Best designs

[erin.laine]

I am slowly learning web design and well-designed sites always serve as good inspiration. While learning, I am trying to build a site for my roommate (a photographer) and I would love to see some good examples of online portfolios/websites.

Does anyone know of any really good ones? Thanks!

[Hikin' Mike]

My website...
Images in the Backountry- Nature Photography by Mike Matenkosky

[croberts79]

Check out www.luckyprophotography.net

[d2creative]

LOL, i love how everyone posts their own websites. How classy.
When you're done looking at mine check out these links.

http://dzineblog.com/article/inspiration/web-design
http://www.thebestdesigns.com/

and don't forget
http://www.webpagesthatsuck.com/

[Hikin' Mike]

Originally Posted by d2creative

LOL, i love how everyone posts their own websites. How classy.
When you're done looking at mine check out these links.

http://dzineblog.com/article/inspiration/web-design
http://www.thebestdesigns.com/

and don't forget
http://www.webpagesthatsuck.com/

LOL!!! If you can't toot your own horn....who will?

[Cajungaltx]

Erin -
A couple of things about building websites for photographers that I believe are key things you need to be aware of. We are CONSTANTLY taking new photographs. So our websites are (should) be changing pretty constantly.

So the method for uploading new images/changing to new photographs should be easy for a 'non-designer'. Otherwise - it requires the photographer to repeatedly ask for updates to their website...

This is why, in my opinion - companies like Portfoliositez.com and bludomain.com are so popular. You don't have to BE a webdesigner to design your own website. They let you change lots of stuff through the admin panel. It's basically a simple content management system... you can change lots of things.... and there are lots of things you can NOT change.

When I started - I made a list of the things that I liked with other people's websites... I like how they have this... how they have that.... I don't like this... and Oh yuck! (Actually, I have a folder in my bookmarks labeled: LOUSY - it was my husbands idea - anytime I come across a REALLY lousy website, lol... I put it in there for laughing about when I need a good laugh)... Different things are going to appeal.

Good luck with your new endeavor!
Donna

[erin.laine]

Thanks! That is something I should have thought about when I started this.

Has anyone used squarespace?

[Shepherd Photography]

delete me

[d2creative]

Originally Posted by Cajungaltx

So the method for uploading new images/changing to new photographs should be easy for a 'non-designer'. Otherwise - it requires the photographer to repeatedly ask for updates to their website...

That's one thing I love about mine. I get a whole control panel I log into that lets me swap photos in or out of my galleries, and it automatically updates the thumbnails and even the moving photos on my homepage. It's even easier than smugmug!

[Shepherd Photography]

Joomla is a free content mangemnt system but not as easy and you have to host it and thats what i used to build barrettshepherdphotography.com/home which still isnt done@

Shepherd Photography added 0 Minutes and 6 Seconds later...Double Post Merged Below

done!

Shepherd Photography added 1 Minutes and 0 Seconds later...Double Post Merged Below

What is yours made with? Cheap alternative to bludomain.com is http://www.photobiz.com/webtemplates.cfm I have never tried photobiz but it looks cool!

Originally Posted by d2creative

That's one thing I love about mine. I get a whole control panel I log into that lets me swap photos in or out of my galleries, and it automatically updates the thumbnails and even the moving photos on my homepage. It's even easier than smugmug!

[erin.laine]

Originally Posted by d2creative

That's one thing I love about mine. I get a whole control panel I log into that lets me swap photos in or out of my galleries, and it automatically updates the thumbnails and even the moving photos on my homepage. It's even easier than smugmug!

hold up! what do you use? your website is amazing, i just assumed it was custom designed...

[Shepherd Photography]

Not postive what he used but im pretty sure this

http://culturepilot.com/design/C7/

And yes it is amazing! (i assume he used cullturepilot.com because of the link in the bottom left corner!)

[Cajungaltx]

Originally Posted by Shepherd Photography

Joomla is a free content mangemnt system but not as easy and you have to host it and thats what i used to build barrettshepherdphotography.com/home which still isnt done@

Shepherd Photography added 0 Minutes and 6 Seconds later...Double Post Merged Below

done!

Shepherd Photography added 1 Minutes and 0 Seconds later...Double Post Merged Below

What is yours made with? Cheap alternative to bludomain.com is http://www.photobiz.com/webtemplates.cfm I have never tried photobiz but it looks cool!

Barrett -
For what your doing with Joomla - you should consider looking at a wordpress blog - it has easier functionality and a shorter learning curve than Joomla does.

[Shepherd Photography]

Ya but joomla you can add contact forms and shopping carts and my website isnt done! And yes but i like joomla easier its a whole lot easier to edit!

[Cajungaltx]

Originally Posted by Shepherd Photography

Ya but joomla you can add contact forms and shopping carts and my website isnt done! And yes but i like joomla easier its a whole lot easier to edit!

Sometimes... depends on your level of expertise. Beware though - Joomla’s default settings create extremely ugly URLs, bad page titles, and create duplicate content all over the place... which is a nightmare for SEO rankings.

I like Joomla for mid/large sized companies where they need multiple levels of 'access' to areas... small companies... WP is a better fit because it's easier to modify.

Just my 2 cents...