If you have a moment...

... would you mind taking a quick look at:

http://jamesdebenham.c​om

This is my attempt at a more professional looking portfolio site. I like to put things on Flickr but wanted a link I could send to potential employers/clients.

I've built this one from scratch mostly using Dreamweaver to help me get my head around the CSS!

The image display script is Lightbox JS v2.0. I was a bit wary when I first looked at it as I don't usually like images loading in anything that resembles a pop-up. However the overlay that this script does made me think that if I could keep the rest of the site simple it might just work.

I've tried using CSS and JS to use clickable thumbnails and all sorts on pages but have never really been happy. I think with the overlay method it draws the focus to the image set.

Just finished the final tweaks to make the XHTML and CSS validate.
I would really appreciate your opinions if you have the time!

When I first started clicking around your site I thought you only had one picture in each category even though it said something like 1 of 10. I looked at each category before I figured out that the next box would appear if I ran my mouse across the picture. I expected to find the navigation at the bottom by the close button. Maybe that is what you were going for so it didn't look like every other site. Just wanted to mention this as I am very used to navigating web sites and it took me a few moments to realize this.

stoph wrote in post #2636230
When I first started clicking around your site I thought you only had one picture in each category even though it said something like 1 of 10. I looked at each category before I figured out that the next box would appear if I ran my mouse across the picture. I expected to find the navigation at the bottom by the close button. Maybe that is what you were going for so it didn't look like every other site. Just wanted to mention this as I am very used to navigating web sites and it took me a few moments to realize this.

Thanks for that, I can add a caption to aid navigation. Cheers!

First - nice pictures. I especially liked your architectural section.

I don't like how the previous and next buttons overlay on top of the image, I found that distracting. I actually prefer a thumbnail type gallery to a next next next type. Although I can see the benefit of being able to control experience for the viewer.

lhoney2 wrote in post #2646840
First - nice pictures. I especially liked your architectural section.

I don't like how the previous and next buttons overlay on top of the image, I found that distracting. I actually prefer a thumbnail type gallery to a next next next type. Although I can see the benefit of being able to control experience for the viewer.

I'm in the process of building a version with thumbnails as it seems to be something a few people have suggested! Thanks for your input

Sorry for the bump but I have taken on board some of the things people said and have changed the navigation on the site. The link now load thumbnails instead of lauching straight into the slideshow.

Better?

I like it, visually simple, some great shots. I wish I your skill!!

I like the thumbnails a lot better. Nice work spoonford.

Simple and classy.

I love it! Well done, mate

Cheers! Thanks for the kind words!