need an honest opinion

[im42n8 Profile Private messageWebsite]

Hi Sayward07 (Pippin?),

Anyway, here's my 2cents (FWIW). The pink/magenta dropdown with the gray text is hard to read and does nothing for me. When the menu drops down I get the impression that the selections are not available because they're so subdued (and hard to read).

I'd move "Contact" and "About" to the end, in that order. (But it really doesn't matter that much . . . but they should be at the end IMO).

I didn't mind the music at all. A number of the images seemed to have harsh contrasts on my screens (wedding girl, walking the tracks, kiss the head, and the girl in the the hat. Nothing a little dodge and burn couldn't adjust. The family and the girl in the hat are cuttoff at the bottom (missing some feet). You might want to adjust them up a bit (spacing between the feet and bottom border) if you can.

You might adjust the text in About to provide hard returns (<b \>) for some of your lines to balance them out and make them easier to read. You've got plenty of space yet. Add a comma after "Colorado" in the first line. You might want to break it up into paragraphs too (easier to read too) By adding <p>&nbsp</p> in places like "I have always..." and "My full time job...", "I love wine...", and "I look forward..." --- where the idea changes from the previous content.)

Dale

PS You might try this site http://winsoftmagic.com/
You can compress your images w/o affecting the visual. That way you can reduce the weight of the displayed images significantly.

The image used where you enter the site or the blog has some significantly blown out regions on the right side (mostly on the face). You might want to fix that or chose a different image.

[dnmilikan]

You asked for feedback. I hope that you will accept this in the manner that it is intended. I have been a professional photographer for over twenty five years and I would tell my own brother the same thing that I am about to tell you.

I will tell you that first of all your website is more difficult to navigate than necessary. The color scheme of the graphics are not impressive...they are weak...you want to portray strength and diginity. Your photography is not at a professional level. Your compositions are not optimal and the post processing is not up to professional standards.
You have not determined the "look" that you want potential customers to see. The "look" that separates you from the rest of the "also rans". The "look' that identifies you as unique and above the masses.

If I were to tell you what I think you would benefit from, first of all study photographic composition. Study artistic composition by studying painters and how they compose their images...study photographs...lots of photographs made by other photographers until you know as second nature what you want to show before you ever put your camera to your eye. Learn Photoshop until you have a proven and repeatable workflow that you know like the back of your hand.

Only then would I think of putting up a website showing your work. You have "one shot" when a prospective client visits your site...you want to nail them with the quality of your work...don't waste this opportunity by showing them what you have up now. If you are going to do it, then do it right.

[climax Profile Private message]

Hi !!
I thought your post was super interesting, because I'm also trying to become a pro photographer, and thinking about building my website as well.
I looked at all your pictures. Some of them are really good ! Congratulations!!
But some others... I also thought they were a bit underexposed .
I believe you'll have a good start with this portfolio you're presenting, but I'm sure that as you progress in your career, you'll get better and better, and perhaps change some of the not so good images. You have great technique and seem to have perfect control of your camera, and you must have a fantastic lens (I saw some really beautiful bokehs).
My advice would be to improve your composition skills, and get more creative. The best way to do so is to look at hundreds of excellent images from other photographers everyday, look at art, and explore new possibilities.
Another comment, believe me very important: PLEASE BE CAREFUL WITH THE MUSIC on your website. I also would like my website to have a fine soundtrack, but for sure I'll give my visitants a very visible option for turning it off. If you had this option, I totally missed it. And because I spent quite a while analysing your nice work, at some point I couldn't wait to get out of there so that same music would stop. And don't get me wrong... that song was cute, but musical taste is too personal to be imposed to everybody.
Wish you lots of success !!!
Cristina

[duglas50 Profile Private messageWebsite]

I agree with Climax. You need to allow your visitors to turn off the music. I wanted to spend more time at your site but was very much distracted by the music. Unless I overlooked it I couldn't see where the music could be turned off. Other than that I think you off to a good start.

Doug

[Tarafrost Profile Private messageWebsite]

OK...you asked, and so here is my curmudgeonly best:

1) About the web site....when you click on the Enter Site it opens a new window and then resizes it to the whole screen. That is enough for me (and many others) to shitcan your site right there and then. It's disrespectful, ignorant and rude to your potential viewers and customers to take over the whole screen.

2) You use Flash. Ugh! I hate Flash. You can't view it on an iPad (yeah...I have one). And it breaks all the browser paradigms such as being able to bookmark a specific page. Kill the Flash stuff. It does not help your site and pisses off many visitors. I know many photographers seem to be hung up on using Flash on their sites....they shouldn't.

3) The initial main page image has badly blown out highlights. It's rather disconcerting that the flower is totally blown. You also seem to have a tendency to blow out highlights in other shots. Probably due to shooting at high noon. That just shows that you don't know much about handling exposure, or what the best time of day to shoot is. For a paid gig like a wedding, you may be forced to shoot at high noon (I had to in the Caribbean once, and that was brutal!), but that does not belong on your portfolio site. The shot of the kids on one side and couple on the other is a nice composition (one of the only such), but again you blew out the hightlights, which screams that you are far from being a pro.

4) You tend to keep the main subjects in the centre of the image in many cases. That's a very amateurish thing to do. Heard of the Rule of Thirds perhaps?

5) You tend to crop strangely, and it does NOT come across as artistic. One family shot has the feet cut off. The bride shot is just plain weird...like you were trying to shoot up her dress. And again she's in the centre with too much sky relatively speaking. The kid in the frame was an interesting idea, but again, the cropping/composition where you cut out some of the frame and have too much above just is not working. Get some good books/instruction on composition would be my recommendation.

6) As other said. can the music. It's just distracting. Newbie web site mistake.

7) The colours of your logo on the entry page just don't work. The black and grey look good....but what's with the hot pink for the word "Pictures"? Not very appealing, IMNSHO.

From your initial post, I think your family and friends have been telling you that you are a great photographer, and should go pro. They have done you a disservice, if that was the case. You are not ready. Your images are not up to contemporary pro levels and the web site has a lot of issues with it as well.

Stick to your day job for a few more years.....solicit advice on photo forums....read...take courses and improve some of the basics of your photography (composition and exposure being two of the big issues to initially focus on...all puns intended ). Take down the site or at least make it a personal one rather than a pro one.

And maybe in a couple of years you'll be ready to offer quality photography to paying customers.

I am asking for constructive criticism... I do want honesty, but nothing so harsh I'll cry ...

Hey....you asked....and the curmudgeon has spoken with brutal honesty, as I'm wont to do. If I made ya cry (what kind of nambypamby asks for honesty and then makes a comment about harshness making them cry anyway?) then maybe I will have done some good. But I doubt it.

[Mac Profile Private message]

A lot of great comments here about photography and web design from folks who are far more knowledgeable than I (though Andrzej could say the same things without being so brusque). Even if you thought you were ready for prime time and this takes your hopes down a notch, don't despair; use the information for what it is: free professional advice that will take you where you want to go.

The only thing I'll add is to repeat: CAN THE MUSIC! To you it may contribute to the atmosphere you want to create, but to me and many of your potential viewers/customers, it is a very unwelcome intrusion that will make us leave your site before we look at it.

[tdew Profile Private message]

Don't you all keep your sound control handy? I have no problem hitting the mute button if someone's music choice is too loud or not to my taste no matter what I'm looking at on the internet.

[Mac Profile Private message]

Some of us like to web surf, where the vast majority of sites do not employ sound, without having to jump on a mute button when someone decides they want me to hear the music that they want to play. Also, many of us surf while listening to our own music; we may not like having to turn our music off in order to turn someone else's music off. Or someone may be surfing at work where they don't want the sudden music heard out of their computer.

A site that requires this type of intervention is seen as an annoyance by many, many web surfers. If a person wants a site that will appeal rather than repel, he/she will act accordingly.

[webandgraphicsguy Profile Private message]

Hi,
I just left your site, and was there about 15 minutes. I think your composition skills are outstanding. I have seen a lot of professional pictures of weddings, brides, and of children and they always gravitate toward being like all the other wedding shots, or shots of children. You capture really great in the moment candid shots, that are outside the norm.
I really like them.
My only suggestion is to shoot hi-res shots, some of the images seemed muddy, aim for clear, and crisp shots.
You a very good photographer, Be confident in your strengths, and strengthen your weaknesses.GO FOR IT!
Thanks
Joe

[sbuckel Profile Private message]

I was just wandering around today looking into some of the sections I do not normally look into. So I know I am a bit late to this party. I am not a portrait photographer, but I have taken a number of classes on portraits. I feel that many folks will like your style. I suspect you post almost straight out of the camera - this does not help you or your clients - make them look like the beautiful people that they are.

I like your about page it gives me a good feeling that you would be easy to work with and it show your enthusiasm.

A few suggestions, please turn off the music or make it easy to turn off. When I shop around I quickly close web sites that have music and I know that I am not the only one that does that.

As others noted the color scheme could be much better. Navigation is definitely not optimal and your site loads very slowly, please, optimize that as slowness pushes folks away from your site. Moving away from flash may help that.

Find a template that does not use Flash. Many photographers like flash since they think it protects your images. Sorry, but that is fiction.

Lastly do not allow all of the critique to prevent you moving forward with your dream.

Good Luck with your dream,

Scott