How Many Photos is too many?

[mtbbrian]

I have been evaluating the content of my website recently and have been wondering at what point will there be too many photographs.
I currently have 39 photographs of mine, in eight sections.
I know there are only three sections that are looked at the most.

My question is, how many photographs is too many?
When do you subtract when you add a new photo?

What is a good rule of thumb for this?

Thanks as always, I know I can always get GREAT feedback from everyone here!
I hope I provide you with equally as good feedback.
Brian

[Sebastian]

I have been evaluating the content of my website recently and have been wondering at what point will there be too many photographs.
I currently have 39 photographs of mine, in eight sections.
I know there are only three sections that are looked at the most.

My question is, how many photographs is too many?
When do you subtract when you add a new photo?

What is a good rule of thumb for this?

Thanks as always, I know I can always get GREAT feedback from everyone here!
I hope I provide you with equally as good feedback.
Brian

Thisone's always tough. In the process of redesigning my site, I am working on the premise that only my best stuff goes in. If I'm iffy, it doesn't go. BUT, I don't base the quality of the shot on whether others like it or not, I put up images I like, but I do eveluate them carefully.

[Asylum Steve]

Brian,

I don't think the total number of pics on a web site is really an issue. IMO, it's how many photos or thumbs a viewer sees at any one time, and of course, like Seb says, the quality of the shots.

My web images are organized the same way I present my commercial and gallery portfolios in the "real" world. There are seperate main sections, then each main section is broken down into seperate books or shows.

IOW, my fashion thumb page has the same number of images as my fashion book that I would physically show to a client. Each of my gallery pages would have the images from a show I did, and so have the same amount of pics as you might expect to comfortably view in an exhibition space.

To me, there's no limit to the amount of commercial books or gallery shows I can publish online, because any one individual page will have a reasonable number of pics on it.

I think as long as you stick to this formula, the viewer will never be overwhelmed with images. If you find a page is filling up with pics a little too much, well then yeah, maybe some tough editing is in order, or simply add new subject page.

Personally, I don't want my visitors to quickly see everything that I have to offer. If a site is designed well enough, and viewers can't browse everything in a single session, hopefully they'll come back...

I have been evaluating the content of my website recently and have been wondering at what point will there be too many photographs.
I currently have 39 photographs of mine, in eight sections.
I know there are only three sections that are looked at the most.

My question is, how many photographs is too many?
When do you subtract when you add a new photo?

What is a good rule of thumb for this?

Thanks as always, I know I can always get GREAT feedback from everyone here!
I hope I provide you with equally as good feedback.
Brian

[Peter_AUS]

Hi Brian,

I totally agree with what both Seb and Steve have said. The thing I find annoying when I visit websites, a mainly two things. The size of the home page (and I am guilty of this) and the time a page takes to load and that I think it s the main thing to keep in mind when designing websites. You need to at the minimum get a page to load as fast as possible.

I think Steve's suggestion on groups is really good and I confess that is something I try and do as well. I put folders in my images directory according to what catergories I want and then create sub directories for sub catergories and do the same with my images pages. Keep in mind that I am currently redesigning things and am in a bit of a stale mate on which way I am currently going to jump on a couple of issues.

If you make categories as an example like, people, food, scenery, landscapes, floral, vistas, etc and make sub categories under those like singles, couples, children, groups, eating out, beaches, snow, sailing, etc etc etc, then that I think is a good way to housekeep. Having this done in a database is even better as you can organise and add to your photographic database, chopping and changing around as much as you like.

But I think the thing that most appeals to me, is the first images I see, they have to hold interest of the person visiting and want to delve further into your website and not just move on.

Maintain a common design within the website is extremely important so people don't have to search around too much to navigate through your site, continually looking at where the home button is or the scolling button etc, what ever you decide to be your navigation. And a good rule of thumb if you page does scroll is to have an alternative scrolling system down the base of your pages as well.

But the most important thing is the "KISS" way. Keep It Simple Stupid.

Hope this helps in someway to redeveloping your site.

[SunnySideUp]

I think everyone is on the right track, but I didn't hear what I think most people forget. Who is your target audience? In this day and time people seem to try to design with everyone in mind and end up loosing their true target audience. If you only can have one group of people look at your site, who are they and why are you making the site?

If you key group is high tech, then you need to make a high tech site which will allow you to have more photos and other things... but if they are low tech then you best to not have a whole lot.

I have been to your site and like the photos... I was disappointed to find so few, but most likely I am not your target audience.

If you go to my site, you will find way too many photos. My wife easily gets board. She has made me rethink my strategy. Although she is not my primary audience she would be my secondary audience. If I design more for people like my wife, I will get more of them, but at the same time I will loose some of my primary audience. So I have to find the best mix.

Personally I think the best websites are always evovling, because you can always make it better. If you don't redesign you site, or at least seriously think about redsigning your site once a year, then you site will quickly become out dated.

Just my 2 cents. I look forward to seeing your new site... And hopefully more photos.