My website

<p>Hi,</p>

<p>Just want to share my photography website I designed in Dreamweaver.</p>

<p>http://www.rizabbasi.com</p>

<p>Comments/ideas/criticism is more than welcomed.</p>

<p>Regards,</p>

<p>Riz</p>

<p>Only your area code gives a clue to your location. Without knowing where you are located, I wouldn't look at hiring you, or attending your course.</p>

<p><Chas></p>

<p>Thanks Charles; you are right. Will do that.</p>

<p>I really like the way you have laid out the galleries, with the fixed frame at the left and then a scrolling length of images to the right. Nice choice. Very cool watermark choice, too.</p>

<p>There is a bit of repetition in your portfolio. It ends up diluting the value of the other work that's there. You come out making a great impression but then you throw in the same thing a few times and it takes that impression down, removing the novelty. For instance, in close-ups, you have three shots of six that are wood bark. It's too much. Choose one wood bark that you like and remove the other two. Same with the images of the same child in "Portraits" and the same very beautiful mountain valley in the "Nature & Landscapes" section. LN1 or LN9 would be my choice, removing whichever one you like less and removing LN4 and LN11. Those four are just too similar, diluting the portfolio. The home page has two color photos that have the same artistic effects used on them. I would remove one of those and replace it with one of your great color shots that does not use the same effect. </p>

<p>I am wondering why "Contact" & "Projects" are separate areas. It seems like anyone who'd want to contact you would go to that section and not ever read the stuff you need them to know in "Projects". See what I mean? Also, I wanted to talk to you about the choice of language under "Projects". I know the English in Pakistan is different than the English in America or in England. To me, this sounds sort of timid:<br>

"For projects within Karachi region I would need at least one day notice and for out of station projects I would need to have three days notice prior shoot."<br>

Sort of like you're saying "well, if you were to maybe hire me, it would theoretically mean I need X time to prepare". I'd rather see you making a more definite statement. Maybe something like "Projects within the Karachi region will require 24 hours notice; 72 hours notice required for out of station projects." Somewhere near that statement, you need something positive and encouraging to round out the impression you'll be giving, I think. </p>

<p>Hope this helps, and I wish you good luck. I like your images. </p>

<p>It occurs to me that your layout, with the frames, seems designed to work with traditional computers or laptops only. That is, I wonder if you need to look at how it will appear to people with smart phones or iPads. On the other hand, I don't know how prevalent that technology will be for your prospective clients. Where I live these products are a real design driver for website updates. I believe you can get code to test for device type at the beginning of the site load and design something separate but similar for the new stuff coming out. </p>

<p>Some people have a real beef with frames and don't care for them - saying that they are too bossy and force a browsing preference on the viewer. I don't feel that way. However, should someone after me give a compelling reason to avoid them, you can use CSS instead to replicate the same left-side information on every page that loads.</p>

<p>I hope my comment about English language came out right. What I meant was that every country that uses English uses it differently. I tried to read an English-language daily newspaper a few times while I was in India and it was a challenge. They seem to love using very long sentences and they choose words differently than an American paper would. And American papers choose words differently than a British newspaper would, et cetera. Given our different use of the same language, I don't know the impression your wording would have on your fellow countrymen. I was speaking to my own impression only. Hopefully you see what I meant. Thanks for allowing me to politically correct myself to the Nth degree here!</p>

<p>Dear Jennifer,</p>

<p>First of all thanks a lot for detailed comments/ideas on my website; really appreciated.</p>

<p>Regarding repetition you are right, its diminishing the impact.</p>

<p>You are right regarding "Contact" and "Projects", will merge them.</p>

<p>Will re-phrase the sentence too.</p>

<p>I know I have used Frames, that is old technique now and carries limitation, but I had time constraint. But I have started working on the contemporary design now :)</p>

<p>By the way I tested my website (on Frames) on mobile phone browser (Nokia X6) and its working fine, but still, I would re-vamp my website using Flash.</p>

<p>And again on English, and its way of usage in different countries/regions.</p>

<p>Thanks for liking my images. Couple of days back I visited couple of historical places and got great opportunity to capture only but long lost history :)</p>

<p>I visited your website and you have taken great photographs on variety of areas.</p>

<p>Regards,</p>

<p>Riz</p>

<p>Hi Riz -<br>

Glad to be helpful. My website has a LONG way to go and needs a lot of improvement. I'm browsing this forum because I am planning an overhaul. I'll be sure to ask you for input when I get it done! I'm going to need it. Thanks for your kind words. </p>

<p>Good you tested on your mobile device. Smart thinking. One thing about Flash: the newest Apple products, iPhone & iPad, do not currently support Flash. There is a belief that it will change soon but for now, you can't run any Flash on them. I plan to stick to HTML until then, even with a total re-code. You could leave your HTML code in place alongside some Flash code, and choose which to load up if you can detect it's an iPad/iPhone. Put in an automatic software test for what kind of device the browser is coming from. If it's an Apple mobile device, then just give them the HTML/frames version. See what I mean? <br>

Keep shooting!<br>

-Jennifer</p>

<p>Rizwan, nice images on your site, but as already mentioned there's a bit of repetition. Also, on your services/projects/contacts... pages, the image is competing with the information. Maybe you can lower the opacity or get rid of the image altogether. The last point is also related to loading of the images. I'm in India and it's slow enough for me to think of wandering away. If the first, or first few, images load quicker/earlier, I'll be more inclined to look at them and stay on the page while the rest are loading. Also as mentioned, you might want to put in your street address (possibly with directions), and a page of testimonials for your client's peace of mind.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>They seem to love using very long sentences </p>

</blockquote>

<p>interesting... my boss in the US said that about me...</p>

<blockquote>

<p>"By the way I tested my website ... "</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Testing a site is an important and integral step before paying and launching. Yet it is often overlooked and seldom done extensively across different platforms, browsers, window sizes, etc.</p>

<p>The tools/sites referenced here can be of great help:<br>

<br /> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.luminous-landscape.com/forum/index.php?topic=41252" target="_blank">http://www.luminous-landscape.com/forum/index.php?topic=41252</a></p>

<p>Jennifer: Thanks again and will be really glad to see that. Have planned for this weekend to upload the site, let's see.</p>

<p>Indraneel: Thank you and I liked your photographs.You idea is good to decrease the size of first couple of photographs.Working on website, and will let you know once its uploaded.</p>

<p>Robert: Thanks for the tools suggestions. Very helpful indeed :)</p>

<p>Just went back to check your site and found a couple of typos in your header: "Clope Up" and "Protraiture"</p>

<p>What I like: Clean, easy to navigate and find what I am looking for</p>

<p>What I dislike: Audio, width of site</p>

<p>So, first off, never force audio on you users, especially if they can't turn it off. That just makes you look like a jerk, and honestly, I would never think of hiring you. I would instantly leave the site. And no offense, but that music adds nothing to your work. Just feels like a gimmick.</p>

<p>The width is too wide for my smaller monitor, just fine on my larger one. This is a problem, as my smaller one is not that uncommon of a width (1024px). And, add to that, I could not scroll left or right (bad CSS) to access the portions of the site I need to. Needs some work.</p>

<p>Hello Charles, Jennifer, Indraneel and Robert,</p>

<p>I have updated the site. Please have a look:</p>

<p>http://www.rizabbasi.com</p>

<p>Take care and regards,</p>

<p>Riz</p>

<p>The opening images look much better. I'd bring the two most powerful images (the ones at each end) to the center. "About me", "course" and "contact" text is cut off on the left. I'm on Windows Vista using Google chrome. Images load much faster and I get something to look at while the rest are loading... Brilliant!! The images are also much much better than before. The arrangement of the images within each section seem a bit haphazard, the flow breaks when I view them in the order they are presented; maybe arrange them by theme or something?</p>

<p>Well done, you're almost there!</p>

<p><strong>Jennifer</strong>, that's settled now. You checked that before I intimated about the update. So nice of you!</p>

<p><strong>Zach</strong>, thanks for your comments and suggestions. For music I can put on mute on start but would like to keep that. Its very powerful.</p>

<p><strong>Indraneel</strong>, Thanks. Have to do something about text being cut. May be the overall width of the menu is too wide. I saw your photographs and they are really nice. Especially the one having a boy/man running in front of fort; its very powerful photograph.</p>

<p>All, thank you again, really appreciate your time and interest.</p>

<p>Cool website, beautiful images, and great logo! I like the vertical scroll of you galleries. A few things of note: 1) the logo is being cut off on the left. May be a conflict with the full-width functionality of your page because your navigation is pretty long, or the default width you have it set to, which is wider than the standard 1048px. 2) The music which comes automatic as default may be set to optional for users and have them switch it on if they like. Some people get a sudden burst of unexpected loud music when loading your site for the first time, which detracts from the viewing experience. Great job! </p>

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<p>Normally known as PLR, it stands for "Private Label Rights" references to any document (ebook, letter or any written document in general) or software which content can be branded, re-written by the person who owns now such PLR. It can be used in full or partially as content for other publications according to the original rights as stated in the PLR accompanying documentation. It is a great way to generate content and value to other books and it is also a great way to earn profits.</p>

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<p>Thanks Cristian. I will look into the width issue. And have already put the music on mute on loading.</p>