A first for me . . .

[gahspidy]

I agree with you on that , Steve. I'm not worried about the copying too much. The files are very small size, averaging 70kb, so there would be no printing them for any real usage.
I'm going to try using the new simpleviewer. I would like your feedback as to whether you feel it is easier , and a better gallery. seems to me that it is faster to look through the images, which would help someones viewing experience.
I would like anyones input as to the newer viewer.
Thanks

[CLKunst]

Gary I think that is a great improvement! I'm going to go download and play with that myself now. Thanks for forging ahead for me! ;)

[Peter_AUS]

Gary,

In each of the new galleries when you go to the galleries home page, it is all text, there is a huge gap between the main paragraph and the last two lines, with the >> there to show the way. The link back to the Home page and the Galleries, is too low in the page, had to hunt for it. I would keep all links regarding navigation to top as you have in the Index page of your site or maybe the left hand side to make it easier to navigate.

You need to make it more obvious about the fact your images are copywrighted and not to be used without permission and include as Steve said that all images found used commercially that are yours will be dealt with by Legal Action or words to that effect.

Faster loading of images is good, having problems with captions having to be redone each time you make a change is a hassle. How does one leave a comment on your or about your images. This is always one of the inherent problems of website design and one of the reasons I have gone with coppermine as my gallery software. People can join if they want, they can leave comments on the images, uploading of images isn't a hassle at all, it is much like in the galleries here. Photos can be rated as well.

On the Admin side of things I can even see what IP's people come from etc as well and I like that idea too.

Web Design is always a very personal thing and getting a site to look the way you want is always the best. What functions easiest for people browsing your site is always the most important thing as people will always leave if things take too long and aren't easy to navigate through and is uninsteresting as well.

[gahspidy]

John, thanks for commenting on the site. glad to know you felt it was easy to nav.
CLK, I am just starting to really get the hang of this viewer and can help you if you need anything.
Peter, the links at the bottom are part of the program and all I can do is change what it says and where it directs. The opening page, however, works html and I learned a few codes to place my home link and a contact me link. The forward arrows should now be closer to the text and more obvious. I may even eventually code in a link to each gallery on the opening pages to bypass the homepage click. I also figured out how to edit everything in simpleviewer without losing the previous info. So, alls well on that front.
Also Peter, I reorganized and renamed some of the files in my website folder. It's a much cleaner house now.
Thanks everyone for the great help.

[opus]

My very first thought on looking at your site is that your main page is very stunning, graphically and compositionally, then when I click on a link all I get on the next page is boring text, before I actually get to see more visually appealing work on the third click.

It's my opinion that you need some graphical elements on your "second" pages too ... if only to stimulate your viewer to keep clicking through. The presentation of a large block of text against a grey background is rather offputting, IMO. And not only that, the only suggestion of "more to come" is simply a double arrow at the bottom. Your links to your email and back to the home page are much more dominant visually than the means to go on through your site. Some people may click away from your site after only two clicks because of it.

[Asylum Steve]

Gary, Kelly's absolutely right. The edits you've made have improved and cleaned up some things, but have also added new problems. BTW, that's the nature of web design, too. Two steps forward and one back...

After the home page, there is too much text to read before you see another image. An easy (and hopefully obvious) solution to this problem is to simply have a gallery link on your home page, and have that go to a gallery menu page with a thumbnail for each seperate gallery showing one of the images from that gallery.

Doing this gives the viewer a quick glance at a sample of each of your gallery subjects, and it instantly reinforces what the name or label of the subject refers to visually.

Instead of taking "potshots" at your various gallery pages (which is what happens with just text links), they can instead make an easy choice based on what they find the most interesting.

If you want, you can add some of the text (maybe a short description) WITH the thumbnails, but even that should be kept to a minimum. Making the thumbnails link to the pages the way you have them now (with a few paragraphs of text) would not be as big a deal, and probably not a deadend for viewers. If they've seen the thumbs, they'll most likely have no problems making one more click to get to the pics...

[gahspidy]

Kelly, that is an excellent observation. I had not seen it that way, but I totally agree with that now that you bring it to my attention.
Steve, good suggestions. what I did to improve on that was to use the somewhat plainer format offered in the viewer, which includes the thumbnails on the text screen. It is not quite as appealing overall as a picture viewer, but i think the compromise is worth it.
How does this new format appeal to your viewing experience.
Thanks Kelly, Steve.

[mtbbrian]

Something else Gary...
I am here at work, SHHHHHHHHHHHH!
And when I look at your site on this computer, the background photograph is smaller than the total screen.
My monitor is at 1280x1024.
Keep Tweeking It Gary!
Brian

[gahspidy]

Something else Gary...
I am here at work, SHHHHHHHHHHHH!
And when I look at your site on this computer, the background photograph is smaller than the total screen.
My monitor is at 1280x1024.
Keep Tweeking It Gary!
Brian

Ok, Brian. I just increased the dimensions of the homepage bg image. It should fill up that resolution now, and still fits nicely on screen at lower res. What do you think of the Gallery, and the opening pages now? Kelly had brought up a great point about the wall of text. I'm fairly staisfied with the gallery end of it now.
thanks for the help.

[Peter_AUS]

Not to be picky but I did mention about the text page in my previous post #23 to you, but who cares anyway.

There is still too much space between the second pagagraph and your mention about copywright and fullest extent of the law.

The navigation links are incorrectly place up above the images, make them on the page with the text in them.

You are using Porta aren't you to put the galleries together. By the way, this is very similar to other gallery creation programs as well, but this creates a flash website that you need to purchase the viewer to get to edit the pages a bit better from what I can gather from reading Porta website.

Gena webgallery is the same without the flash and you get to edit the html pages much easier as well. There are many small programs around that do all of this one way or the other.

But my biggest suggestion is keep your navigation links easier to find.

As for the size of the photograph on the main page, design for 800 x 600 as standard size and forget about trying to meet the 1280 x 1024 size structure, there are probably more people that run screens at 800 x 600 to 1024 x 768 than there are at 1280 x 1024 size, just my opinion having been in IT services for 15 years. I run my 20" at 1280 x 1024 but how many people really have screens that size, they don't 17-19" is about the normal at present.

You will read that a lot of people work in big screen so they can have several windows open on the one screen or have multi-monitor systems.

I think the gallery looked better the way you first designed it, I'm not a big fan for the left hand scoll way of things. Just me, others will disagree and I expect that, the nature of the world.

[gahspidy]

Peter,
Yes, I see you did bring that issue up earlier. I have just readjusted the spacing in the text page. I tried to put a Bac to homepage link there, but what happens is the homepage comes up in the text box while the thumbnails remain on the left.. So I am stuck using their pre determined position above the thumbnails column. As you read, I might be able to resolve this if I purchased their added software, but before I do that I think i might look around and try other viewers such as the one you mentione, Gena Webgallery.

[Peter_AUS]

Gena WebGallery isn't a viewer it is Web Gallery page creator http://www.kozasoft.com/, but not in flash. It creates webpages with HTML, so you then use an editor of your choice to then edit the html pages further to get the overall design you want if not satisfied with it at first.

You may also find this program an interesting alternative as well http://www.universis.co.uk/index.htm it is called Websites.....in-a-Flash. I have just been having a play around with it.

Porta is a webpage generator with flash design conversion. To be able to edit the flash you need to purchase extra from the viewer maker to be able to do this. I see limitations in Porta because of this and having to purchase when Porta is presented as a free software, sort of a Catch 22 really.

Why not just design in flash to begin with and be done with it, would be one option. There are many other programs around that do flash design besides Macromedia/Adobe software as well.

Photoshop creates web galleries as well.

Remember I don't recommend anything in particular over any other program, just give my opinions, help where I can, and other alternatives I have found in the past few years.

[gahspidy]

Peter, After all my researching and experimenting thus far, I think i am comfortable with the overall site as it now stands. I put back in the flash porta viewer, but made it more obvious and welcoming for the viewer to move on from the text and into the gallery ( I hope). I'm sure many won't bother reading through my statement, but there should be no problem finding and clicking the arrows to enter the gallery. Once a viewer is on my homepage, it takes 2 clicks to view a an image and browse the gallery, which is not bad, i think.
You'll be happy to know I have removed the music. Although I liked it, I determined, by feedback from others, that some may like it as well, but will not really enhance the experience. And at worst, someone who does not want to hear it may click away from the site. I do not want to bother with an optional on/off button. Also, for dial-up users the music increases the load time significantly.
I am now thinking about setting up a "purchase prints" page. I do not want to use a service like shutterfly etc. as I will ( and insist) be doing the printing and matting Every print will be the same price, only the size of the prints will vary in price. A viewer, will only have to select the size and then type in the title of the picture. I am going to be looking into setting up a paypal cart. do you have any other ideas?

[drg]

Gary,

I'm not usually a connoisseur of webpages, but your 'bridge to other places' page for other links is really a standout!

Best wishes for success with the 'commercial' side of the site as well.

CDP

[Peter_AUS]

Gary I think if you check out the Paypal site it has info on how to setup that for you page. There are a few software addons that you can get to add PayPal to sites, I haven't set that up as I haven't had a need to. I know that there is an add in for Macromedia Dreamweaver that can do that, I think it is a paid add in as well. I will have a look and get back to you on what I find, my back has been playing up the last couple of days so haven't been at the computer all that much, although have been checking this forum obviously.

I agree with the music, dial-up people are certainly to be considered when doing websites, especially photogaraphy websites that are image intensive by nature.

I posted about the other program as I thought it was another option to look at which basically does similar with a few extras in place as well.

[gahspidy]

drg, thanks for your good words.
Peter, I just set up my Purchase page and used a paypal shopping cart. It was fairly easy. I filled out the buttons and cart information list. ( did this for each button as each button is next to an item of a different price and description) After I was through filling in the info, I hit " create button" and paypal automatically generates an html code that i copy and paste in my page. the same with the "view Cart" button. So far, it seems to work ok.
I set it up as I did because it would be too tedious, and time consuming , to make a button for every print, and have it next to a thumbnail of the image. This was the best, most logical set-up I could put together with this good, but somewhat limited free paypal cart.
Like everything else, I will probably tweak it maybe even use a Ecommerce cart instead. But for now, I am hoping this will work well.

[mtbbrian]

Good Luck with the sales Gary!
Let us know how it goes!
Brian