What do you think of my website?

[Light Guru]

Thanks, I really appreciate your feedback, guys. Light Guru - your definitions of feedback are excellent! I would guess yours is positive specific? Yeah... haha, like I said, I was having fun and being silly. I will work on it and post something new for you guys that may actually be considered as professional.

No mine was negative specific. Not sure how you could get positive from what I wrote.

 

[Light Guru]

NEW SITE: d7photo | Wix.com

Sigh, these take so long to make, but I made this new one based off my friend's style. Of course I will add more photos to the portfolio tab once I get some.

It does not have to take a long time to crate or revamp a website. Again check out squarespace.com you can have a website up in 10 minutes that looks better visualy then what you have.

 

[Awiserbud]

I haven't been on this forum long as some of you may know, but the short time i have been here i have learnt a lot from reading the various C&C posts, when i say i have learnt a lot, what i really mean is i have learnt a lot about some of the members, I can't say i have learnt a lot about photography per-say, I'm not saying there isn't anything to learn, or that i don't have much to learn myself, i most certainly do, but i also feel that if i still have a camera in my hand in 40 years time i will still be learning and so will all of you.
there are many users on this forum that have only just found their interest in this hobby, (whatever you wish to call it) and i am sure that many of them when posting a photograph for everyone to look at and point out where it could be improved are reasonably happy with their efforts.
It is all too easy to look at someones work and tell them where they are going wrong, to tell them how things could be better, to remind them of the rule of thirds, or how to position a subject correctly, but it is even easier to tell them its useless and not bother to point out why.
There are many users on here guilty of just that, and while it would be logical to point out that we all had to start out somewhere, and our very first efforts we now looks back on with disgust it is easy to loose sight of that and understand that we are not all in the same league and if your not prepared to be specific and helpful even if your answers are negative then i wonder why you bother to respond to posts like this at all.
I totally appreciate that members who are new to photography have a lot to learn from the more experienced photog, not only with their photography skills but also perhaps with their blind ambitions, but isn't that why they are here.

 

[Tuffythepug]

Daryl, let me put this nicely. I think you are getting way ahead of yourself here. It's fine it you want to fool around with a website and pretend to be a professional for hire but, in all honesty, nobody is going to hire you based on the shots I saw on your site. Yes, there is some promise... some day you will, no doubt, possess the skills to be able to charge for your photographs. But that time is in the future when you've got a lot more experience under your belt. The simple fact that you believe your shots to be worthy of marketing tells me you do not know how to distinguish between fair-to-good shots and true professional caliber work. Keep shooting and honing your skills but also try and learn what makes excellent, marketable photographs in today' market where virtually everyone can take a good picture with a DSLR. You have to be better than the next guy.

 

[panblue]

I did the whole "web designer/graphic designer/photographer" thing too

lol :thumbup:

1998: "what do we need a website for ?! we're a restaurant!"
2008: "what do we need a website for ?! we're on Facebook!"

 

[panblue]

Daryl, your adaptability is commendable, amazing how a front-end redesign can alter the persona.
That said, I personally would bin all the commercial silliness and just show static pictures; no slideshows, shi shi, a la carte typefaces, "because you're worth it" taglines. I feel that however you spin it, free DIY website overlays are going to take a big dump on your 'presence'. IMO switch to a platform that doesn't follow you around, wearing an "i'm with stupid >>" t-shirt and just build up a series of your very best pictures, in a chronological fashion. Keep it fresh and current using Twitter or FB. Explain who you via an About page, if you wish, but generally say nothing until you know what you are about and what you are definately trying to do. Good pictures speak for themselves and amazing pictures can even sell themselves, without a lot of fluff. Check out typical ads for fine art galleries in glossy magazines - they usually say virtually nothing; just show a picture and have a name and contact info. Play it something like this and you have the freedom to photograph what you like, without a commercial constraint.

BTW, the mouse-over menus went dead after I had used them once.

 

[Derrel]

If you really do want to get hired, I would pick one genre of photography, and attempt to become decent at it. Pick just one type of event, or one type of photography. Learn how to shoot that one type of event. Like, say "parties". Birthday parties and family reunions. BBQ's. Whatever. "Social gatherings". Get together the gear, lighting, and most important, the know-how and skill to actually shoot good photos at parties. Then try and get hired to shoot...social events. Build a web site that promotes you as a photographer who knows how to make good pictures at social gatherings.

The typical young professional says he or she can shoot weddings, seniors, products, babies, and a one or two other sub-genres out of a half-dozen...that kind of a pitch inspires zero confidence when I see it used.

 

[KmH]

Your avatar, which you also use on your contact page, needs to be color corrected because of the strong orangeish cast likely caused by a white balance issue (tungsten lighting with daylight white balance camera setting.)

The up-the-nostril shot on your about page might not be the best choice. The devil is in the details.

...

 

[DGMPhotography]

Thanks! Yeah, like I said, I KNOW my photography skills are not that good yet, and I indeed CAN tell that mine are not good in comparison to pro photos. With that being said, I am doing photography for fun. I just got a tripod for Christmas Manfrotto MKC3-H01 Photo-Movie Kit QR (Black) MKC3-H01 B&H Photo and am looking forward to using it. Right now, I know I am not good enough to sell my photography, which is why I haven't hired a graphic or website designer. Right now, I'm just making the website to give myself an idea of what I may want, after input from you guys. With that input, I will eventually come to a designer with my website idea and let him take it where it needs to be to be an effective productive website. Until then, I will keep shooting!

 

[DGMPhotography]

Btw, if anyone else would like to try out Wix.com and post their results... feel free!

 

[janineh]

I used to be with wix and didn't really like it. Its too limited. I am now with creativemotiondesign and much happier. Good luck with it all!

 

[SCraig]

Thanks! Yeah, like I said, I KNOW my photography skills are not that good yet, and I indeed CAN tell that mine are not good in comparison to pro photos. With that being said, I am doing photography for fun. I just got a tripod for Christmas Manfrotto MKC3-H01 Photo-Movie Kit QR (Black) MKC3-H01 B&H Photo and am looking forward to using it. Right now, I know I am not good enough to sell my photography, which is why I haven't hired a graphic or website designer. Right now, I'm just making the website to give myself an idea of what I may want, after input from you guys. With that input, I will eventually come to a designer with my website idea and let him take it where it needs to be to be an effective productive website. Until then, I will keep shooting!

In that case I would recommend that you take down ANYTHING on the site that makes any mention whatsoever to hiring you. As you yourself have stated, your abilities do not put you in a position to try to sell anything however your web site states that you are. When/if it starts showing up on search engines and people start showing and interest they will start to see this lack of ability and this is something that is going to follow you. When your abilities do reach the point that you are able to honestly market yourself do you want this web site to come back and haunt you? All you are doing is trashing your credibility before it even has a chance to get started.

Make it into an amateur web site to show what you can do, there's nothing wrong with that. Have fun with it, learn with it, learn what looks good together and what doesn't. Learn how to get exposure on the internet and what doesn't work. But DON'T pretend to be a professional photographer when you aren't because all that is going to do is come back and hurt you in the long run. Even if you can't get the "Hire Me" link off, edit it so that it says something along the lines of "I am not for hire since I am just an amateur however this template will not allow removal of this tab", but do NOT state that you are available for weddings and events when you are not!

 

[DGMPhotography]

Good point SCraig! I will definitely remove the stuff about hiring me, or at least say something admitting my skill level. Thanks!