Your thoughts on title page landing pages--voice your opinion!

[JDubya]

So, say a photography website will have a 'photos' page and a 'blog' page (among other pages). Would you rather a) after clicking the URL the landing page is a title page with a header/nav bar and a photo below it, which from there you can navigate to wherever or b) after clicking the URL it takes you right to the blog?

edit: I forgot about the third poll choice: "Either is fine by me"

[Tess320]

I'd rather go on how mine is built, land on the blog with a gallery link above, then I can read the blog and click for more photos when I feel like it.

[Lonnie]

It seems like photographers love to have big fancy landing pages that play music loud as hell. When I click on someone's link here at POTN, I always double check to make sure my speakers are down first. :)

[Picture North Carolina]

It seems like photographers love to have big fancy landing pages that play music loud as hell. ... :)

... or start playing flash picture slideshows that the user may or may not want to see. If I see/hear either, I click back on my browser in less than a second.

Although this may be controversial, I've always thought there was an obvious arrogance in a photographer who assumes their taste in music is best and will be yours too, or their photography is so good that, without even asking, you want to sit back, have a cup of coffee and watch a slideshow of their art. Sheer arrogance.

[JDubya]

Definitely no music, that annoys me too.

[Treat me like a tourist]

I would say it depends on what you want to use your website for. If you were looking to form a business then you should land on the photography website, as potential customers will not be too interested by the recent topic of your blog. But, if you are looking for an informal look, a bit like flickr but with more words then go with the blog option.
I am new to the whole blog web thing so these are just my views and may not reflect on popular opinion.
There is one guy i know on flickr who has made good use of a blog that is somewhere between the two approaches you have mentioned. Here is a link to his blog: http://www.miami-fever.com/

I agree with everyones comments here about music, the moment i hear it its an instant reflex to macW or if i am kind, mute :)

[timnosenzo]

... or start playing flash picture slideshows that the user may or may not want to see. If I see/hear either, I click back on my browser in less than a second.

Although this may be controversial, I've always thought there was an obvious arrogance in a photographer who assumes their taste in music is best and will be yours too, or their photography is so good that, without even asking, you want to sit back, have a cup of coffee and watch a slideshow of their art. Sheer arrogance.

Yes, why would I think that someone would want to come to my photography website to see pictures? :confused:

I agree about the music, I hate music on websites.

I think websites that have some kind of flash intro where you have to "click to enter site" is a pain, but I have a slideshow on my homepage that I feel is more pleasing to land on over a just a list of galleries.

[matonanjin]

Yes, why would I think that someone would want to come to my photography website to see pictures? :confused:



Classic:lol:

[freo]

I just hate the enter pages where you click "enter site" and it opens a whole other window for the rest of the site. just plain annoying. why would I want your blank enter page still open and the rest of the site open in another window.

[rooeey]

I like the pages that have the bypass intro option and i all ways take it...