Website Redesign - Comments?

[teya]

Hi all.

Still just getting started on this photography thing...finished my new site look and was hoping to get some feedback - be kind, but not too kind that I miss something I should fix!

Thanks! :)

http://teyaphoto.com

[sstjean]

The site looks good! I really like "A lasting portrait is not made by cookie-cutter scenes set up in a mall shop."

The only advice that I can give is on the "Photography Process" page (http://teyaphoto.com/portraitprocess.html). You have a heading, such as "Studio Type Portrait", which as subsections, such as "The setup" and "The clothing". If you can indent these 2 sections just a bit to show their relationship to the main heading, the page will be clearer. That way when the reader gets down to "On-locatoin portraits", they will see that this is another type of shoot.

Just my $0.02

All in all though, great site and very nice, crisp shots.

[teya]

Thanks Steve.
That's a good point - I'll have to make that change...it is a wordy section and can use some differentiation between the topics.
Thanks for looking!

[PhotosGuy]

I'd put a "Portfolio" link at the top of the 1st page. Don't make me work to find it! ;)

[staciecd]

From a web designer's point of view, I liked the colors, but the navigation may leave some confused. I figured out that it was on the right, but sometimes a picture was above and others, a picture was below the navigation. Then services has a left navigation? Might be confusing to some. Then there was one section with all content and no right navigation.

My suggestion is to be as uniform as possible.

[staciecd]

Also, once in the portfolio pages, I have no way to go back to the portfolio main page - I have to go all the way back to photography.

Hope this helps.

[teya]

Yep, the portfolio issue getting back to the other portfolio page is a problem - it was hard enough to tweak simpleviewer to display in the ifram correctly...putting a link within the simpleviewer frame has eluded me so far, but if I come upon a good way, that is definitely a change I will be making.

[usukshooter]

I'd put a "Portfolio" link at the top of the 1st page. Don't make me work to find it! ;)

I agree, when I go to a photographers website, the very first thing I look for is their portfolio, it should be in the main navigation, not a sub-link in another section. Once the portfolio is out of the "photography" section, I would rename the "photography" link something like "Information".

I also think there is a bit too much info on there, you might overwhelm your visitors. I know when I was looking for a wedding photographer, all I wanted from the website was the portfolio and prices... any other info, I wasn't really interested in until I had narrowed it down and talked to the photographer about it. Plus if you tell them everything on your website, you won't have as much to discuss when they contact you, which I think helps people get comfortable with you. I would try to cut down "The Process" section a little or put it in the FAQ. If you choose to keep it the way it is, I would at least take the advice of what sstjean said about this section. I just think this section could easily be trimmed down to get across the info without going into such detail as you do.

For example, when the client is looking for a photographer, they're not going to care that simple clothing is best for portraits, that's something you can tell them when they hire you and you're scheduling the photo shoot with them. The website is to draw people in, get them interested in your work and get them to call you, not to explain to them what clothes to wear before they've even hired you yet.

I also think they don't really need to see photo examples of edits you've done. You should just say that you have a lot of experience in many editing techniques including.... and then list what you can do (ie, Conversions to B&W, removal of unwanted objects or vice versa, selective coloring, sepia toning, etc). Although to be honest, I would think that most people would expect any professional photographer to know how to do these things anyway, it kinda goes without saying. If you want to show examples of these skills, thats what the portfolio is for. The Collage and Card examples could stay although they too might be better off in a sub-section of the portfolio, without descriptions as portfolios usually go.

I am also unsure whether the Photo Editing Examples section is merely explaining the photo edits you apply to images you've taken for the client or whether the client has come to you with an image they themselves took and asked you to "make better". Or both. If the latter two, I think a simple message maybe in the FAQ saying you're willing to edit any photos the client has taken themselves to make it look more professional for a fee would be enough, although this seems like a strange service to offer to me.

I also think "Parties and Events" and "For Non Profits" might be better under "Services" since after all, they are a service.

Sorry this is so long but I do think your overall webdesign is very clean and pleasing to the eye. I just think there's too much information and it's not very well organized.

[teya]

Thanks for that thought-out reply! I edit other people's photos - almost all those examples were edits for others (including other professionals).

It is a lot of information, but for now, I make more money from my photoshop skills than my photography ;) just starting out in the photography and have been doing web design/editing for four years, so the content of the site probably reflects that.

Once actual photography starts taking over, the page will probably reflect that. I believe I will take to heart the advice about too much info in the process section - I will think about it, though I know when I go anywhere online, I'm the kind of person that wants to read just about everything for myself ;)

The FAQ is going to be a lot more comprehensive and will probably involve some of that stuff and then once hired, I was planning on sending out a "dos and don'ts" page that will list things about clothing, etc.

Thanks again!