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  • Welcome to the new site. Here's a thread about the update where you can post your feedback, ask questions or spot those nasty bugs!

New website

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
I am upgrading my very old website... Anyhow, my new one is partly done, still have lots of images to add. What do you think so far ? [aside from the major artifact issue on the home page which I am trying to sort out]

http://paulbestwick.sites.livebooks.com/

Paul,

I love the work you have shown. I'm impressed with your control of light so that you get the windows of the grand architecture and the bride's dress so perfectly exposed. Are you using flash? If I looked at these images, I'd, for sure be delighted to hire you for any wedding!

I cannot stand the delay between slides as they move from right to left to occupy the center of the screen. It's annoying and distracting. The change from one image to the next should not be by gimmick as it gets more attention than your totally impressive photographs. I'm sure that Live Books allows you the choice of other simpler transitions.

If you go to the bother of getting your own software, what would you choose? Have you looked at Apple's iweb program?

For myself, I have been thinking of getting Livebooks too, LOL! IO want a service that will also make it easy for folk to choose a picture and then order crops or retouching themselves, all delivered without my intervention. The editing of pictures for display or final is what takes most of the time. Those are the services I'd love to find!

Asher
 

Paul Bestwick

pro member
Thanks Asher,

The light is nice for sure. I used on camera flash for some. The key to exposure is to use a hand held meter, which is what I have done since day one of going digital [about 8 years ago]. Having used a meter during my Hasselblad days, I saw no reason to change that habit just because the camera I was now using had an [innacurate] in built meter.

yea the transitions are an issue... I have turned them off. This site will only remain live for a week as it is a trial. When I design the new site it will have many more images with a greater subject range.
The design software I am considering is SlideShowPro in conjunction with LightRoom.
 

Joe Thomas

New member
Paul,

I love the work you have shown. I'm impressed with your control of light so that you get the windows of the grand architecture and the bride's dress so perfectly exposed. Are you using flash? If I looked at these images, I'd, for sure be delighted to hire you for any wedding!

I cannot stand the delay between slides as they move from right to left to occupy the center of the screen. It's annoying and distracting. The change from one image to the next should not be by gimmick as it gets more attention than your totally impressive photographs. I'm sure that Live Books allows you the choice of other simpler transitions.

Asher

I agree with this analysis completely. As for the portfolios I think you need to either let your user click the the images himself/herself or increase the time in between images. Like Asher I would definitely hire you as a wedding photographer, but the images went through too fast for me to look at all the detail. Let your photos impress me, and for them to do that they need more time to marinate.
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
I agree with this analysis completely. As for the portfolios I think you need to either let your user click the the images himself/herself or increase the time in between images. Like Asher I would definitely hire you as a wedding photographer, but the images went through too fast for me to look at all the detail. Let your photos impress me, and for them to do that they need more time to marinate.


Joe,

I'm glad you spent the time to enjoy Paul's work.

Asher
 

Paul Bestwick

pro member
thanks Joseph... Regarding the technical aspects of the website, I agree. I am not actually proceeding with that site. It is on hold for a while as I am too busy to put it together at the moment. I will perservere with the [worse] site I currently have.
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
thanks Joseph... Regarding the technical aspects of the website, I agree. I am not actually proceeding with that site. It is on hold for a while as I am too busy to put it together at the moment. I will perservere with the [worse] site I currently have.

Paul,

You studio space itself, if you haven't moved, is so splendid that you may already have such a good following that the web may not be as important as with unknown photographers. The investment made in having pictures on a gallery wall is to me much more worthwhile!

Asher
 

Paul Bestwick

pro member
yes Asher, I still have the studio. I have been there for nearly 11 years but that does not necessarily convert into a constant stream of business. The industry has gone through significant change in that time and it is important to stay ahead of the game. A strong web presence is paramount to success and it an issue that I need to address... soon.
Regarding change, I believe that very soon we will start to see video pages in photo albums...
I need to get my head around Final Cut Express and buy one of the video enabled DSLR's.
 
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