I have my own site!! Yay! :)

mhkitty8880 · #1 02-26-2007, 09:43 AM

Okay guys, check out my site. I am really excited to actually have it up and running, so be gentle. ;0) But, I really would love feedback. And, what's the best way to get clients? I e-mailed a bunch of local photographers. I have ads out in newspapers. What else can I do to get noticed? Thanks!! Here's the url: www.mylilyrosedesigns.com

Love, Meg

Jerryb · #2 02-26-2007, 11:36 AM

hi,
You ask for it.. smile... here my 2 cents worth
First congratulations on getting your webpage....... I can see you put a lot of work and thought into it....

Overall I like it, I like the color theme and general layout. It looks professional but warm.. and I can see you put a lot a work into it..

On the non-animated samples... the before and after, what I look for is drastic differences... that maybe just me... but I find your samples, although very good.. doesn't show your full range of abilities and some of the after pictures are sort of subtle you really need to look carefully.. and customers may not see the difference that easily and you want them to..
1. the Jack Benny picture I thought too subtle and I thought maybe a nice damaged picture that been repaired would be more effective and more eye catching, not only with regular customers but with those photographers....
2. manipulation... again something that very eyecaching and obvious... I thought maybe a ordinary picture.... turning it into a more portrait type picture... not only would that be very eyecatching but very pleasing.... I think those photographers would really gravitate to that...

well those are my thoughts...... again congratulation on getting your nice website completed...

Quote:

Originally Posted by mhkitty8880

Okay guys, check out my site. I am really excited to actually have it up and running, so be gentle. ;0) But, I really would love feedback. And, what's the best way to get clients? I e-mailed a bunch of local photographers. I have ads out in newspapers. What else can I do to get noticed? Thanks!! Here's the url: www.mylilyrosedesigns.com

Love, Meg

Swampy · #3 02-26-2007, 12:12 PM

I agree with JerryB. A friendly and simply designed web site.

I found most of your non animated work to be a little soft and flat. Here's your baby shot before and my after. I just added an s curve and then did a high pass to punch up the details.

mhkitty8880 · #4 02-26-2007, 01:23 PM

Thanks you guys. Man, I have a lot yet to learn. I almost didn't publish my site, but I thought that I had better just do it or I never would. The good thing is that I can always revise it. So, Swampy, do you know where I might find a tutorial for paint shop for the s-curve effect that you used? Hmm... More dramatic differences. Yeah... I showed some before and afters to my husband last night and he was like, "What did you do?" Argh. I kinda liked my last before and afters because I removed the hair from the forehead and changed the background and sharpened the eyes, etc... But still, he saw no difference. Anyway... I will work on some more pictures and see if I can make them really look different and better. Thanks again for the input. I need any help I can get!! Thanks! Love, Meg

joey florio · #5 02-26-2007, 01:53 PM

>>>>>> so be gentle. ;0) But, I really would love feedback.

Hi
Congratulations on your site. I will be gentle, and I'll give you some feedback.

The site has a kind of retro, 1995, what some in web site design call primitive look. Like the way sites were first designed in 95. (Not the images). That is definitely a look to have, but in my opinion, fonts are too large and they are showing on my computer as Times New Roman which isn't the most attractive font. Something like Arial, Verdana, Tahoma, Helvetica have a well, better more stylistic look. It's just something to consider.
Otherwise, good site, good luck.

Swampy · #6 02-26-2007, 01:55 PM

Meg, I'm sure Paint Shop Pro has a similar function as curves. Hang on and maybe one of the Paint Shop Pro users will jump in here.

mhkitty8880 · #7 02-26-2007, 02:17 PM

Thanks Joey. I will change the font size down and change the font type, too. Swampy, hanging... ;0) I found a couple on my own. Messing around with them to see if they make differences on my pics. Thanks everybody!! Love, Meg

mhkitty8880 · #8 02-26-2007, 02:31 PM

Kinda a side note... But, do you guys think it would be wise to attain a degree in graphics design or is teaching myself from tutorials good enough, as long as I am actually learning? Just wondering what you smart folks think about that because my husband will have his BA in September. I could begin school when he's done. Whatcha think??? Thanks, Meg

mhkitty8880 · #9 02-26-2007, 02:37 PM

Oh yeah! Sorry, just remembered... What do you guys think about focusing on one thing on my site. Like, do you think it would be beneficial to call myself a photo-editor only, as compared with "graphics designer/photo-editor"? And, therefore, should I only have pics up of photo retouches and edits? I don't want to cut off any potential clients, but I want to seem as professional as possible. For those of you who are photographers, would you prefer to work with someone who's major "focus" was on photo retouching? Right now, if you'll notice, I have fun graphic art up on my site. Do you think that's a plus or a minus? I can't decide. I am totally second-guessing myself now. Ha! Good times... Thanks for any feedback that's not obnoxious! Love, Meg

yelhsaneerg · #10 02-26-2007, 06:52 PM

hi! i thought your site looked nice....about the animated fun graphic things...i am leaning toward a minus....these days there are so many sites where u can get those types of graphics and make your own for free especially since the arrival and ever-growing popularity of myspace.com i think they may "cheapen" the overall look of your website but that's just my opinion :P good luck on it

mhkitty8880 · #11 02-26-2007, 08:11 PM

Thanks for the feedback. I am still debating. I feel like Winnie the Pooh: "Think Think Think..." ;0) Love, Meg

shpric002 · #12 02-27-2007, 04:25 AM

Hi there,

Nice site. I haven't been to many photo-sites and am only recently getting into the swing of the photo business, but I have had experience with other UI on the web and others.

Your website, although it has content, lacks navigational ability. What I mean by that is, think of your viewer as a granny. She wants to do the basic actions fast and they must be available. When visiting your site, you open new windows on each link. Likewise on those windows, there is no link back or indication of further navigation. Granny would have to know that she must close the browser down, which is not the most intuitive thing to do.

What would be easier to navigate the pages, would be either to create frames or CSS tables or a navigation bar/column/etc. This way any page can link to any other page, allowing granny to see the page fully without being limited that particular page.

Also, most people optimise there site to 800x600 resolution in our industry. The reason for this is that most people either run 800x600 or higher. If you make your page at too higher a resolution, it does not scale downwards very well. But lower resolutions scale up reasonably well (not perfectly sometimes).

Hope that helps.

cheers,
Rich

mhkitty8880 · #13 02-28-2007, 12:41 PM

Hi Rich! Thanks for all the advice. Yep, it's official... My site needs more work! Heehee. I really appreciate everyone's 2 cents! I will make changes accordingly when I get time this week. Thanks again! Love, Meg