Author Topic: Need your opinion.  (Read 12375 times)

lins_saving_grace

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Need your opinion.
« on: May 11, 2006, 10:59:58 am »
As you know I've got the photography bug and want to make a website to do 1.) pup photography 2.) crosstitch and 3.) general photography and matting and stuff. 

I got one front page of a web site "roughly" designed and I do have another version of this one but saved it wrong to a disk last night.  It's basically the same but without the dog blogs.  I want to make it so each picture opens another page full of creative pics and designs, etc. but this is what I could do without it being published. 

I hope to add other breeds by asking neighbors if I can snap some pics of their dogs.  I just happen to have a library full of Rott pictures right now.  It's a work in progress.  I think the photography thing will have to be a pretty local thing for now anyway.  :(

so...give me your opinions, advice, ideas, critisims, etc.  Be brutal and open.  I really want this to take off and get going soon and I want to know what people looking at it will think of it before I jump in without looking.  :)
 
Thank you!   
« Last Edit: May 11, 2006, 11:28:02 am by lins_saving_grace »

Offline ZooCrew

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Re: Need your opinion.
« Reply #1 on: May 11, 2006, 11:15:54 am »
I think it looks great!  I love the name pupography.   :)

I only have one suggestion.  For the info with Lady, you have to follow the sentence from one side of the pic to the other, which can be a bit hard to read.  You may want to format it like you did for Grace.

lins_saving_grace

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Re: Need your opinion.
« Reply #2 on: May 11, 2006, 11:19:30 am »
I think it looks great!  I love the name pupography.   :)

I only have one suggestion.  For the info with Lady, you have to follow the sentence from one side of the pic to the other, which can be a bit hard to read.  You may want to format it like you did for Grace.

Why thank you!!!  I don't know how I thought of the name...it just fell out of my mouth one night.
I see what you mean.  the word wrap didn't work there well.  I just gotta move the picture to the corner and it should be continuous sentences.

Offline Rachel

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Re: Need your opinion.
« Reply #3 on: May 11, 2006, 11:34:07 am »
have you tried googling pet photography to see if there is anyone else in your area doing it?  It would also allow you to see if there is a real market for it.   I would skip doing general photography unless you have experiance or a degree.  There are lots and lots of professionals out there which I think people would tend to drift too.  Plus you would have to get a nicer camera.   Are you looking for a side job? or a hobby?  I would look into wedding photography.  Brides are paying big bucks for their photographers.  You could try to apprentice with someone till you have a little experiance and a portfolio.  Wedding photography is nice because its usually only weekends but on the other hand it can be very stressful to make sure you get the shot (i.e. you can not miss the first kiss shot).  Let me know if you want any more opinions, i don't want to babble your head off.  :)

p.s.  check out www.etsy.com
Rachel and Sophie

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www.seasidequi lts.com/blog

Icerotti

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Re: Need your opinion.
« Reply #4 on: May 11, 2006, 11:38:52 am »
 I really love it Lins.... YOu have such a way with words too!
The only constructive critisism I can see is what zoocrew stated.

Awsome job Lins ;D ;D ;D

lins_saving_grace

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Re: Need your opinion.
« Reply #5 on: May 11, 2006, 11:45:34 am »
have you tried googling pet photography to see if there is anyone else in your area doing it?  It would also allow you to see if there is a real market for it.   I would skip doing general photography unless you have experiance or a degree.  There are lots and lots of professionals out there which I think people would tend to drift too.  Plus you would have to get a nicer camera.   Are you looking for a side job? or a hobby?  I would look into wedding photography.  Brides are paying big bucks for their photographers.  You could try to apprentice with someone till you have a little experiance and a portfolio.  Wedding photography is nice because its usually only weekends but on the other hand it can be very stressful to make sure you get the shot (i.e. you can not miss the first kiss shot).  Let me know if you want any more opinions, i don't want to babble your head off.  :)

p.s.  check out www.etsy.com

babble away...it's good.  Yeah...i could live without the general stuff.  I was toying with that thinking i could do my own shots (not really of people and portraits) and kinda frame and mat them to people's liking. more of an artsy thing.  I'm not ready for a new expensive camera either.

I will definately google pet photography though.  I know people love their pets and I've only seen one pet photographer in the area so far.  I saw her card at the vet's office. 

This would start out as a hobby and maybe turn into a home based business.  That's a big maybe.  I have people at work asking me to take pictures for them and stuff and figured I could do it.  I have a degree of sorts.  Journalism.  I had a few classes in photojournalis m (back when you developed pictures with that stinky fumey chemical stuff in a dark room where you could see what you were putting your hands in.) 
that's a way cool website!!!!  I'll have to tinker with that one with my quilts too.  Thank you...you're terribly helpful.

lins_saving_grace

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Re: Need your opinion.
« Reply #6 on: May 11, 2006, 11:46:37 am »
I really love it Lins.... YOu have such a way with words too!
The only constructive critisism I can see is what zoocrew stated.

Awsome job Lins ;D ;D ;D
Thank you so much!  It's fun making stuff like this.  It's relaxing in a way.
I'm gonna fix that little issue tonight.  :) 

EllieAndBlu

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Re: Need your opinion.
« Reply #7 on: May 11, 2006, 11:48:16 am »
Fantastic job Lins!!!!!
Love the name "Pupography"!
I also agree with ZooCrew about re-formatting the sentences to one side of Lady's Pic.... just makes it a little easier to follow! As for the writing? it is excellent!

Way to go!!!!!!!!

lins_saving_grace

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Re: Need your opinion.
« Reply #8 on: May 11, 2006, 11:49:16 am »
Fantastic job Lins!!!!!
Love the name "Pupography"!
I also agree with ZooCrew about re-formatting the sentences to one side of Lady's Pic.... just makes it a little easier to follow! As for the writing? it is excellent!

Way to go!!!!!!!!
Thank you!  You guys are making this way too easy for me. :)  I reread Lady's blog...I see exactly what you mean. 

Icerotti

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Re: Need your opinion.
« Reply #9 on: May 11, 2006, 11:51:05 am »
If I ship Farley to you will you take his picture...gosh wouldn't it be terrible if I forgot the return address....lol ;)

lins_saving_grace

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Re: Need your opinion.
« Reply #10 on: May 11, 2006, 11:52:38 am »
If I ship Farley to you will you take his picture...gosh wouldn't it be terrible if I forgot the return address....lol ;)
DEFINATELY!  I'd take a million pics.
forget the return address.  I don't need one.  He'd only need a one way ticket anyway. 
 He could carry the customs report in his pie hole.  I can see it now: a big stamp over his right eye and the inked canceled stamp across his face.  :) 
« Last Edit: May 11, 2006, 11:58:13 am by lins_saving_grace »

Icerotti

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Re: Need your opinion.
« Reply #11 on: May 11, 2006, 11:55:12 am »
I may take you up on that one day Lins ;) ;) Maybe Fri ...hahahahhaha

lins_saving_grace

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Re: Need your opinion.
« Reply #12 on: May 11, 2006, 11:59:07 am »
I may take you up on that one day Lins ;) ;) Maybe Fri ...hahahahhaha
ANY TIME!  :)  the whole fam damily has an open invitation whenever you want

Offline Rachel

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Re: Need your opinion.
« Reply #13 on: May 11, 2006, 12:06:43 pm »
I had a few classes in photojournalis m (back when you developed pictures with that stinky fumey chemical stuff in a dark room where you could see what you were putting your hands in.) 
that's a way cool website!!!!  I'll have to tinker with that one with my quilts too.  Thank you...you're terribly helpful.

The stinky stuff is the best!  I loved developing my own photos.  I really need to set up my darkroom... I have everything I need sitting in my garage with no where to put it  :(

Etsy is the best!  I will be selling my quilts on there also.  I am going to focus on baby quilts and blankets.  My page is coastalquilts. etsy.com but it's not set up yet.

If I were you I would volunteer and the local shelters taking digital pics of the animals for petfinder and then maybe you can work out some kind of deal with them where your name gets the photo credits or you're allowed to hand out business cards or something.   might be an easy way to get your name out there...   I would also try getting booths at local flea markets, craft fairs, festivals, etc. to show off your work and hand out business cards.

But I think the absolute most important this is to have a professional, clean, easy to use website that people will feel comfortable using.  I find myself steering clear of anyone that has a poorly made, or free hosted (popups and ads on the webpage like geocity) webpages because it looks like they did not have enough time or energy to devote to it so how do I know if their product is any good.  I definitely think you are on your way to a great website.   What are you using to create it?  Do you know HMTL?
Rachel and Sophie

My new venture...
www.seasidequi lts.etsy.com

My blog for Sophie, crafting, and life in general
www.seasidequi lts.com/blog

Offline AC

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Re: Need your opinion.
« Reply #14 on: May 11, 2006, 12:17:28 pm »
Lins, did you code that in html yet. There is a lot to consider before you start coding. How wide do you want the page to appear? 800 px wide really should be the maximum width. Pick out a colour scheme before hand and stick to it. Try the sherwin-williams website http://www.sherwin.com/do_it_yourself/paint_colors/color_trends/
a great resource for the latest colour trends, which can be adapted to a website easily. Make sure the contrast is good, so that the font is easy to read, avoid fancy fonts if possible. Navigation should be easy to find (very important). You don't need flash animation or animated gifs to make a great website. Give all your pages in your website relevant names (relevant to the content on each page) as this will help google, msn search etc... find you, which in turn will help other people to find your website. I also agree with Rachel about the free web hosting sites and all the pop-up ads and advertising, try to avoid them if you can. You should be able to buy a domain name and a good hosting account for $100 or less for 1 year.