My New Website for weddings

Well, I can take the sunglasses off now, to look at some of them, but it's just not my cup of tea, I'm afraid. As I say, nothing personal.

I'll tell you one thing though. I think you photograph kids better than you photograph anything else.

I just got married - and saw some pictures in same style (read the ones with "funny" angels and stuff) at the shop. Not my style personally.

1) I do like the B/w pictures where you pick out a single color. I think you executed them well - and I'm quite sure there is a demand for them - for weddings....

2) A lot of you pictures have to many elements - to much happens - which disturbs my eye. I really like your pictures with a single person - the kids are good! Those pictures gives me the feeling of a wedding.

3) Focus on the feelings - capture that......

Even though my wedding photographer used a C**** she made some really good pictures - where she captured the moment - the feelings.

Overall - I think your site - in time - will give you some work....Best of luck!

I don't mind the style of the photography, although it's not what I like as such, because if it's a style that sells and pleases the customers then it's doing its job. I think you've done a good job as a photographer and I'm sure there will be plenty of clients.

The site itself is IMHO too fussy and too slow (even with 8Mb Broadband) and it needs too much patience to look at. I did look at it all, but I kept wanting to hurry it up and came close to quitting several times.

With websites I persevere with fast, simple ones.

Thanks

Please take a look at wedding 2 there are quite a few of the bride and groom alone showing some nice poses

Cheers Pete

As others have said, simple is better in my opinion too.

What many web designers forget is that there is a large percentage of disabled people out there. Many physically disabled have problems using fine movements with a mouse and may use the tab key a lot, I believe this doesn't work with flash pages.

Visually impaired people would have a hell of a time navigating your site, and yes, the 'blind' do look at photography pages.

Deaf people would be irritated by the slowness caused by music they won't hear well or at all.

That's a decent percentage of potential customers who may have been put off your site just because of the design.

As with many things in life, just because you can, doesn't mean you should.

Not trying to be funny but I have just had a look at your website and that seems pretty much the same to navigate infact worse. Anyone with a disability would have to click the mouse to view the images and anyone with visual difficulties would not even see the arrows to click

Sorry but cant see how much different in design your site is.

Cheers Pete

Oh dear, please don't let this turn into another Petkd versus some others slanging match.

All kudos to you Pete for doing what you are doing.
That you have had the courage, and yes it does take courage, to pursue your dream and try to become a professional, and to improve as you have to the level where you are now deserves a round of applause.

Personally I don't like Flash sites and hate music, but I can turn the sound down and just about live with the Flash. You have corrected the spelling which can only improve the impression your site gives others.

You do have to learn to accept critisism though, without the automatic slagging off of those who are less than fulsome in their praise. You will get it as a photographer too, from some customers.
You can't please all the folks, so accept it, bite your tongue and move on.

Hi Gwyn

Nice to hear from you. Gywn its not so much the critism that really does not bother me so much now that is why I have kept away from the forum.

Anyway I have added more images to the site and changed few things so enjoy.

To eveyone thanks for your comments

Take care

Pete

I can't comment on the photo's as i have only just started.

However I think your site is nice, the sound can be turned of through the flash interface and down so whats the fuss, the site would lose something without it i think.

The only thing i can suggest is that you change the hover over behaviour in the albums to actually show the photo and not require a click every time, this is easy to do.

They say you can't please everyone and with websites that is especially true, so do not concern yourself to much with some of the things that have been said, if everyone liked everyone else's style of photography then we would all be taking the same pictures and how mundane would that be !

keep your site updated is the biggest thing once people see the same thing all the time they stop comming.

good on you for taking the leap !

Thanks I'll look into it.

Not sure if everyone is aware but if you click on the first large picture that loads or the links at the bottom of the page and wait a few seconds the pictures play automatically as a slideshow.

Just a point for those not aware

Cheers Pete

Well, as I said, nice work.
I asked and did not yet receive an answer about the music.
It was perhaps the most important (albeit subtle) point made in this thread.

This point is a warning to all photographers and web designers, not specifically limited to Petekd.

If you do not own the rights or have permission from the copyright holder you may find yourself in court and or blackballed in some professional circles.
How would you react to some musician, downloading/copying YOUR photography, and using it for commercial purposes WITHOUT PAYING YOU or getting your PERMISSION?

Which site is that Pete? If it's the photobox site you are referring to (the one in my sig), then that is purely a hosting/point of sale site that I have very little control over.

If you are referring to my mtb guiding site (mentioned in my profile) then that has no arrows at all.

if you are referring to my main site (www.ba-joseph.co.uk) which has galleries of images I've uploaded, then that has no arrows either.

So I believe you are referring to the photobox site where people can buy my images if they wish. I have no control over the layout (I think, there may be options I've not explored). Be that as it may, I am not advertising a service through which I get my income (or any serious part of).

I made the observations about disabled users possibly having problems with YOUR site because you asked for feedback on a site that you are selling/advertising your professional services through. If you are happy to potentially miss on commissions due to your site not being accessible to everyone, then that is your descision.

if you want to see exactly how user friendly your site is, try using some site checking tools from the w3 consortium.

Way too slow loading. The format looks good, but for anyone not on a fast connection, it is the usual too slow and after awhile gets a wind-up. I dislike such sites in the end because of the lack of speed.

I realise flash sites can be slow loading but the future is broadband with more and more people on it. I think most serious web users here in the UK now have broadband. Infact I dont know what I would do without it and that is why I went for a flash site. I might be adding a non flash version soon.

Thanks Pete

I have broadband! So it is not necessarily so that broadband is the answer to the speed problem. Flash sites are too slow, so in my view the software is the problem and not the delivery system aka broadband.