I finally have my website up and running! Please browse through it and let me have your honest thoughts. I already have a few changes I would like to make, but for now I'm tired of working on it and will probably let it be as is for awhile. I value any suggestions you may have. Thanks to NPN for the support and encouragement over the past couple of years...what a difference it has made in my photography!
Check out my site here: www.visionsnaturephotography.com
Very well done Alice. You followed the first and most important rule of web design which is to keep it simple. No extraneous distractions and the navigation is perfect.
I’m curious about the editor you use? Or did you code from scratch on this? Either way, I wouldn’t change anything.
Alice, your web site is SUPERB! Really a top quality effort. Beautifully designed, simple, easy to navigate. A very classy site. VERY WELL DONE!
PS. Make sure to modify your preferences her at NPN to allow people to access your site from NPN. Also, ask Jim to add your name to the "Links" section.
Alice, the website looks fantastic! I did notice some overlapping text and links while viewing it through the firefox browser though. Also, links that allow you to easily return to the place you came from without having to use the back button are nice.
Ive only browsed one gallery so far but wow, you are really good. My only suggestion is that the previous and next page options in your gallery is hard to find since it is up where the logo is, perhaps a bit lower?
Thanks for the input guys! Kent...you mentioned having buttons to return without having to use the browser. I agree, and had put all the VERY numerous links in, and started getting errors when I tried to build the site. I had to go back to a backup and redo some work. I don't know if that's what caused the errors, but without all those links it works fine.
I used WebStudio4 to create the site...it was very easy to use. I would have no clue how to create a website without an easy program like that.
Alice, you did a wonderful job. The images on your site are show cased well. My only suggestion is to add the script to each page that disables right clicking. I have this at home. If you PM me I will send it to you. Or, you can search for "disable right click" and you will find the script. If you were to right click any page on my site the dialogue box comes up and states that all images on the site are protected by international copyright law.
Another idea is to cover all larger images with a transparent giff. Images on NPN are protected by this. It will give you the best (but not absolute) protection from people right clicking or selecting your images and saving them to their own computer.
I've bookmarked the site and will go back to look for more detail after I move.
disabling the right click will only discourage folks from saving your images but will not prevent them. Not tested but I think a person will still be able to edit in snipshot.
Also please add a real title to your web page other than HOME. And I think you need to add keywords to your pages so that search engines can find you.
Alice, as you know, Web Studio 4 has the "right click disabled" feature available, but it's far from solid protection. The best way is to go into the Page Properties>Graphics of each image and choose the protection scheme there. It provides much tighter security.
Carol's advice on page naming and keywords is good advice.
I remember your Cades Cove image. I always have liked it, couldn't remember who shot it(!) and it is a really good way to bring people into your website.
Changes: from the brief time I spent there, I saw two things (or maybe I just missed it). First, a more direct way to enter the website, in addition to the frontpage photo. Maybe an "enter" button/text, instead of the note to click on the image? The second thing is on the prints section. I don't think you indicate if the prints are matted or unmatted. I am guessing it is just the print on the customer's choice of paper.
Alice, just got back in. I'll email you later this afternoon and go through the details on adding keywords. I'm not sure they do any good though. I've heard a lot of conflicting reports.
Well designed website, very clean, and nicely selected photographs (and good ones, of course ). I like that you're not trying to show everything, but only your best work instead. Nice.
Your frequent references to religion struck me (I'm not particuarly religious). But if you want it that way (having strong references, I mean), that's perfectly fine.
Nice layout Alice and fine images, like the clean uncluttered layout, doesn't distract from the images.
On navigation I would suggest putting links on each page to go to the index page, the next and the previous image in the gallery.
The other suggestion is to modify your contact details on your home page. You've typed your email address in directly and this is readily harvested by robots looking for email addresses to spam. There are several methods to disguise the email address, the best is to use a contact form generated on your site, you would need to see your web space provider, they normally offer an application for that purpose. An easy alternative is to assemble the address from Ascii code characters. This is the code I use in my site, you just need to assemble the characters for your site:
<a href="mailto:%20chrisx2@ihug.com.au?subject=subject line in email goes here">text that appears in webpage at link goes here</a>
Congratulations Alice and good luck with the site. Don't worry too much about the religious references. Stand up for what you believe and don't worry about it. If your sincere, it will show and ring true.
Your site looks really nice. You have some great images that show really well.
I agree with the comments on better navigation through the gallery images, including forward, backward, and index. Site navigation would be a plus too.
I'm also not sure of the labeling of your home and welcome pages. I would delete the welcome button, and then make the home button your "welcome page." I'm not sure that I see a functional reason to return the intro page. Usually "Home" is the first meaningful page with navigation and site information.
Congratulations. I do enjoy your website very much.
Regards,
Christoph
Posted by Dan Baumbach on May 14, 2007 at 10:08 PM
I was out of town when you originally posted this. I finally got a chance to look at your site. It's very nice. I love the clean design and you have some beautiful images there. Good luck with it.
Discussion
27 repliesCheck out my site here: www.visionsnaturephotography.com
I’m curious about the editor you use? Or did you code from scratch on this? Either way, I wouldn’t change anything.
PS. Make sure to modify your preferences her at NPN to allow people to access your site from NPN. Also, ask Jim to add your name to the "Links" section.
Overall a very quality and professional look.
I used WebStudio4 to create the site...it was very easy to use. I would have no clue how to create a website without an easy program like that.
Another idea is to cover all larger images with a transparent giff. Images on NPN are protected by this. It will give you the best (but not absolute) protection from people right clicking or selecting your images and saving them to their own computer.
I've bookmarked the site and will go back to look for more detail after I move.
disabling the right click will only discourage folks from saving your images but will not prevent them. Not tested but I think a person will still be able to edit in snipshot.
Also please add a real title to your web page other than HOME. And I think you need to add keywords to your pages so that search engines can find you.
More later.
Carol
I remember your Cades Cove image. I always have liked it, couldn't remember who shot it(!) and it is a really good way to bring people into your website.
Changes: from the brief time I spent there, I saw two things (or maybe I just missed it). First, a more direct way to enter the website, in addition to the frontpage photo. Maybe an "enter" button/text, instead of the note to click on the image? The second thing is on the prints section. I don't think you indicate if the prints are matted or unmatted. I am guessing it is just the print on the customer's choice of paper.
Guy
Johnnie
Your frequent references to religion struck me (I'm not particuarly religious). But if you want it that way (having strong references, I mean), that's perfectly fine.
Basil
On navigation I would suggest putting links on each page to go to the index page, the next and the previous image in the gallery.
The other suggestion is to modify your contact details on your home page. You've typed your email address in directly and this is readily harvested by robots looking for email addresses to spam. There are several methods to disguise the email address, the best is to use a contact form generated on your site, you would need to see your web space provider, they normally offer an application for that purpose. An easy alternative is to assemble the address from Ascii code characters. This is the code I use in my site, you just need to assemble the characters for your site:
<a href="mailto:%20chrisx2@ihug.com.au?subject=subject line in email goes here">text that appears in webpage at link goes here</a>
Hope thats helpful.
We;; Dam it it been too long...
Your stuff is fantastic!
Dont get mad at me...... but it about time!
JG
PS -- I am going to link you on my site it my June update.
JG
A wonderful job on the web-site. It showcases your photography very effectively.
Your site looks really nice. You have some great images that show really well.
I agree with the comments on better navigation through the gallery images, including forward, backward, and index. Site navigation would be a plus too.
I'm also not sure of the labeling of your home and welcome pages. I would delete the welcome button, and then make the home button your "welcome page." I'm not sure that I see a functional reason to return the intro page. Usually "Home" is the first meaningful page with navigation and site information.
Congratulations. I do enjoy your website very much.
Regards,
Christoph
- Dan.