Comments on New Website - DPChallenge Forums

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0L USM

11/14/2003 05:38:14 PM · #1

Would like to get some opinions on my new website (pages). Revamped the thing to (hopefully) be a bit more friendly (My Dad was complaining on his 800x600 monitior). Have some pic links to finish and figure out how to drop a subject into the mailto: command (anyone?), and maybe some other aesthetic things. What looks wrong on your browser?

Photos4Aidan

Thanks in advance

Message edited by author 2003-11-14 17:38:36.

soup

Canon EOS-30D

11/14/2003 06:31:29 PM · #2

email us

let me know if it doesnt work
take out from the question mark if you'd rather

didn't look at the site though - 28K keeps you on only the most pressing things - as the slowness slowly pushes me to the brink of insanity....

soup

Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS

11/14/2003 06:43:43 PM · #3

give it a shot....thanks!!

tolovemoon

Canon EOS Rebel SL1

11/14/2003 07:08:02 PM · #4

I like the site! Great photo albums and setup. But when you open album it opens another browser and slows down a little, and there is no back to homepage link that would be helpfull with all the pages linked together keeping only one browser.

ronners

Nikon D100

11/14/2003 08:12:49 PM · #5

The site is not very user-friendly. I followed the Infrared link for example, and had no idea how to get to the photo (was there only one, or are there more?).

I also don't think that you need to create a new page for any hyperlink from the home page. Just create a usable menu, put it on the page somewhere, and create some consistency. Many of the photos are good, but you spoil the presentation with the strange framing. You should treat your site as a gallery and choose a simple framing style which doesn't detract from your art.

Finally, the menu buttons you have dotted around aren't really readable enough, and are so dominant when they exist that they distract from the rest of the page that they appear on.

All in all, if this is a photography site and that is your intention, then the photos should be what's grabbing a visitor's attention - not all the other stuff you include. When it comes to web sites, simplicity always wins hands down. You have good photos here, but your web site fails to show them off.

Ron.

PS Forget the copyright page. Since a web crawler can index each page individually visitors won't necessarily see that page when they visit.

Message edited by author 2003-11-15 12:48:19.

justine

Canon EOS-50D

Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

11/14/2003 09:11:21 PM · #6

I would only suggest one small change. The text on your buttons is hard for me to read I think it's that font. They don't look clean/crisp like the rest of the site. Really a nice job overall congratulations.

P>S> You have some beautiful photos!

Message edited by author 2003-11-14 21:12:31.

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro

11/20/2003 02:30:25 AM · #7

Thanks to those who commented and gave suggestions. Much Appreciated! I have redone a few things. I think I have all the links and photos working now, so able to see examples on the Home page, About Me, and the ONE on Infrared (as it says...more to come). Fixed the framing issue on the pics, also.
Would love anymore comments and suggestions.
The issue with the text on the buttons, I am not seeing that they are hard to read on my puter (Mac) and a few other PC's. Let me know.
Oh yeah! As suggested for increased traffic (give something away for free) and following Sonifo's trail...I am giving away a free print. And with the new credit thing, I just may make it into a choice off of DPCPrints (even though that may not promote my shots....but, oh well). Shall see.
Thanks All
(link below)

Message edited by author 2003-11-20 04:06:16.

tfaust

Canon EOS 80D

11/20/2003 08:37:45 AM · #8

Like mentioned below, you should get rid of your copyright entry page. You can put a link on the footer of every page going to the copyright information. As ronners said - since search engines index more than just your home page, site users can potentially enter the site elsewhere. You can even put a note on the bottom of every page with something like: Use of this site interprets your acceptance of the terms...

When I go to your gallery page, your buttons dominate the screen. Clicking on a photography topic and then selecting a picture opens a window that is far too big for even a 1024x768 screen... your picture is off my view and instead I see 3 buttons. I have to scroll to even look at the picture.

I didn't check every page, but at least on the infrared one, I had to mouse over to get the image to appear.

I click on new and just a gallery of images - there isn't any explanation what they are...

One last question, what is that box at the bottom of your button menu with a number in it?? I can't click on it - and the number changes with each page...

EL-ROI

Canon EOS-450D Rebel XSi

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS

11/20/2003 10:57:26 AM · #9

Your first line tells the user the site is supposed to be more friendly...this after hitting them over the head with a big, bold and threatening copyright infringement warning.

Either you've had troubles with this in the past, or you think really highly of your work.

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0L USM

11/20/2003 05:44:35 PM · #10

I am not sure I am understanding this "remove the copyright" page comments. I believe that people need to be told this, don't you? Some people need to be told repeatedly about such things. To me, all the page is saying is that they understand and accept that this is MY work and they cannot use it without permission. And I think that this helps protect my work, in a small way.
EL-ROI-damn straight I think highly of my work. No troubles in the past, but then again, I don't want any in the future.

soup

Canon EOS-30D

11/20/2003 05:52:24 PM · #11

there is a simple javascript you can add to pages with images - that diables the ability to right click, and actually pops a message up saying whatever warning you want it too about copying your images to the hard drive - if you really are worried some one else is going to make mony with your images. its a good deterent.

the problem with the internet is that no one really cares about copyrights when they are hidden in their homes with the shades down and a firewall running....

pointing it out blatently that YOUR web site is YOUR work is not necesssary in my mind.

Natator

Canon EOS-5D

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

11/20/2003 06:00:09 PM · #12

Unfortunately those "no right click" things are trivial to get round soup and not worth the trouble.

All you need to do is a screen capture. No point in anyone poutting up something that's better quality than the screen can render anyway, especially if they don't want it printed.

The only effective way are the watermarks saying copyright, but they totally spoil a photo :(

justine

Canon EOS-50D

Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

11/20/2003 06:12:07 PM · #13

My 2cents on copyright etc.
They want them they'll take them. The photo won't look too good but they do it all the time. Watermarks are even uglier in the end.
While surfing one day I found one of my shots, they had given me credit so I let it go. Best advise is don't post if ya don't want to loose it.

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro

11/20/2003 06:17:40 PM · #14

Nothing will deter someone form taking a picture, I am not that worried about it. I work as an ER RN and KNOW telling, writing it down, and explaining things to people over and over, never seems to work. But, it is there, written out to view and advise, so that in case something ever does happen, I have one leg to stand on. That is the reason for all things like this. Just like the warning on the bottom of a styrofoam cup, to not turn it upside down when it contains hot liquid. Or the Stihl chainsaw that says, keep running blade away from arms, legs, and groin area. The warning and info is there...does not mean people will follow the advise.

tfaust

Canon EOS 80D

11/20/2003 09:10:42 PM · #15

A simple copyright statement on the footer of each page covers you, for having the leg to stand on.

The no right click javascript method isn't great for the reasons described below, but also because someone can just read the source code and pull up the image in the address bar of the window, ie. //www.mywebsiteaddress.com/picturename.jpg

I would like to think most people understand, if it's on someone's web page, it belongs to them. On the other hand, as someone already said, if you put it on the web, be prepared... it's there for the taking - right or not.