Photography Website Design

glenwheeler

Senior Member
Hi Guys,

Just got a spec through about a site that wants designing. The site has to be dark, simple and easy to use. The website is to do with photography basically she wants a home page, services page, contacts page and portfolio page. The design below shows an example of what I have done so far. Any thoughts, advice, ideas would be great.

Thanks Peeps

http://www.glenwheeler.co.uk/sjpproject/homeSJP.jpg
 
Whats the point in the bottom menu?

Not keen on the body font.

The rest looks cool to me, not sure how itd be to use. I'm not a fan of dark sites personally
 
ahhhhhh, having to type this out again, damn site needs to be fixed again - my message was not too short!

It was better the first time!

Cant go wrong with overall design

title, needs arranging properly, kerning of titles needs looking at
body font, personally I'd stick to a web friendly font and I'm not keen on your current choice either
 
Hey Renniks & Levi,

I hate dark sites, and I believe this is the first Dark site ive ever done. The point of the bottom nav is that if and when the page extends they also have the option of the bottom nav so they don't have to scroll up. The body text is arial, just looks strange as the design is an image created from photoshop.
 
Ah ok, maybe its just the kerning you've set on PS (or its a heavier weight and due to the light font on dark it comes up even thicker).

Understandable :) just seems a bit odd when there isnt enough content to move it down...

Maybe look into a 'top' link instead? (Just an idea, nothing wrong with what you have, but no hard exploring other options)

:)
 
that isn't standard arial, looks like its got the faux bold ticked (looks like my site titles) in my opinion

You don't really need a bottom link in my opinion and what size screen are you designing tit for.
 
I think maybe go slightly darker on the dark or lighter on the light to give a bit more contrast :)
 
personally unless its her logo, i'd put the 'photography' at the end of the title, it just confuses me like that ;)

the navigation i would have ranged to the right, and the 'rollover' colour change to white, rather than the underline.

hope this constructive criticism offers some ideas
 
No real problem with design............. just the image girl looking at me!

Is that the photographer? or a sample of her work?

If it is then you've just shot yourself in the testicles.

I want to run away and leave the site.

Don't build a site, build a piece of communication.

Do you want to ring her, or will I?
 
Photography is about image, the first image you see, sets the tone.
Unfortunetley it's not a pleasant one aesthetically or technically.
 
Wait a minute that photographer is Steve Austin....
The Six Million Dollar Man!! No way...
wait till I tell Oscar Goldman where he did off too.
 
Hi Peeps,

Again thanks for the comments, Berry thanks for the comments about how the 1st photo's should be be but I don't know if there was any need to actually comment on the photo like that on a public forum but hey hey, Ive taken your advice into consideration because I know you know your stuff about web design. Thanks very much.
 
glenwheeler said:
Hi Peeps,

Again thanks for the comments, Berry thanks for the comments about how the 1st photo's should be be but I don't know if there was any need to actually comment on the photo like that on a public forum but hey hey, Ive taken your advice into consideration because I know you know your stuff about web design. Thanks very much.


Unfortunetley Glen it is a public forum, and if you put your work up out there and ask for honest crit then it's part and parcel of life. Sometimes there is no nice public way to say things. But it is a big glaring error that needs to be addressed. Would I give her work on the strength of the impresssion made on the first page? It's an easy solution to fix. I just don;t think anyone else saw the problem, hence my comment. Would you eat a meal in a restuarant if your first impression was a dirty tablecloth? Part of a designers role is to help the client market their business, we do that by truth and objectivity. Designers should always look at what they have been given to play with and choose and use that information to the clients best advantage.
 
Totally Agree with what you are saying berry but if she logged on and saw your comment about saying she is Ugly then I think things would probably kick off, its not a great comment to make especially as a managing director of a Local Company, the comment could have been along the lines of;

"That photo is not an appropriate for the opening page"

Instead of

"No real problem with design............. just the ugly image girl looking at me!"

Just was'nt too nice thats all. Its simular to being racist.

I mean if a guy came to you and asked "Do you think I should put my photo on my site" would you as advice say "No your Ugly"

I dont want to argue or anything, your a cool person and I always take a lot of your comments into consideration. Please reply thanks.
 
Glen, I've ammended my comment if your upset about it. Ugly and colour are two separate issues, one based on aesthetics and beauty and one on bigotry, influence and human conditioning.

As a photograph, it is what is is and it is not pleasing, there is no way of escaping that. If she is so facinated with her own self image then she should concentrate on Social networking of facebook and myspace is where she should be. If she wants to communicate with the business community then she has to present herself well. This is business and I'm trying to help her business model.
The old adage is - 'Only in the direst case, ever show the clients face' If that is the photographer which i didn't think it was, i kinda thought it was someone she shot. Thyen why is the first photograph on a photographers website taken by someone else? I am therefore first introduced to another photographers work on a photographers oown website. Can you see how upside down this is.

And yes I would tell someone the truth, if it would help me sell the product better.

On the Forum I'm not an MD, I'm a member passing a comment on to other members. I say what I see, always have, always will and that will not change. Call a spade a spade.

I for one wouldn't allow clients to view open forum comments, or give them any indication to it.
If you had informed us that this photo is the client and that she may be viewing this thread, then we may have been more tactful with our comments. But why would you want expose the client to this?

My whole arguement is I am presented by a non-pleasing image of someone photographed by someone else on a Photographers website. I've seen and commisioned thousands of photography and waded through thousands of Photograhers portfolios. The whole objective of their work is to producing pleasing or intrigueing visual represention. If they do then they have a good chance of getting business, which is what it is all about.
 
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