Comments on: Photography Website Templates: Features and Cost http://www.joereifer.com/words/2009/04/15/photography-website-template-features-and-cost/ Night photography of abandoned places, and neighborhood toy camera photos Wed, 08 Sep 2010 01:26:18 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: joe http://www.joereifer.com/words/2009/04/15/photography-website-template-features-and-cost/comment-page-1/#comment-1146 joe Sat, 18 Apr 2009 17:13:01 +0000 http://www.joereifer.com/words/?p=1187#comment-1146 Easy enough. The Wordpress Simpleviewer plugin has a really nice GUI interface for all of the layout options including caption info -- screenshots <a href="http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-simpleviewer/screenshots/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">here</a>. Unfortunately the function that allows you to go back and edit captions once the gallery is published isn't working right now. Easy enough. The WordPress Simpleviewer plugin has a really nice GUI interface for all of the layout options including caption info — screenshots here. Unfortunately the function that allows you to go back and edit captions once the gallery is published isn’t working right now.

]]> By: Troy http://www.joereifer.com/words/2009/04/15/photography-website-template-features-and-cost/comment-page-1/#comment-1152 Troy Sat, 18 Apr 2009 16:24:56 +0000 http://www.joereifer.com/words/?p=1187#comment-1152 I use Dreamweaver to edit the .xml files and write captions. It is very similar to how BBedit used to work with its color-coded text/code blocks. I use Dreamweaver to edit the .xml files and write captions. It is very similar to how BBedit used to work with its color-coded text/code blocks.

]]> By: joe http://www.joereifer.com/words/2009/04/15/photography-website-template-features-and-cost/comment-page-1/#comment-1151 joe Fri, 17 Apr 2009 21:17:05 +0000 http://www.joereifer.com/words/?p=1187#comment-1151 Troy - My site was done with Simpleviewer awhile back, but entering the caption info was a pain and I never updated the site. Hopefully the tools have improved. The Simpleviewer Wordpress plugin I use for the blog galleries is easy to use but a little bit buggy. What do you want for free though? Brad - Blog vs. Website totally depends on why your work is online and the audience you want to reach. I want to go after galleries and curators -- this requires an excellent website that ties in to print portfolios, and email/print marketing materials. Horses for courses as they say! Troy – My site was done with Simpleviewer awhile back, but entering the caption info was a pain and I never updated the site. Hopefully the tools have improved. The Simpleviewer WordPress plugin I use for the blog galleries is easy to use but a little bit buggy. What do you want for free though?

Brad – Blog vs. Website totally depends on why your work is online and the audience you want to reach. I want to go after galleries and curators — this requires an excellent website that ties in to print portfolios, and email/print marketing materials. Horses for courses as they say!

]]> By: Brad http://www.joereifer.com/words/2009/04/15/photography-website-template-features-and-cost/comment-page-1/#comment-1150 Brad Fri, 17 Apr 2009 17:41:53 +0000 http://www.joereifer.com/words/?p=1187#comment-1150 Joe, Have you thought about hosting your regular website/galleries on another blog? Using a suitable gallery-oriented template, that you might further modify getting into the CSS for tweaks for size, color, etc Galleries can be set on static pages, Paypall shopping/commerce can be set up, etc. It really doesn't have to look like a blog with daily updating etc. I haven't updated my website in 3 years cuz it's a PITA to make changes. Will someday move the galleries over (after a ton of editing) to my blog as static pages; and then kill the website - don't see the point... Hosting costs me $3 or so a month... Joe,

Have you thought about hosting your regular website/galleries on another blog? Using a suitable gallery-oriented template, that you might further modify getting into the CSS for tweaks for size, color, etc

Galleries can be set on static pages, Paypall shopping/commerce can be set up, etc. It really doesn’t have to look like a blog with daily updating etc.

I haven’t updated my website in 3 years cuz it’s a PITA to make changes. Will someday move the galleries over (after a ton of editing) to my blog as static pages; and then kill the website – don’t see the point…

Hosting costs me $3 or so a month…

]]> By: Troy http://www.joereifer.com/words/2009/04/15/photography-website-template-features-and-cost/comment-page-1/#comment-1153 Troy Fri, 17 Apr 2009 05:30:43 +0000 http://www.joereifer.com/words/?p=1187#comment-1153 It's the work that matters, not the whizbang site. I'm about to launch a new LostAmerica.com site done with a $50 simpleviewer interface. It'll be a vast improvement over the old html site. Plus people won't be able to just drag images off the page to their HD. Shopping carts? Paypal is cheap and easy to use. I don't really care about iPhone compatibility. Anyone who's seriously looking at photography to spend $ on it won't be doing it from an iPhone anyway. I plan on simply linking out of the site to flickr sets for those not using a flash reading browser. I find flickr to be fine for google searches. My image "Behind the Green Door" on flickr has had almost 1000 hits since Marilyn Chambers died. It's an image I'd never have bothered to put on the lostamerica.com site, but there it is pulling in more people off the street . . . to not buy anything. It’s the work that matters, not the whizbang site.

I’m about to launch a new LostAmerica.com site done with a $50 simpleviewer interface. It’ll be a vast improvement over the old html site. Plus people won’t be able to just drag images off the page to their HD.

Shopping carts? Paypal is cheap and easy to use.

I don’t really care about iPhone compatibility. Anyone who’s seriously looking at photography to spend $ on it won’t be doing it from an iPhone anyway. I plan on simply linking out of the site to flickr sets for those not using a flash reading browser.

I find flickr to be fine for google searches. My image “Behind the Green Door” on flickr has had almost 1000 hits since Marilyn Chambers died. It’s an image I’d never have bothered to put on the lostamerica.com site, but there it is pulling in more people off the street . . . to not buy anything.

]]> By: joe http://www.joereifer.com/words/2009/04/15/photography-website-template-features-and-cost/comment-page-1/#comment-1148 joe Thu, 16 Apr 2009 23:51:22 +0000 http://www.joereifer.com/words/?p=1187#comment-1148 Richard - great to hear from you. Visual Server looks fine for the price. The template looks a bit old school Photoshop, but I'm sure it's easier to update, which is the important thing. And really it's the content that counts! Richard – great to hear from you. Visual Server looks fine for the price. The template looks a bit old school Photoshop, but I’m sure it’s easier to update, which is the important thing. And really it’s the content that counts!

]]> By: Richard http://www.joereifer.com/words/2009/04/15/photography-website-template-features-and-cost/comment-page-1/#comment-1149 Richard Thu, 16 Apr 2009 15:13:01 +0000 http://www.joereifer.com/words/?p=1187#comment-1149 I use Visual Server for mine and have liked it. Have not considered any kind of shopping cart thing but I get a couple emails a month coming through the site asking to buy prints and/or use the photos, and sell about 6-7 year. I do zero marketing. I use Visual Server for mine and have liked it. Have not considered any kind of shopping cart thing but I get a couple emails a month coming through the site asking to buy prints and/or use the photos, and sell about 6-7 year. I do zero marketing.

]]> By: joe http://www.joereifer.com/words/2009/04/15/photography-website-template-features-and-cost/comment-page-1/#comment-1147 joe Wed, 15 Apr 2009 23:07:15 +0000 http://www.joereifer.com/words/?p=1187#comment-1147 Cody - the best looking template sites I've seen use Flash, but I'm certainly not adverse to HTML options for speed and SEO. FolioLink supports Paypal integration, but the sites I've seen were not elegantly implemented. For image licensing and print sales, you might consider <a href="http://pa.photoshelter.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">PhotoShelter</a>, but that's not really the right option for fine art photography. At a lower price point perhaps shopping cart integration may be useful -- most folks that are spending more money on fine art photography would likely prefer a personal touch. Neo - thanks! Jay - thanks! Flash SEO seems more imminent than Flash on the iPhone. Cody – the best looking template sites I’ve seen use Flash, but I’m certainly not adverse to HTML options for speed and SEO. FolioLink supports Paypal integration, but the sites I’ve seen were not elegantly implemented. For image licensing and print sales, you might consider PhotoShelter, but that’s not really the right option for fine art photography. At a lower price point perhaps shopping cart integration may be useful — most folks that are spending more money on fine art photography would likely prefer a personal touch.

Neo – thanks!

Jay – thanks! Flash SEO seems more imminent than Flash on the iPhone.

]]> By: Jay Watson http://www.joereifer.com/words/2009/04/15/photography-website-template-features-and-cost/comment-page-1/#comment-1155 Jay Watson Wed, 15 Apr 2009 22:59:09 +0000 http://www.joereifer.com/words/?p=1187#comment-1155 Cody, if your website doesn't offer the shopping cart you can add one into your blog (then link together). Great job on the breakdown and comparison Joe. I agree that APF looks like a winner. My site cost nearly the same as your price breakdown. Although I was able to get a more custom design, I missed out on some of the features of APF. These can be added in and something I am working toward. If you can get what you want now in an easy serve format like a template with a good design - it is a no brainer. Flash based sites. Last fall Google and Adobe started working together on making Flash content more SEO friendly. They are not there yet, but I am sure it will only be a matter of time. There is a semi workaround to this in the meantime. A decent web programmer can help greatly in this department. Apple needs to open up the iPhone to Flash. Just ask Vimeo users. Cody, if your website doesn’t offer the shopping cart you can add one into your blog (then link together).

Great job on the breakdown and comparison Joe.

I agree that APF looks like a winner. My site cost nearly the same as your price breakdown. Although I was able to get a more custom design, I missed out on some of the features of APF. These can be added in and something I am working toward. If you can get what you want now in an easy serve format like a template with a good design – it is a no brainer.

Flash based sites.
Last fall Google and Adobe started working together on making Flash content more SEO friendly. They are not there yet, but I am sure it will only be a matter of time. There is a semi workaround to this in the meantime. A decent web programmer can help greatly in this department. Apple needs to open up the iPhone to Flash. Just ask Vimeo users.

]]> By: Neo http://www.joereifer.com/words/2009/04/15/photography-website-template-features-and-cost/comment-page-1/#comment-1154 Neo Wed, 15 Apr 2009 21:58:05 +0000 http://www.joereifer.com/words/?p=1187#comment-1154 As usual, this is really helpful information, even though I am still at the very first step of the series. As usual, this is really helpful information, even though I am still at the very first step of the series.

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