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nickbrown_500

nickbrown_500

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Name
Nick
Edit My Images
Yes
I'm fairly new to photography but I have been thinking about seeting up my own website to blog about my photography and also go through the stages of my learning on the internet.

Also somewhere I can upload my main pictures, maybe if people like them to order them etc.

What are the best places to go, are there places that I can do this for free or is it best to pay a small amount for a website.
 
Nick,

If you have a Mac, I'd suggest RapidWeaver. I used it for my website and it's very, very easy to learn. PM me for link if you want to see it in action.

Ralph
 
Thes a really useful sticky in the "Computers/websites etc" forum. As mentioned above, Worpress is great for blogging, but less great for sales etc.

For sales I find that the dedicated photography website providers such as Photoshelter are the best bet.
 
I will take alook at the sticky in that forum,

Will take a look at wordpress and also rapidweaver as I'm soon to be getting a Mac,

Next where is best to host these, are there free web hosting sites which are good enough or is it best to pay a small amount for web hosting.
 
You get what you pay for with hosting. Of you are intending on selling images you want a proper domain name (not yourname.freewebsiteplace.com). TSO host are UK based, reliable and fairly cheap for hosting and I've found domain monster to be the best for domains (I prefer to keep hosting and domains separate so I can move either when I want to).
 
I use photium for the website, and wordpress for the blog. Highly recommend both. For print sales, I just link to my photobox gallery. If you're doing commisioned work, e.g. portraits, weddings, etc, selling prints and such like is part of the service, but for most other photography I wouldn't hold your breath when it comes to prints sales, at least until you've got a name for yourself, and / or high volumes of traffic coming to the site.
 
Will take alook through all the above mentioned, I wasnt looking to sell loads. I honestly would be happy if only one person ever bought a print.

I just wanted to offer it, on the off chance that someone really liked the picture.
 
Just re-read my post and it comes over as somewhat patronising, for which I apologise. However, I've had my website for coming up 5 years, and have only ever sold one print. I've had umpteen queries, but this being the internet, people expect prints to be free, which they're not, or at least mine aren't.

That being said, I've sold a canvas, as well as some for use in a book (for several hundred pounds) and I've had press queries (who again wanted them for free). If nothing else though, a website is great for raising your profile, and I've met some interesting people who've contacted me through it, and a number of interesting opportunities as well, so it's been well worth it!
 
Nick_1981 said:
I use Weebly for my free website and have my own domain name linked to it. I would recommend it - lots of templates and customisation. In the settings you can add SEO information too.

http://www.nickaxtellphotography.co.uk
Click to expand...

I like Weebly for it's free & fun, easy set-up, but it is a bit basic for facilities.

Nick - talking about the SOE page settings look at this for disabling 'right clicking' on your pages - not perfect, but every little helps ;)

Paul
 
viewfromthenorth - I didnt take it as patronising, I know that sales are hard thats why I would be happy if I only ever sold one, I thought I may as well put it there just incase. I mainly want a website to show my photos, oppertunities etc

Same as you I think it will be good to raise my profile.
 
paul williams said:
I like Weebly for it's free & fun, easy set-up, but it is a bit basic for facilities.

Nick - talking about the SOE page settings look at this for disabling 'right clicking' on your pages - not perfect, but every little helps ;)

Paul
Click to expand...

Don't recommend that route, p's people off if they cant use the context menu for legit usage, and doesnt work on some browsers. I did find a javascript that allowed right click on text, but not on images as a compromise, but really best avoided altogether.
 
Photodiva said:
Don't recommend that route, p's people off if they cant use the context menu for legit usage, and doesnt work on some browsers. I did find a javascript that allowed right click on text, but not on images as a compromise, but really best avoided altogether.
Click to expand...

Well, not that I've got anything really worth copying, but I'll still keep it active - after all no ones left any messages yet complaining about not being able to use the "...context menu for legit usage..." :)

Paul
 
paul williams said:
Well, not that I've got anything really worth copying, but I'll still keep it active - after all no ones left any messages yet complaining about not being able to use the "...context menu for legit usage..." :)

Paul
Click to expand...

Whatever you feel like - but people won't leave messages, they'll just go elsewhere.
 
Been here before with the image theft advice.
Disabling right click is just ridiculous, it won't stop anyone stealing and may stop people doing other legitimate things.

If you're showing pictures from events etc, you need to show small images with watermarks serious enough that image theft is not worth it. If you're blogging customers a reasonable size image with a discrete watermark means that they can nick images for Facebook etc but it's not hurting you as its already part of your marketing. Portfolio images, you've already earned from, so you can show them large and unmarked to make the most of them.

If you're planning to sell 'fine art' then a large images with transparent watermark is the best protection you can give. It'll not stop all theft but it'll give you the best chance of sales.
 
Photodiva said:
Whatever you feel like - but people won't leave messages, they'll just go elsewhere.
Click to expand...

The site is just for fun, so wouldn't be too concerned.

Phil V said:
Been here before with the image theft advice.
Disabling right click is just ridiculous, it won't stop anyone stealing and may stop people doing other legitimate things.

If you're showing pictures from events etc, you need to show small images with watermarks serious enough that image theft is not worth it. If you're blogging customers a reasonable size image with a discrete watermark means that they can nick images for Facebook etc but it's not hurting you as its already part of your marketing. Portfolio images, you've already earned from, so you can show them large and unmarked to make the most of them.

If you're planning to sell 'fine art' then a large images with transparent watermark is the best protection you can give. It'll not stop all theft but it'll give you the best chance of sales.
Click to expand...

Well I don't know much about the Internet & web 'stuff' - if I did, I'd probably wouldn't be using Weebly and I've certainly no idea what "...other legitimate things..." can or can't be done with a 'right click' :D

As above, it's just a bit of fun, I don't run a business, I'm not a professional which is stated on my intro page - it also states;

"...I'm not to precious about the images and if you want to use any of them (usually free) just use the Contact form and ask..."

Had to check and see if this was all being posted in the Talk Business section ;)

Paul
 
Oh sorry, I assumed that as you were disabling right click you cared about image theft.

I'm still not sure why you can care enough to disable right click, acknowledge that it's not robust, not care that you're inconveniencing your viewers and then just be happy to give stuff away anyway though?:thinking: It does rather sound as if it's not thought through at all, and you're defending that by saying it's just a bit of fun.;)

So you can happily carry on giving away images, as this isn't posted in the talk business section it'll mean that you're not undermining the industry in any way.;)

You're not a plasterer by any chance are you? because as you don't value your time at all I have some plastering I'd happily let you come and do.:)
 
^^^
Nope, I do care about image theft and didn’t realise that disabling the ‘right click’ wasn’t robust, I’m not a technically savvy type - I just prefer if people asked if they want to use an image. Also I’m not defending anything by saying its “…just a bit of fun…” because guess what, it is just a bit of fun, one of my son’s asked how difficult is was to create a website, so I thought I’d have a go at setting one up as quickly and cheaply as possible and that is basically its only raison d'être. I never look at the stats page so have no idea or really care how many ‘hits’ it gets. As for undermining the ‘industry’, get real, the images posted on the site are rather low quality snaps IMO and if these constitute a threat to the ‘industry’ then the industry is already beyond help. ;)

No not a plasterer and I can’t help with a recommendation for a good one, the one that did my studio came highly recommended, but I though the job was rather mediocre personally and my plastering is rubbish. :(

Anyway, all this seems a bit off topic from the perspective of the OP original point and I’ve got nothing more to say, except Weebly is fun and easy to use, :thumbs: so I’m unsubscribing from this thread.

Paul
 
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