you've got so far. Just giving an honest opinion on what I think would help get more visitors. And help keep them interested.

woodsac · Feb 23, 2006

Ok, one more. I don't know if you have a logo yet? Doesn't sound like it.
Maybe you could use that photo of the blue orbit. Get someone to do it in flash maybe? Have it slowly rotate in a circle with UK Photography in the center? That could double as a click point to access your portfolios.

'Daniel' · Feb 23, 2006

Dunno about anyone else but the bottom of some pictures are being cut off in the viewer for me. Seems like it's set too low down in the page.

Also at the top I would change where it says "Rob's Portfolio" to an image rather than highlightable text. Makes it look better. The jagged edges don't look great. I would do that throughout and use gifs to save space.

Rob · Feb 23, 2006

All good ideas Woodie.

Right, here's the objective:

I've made some very high-level contacts in several areas recently. I am now in a position to do some decent portraits for people. However, these are not people who are going to be impressed with my amateurish HTML site as it stands.

I want a clean, professional platform, which says Portrait Photographer. The pictures are not what's going to remain there, so don't panic.

I need to generate more varied portrait work for the site, but I'd like to get the site template up ASAP.

So.... all you design and marketing experts.... What's the next step? I think the light flash gallery format works really well, but I need some more, well, content.

Sadly, my photographic "career" is pretty non-existent! I don't have any shiny awards or concrete achievements to shout about, so the pictures have to stand for themselves!

Thanks for entertaining my conundrum!! Keep your thoughts coming, really, anything is great!

Rob