DesignTime
Wednesday 16th December
Time to re-read the excellent book that sweavo got me for Christmas last year. My photography site is ok. Every time I do a redesign it looks much better than it used to. But I feel it’s getting away from me again.
The challenge this time is to redesign without rebranding. My business cards and stationery are all good, I think – giving the view of quality and competence. The site needs a revisit and that revisit is about to start.
Incidentally, as loyal blog readers, have a sneak preview of my new slideshow Update: Deleted since I’ve redesigned the whole site. I haven’t finished adding photos to it yet (the repeat is too soon), but any comments would be welcome.
Good photos, as ever.
My favourite is probably the one that’s also here:
http://blog.pygmygoat.net/archives/93
Roger
16 Dec 09 at 6:11 pm
Just showed the slideshow to Emma. First thing she said was “Look Mummy, Father Christmas!”
Helena
16 Dec 09 at 6:17 pm
Oh God. And he’s had his beard trimmed as well.
It was quite unnerving seeing him hoving into view!
Jan
16 Dec 09 at 7:02 pm
Ooo, that’s rather good! you’re right, needs more piccies. All portraits at the mo (which is your stock in trade of course!) but how about shoving in just a few of your really nice arty scenic shots? That park with the deer in it, I thought you’d bagged a couple of ace shots there. You never know, David Attenbrough might be recruiting
Nice tune too: good browsing music.
Omally
16 Dec 09 at 8:24 pm
Looks great!
I’m afraid the music put me off a bit.
Rich
16 Dec 09 at 8:24 pm
Christ. Do you really have to have Ned and King on it? Needs to move a bit faster.
lordhutton
16 Dec 09 at 8:59 pm
The music put me off. I immediately muted my speakers. Not because it’s a bad tune though.
This may possibly be because I’m A Young Person and therefore only have an attention span of a few microseconds, but I got bored of waiting for the pictures to change. They’re great photos and I kept clicking the arrows to make the next one turn up. It then took ages to load (possibly my computer?) the next picture, and then when I got too fast with the clicking I just seemed to kill the whole thing and it wouldn’t move away from the King. The thumbnails thing then wouldn’t get me out of it either, because it was also pretty slow to load. So I didn’t make it to the final picture because I seemed to have frightened it into submission.
It was just annoying, because I wasn’t trying to cycle through them as fast as possible, I WANTED to see the next one and it just wouldn’t get there fast enough.
So possibly speeding it up might be a good idea, or giving it a small pep talk about self-confidence. Or maybe I need to start taking Ritalin.
Mort
16 Dec 09 at 10:42 pm
Mort – I know exactly what you mean. I’m an impatient clicker too. However, sitting at the slideshow with the intention of watching it, I thought the transitions were about right.
But that’s not to say a potential customer comparing a dozen different photographers for a job would necessarily have as much interest or would spare you more than a few seconds – web users are a notoriously fussy bunch.
I’m not sure what my opinion is on music with slide shows. I only turn my speakers on when I explicitly want to listen to something, and therefore if a website starts making noise, it would tend to annoy me by interfering with what’s already playing. Maybe I just value silence
But overall, your slideshow looks slick and professional and of course the content is great too. Well done!
Jonathan
16 Dec 09 at 11:53 pm
I’m impatient – I want to see more photos quicker!
Also I’m not fond of sites with music…
… James stops and reads comments above and realises he has the same moans as everyone else then decides to post anyway.
Only other thing was I got 3 B&W photos first which I was looking at for 15seconds (along time in terms of my browsing) before getting a colour one.
James
17 Dec 09 at 9:00 am
Thanks for the comments, all.
The route I’m going down right now is to have a clickable portfolio where you can see all my work quickly if needs be, and the slideshow will be a ‘put your feet up with a cup of tea’ type thing.
Some very useful ideas in there. I really appreciate you all taking the time to give your input!
And Mort… yes… kick back and slow down occasionally. Does wonders for the soul!
Stu
17 Dec 09 at 5:28 pm
I liked the slideshow and the music. The pictures glided into the next one and so on. I liked watching it over and over. I’m not an impatient clicker type though.
I liked the mom and three teenage boys and then the next couple and then the very last guy with the beard and white hair.
The idea of some of your scenic pictures and ones with the deer in the park is a good one.
Great job, Stu!
Debster
17 Dec 09 at 10:59 pm