The unveiling of the new website...

[photoguy6405]

...for your consideration. Some things to keep in mind as you're looking at it...

Iowa Landscape Photography (http://www.iowalandscapephotography.com)

- It's not 100% done. I still have get a better e-mail address, etc. Probably 98% done.

- The cheesy logo in the upper left corner is just a placeholder for the moment. Logos are beyond my ability, and I have something very specific in mind, so I'm going to hire somebody to do it. It will be replaced with a real logo soon enough.

- I do realize it's a bit 90s-ish looking, but this is one area where I really prefer simple to overdone. I am NOT interested in looking like everybody else's template.

- I have tested it on IE, Firefox, and Chrome.

- I have included some text on some of the main pages to (hopefully) assist in SEO.

- This is my first attempt at CSS. I'm self-taught via w3schools.com

- The Home page photo changes at random every time you go back or hit refresh, but does not do a slideshow of any type while you're there.

Thanks.

[tracknut]

Hi Ken,

You're right, it does have a bit of a dated feel. Not enough to complain, but one certainly wouldn't guess this is a "new" web site. A couple things I noted....

- I couldn't really get the point between this site and your other Photo Vision site. Seems like quite a bit of overlap to me, and I'd be a bit confused as a customer.
- You say you've tested on IE and Firefox, but when I view it in FF, your galleries step down (each thumbnail is about 20px lower than the previous one) whereas in IE8 they are all in a line as expected. Perhaps this has something to do with your validation issues (http://validator.w3.org/check?verbose=1&uri=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iowalandscapephotography.com% 2F), I don't know.
- I like the photos quite a bit, and enjoyed going through many of the galleries.

Dave

[photoguy6405]

Hi Ken,

You're right, it does have a bit of a dated feel. Not enough to complain, but one certainly wouldn't guess this is a "new" web site. A couple things I noted....

- I couldn't really get the point between this site and your other Photo Vision site. Seems like quite a bit of overlap to me, and I'd be a bit confused as a customer.
There's a couple reasons. The part of my older website that has taken off the most is the midwest photos. I've also noticed that, while you can find a great shot of the tropics or the Golden Gate Bridge or Yosemite anywhere, there is very little available for the midwest, so I am attempting to fill what I feel is an under served niche market. I also felt that a new website with a more direct name (read: less generic) would help people find it even easier on the internet.

You're right, there is overlap, but I'm thinking that I may remove, or at least greatly reduce, the midwest aspect of my older site and leave it as sort of an "everything else" website. I wanted this one up and running before I did that, though.

- You say you've tested on IE and Firefox, but when I view it in FF, your galleries step down (each thumbnail is about 20px lower than the previous one) whereas in IE8 they are all in a line as expected. Perhaps this has something to do with your validation issues (http://validator.w3.org/check?verbose=1&uri=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iowalandscapephotography.com% 2F), I don't know.
Hmmm. I use Firefox as my main browser and it looks fine on my screen. For the photo thumbnail layouts I may go back to a table. I know it's "old school", but my site is intended to be simple, tables work, and I best think in a linear fashion, anyway.

- I like the photos quite a bit, and enjoyed going through many of the galleries.

Dave
Thanks, Dave, for the compliments.

[tracknut]

Hmmm. I use Firefox as my main browser and it looks fine on my screen. For the photo thumbnail layouts I may go back to a table. I know it's "old school", but my site is intended to be simple, tables work, and I best think in a linear fashion, anyway.

In FF, hit control + to increase your font size, that'll show you the issue.

To me, you've got a table of thumbnails.... unless you were making a fluid site that would grow & shrink with your browser, I agree a table is probably the best answer anyway.

Dave

[photoguy6405]

In FF, hit control + to increase your font size, that'll show you the issue.

To me, you've got a table of thumbnails.... unless you were making a fluid site that would grow & shrink with your browser, I agree a table is probably the best answer anyway.
I had to increase the font size three times to get that effect, but I see what you're saying.

I wasn't even trying to be fluid, just trying to maximize CSS and probably out-smarted myself in the process. Yep, I think it's back to tables for that aspect of the site.

Thank you for the help.

[photoguy6405]

FWIW: The "Rural Gallery" page has been reconfigured. Seems much better.

http://www.iowalandscapephotography.com/rural.html

[BlueTreePhoto]

I like it, easy to navigate, lots of nice shots.

[photoguy6405]

I like it, easy to navigate, lots of nice shots.
Ease of navigation is one of my primary goals. I see alot of sites by others where I have to search and/or guess how to get from one place to another, and that always frustrates me. I suspect I'm not alone in that frustration.

I've got most of the pages fixed now, also.

[photoguy6405]

Nobody else?

[BlueTreePhoto]

I didn't get many to comment on my site either...

[Pmolan]

I think your site would look better like this...

429720


Also the <---| makes me laugh. It reminds me of the old dial up chat room days :)

[Hikin Mike]

There's too much space below the content on most of your pages. I'm not sure about the gray background, but I'd like to see it when it's all finished.

[photoguy6405]

There's too much space below the content on most of your pages. I'm not sure about the gray background, but I'd like to see it when it's all finished.
Yeah, I noticed the space at the bottom myself, but am not sure how to get rid of it. I looked in my html files and cannot find anything that would cause that. I could be overlooking something, though. Maybe my css files?

It is pretty much finished now. Just some minor tweaking and adding some more photos.


Also the <---| makes me laugh. It reminds me of the old dial up chat room days :)
:lol: Yeah, I know that's not real "techy", but it was easy to do. I may replace that at some point.

The black background on the sides is intriguing. I can see how it focuses attention to the site itself.

[photoguy6405]

Oh, I forgot...

I'd like to get some opinions on whether or not I should make the vertical shots smaller. I'm thinking I should so most people don;t have to scroll down to see each individual vertical photo.

[Hikin Mike]

Yeah, I noticed the space at the bottom myself, but am not sure how to get rid of it. I looked in my html files and cannot find anything that would cause that. I could be overlooking something, though. Maybe my css files?

Yep, it your 'ext-gallery.css'...

div.gallery-full2
{
width:980px;
height:480px;
padding:10px;
border:0px;
margin:0px;
font-family:"Verdana";
position:relative;
left:0px;
top:-660px;
}

[Hikin Mike]

Oh, I forgot...

I'd like to get some opinions on whether or not I should make the vertical shots smaller. I'm thinking I should so most people don;t have to scroll down to see each individual vertical photo.

I don't. I set my photos to 600 x 400 or 400 x 600.

[photoguy6405]

I don't. I set my photos to 600 x 400 or 400 x 600.
I currently have mine set for 800px on each long end. Which fits nicely on the horizontal shots, but not the vertical. I was thinking resetting my vertical shots to 600px on the long end.

Thanks for the css help, btw. I'm working on that as we speak.

[Hikin Mike]

I currently have mine set for 800px on each long end. Which fits nicely on the horizontal shots, but not the vertical. I was thinking resetting my vertical shots to 600px on the long end.

Thanks for the css help, btw. I'm working on that as we speak.

Years ago when I designed my first website (backpacking website called "The Backcountry (http://www.thebackcountry.org)") I set my images to 600 x 400 because I was on a dial-up. With my photography site, I just decided to stay with it. Besides, it's harder to print a smaller image. ;)

[photoguy6405]

Years ago when I designed my first website (backpacking website called "The Backcountry (http://www.thebackcountry.org)") I set my images to 600 x 400 because I was on a dial-up. With my photography site, I just decided to stay with it. Besides, it's harder to print a smaller image. ;)
Good point. I do make sure all my images are 72ppi.

[Hikin Mike]

BTW, I just became a fan....

[photoguy6405]

BTW, I just became a fan....
Cool. Thank you. :) I reciprocated, and was blown away by the photo on your FB fan page. That is truly stunning. Nice work.

[Hikin Mike]

Cool. Thank you. :) I reciprocated, and was blown away by the photo on your FB fan page. That is truly stunning. Nice work.

Thanks. I think that has become one of my favorite photos. Getting ready to print some.....very LARGE!


Have you figured out the extra space on the bottom?

[photoguy6405]

Have you figured out the extra space on the bottom?
I started to, but it was after midnight and I lost all my steam pretty quick, so I went to bed. It may be a day or two before I can get back to it. I'll post when I do, though.