NEW, new website

[phaither]

so...
i have given the site(s) an overhaul and i think it is much more reflective of who i am. please check it out again- no passwords needed. As always, i appreciate your feedback!

faith bell photography

* i am not ready to change my domain so don't bother commenting on that. thanks!

Since it appears that this is more for business than a personal site, like the last version you had... I have a really hard time seeing the photos you have shown as "portfolio" type photos.

nothing has any type of PP that I can see and nothing about the site or the photos scream "HIRE ME".

I could enumerate all the things that could use improvement, but suffice to say that it would be better to work on your skills first, then worry about a website.

~Eric

[phaither]

ouch. did you click on the albums to look at the photos individually? they seem lower-res on the "portfolio" pade then clear up when you click on the album.

[Jim Bryant]

Aggggggghhhhhhhhhh. The hen shit green border around your photos scream "newbie" without any experience. I really think Max is right. You should work on building your photographic technics before you displaying such a web site to attract clients. This might seem harsh to you. but this these words are from a 40-year professional.

[veritasimagery]

I'm afraid it does come across rather un-professional looking. If this is intended to bring in business I think that it falls short.

The best advice I can give you is to to a lot of looking at other professional photographer's sites and see how they do it. Compare yours to theirs, and compare your pictures to theirs. The whole point of doing a business website is to attract business, so it needs to come across as professional.

The best advice I ever heard: "If you want a Million Dollar business, run as if it was one from the start." Just because you may just be starting out doesn't mean you have to look like it.

Kevin
Veritas Imagery NW

[phaither]

why does my color choice always "scream newbie?" (this was said about green frames and previous blue text). why can't it just scream "i like these colors!!!"

that said, i still do appreciate your feedback and i have looked at many other sights. i did not want mine to look like all the others, it's just not who i am.

in addition, my site will not come up in a search, unless you specifically google my name. i created the site for a place to visit once you've been given my card, seen work i did for a friend or heard about me via referral. so basically, i'm not using it to drum up business independently, simply to give people something to look at once they become aware of me from other avenues.

i am not looking to do this as a full-time job. i already have one of those. i'd just like to do a few shoots here and there and cover my costs. i love taking pictures and so far, the people i've done it for have been very pleased.

please don't take this as being unappreciative, i do value the time you all spend critiquing my site. but, i'm not sure that my demographic will look at it with such a critical eye.

faith

[veritasimagery]

Here's the thing, you're advertising a rate of $300 for two hours of location shooting and $20.00 for an 8x10 (as an example), but your website comes across as someone who is just playing around with a point-and-shoot.

The point I was trying to make is that you are charging professional rates, so you need to present a professional image. And, I'm sorry, the whole thing looks as if it was thrown together by a middle-schooler.

Remember this also, just because you give your business card to one person doesn't mean that they won't give it to another. Word of mouth is great, but if someone were suggest your talents to me, and gave me your website address, I would go elsewhere after looking at it, especially considering what you're charging. And I think that's the key. The rates you are charging don't line up with the image you are presenting, nor the work you are showing on the site.

Your site doesn't have to look like everyone else's, but it's to give you an idea of how a professional site looks. You can represent "who you are" without looking like an amateur.

Don't want to be harsh, just helpful.

Kevin
Veritas Imagery NW

[OsmosisStudios]

I'm going to ignore the images and focus on the graphic design aspect.

Your choice of colours isnt wrong in and of itself: they work and do come across as fun. The problem is in the way they're used. The website lacks polish because the graphics lack polish. It needs more cohesion. Really, the only way to say it is that it needs more polish.

[phaither]

Originally Posted by veritasimagery

Here's the thing, you're advertising a rate of $300 for two hours of location shooting and $20.00 for an 8x10 (as an example), but your website comes across as someone who is just playing around with a point-and-shoot.

The point I was trying to make is that you are charging professional rates, so you need to present a professional image. And, I'm sorry, the whole thing looks as if it was thrown together by a middle-schooler.

Remember this also, just because you give your business card to one person doesn't mean that they won't give it to another. Word of mouth is great, but if someone were suggest your talents to me, and gave me your website address, I would go elsewhere after looking at it, especially considering what you're charging. And I think that's the key. The rates you are charging don't line up with the image you are presenting, nor the work you are showing on the site.

Your site doesn't have to look like everyone else's, but it's to give you an idea of how a professional site looks. You can represent "who you are" without looking like an amateur.

Don't want to be harsh, just helpful.

Kevin
Veritas Imagery NW

got it. either create a more professional site or lower prices. i'll ignore the part where you call me a middle-schooler and accept the rest as valuable input.

Originally Posted by OsmosisStudios

I'm going to ignore the images and focus on the graphic design aspect.

Your choice of colours isnt wrong in and of itself: they work and do come across as fun. The problem is in the way they're used. The website lacks polish because the graphics lack polish. It needs more cohesion. Really, the only way to say it is that it needs more polish.

thank you for that. i'd love to hear how you think i might improve my "polish" without hiring someone to do so. my brother-in-law is a web guy so he might be able to help with the execution. any specific suggestions would be appreciated...
f

[phaither]

did the boudoir site look any better than the home site, in your opinioin? or was it just as amateur...?