Input wanted!

[Jessec]

Hi. I have completed yet another version of my site and I'm eager for feedback. Thanks for taking time to check out this thread and my site!

[kazuri images]

Hi. I have completed yet another version of my site and I'm eager for feedback. Thanks for taking time to check out this thread and my site!

i get a blank, black screen...?

kazuriimages.com

[Sandra Robbins]

I love it except for the white dotted box that appears when the curser is over the slideshow. I have it on my website too and want to get rid of it altogether. I think it takes away from the clean look of the site. Nice job and know you put in a lot of work on it.:clap

[mitcherwin-photography]

Hi. I have completed yet another version of my site and I'm eager for feedback. Thanks for taking time to check out this thread and my site!

Jesse,

You can't get any more simple than what you have if that is what you want. Simple to use and elegant is what I like, IMO and you have achieved that.

[Jessec]

i get a blank, black screen...?

kazuriimages.com

what browser are you using?

[Jessec]

I love it except for the white dotted box that appears when the curser is over the slideshow. I have it on my website too and want to get rid of it altogether. I think it takes away from the clean look of the site. Nice job and know you put in a lot of work on it.:clap

What "white box"?
Do you mean how simpleviewer highlights the border around the thumbnails when you mouse over?

[jerryr]

opps - remove my vote - I give you elegant - love the home page :) jr

[Sandra Robbins]

No, I mean the box the goes completely around the slideshow when you have your mouse pointer on top of it. It goes in and out as you pass the mouse over it. Mine has that and says to click to activate control. It's on a lot of sites I have visited lately and for some reason it just bugs the heck out of me. I am going to ask how to remove it from mine.

[Allen]

No, I mean the box the goes completely around the slideshow when you have your mouse pointer on top of it. It goes in and out as you pass the mouse over it. Mine has that and says to click to activate control. It's on a lot of sites I have visited lately and for some reason it just bugs the heck out of me. I am going to ask how to remove it from mine.
Sounds like the ole IE bug. It's been mentioned in the forum before, might
search for the thread.

[Sandra Robbins]

My appologies to Jesse, I don't mean to interupt her thread but I can't find any info by searching. Any help on where it might be?

[scotte]

I love your look! one thing i thought threw me off when you go to the clients section.
your header is all the way on the right. it looks okay there but it threw me off i was expecting it to be in the same place or centered, but thats the norm i suppose.

only reason i say this is i have a 22 inch screen and it is way over on the left.

of course it may look better once there are more galleries on the page.
it looks good in the buy prints gallery.

just my opinion

[kriyababaji]

Hi. I have completed yet another version of my site and I'm eager for feedback. Thanks for taking time to check out this thread and my site!


Hi Jessec

Had a look at your site. My initial reaction was, "Too Simplistic to hold my attention", but immediately liked your "powerful yet minimalist" intention....and honestly feel that has a place on the www. But I feel it is also necessary to recognize what you are competing against for viewers attention.

Lets face it, in an hour or so of browsing the www we are exposed to unbelievable amounts of visual stimuli. Flash, glitz, glamor, and outrageous special effects all hard wire the way we see and perceive the world - like it or not! IMO, as is, your site would be hard pressed to hold the attention of the average (which is the majority) photography web viewer?

With just a few key changes I feel your minimalist intention could prove to be really captivating in holding viewers attention. Here is what I would suggest.

1. Create a slide show on your "arrival or home" page. Make sure to include a powerful opening image - "your best", followed by a collection of your best work. When I first came to your home page, I could take it all in within 5 seconds.... no offense, my mind wanted to leave. If you had slide show with those same images, I would have been intrigue to stay around a wait for "what was next". And the slide show feature would create an even more minimalist, "clean" look to your home page.

Checkout my "home page" and see if it does anything for you?

www.shanemcdermottphotography.com

2. If viewer liked what they seen in your home page slide show, they are next going to be intrigued by "YOU", "who took these photos?".....you need an "about me" page! "I" want to know about you...."contact me" is not sufficient or interesting.

3. The last thing I would suggest would be to change your "buy prints" link on your home page to "image galleries", "portfolios", "galleries" etc. The psychology of the way your site is set up now suggests that unless I am a current client all I can do is either buy something from you or email you. If my intention is neither - "I am out of there".

Create a reason for viewers to return, create an experience for them, hook them into wanting to come back to checkout your new work....eventually they may buy something. Even if they don't, if the experience of visiting your site was fascinating or intriguing, they will tell friends, who may buy something. As is, it is obvious once in your gallery of how to purchase a print, without it feeling like it is my only option.

So that is it, I hope this is in some way helpful!

All the best in your photography.

Shane :rofl :rofl :rofl

[Jessec]

Hi Jessec

Had a look at your site. My initial reaction was, "Too Simplistic to hold my attention", but immediately liked your "powerful yet minimalist" intention....and honestly feel that has a place on the www. But I feel it is also necessary to recognize what you are competing against for viewers attention.

Lets face it, in an hour or so of browsing the www we are exposed to unbelievable amounts of visual stimuli. Flash, glitz, glamor, and outrageous special effects all hard wire the way we see and perceive the world - like it or not! IMO, as is, your site would be hard pressed to hold the attention of the average (which is the majority) photography web viewer?

With just a few key changes I feel your minimalist intention could prove to be really captivating in holding viewers attention. Here is what I would suggest.

1. Create a slide show on your "arrival or home" page. Make sure to include a powerful opening image - "your best", followed by a collection of your best work. When I first came to your home page, I could take it all in within 5 seconds.... no offense, my mind wanted to leave. If you had slide show with those same images, I would have been intrigue to stay around a wait for "what was next". And the slide show feature would create an even more minimalist, "clean" look to your home page.

Checkout my "home page" and see if it does anything for you?

www.shanemcdermottphotography.com

2. If viewer liked what they seen in your home page slide show, they are next going to be intrigued by "YOU", "who took these photos?".....you need an "about me" page! "I" want to know about you...."contact me" is not sufficient or interesting.

3. The last thing I would suggest would be to change your "buy prints" link on your home page to "image galleries", "portfolios", "galleries" etc. The psychology of the way your site is set up now suggests that unless I am a current client all I can do is either buy something from you or email you. If my intention is neither - "I am out of there".

Create a reason for viewers to return, create an experience for them, hook them into wanting to come back to checkout your new work....eventually they may buy something. Even if they don't, if the experience of visiting your site was fascinating or intriguing, they will tell friends, who may buy something. As is, it is obvious once in your gallery of how to purchase a print, without it feeling like it is my only option.

So that is it, I hope this is in some way helpful!

All the best in your photography.

Shane :rofl :rofl :rofl


First of all. Thanks for your thoughtful response. One of the reasons I wanted to keep my site simplistic is that I don't have a lot of images at the moment. I don't want people to have to do a bunch of clicking just to get to galleries with only a few images. You say that you "...could take it all in within 5 seconds...". This is great! This is what I was going for. I personally have very little patience and I think this is a common trait among internet users and one of the reasons many people hate flash intros and slideshows. They want the information "NOW!". I avoided a slideshow for this reason. With a slideshow, if people don't like the first couple of images they immediately leave. With a gallery like mine they cab quickly see if I have anything they like. I looked a lot at these photographers sites http://gallery.pdnevents.com/annual2007/websites.php
for inspiration. Although I can't afford what they have had done I think most of these sites are successful because they are simple and immediately give the viewer a sense of the entire range of their work. Also, lets face it, its the images that hold people's attention. At the moment I don't have any really amazing images and perhaps I should not have the boring headshots be the first thing one sees. I'm still learning to be a good photographer but one thing I do know is that your images better be pretty amazing if your asking your viewers to sit through a slideshow otherwise its about as much fun as seeing travel photos at a dinner party. Your photos are good enough that I don't mind waiting for the next one and you have lots of them so I'm rewarded for exploring your site. I'm not there yet.

Thanks again for the long response and maybe let me know if what I have written makes sense.:D

[davidzvi]

Main comment is how the header and nav move to the top and left. They should stay centered. Not as big a deal that they move from the bottom to the top.