Websites for displaying portfolio

gercam

gercam

Suspended / Banned
Messages
420
Name
Gerry
Edit My Images
Yes
Can anyone help me? I am looking to have a website that displays my photos? Would love to have private gallery too if possible.

Any suggestions?
 
gercam said:
Can anyone help me? I am looking to have a website that displays my photos? Would love to have private gallery too if possible.

Any suggestions?
Click to expand...
Zenfolio

Take a look at my website, can be password protected, PM me if you want a money off code
 
gercam said:
I'm wanting to have a website to show my photos as want to get into lifestyle/family photography
Click to expand...

So you're wanting a website to use to launch a business?

As opposed to somewhere to just show pictures?

They're very different needs.

Are you wanting to sell from the site?
Will you want to self fulfil, or just leave it all to a 3rd party?
How much prior knowledge do you have (HTML, CSS, hosting, SEO etc)?
Do you want something easy to update?
Have you got a budget?
Are you looking for something to get you up Google's rankings or are you just looking to publish customers pictures?

I'm not blaming you for not having considered all this, it's exactly the same as buying anything else, the more you can think through your needs the less mistakes you'll make.

We all make mistakes, but we all know other people who've gone through the same thing, it's easier to learn from their mistakes :thumbs:
 
Phil V said:
So you're wanting a website to use to launch a business?

As opposed to somewhere to just show pictures?

They're very different needs.

Are you wanting to sell from the site?
Will you want to self fulfil, or just leave it all to a 3rd party?
How much prior knowledge do you have (HTML, CSS, hosting, SEO etc)?
Do you want something easy to update?
Have you got a budget?
Are you looking for something to get you up Google's rankings or are you just looking to publish customers pictures?

I'm not blaming you for not having considered all this, it's exactly the same as buying anything else, the more you can think through your needs the less mistakes you'll make.

We all make mistakes, but we all know other people who've gone through the same thing, it's easier to learn from their mistakes :thumbs:
Click to expand...

Thanks for making me think what I am wanting- sometimes it clarifies things for me.

In answer to you questions

No I am not wanting to sell on the site
Would like to do it all myself if possible
I would like something easy to update and have prior knowledge of updating a site but not of HTML or CSS
Not looking for improving google rankings just somewhere to publish pictures
 
Wordpress, it's fit for all budgets, check out Themeforest for themes to add.
 
I was fiddling around using Lightrooms web module and the http://theturninggate.net/ plugins

Stunningly easy to add a new album or modify an album or images with the Publisher module.

Literally create an album with a template you've made (in lightroom) or downloaded, add the images you want, hit Publish. It'll then upload all the thumbs and large images at whatever settings it needs, add the watermark if you added one.

Then if you modify one of those photos it will automatically know and show you that there is a photo on your site that you have modified on your machine.

Setting everything up can be a little fiddly but there are plenty of instructions on the website and lots of help on the forum. You can actually get up fairly fast, it's fine tuning your design that can take the time.

You can make a template for an album that has a password on too so you can use that for albums you want to hide away and use the normal template for normal albums.

I'll PM you the link to my testing site so you can see what I came up with, but as I said, it's a work in progress that I've not had a chance to play with in a few weeks since the break-in and then my holiday.

Also this section of the forum has a bunch of links to other peoples sites that used the plugins to make their site and galleries. http://community.theturninggate.net/forum/19/ce3-showcase/

You'd need to sort out a domain name and hosting, but they have instructions for that too.
 
Last edited:
I'd have recommended Zenfolio if the OP had wanted an e commerce solution, but it's not a cost effective solution if that's not a requirement.:thinking:
 
Phil, The least expensive Zenfolio options are £25 & £50 per year, which isn't really that much. They don't offer e commerce, but the OP doesn't want that.
Fair enough the £100 per year premuim option would be too much for what they want.
 
Skyviews100 said:
Phil, The least expensive Zenfolio options are £25 & £50 per year, which isn't really that much. They don't offer e commerce, but the OP doesn't want that.
Fair enough the £100 per year premuim option would be too much for what they want.
Click to expand...

IMO Zenfolio is a bit of a blunt tool for most website needs, I could swallow it's limitations for a cheap e-commerce solution (but the OP doesn't need that)

However with hosting available at £15 a year, and plenty of free decent Wordpress themes, why use a limited toolkit when you can have something much better.
 
with hosting available at £15 a year, and plenty of free decent Wordpress themes, why use a limited toolkit when you can have something much better.
Click to expand...

Fair point.
 
Phil V said:
IMO Zenfolio is a bit of a blunt tool for most website needs, I could swallow it's limitations for a cheap e-commerce solution (but the OP doesn't need that)

However with hosting available at £15 a year, and plenty of free decent Wordpress themes, why use a limited toolkit when you can have something much better.
Click to expand...

Zenfolio are abour to release some pretty stunning new designs.
 
As Phil V says, Wordpress. One of the largest, most widely used platforms of it's kind. And it's free.

wordpress.com even gives you a free hosted solution. You can use your own domain for a small yearly fee (something like £7-9)

wordpress.org lets you do it all yourself and use your own separate hosting solution.
 
Last edited:
Phil V said:
IMO Zenfolio is a bit of a blunt tool for most website needs, I could swallow it's limitations for a cheap e-commerce solution (but the OP doesn't need that)

However with hosting available at £15 a year, and plenty of free decent Wordpress themes, why use a limited toolkit when you can have something much better.
Click to expand...
Unlimited storage, unlimited bandwith, 99,99999999999% uptime, pre designed themes etc, etc.

can a £15 a year host package really do that
 
Thank you for all your recommendations

Just looking through them all now
 
Gary Coyle said:
Unlimited storage, unlimited bandwith, 99,99999999999% uptime, pre designed themes etc, etc.

can a £15 a year host package really do that
Click to expand...

I don't want to turn it into an argument Gary, but Zenfolio's theme selection can't possibly compare to what's available for Wordpress, and TSO Host (the host I price checked) are amongst the most reliable in industry tests.

There are + and - points for all solutions, and like I said, for an ecommerce solution I wouldn't hesitate to proffer Zenfolio, but I don't think their lower end packages are particularly great or VFM. Of course that's just my opinion:)

I could bang a drum for my particular choice of site, but it's not really suited to the OP's needs either, it's not about my needs or yours though;)
 
Don't underestimate the value of usability whichever route you go down.

I set up a WordPress site for blogging alongside my existing website (no sales functionality). Didn't want to add to my up-front or ongoing costs so opted for free WP templates only. Couldn't find a design I was entirely happy with and couldn't really gel with customisation options. Spent hours in small chunks trying to create a WP site that worked for me and never got there.

Faced with paying £35-70 to customise a WP site I started looking at alternatives. Explored SmugMug, PhotoShelter & Zenfolio. Even before the redesign I didn't like the SmugMug way (though others swear by it). PhotoShelter seemed better so I spent time on a free trial but again didn't like its back office. Pricing was the killer though- the package that best suited me was close to £300.

Tried a Zenfolio trial finally and whilst it's not perfect it does everything I need. I now have an easily-tailored site with integrated blog for a little bit more than it would have cost to sort a WP site. My intention wasn't to market prints but having this option means I've sold a few, on which basis the site has paid for itself.

As with many things there's no one-size-fits-all solution but comparing free with paid isn't always a straightforward case of whether you spend money or not. Time, the "hassle-factor" and scaleability all need to be considered.
 
Hmn, interesting - hope you don't mind me jumping in but I was looking for something myself.

Phil - with the £15 package would it be possible to host a theme something like this one - preferably a similar free one (I know I'm cheap) - then link the image URLs back to flickr to keep hosting space to a minimum?

I do also have the full Adobe CC suite - do you know if that can be used for editing Wordpress?
 
Last edited:
did find this

Found x10 hosting unlimited bandwidth, disk space, no adds handy if anyone is looking at building their own website

https://x10hosting.com/free-hosting-comparison

Free cpannel to please take a look at the link for details

looking into free wordpress themes currently so thanks for Themeforest Phil

they have free website builders to
 
lol, like TSOHost weren't cheap enough I found a 10% off code - RAPID
and it works :D

Annual (on lite) for £13.49 after VAT!

Now all I have to do is think of (and buy) a domain name! Damn, I'm bad at that bit.
 
Last edited:
Also LIFETIME10 works - this one also gave 10% off domain registration - bonus :)
 
topcat07 said:
This looks like a gem! I'm going to do a test site soon and report back what I think
Really great find thanks for info
Click to expand...

It really is great. :-)
Here I've popped a site up to show you all.

www.Photo.vettahead.Com

It's really easy to use and the backend is simply a pleasure to use. Let me kniw how you get on :-)
 
Last edited:
Vettahead said:
It really is great. :-)
Here I've popped a site up to show you all.

www.Photo.vettahead.Com

It's really easy to use and the backend is simply a pleasure to use. Let me kniw how you get on :-)
Click to expand...

only had a look for a hour or maybe two but it really is brilliant highly highly recommend :thumbs::thumbs::thumbs: it installs very easily and it very easily manageable once you have got the hang of it

only one concern is stopping images being right clicked > Saved?

see you have the comments plugging enabled to next job on my list

what resolution do you use out of interest i have uploaded one image in 800*800 pixels with a 72dpi not sure if this is correct
 
Novetsky said:
You can do a template of the album, there is a password too so you can use, the album you want to hide away from the Normal template and use a normal album, I'll PM you my test site links, so you can see.
Click to expand...
didnt know about the password would love to look at your website if you message me it or post here :)
 
Did you have to send identify documents when buying a domain name?

Not happy about handing these sensitive details over to a registrar I don't know that much about
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top