Pixtus - Photography Forum, Photographers, Photo Tips

todd_a · **www.toddaaronphotography.com -** 01-02-2010, 08:58 PM

ToddAaronPhotography.com

Hey guys, I'm in the process of creating my site.

Any feedback is definitely welcome. And after looking over a few of the other sites out there, I'd expect a lot of it. lol

Thanks in advance.

Todd

dryicerx · 01-02-2010, 10:55 PM

Consider using a reset stylesheet, right now the logo images and the bottom links have a rather ugly blue border around them. Other than the logo, why not use text for the links and everything, the images with text (Contact/About/Blog) are really pixelated and not smooth (if you must, use anti aliased text on them).

todd_a · 01-02-2010, 11:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dryicerx

Consider using a reset stylesheet, right now the logo images and the bottom links have a rather ugly blue border around them. Other than the logo, why not use text for the links and everything, the images with text (Contact/About/Blog) are really pixelated and not smooth (if you must, use anti aliased text on them).

Awe!!! Thanks. That shows my laziness or something. I didn't do testing in other browsers yet. I was using Chrome and those blue outlines don't show up in Chrome. But after you posted this, I opened it up in IE and there is the nasty looking blue outlines. I'll get on that. Thanks for catching that!

As for not using test on the links, I didn't think I could get the font I wanted. I have not loaded my Photoshop in this computer yet, so I Was making due with what I had for now to get something up and out there that I could tweak on. I can either swap to text or re-do the graphics in Photoshop soon.

I am not familiar with reset stylesheets, but I am about to educate myself.

Also, I just noticed my links are not taking me anywhere in Internet Explorer. Not sure why at this point, because they do work in Chrome just fine.

Oh well, more work. Good thing I like doing this stuff!

Hikin' Mike · 01-03-2010, 12:17 AM

Your title tag, <Title>Todd Aaron Photography Tyler Texas TX Wedding engagement automotive landscape advertizing web internet portfolio protrait head shot modeling photos</title> looks like a big spam advertisement.

You need your location first, then pick a couple of your keywords and followed by the word 'Photography'. Something like 'Tyler TX - Wedding and Portrait Photography'.

BTW - you need to check your spelling.

Hikin' Mike · 01-03-2010, 12:21 AM

Also, I'm using FF 3.5.6 and I see the boxes too.

I'd put some text, like a short bio on your home page. Good for SEO.

todd_a · 01-04-2010, 08:00 AM

Thanks for the feedeback.

I made some changes and got rid of the ugly blue boxes around the links and made a few other changes.

Turns out that I left off a closing tag and that was causing IE to not show the page, but Chrome must be really forgiving. I did all the writing by hand without a program, but I loaded an old version of Dreamnweaver and was playing with that this weekend. So that should remedy the missing tag issue in the future. I Was able to figure out how to do most everything in Dreamweaver that I had done manually, so I am pretty satisfied with it so far.

I didn't check for spelling though. I'll get on that next.

Sonny · 01-04-2010, 08:44 AM

Good use of Lightroom and Slideshow Pro!

todd_a · 01-04-2010, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sonny

Good use of Lightroom and Slideshow Pro!

awesome! Thanks!!!!

mathia · 01-04-2010, 10:23 AM

Hey Todd. Didn't know you had an interest in photography. Cool shots you've got there. I am also in Tyler. I work at Southside. Good luck in the photography business.

todd_a · 01-04-2010, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mathia

Hey Todd. Didn't know you had an interest in photography. Cool shots you've got there. I am also in Tyler. I work at Southside. Good luck in the photography business.

Thanks! haha, I bank at Southside, and I need to come in there and add some accounts actually.

Do you know Jody Kee from the IT department? I have an Ex that used to work there a long time ago.

Small world.

mathia · 01-04-2010, 12:28 PM

I do know Jody. I am in IT also. Your ex was my boss when I started here almost 13 years ago. That's how I knew, or suspected, who you are.
On the side, I work for Casey Benson as a second shooter. I do some of my own stuff, too.

todd_a · 01-04-2010, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mathia

I do know Jody. I am in IT also. Your ex was my boss when I started here almost 13 years ago. That's how I knew, or suspected, who you are.
On the side, I work for Casey Benson as a second shooter. I do some of my own stuff, too.

It sounds like you are way further along in photography than I am. That is cool on being the second to Casey Benson. Getting some good experience there I bet. I'd love to get the opportunity to do something like that at some point too!

I think I can remember when you started. Didn't they hire you and one other person about the same time? Man, that seems like about 2 lifetimes ago.

I'd like to see some of your work.

dmcantrell · 01-04-2010, 02:24 PM

Hello,

Pros : I love the uncluttered look and the simplicity of the site. I also like the color scheme you've chosen, and I really like the slideshow software that you've embedded into the middle of the site.

Cons : You mention "wedding" and "portraits", but there are no wedding or portrait examples in the gallery. Along those lines, there is no actual gallery to browse -- just the slide show. It's my feeling that a commercial website meant to draw in business should be centered around the photography and should provide the customer with examples.

todd_a · 01-04-2010, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dmcantrell

Hello,

Pros : I love the uncluttered look and the simplicity of the site. I also like the color scheme you've chosen, and I really like the slideshow software that you've embedded into the middle of the site.

Cons : You mention "wedding" and "portraits", but there are no wedding or portrait examples in the gallery. Along those lines, there is no actual gallery to browse -- just the slide show. It's my feeling that a commercial website meant to draw in business should be centered around the photography and should provide the customer with examples.

Thanks for the input. I am not finished with the site yet. There will be some actual galleries in there in the future. I just went ahead and published this part of the site out to get this feedback. I was planning to either put a few links, or maybe only one "Gallery" at the top to take the viewer to a place to choose the type of gallery (wedding, etc.. ). I was definitely going for a very simple, clean look and I don't want to clutter it up with a lot of links from the main page.

I have not decided yet whether I am going to use that same sort of slideshow flash presentation on each of the galleries or just present thumbnails to be chosen. I am leaning toward the slideshow with the thumbnails at the bottom to keep the theme of the site consistent.

I have to figure out how to do one of those forms that sends an email from the contact page also.

Thanks again for the input!

dmcantrell · 01-04-2010, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by todd_a

Thanks for the input. I am not finished with the site yet. There will be some actual galleries in there in the future.

I suspected this was the case. This part looks good to me so far.

Quote:

I have to figure out how to do one of those forms that sends an email from the contact page also.

If you will be using PHP, here's a quick little write-up that should get you most of the way there:

PHP Tutorial: Writing Your First PHP Script: A Feedback Form (a FormMail Script) (thesitewizard.com)

Dave

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