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John VonGeezer is off-line
02 May 2012 14:20
GaryWallace
Photographer

Location
United Kingdom
Dorset
Bournemouth

After using Clikpic for about 5 years and not really being overly chuffed with it I had a go at building a site with Webeden. Wordpress was way too complicated for me!

I'd be interested in your opinions on the site. How long it takes to load, the way I've set it up etc,

I made a decision not to use a thumbnail gallery. I wanted the images displayed at full size ..... good or bad idea?

All comments gratefully received

thanks



http://garywallace.eu/


Bill Haley is off-lineSilver Member
02 May 2012 15:27
pompeytog
Photographer
pompeytog
Location
United Kingdom
Hampshire
Portsmouth

I like it, took about 3 seconds to load, easy to navigate and some cracking images there sir.
How hard can it be?


KES Images is off-line
02 May 2012 17:12
KESi
Photographer
KESi
Location
United Kingdom
London
London

Hi Gary. I just had a look on my 13" MBP on Firefox and liked some things more than others.

I quite like the font and it's simple clear design. Not sure about the 'model photography' bit preferring just 'photography' and also not loving the 'pretty pictures' label you've given. Personal opinions obviously but I think they're better than just pretty pictures. On the first page the grey graphic on the lower half of the navigation bar starts halfway (horizontally) through the 'home' button so it's not justified totally to the left which looked a little odd. I thought the 'fashion, glamour' etc words would link to separate portfolio pages which they don't but maybe an option for future?

I don't mind that the pictures load up large as the pics are good but not sure about the order you've put them in as I think some of the strongest need to be on the first line. On the individual pages of the models, there was a huge gap below the last images of each model up to the bottom of the page which seemed a bit odd and I wasn't sure if more would load up or it was deliberate or hadn't formatted all the pictures properly.

On a more general note I felt that the way the galleries were by individual girl rather than theme makes it seem like you're targeting your site at model portfolios to say, 'look, I can do you some pics in lots of different styles' rather than 'I'm a photographer and these are the styles I shoot' (if that makes sense?!).

HTH, regards.


John VonGeezer is off-line
03 May 2012 13:33
GaryWallace
Photographer

Location
United Kingdom
Dorset
Bournemouth

Thanks chaps. Very helpful comments there Kesi and I'll be acting on some of them.....really useful

I made a deliberate decision not to place images in order of strength - the one who came last might get upset! Alphabetical caused problems of inserting new shoots in the right order - the whole lot would have to be shifted, which would take ages. Chronoloigical would mean putting my oldest (least able) images 1st......not really desirable. So I mixed it up a bit.

I am hopeless at choosing what genre I am shooting. What I might call 'fashion' would make a real fashion photographer howl with laughter - so I went for model galleries as an easy option - probably lazy.

I had to think carefully about what I wanted the site to do. Will it get me paid work? I doubt it - there is very little paid model work to be had, but, especially when the new studio is built, it is a site to indicate that I shoot 'pretty pictures of beautiful people' and I'm open to offers. Above all, however, I just wanted to put my pictures somewhere at the size that I want them to be viewed at.

I'm building another site for my more commercially viable photographic endeavours. Previously www.garywallace.co.uk had a right mix and I reallt think it didnt work at all. Someone looking for a family portrait shoot might be put off by loads of pics of girls in their knickers.

Thanks


Lee Baddeley is off-line
03 May 2012 13:58
myshoot
Photographer
myshoot
Location
United Kingdom
Kent
Rochester

Just had a look and enjoyed viewing the images as you say in a large format. Makes a good online portfolio. The only odd thing I found was that my back button on my keyboard wouldnt work and when I went back through the browser It left me at the bottom of the page with nothing in view.


Suzy Monty is off-linePlatinum Member
03 May 2012 14:20
SuzyMonty
Model
SuzyMonty
Location
United Kingdom
Cornwall
UK & Europe -enjoy travelling! -Published Internationally

Fast, clear and concise...very good site.
Excellent in every way.
The images are great, the write up articulate.
You should get a lot of work from it.

New studio at Studland...oooh you are sooo lucky.. Love that beach!cool
Modelling is my passion.


Silverlight is off-linePlatinum Member
04 May 2012 07:27
silverlight
Photographer
silverlight
Location
United Kingdom
Dorset
Bournemouth

Some great shots well done mate!


John VonGeezer is off-line
04 May 2012 12:25
GaryWallace
Photographer

Location
United Kingdom
Dorset
Bournemouth

Quote from silverlight
Some great shots well done mate!


Thanks Wayne
I've been meaning to chat to you about some Studland type stuff that you might be interested in. I'll wing a pm over




Paul is off-lineSilver Member
04 May 2012 12:32
DorsetHammer
Photographer
DorsetHammer
Location
United Kingdom
Dorset
Christchurch

Looks good Gary, some great shots there. Good luck with the new studio.

Do me a favour though, as you have a blog can you keep it reasonably to date - nothing worse that visiting a sites blog only to discover nothing new has been added since the old King died.
It was broken when I got here


Ella Rose is off-lineSilver Member
04 May 2012 18:27
EllaRose
Model
EllaRose
Location
United Kingdom
Oxfordshire


Looks good!

Some thoughts I had when viewing:

- I can't decide if I like the images being categorised by model. On the one hand it seems a bit like you're selling the models (probably because I associate this set-up with agency websites, where galleries are opened for an individual model), but on the other hand I quite like it, as a would-be model might look through the galleries, find the girl who looks the most similar to themselves and be able to imagine what they could look like if photographed by you. Either way, many of the shots (though you probably have way too many overall; I know I can't talk) are really beautiful and you have no reason to shy away from calling them 'fashion' or 'commercial' or whatever if you did want to.
- I would lose the bit about 'tf' - if I wasn't a model on sites like these I would have no idea what that meant and it seems a bit jargony-yet-unprofessional at the same time (to me). You could leave in the info but drop the term, just saying you're available for 'non-monetary collaborations' or 'time exchange', or something.
- I love the fact that you don't have to click on thumbnails to view images - I do that on mine. Maybe we'll start a trend.
www.ellarosemuse.co.uk



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