dustin_hatcher Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 <p>Hi Everyone,<br> I've been getting some great feedback here about running our photography business and I realized I should pop over to this area and ask about a website design question that's been floating around in my head.<br> We're putting together a new website (all flash based template) and I was wondering what everyone here thought would be an appropriate amount of images to load in our Wedding gallery? This will be the actual portfolio gallery which is separate from the home page that will also scroll some images.<br> We're planning to do about 15-20 images on the home gallery but those will also include some family and children shots because those are part of our photography business as well.<br> The only thing with our website that concerns me is that we can only use 1-2 songs per gallery which is an unfortunate limitation of the company we went with [photobiz] that will hopefully change in the future, but everything else about them is top notch which is why we're using them. :)<br> So with 1-2 songs, my concern is I don't want people to be on one gallery too long with song/s looping. I'm afraid that might get kind of old or boring. What do you guys think would be a good amount of images to put that would display our work, but not be too much to the point where it would get boring? <br> Thank you all for the wonderful help!<br> Dustin</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jon rennie Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 <p>Any way of breaking it up into multiple galleries (details, ceremony, formals, reception). Don't overload them with one huge gallery. Not as many people as you think will sit through 2 songs worth of images all in one go.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindsay_dobson Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 <p>15-20 in each gallery would be fine, and as Jon said, if you have many images then splitting them up is a good idea. But don't overwhelm the viewer. I would also add that most people don't like music. If I can't instantly find the 'off' button then I simply exit the site. </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayt Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 <p>I would go further and say that I really dislike Flash sites. I don't want music and slide shows that move at their own pace with fade effects. Flash sites are slow to load and many are just simply annoying.</p> <p>If you are going to a site provide a non-flash alternative.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dustin_hatcher Posted March 12, 2009 Author Share Posted March 12, 2009 <p>Hi Everyone, thank you for the replies! Yes there definitely is an off button for the music. It is located in the upper left corner and all you have to do is click it once to turn off the music.<br> As for forced slideshowing that's a no go. You can pause the gallery slideshows anytime and scroll at your own pace. Also, the site is actually pretty quick to load because of the fact you can't upload a zillion songs. That's why photobiz did it that way so the site would load much more quickly.<br> I will look into an HTML alternative with them, though it might not come out at the same time as the flash site.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindsay_dobson Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 <p>Raymond, not all flash sites are like that. I agree that some can be infuriating, but the good ones have none of the issues you mention. </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aimee_pieters Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 <p>Do you think thank anyone is going to sit there for more than 2 songs? No one spends much time on any site. Did you know that fewer than 90% will even scroll down past the "fold" on a web page? Make it quick, it's a short window....-Aimee</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dustin_hatcher Posted March 12, 2009 Author Share Posted March 12, 2009 <p>Aimee, I'm not sure. I can tell you when I check the stats from our blog people that come there are there between 5-20 minutes, sometimes even longer. Saw someone who was on it for 45 minutes once :) Sooo to answer your question, they might? :)</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmcgphoto Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 <p>Dustin, I look at the Flash site as my first line of deciding who is my demographic.<br> I want someone who has a high speed browser, and who may stay for a song or two.<br> Most brides will look, so I'm told, at work, so make the sound easy to turn off or have it start pending their decision. I would have an HTML front page and never make them sit through a "commercial" before they can access other things, and an HTML front page allows more metadata and information that Google looks for.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark_t5 Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 <p>I never undestood the "must have a music in wedding gallery" concept.<br> Someone one day just decided it might be good to have a song playing and suddenly everyone had to have it. doesn't help that 1/2 the wedding photographers simply goes with bludomain templates.<br> music galleries to me are the most annoying thing next to popups.<br> <br /> all flash slideshows are not created equal. some are painfully slow to load while others are not. i would not mind a slideshow that has a lot of pictures as long as they preload in the background as you browse through them. that way the user does not wait while the slideshow loads.<br /> but if your slideshow is awfully slow to load, then splitting your images to separate galleries might be best.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aimee_pieters Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 <p>Dustin,<br> Don't be fooled by the stats. Just because a page is open doesn't mean someone is looking at it.<br> Just for kicks, how many pages do you have open right now? I have 5 and I haven't looked back at one of them for probably 3-4 hours. Anyway, my point is that you have to hit people hard and quickly because that's about all the opportunity you get....-Aimee </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dustin_hatcher Posted March 12, 2009 Author Share Posted March 12, 2009 <p>Daniel - I hear what you're saying. I tend to think of flash as being sort of a standard that the market I'm trying to hit probably actually expects. From a few brides who are friends and not clients they're more curious now why some photographers don't have a flash website. What I hear even more often is that the flash websites are pretty. Although I can certainly understand how some may find it annoying. However, I have to fall back on the can't please everyone rule :) In 10 years we probably won't have websites at all. We'll probably instant message media slideshows/packets to someone's iPhone 3000G uber mega network manager device :) Oh and the company I'm using actually allows you to put meta keywords and descriptions on each page of your flash site. Pretty cool I think :)</p> <p>Mark - I've seen websites with and without music and I have to say that I prefer to have whatever music playing from someone's website [if I'm really interested in it] for a few reasons. Those would be that it gives me a little [however small it might be, its something] introspective on someone's personality and whether if I were hiring them would I jive with them. Now granted we all have fairly similar music on the wedding websites, but if someone totally loves Jack Johnson and they go your site and it starts out playing Jack Johnson, well that might just be bonus point for you. And if they don't like it they can [usually] just simply turn it off, at least on our website they will be able to. :)</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindsay_dobson Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 <p>It always makes sense to ask clients why they chose you, and if part of the answer is '... and I really liked your website' then you know you've got that side of things right. Interestingly, and to corroborate what Dustin has just said, the feedback I have personally had is that a polished flash-based site is generally expected for upper-mid shooters and beyond. But of course it must function very well, and in that sense a pared down, well-crafted HTML site is just as good in my opinion. Your website is not there to just please you - you must please your clients.</p> <p>As for music, you're right, it can give an insight into the persona of the photographer, which may or may not work against you. I'm not sure I'd take the risk, better they form a view of you at the first meeting.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiva Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 <p>When I got my flash site it was because it had unlimited uploads ... which would allow me to show entire weddings from getting ready to the end of the evening. I wanted to show that I could capture the day from beginning to end.</p> <p>I fully realize I go against the trend to post fewer images because of the risk of overwhelming the viewer. In fact, I agree with this theory. But, I found out via feedback from shopping brides that they enjoyed the fact that I would show all the images from the start to the end of the wedding day. I still get that comment even though I am still contemplating the creation of specific galleries more directed at wowing the viewer with the best of the best type of image files. </p> <p>It just seems a bit unfair to merely show your 20 or 30 best shots as a sample of what you can do on a wedding day. That's what keeps chewing at me; anyone else feel that way? </p> <p>Bridal couples seem to enjoy seeing full weddings and I've never had anyone say they were overwhelmed with to many to view even though I Do believe is has to be the case for many viewers; <strong>it's the shopping bridal couple I'm looking for</strong> as well as the smiles on that couple as they view them in their wedding gallery just after they are posted.</p> <p>Music: I have my music turned off and the viewer has the option to turn it On if they choose to. I love the music and I love the option of turning it On if I want it to be played but it's irritating, to me, to have to find it and turn it off when I open a site up for viewing.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindsay_dobson Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 <p>Yes, it can be a good idea to show a full wedding. I think the earlier suggestion was just to split it up into sections like getting ready, ceremony, reception etc, in the context of the song having to loop twice if all the wedding shots were in the same gallery. Dustin seems insistent on the songs. But obviously if the music were absent, or off, then that would not be a problem (Dustin, you'd be surprised at the number of people who can't find the off button).</p> <p>William, I like the fact that you start with your music off, but not everybody who features music on their site is that considerate.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dustin_hatcher Posted March 12, 2009 Author Share Posted March 12, 2009 <p>Unfortunately there's no option for me to offer the ability to start with music off and be able to turn on if desired. Only start with it on and turn it off if desired. :) </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmcgphoto Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 <p>Dustin, I once had a groom pick me for the photography based on a song on my website, a Lyle Lovett one...just great. I agree with your take about the iPhone 3000 too! As for the off feature, talk to your web people, assuming you aren't doing it yourself. It can be done. As for worrying about bludomain vs folio vs livebooks...eh, who cares? They produce a simple to use product that creates clean navigation simple but big shots of your work, they don't try to be to clever, and I did webdesign in the distant past, not developing, just design. Every single test ever?? The study participants choose easy to use over everything else. You want to be extra clever? Do it with your blog or a side "photographers select" site. But if you want to be busy, be simple, no matter who does your site. At least that's what I think.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
booray Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 <p>Dustin, I use photobiz as well and have struggled with the music/no music issue as well as the full screen issue and have come to only one strong conclusion: <em>Never design your website based on what other photographers find annoying</em>. "We" are not your client. Talk to some 20-something brides and ask them what they think and ignore the rantings of your gin-fueled, bitter, know-it-all brethren in the business (that's me). I hate music on a website but then I'm not a 22-year old woman who is planning her dream wedding so I'm not really in a position to offer a valid opinion. Talk to your clients.<br> I will say this: Don't worry about your music looping. If they are staying on the page that long you already have them.<br> If you are going to use music, at least have the decency to purchase the copyright because photographer's who use music without paying for it are a disgrace to the profession.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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