I've Been Inspired...

[Speed]

By Seb, and Steve, and Another View and the discussions on Web Sites. And I see PJ has added an Internet and Web Design Forum now! As long as it's the Dummies version, I may be able to follow it. :-O

In addition to all this inspiration, I've been approached by a couple of people wanting beach portraits, and another wanting me to shoot her wedding. I've been wanting to make a website showing some of my favorite shots to show my family and friends. With all the requests I've been getting, the discussions on PR finally pushed me over the edge!

So here it is, a quick and dirty one pager. Now I've got to add other pages showing some of my work. So I guess I'll be spending a lot of time on the Internet and Web Design forums now, bugging the crap out of Seb, and Steve, and anyone else I can get to answer my silly little questions. :-p

http://mccabephotography.tripod.com/

[natatbeach]

what program did you use?

[Liz]

Quick but not dirty. This looks very nice. You chose the right image too! I've been wanting to do this but haven't even given it a "shot" because I just figured I wouldn't be able to do it myself. You've done a good job - nice blended colors and texture on the page. Clear & concise wording. It's easy to see.

One thing I don't like (hope you don't mind) is the Flashing ad at the bottom - horoscopes I believe. Do you have a choice as to the ads?

Tell us a little about it - cost, agreements, ads, who controls it?

And the BIG question - was it easy? Like web page for dummies?

Thanks Speed. You did a fine job.

Liz

By Seb, and Steve, and Another View and the discussions on Web Sites. And I see PJ has added an Internet and Web Design Forum now! As long as it's the Dummies version, I may be able to follow it. :-O

In addition to all this inspiration, I've been approached by a couple of people wanting beach portraits, and another wanting me to shoot her wedding. I've been wanting to make a website showing some of my favorite shots to show my family and friends. With all the requests I've been getting, the discussions on PR finally pushed me over the edge!

So here it is, a quick and dirty one pager. Now I've got to add other pages showing some of my work. So I guess I'll be spending a lot of time on the Internet and Web Design forums now, bugging the crap out of Seb, and Steve, and anyone else I can get to answer my silly little questions. :-p

http://mccabephotography.tripod.com/

[another view]

That's great, Speed. Ask all of the silly questions, that will take some of the heat off me!!

[Kokopeli]

I honestly hope it works out for you. I'd love to make a little extra dough through photography.

Keep us all posted.
~Brian

[Speed]

what program did you use?

It's domestic goddess, remember?! :-)

Here's the skinny...I knew that most ISP's offer a webpage. It's a free service along with your internet and email service. But I never bothered trying to make one there because I don't know squat about building a website. :-p

Then came the November 2003 issue of Outdoor Photographer. There is an article on page 88 by Niceole Levy called "Easy, Free Websites". In that article, she mentions a free website service called Tripod Website service. It is located at www.tripod.lycos.com. It is fairly easy, with text boxes to help guide you. You can even rename your headers. It is probably as close to a Dummies Version of how to build a website as you'll find. If I can navigate it, then it can't be too difficult! :-O

As I recall, the "engine", software, whatever, is Trellix.

Check out Tripod, and give it a whirl. I'm finding it a slight challenge figuring out how to add pages - but I've already added one :-) - and figuring out what I can do with it, but I'm getting there. I'm going to give this a try, and if I like it, I'll probably bite the bullet and buy a true dot com domain name, and present myself to the world. Poor world!

[Speed]

Quick but not dirty. This looks very nice. You chose the right image too! I've been wanting to do this but haven't even given it a "shot" because I just figured I wouldn't be able to do it myself. You've done a good job - nice blended colors and texture on the page. Clear & concise wording. It's easy to see.

One thing I don't like (hope you don't mind) is the Flashing ad at the bottom - horoscopes I believe. Do you have a choice as to the ads?

Tell us a little about it - cost, agreements, ads, who controls it?

And the BIG question - was it easy? Like web page for dummies?

Thanks Speed. You did a fine job.

Liz

It wasn't THAT quick! ;-)

Figuratively speaking though...you get the idea.

I do not mind at all hearing what you like and dislike! Right now it is a work in progress. When I finish getting it built along the lines I want, then I intend to go over it with a fine tooth comb. Tear it apart, edit, delete, streamline, whatever it takes to make it a quality site.

As for the service itself, read my reply to Natalie for the specifics. And the ads are what pay for the service - so it's free for you and me! You get to pick catagories for your ads. I picked Photography :-O Home :-) Family :-) and I think Travel. How in the world a horoscope ad popped up I have no idea.

Yes it was fairly easy. Right along the line of Dummies. I opted for the one pager to get me started, and I've already added a second one. Learning what I can do, how I can arrange things, etc, is taking me some time to figure out, but I'm getting there. Who knows, one of these days I may even ask Seb an intelligent question on how to.

Go to www.tripod.lycos.com and check it out. Seb, Steve and some others have mentioned several sites that offer web services. I've also read about some of the services out there in Rangefinder Magazine and in my book Professional Techniques For The Wedding Photographer by George Schaub.

Thank you so much for the comments and the very kind words! I appreciate the feedback.

:-D

[Speed]

That's great, Speed. Ask all of the silly questions, that will take some of the heat off me!!

Believe me, I will! Right now I don't even know enough to ask a silly question. :-O

But a little learning is a dangerous thing. Once I get a slight clue, then I'll get dangerous, and start asking rediculously silly, stupid and annoying questions. Seb will probably change his screen name to avoid me before it's over!

Ohhh, I hope not.

[I_Fly]

how often have we heard that? It's just as valid here. I've already shot you some feedback via email and look forward to seeing the progression of your site, and business. I think you've got a great start and it's only going to get better as you learn more!

[Speed]

I honestly hope it works out for you. I'd love to make a little extra dough through photography.

Keep us all posted.
~Brian

For the encouraging words! I did not set out to do this to make money. But I've got people coming to me asking me to take pictures for them. I've done weddings, but that's usually been my gift to them. I thought I was pooping in high cotton when I photographed one of Dawn's co-workers wedding, and the office manager paid me for the developing to make it the office gift to them!

With all the requests I'm getting (I've NEVER gone out looking, advertising, etc), it's to the point I've got to at least cover my expenses. Of course, I want to present myself in a professional manner (7 years as an Air Force Officer breeds Professionalism into you).

So last March I made up some business cards. I've now got a price list for reprints and enlargements, I'm working on a contract for shooting weddings, and I'm building a website. I'm glad I'm an amateur - I can only imagine how much work I'd have to do if I were a pro!

With all the requests I've been getting lately, I've got to at least charge what I've got into film and developing costs. If the requests continue, then I'm going to start charging something for my time. Minimum wage at least. If I get inundated, then I'm going to up my fee. I do this for FUN. I enjoy it. If it starts to cut into my off time, then I'm going to get some compensation.

As for making a little extra dough with your photography - I've seen your work - and you can make money from your photography! I know you can! There's a market out there. If the market is what you enjoy doing (I know you shoot landscapes), then you've got it made. If it's something you don't enjoy (weddings, family pets, whatever) then it's just work. There are lots of people more talented than me on PR that can help you get started. I'll be glad to offer any advice that I can, if you're that desperate. :-O

Thanks for the encouragement. Keep shooting buddy.

The Nikon Samurai

[Speed]

how often have we heard that? It's just as valid here. I've already shot you some feedback via email and look forward to seeing the progression of your site, and business. I think you've got a great start and it's only going to get better as you learn more!

For all your feedback. And you will continue to get constant updates! I've already added a second page, with more to follow.

Yes, there are no stupid questions. But I do want to ask intelligent questions!

:-)

[natatbeach]

A super quick and easy solution to a time consuming task

behold the beginnings http://natalieholl.tripod.com/sitename/index.html

until I learn to tame the other beast (the site I've been working on for 4-6 months)

It's still weird looking but I thought it wasn't too bad for a template...it was easy and offered all sorts of options

[Asylum Steve]

Uh, except for the CHILDREN part... ;)

Not bad so far, Nat. Some of the blank "spacers" on your pages aren't loading on my browser, but I think that's an Internet Explorer bug. Not your problem...

The text on your home page is kinda small. But I have my screen resolution at 1024x768, probably higher than the average viewer. Still, you may want to bump it up just a bit so it's readable on a larger variety of monitors.

Also, you should probably give your home page a title. And your other pages more complete or descriptive titles. You can type in quite a bit of info in a page's title bar. Check out my web site pages and look at some of the titles...

A super quick and easy solution to a time consuming task

behold the beginnings http://natalieholl.tripod.com/sitename/index.html

until I learn to tame the other beast (the site I've been working on for 4-6 months)

It's still weird looking but I thought it wasn't too bad for a template...it was easy and offered all sorts of options

[natatbeach]

Uh, except for the CHILDREN part... ;)

Not bad so far, Nat. Some of the blank "spacers" on your pages aren't loading on my browser, but I think that's an Internet Explorer bug. Not your problem...

The text on your home page is kinda small. But I have my screen resolution at 1024x768, probably higher than the average viewer. Still, you may want to bump it up just a bit so it's readable on a larger variety of monitors...

Thanks... and something about any woman---regardless of assets or any lack there of---everyone has potential to be beautiful... at least in my tiny side of the planet that's how i see it. in time that's my goal....to have me take pictures of them so they can see what I can see.

I was having problems with the same stuff on Explorer and when I right clicked on show picture it cleared up...the only downfall to this site builder is that it "requires" you to have a butt load of different titles and headers and found a way to buck the system... HA!

you type a period "." and select the color of the background and poof-HA! no more stupid title....I only have a couple of bald spots where I ripped my hair out-BUT I'm sure they will grow back in time

[Asylum Steve]

any woman---regardless of assets or any lack there of---everyone has potential to be beautiful... at least in my tiny side of the planet that's how i see it. in time that's my goal....to have me take pictures of them so they can see what I can see.

...that I've photographed many people; men, women, and yes even children, that weren't models. I've always gotten a great deal of satisfaction from my portrait work.

Some of the most rewarding comments I've gotten over the years have been "non-professional" subjects saying how pleased they were with my shots of them, some going so far as to say this was the first time they had ever liked the way they looked in a photo...

I've discovered that there is no such thing as a "regular" or "average" person, meaning each of us has a beautiful or facinating aspect to our personality that can come across in a picture. For us, capturing that is the challenge.

One of my top priorities now is to add some of my portrait work to my online portfolio. It's a big part of my shooting, but has been conspicuously absent from my site for too long.

Anyway, as much as I joke about the fashion biz, I'd hate for you to think I have this slanted view that only six foot, leggy, twenty-year-old girls with nice "assets" are beautful...

[Speed]

A super quick and easy solution to a time consuming task

behold the beginnings http://natalieholl.tripod.com/sitename/index.html

until I learn to tame the other beast (the site I've been working on for 4-6 months)

It's still weird looking but I thought it wasn't too bad for a template...it was easy and offered all sorts of options

My pleasure Natalie! After all the encouragement, motivation, and good old fashioned ripping when I need it, I'm glad to give back anything I can to the good people here at PR.

Your site looks great! I love your background. The film look is great. And from the looks of it, you've already surpased me in how to build this thing! Now I can ask YOU questions as well! :-)

[Speed]

A super quick and easy solution to a time consuming task

behold the beginnings http://natalieholl.tripod.com/sitename/index.html

until I learn to tame the other beast (the site I've been working on for 4-6 months)

It's still weird looking but I thought it wasn't too bad for a template...it was easy and offered all sorts of options

Not only did she build a web site in ONE DAY, but her's looks better than mine! ;-)

Guess that's what someone with talent can do! :-D

It's taken me three days, and I'm still not done with my site. I mainly work on it in the mornings before work. But I have added some more pages. It's a work in progress still, but then again, do you ever finish? Isn't change inevitable?
George Lucas once said, "Films are never finished - they're abandoned."
At least with a website you don't have to abandon your work. You can update it, edit it, modernize it, whatever it takes to keep it alive, fresh and viable.

Thank you Natalie for being an inspiration. :-)

[mtbbrian]

Great starts Robert and Nat!
Having been where the two of you were less than a year ago I know what you are both going through.
Keep it up!
A great website can be done on a budget!
Brian