Please critique my portfolio website

eoglyn

Hi Everybody,
I was wondering if some of you will have a look at my new portfolio website and tell me what you think. i've went with smugmug, got a black friday deal and i think that i'm stuck into that for three years as i rented the domain through them with godaddy. All in it will cost me around €36 per year, with an option to renew each year. Not too bad.

You'll see the site links to a blog and facebook page for a wider online presence, the purpose of the website is to act as a portfolio that i can point people i'd like to work with in its direction, i'd like to expand and improve my photography by working with other photographers, models, stylists etc. and i think that having a strong online presence will help with this and maybe create more opportunities to shoot, which is what it is all about. You'll see i haven't done any fashion or collaboration stuff yet - its all messing around with very patient friends and family. I'm not at photography that long so most of the material is from 2014.

As well as a very informal wedding i have to shoot as 'guest with camera' in january, I hope to get some second shooting gigs in 2015, so hopefully the site will help to secure something there too.

Anyway any tips or advice on the site and its layout are welcome.

I was toying with a one photo full page home page with a different image every time the viewer clicked on it, it was quite clean looking but after a couple of weeks of looking at that i went for the current layout. i think it draws the viewer into the galleries quicker. Opinions on that also welcome.

I haven't launched the website - or told anyone about it yet - so this is a boards.ie exclusive of sorts, also why any feedback is welcome before i finally finalise it.

oh, almost forgot, the address: www.eoghanlynch.com

sumo12

Hi Eoghan
Just had a look - very impressive. Lovely use of light and DOF too. Well composed shots. I use Smugmug too and fit them very good. Best of luck with your venture!

P.S. Just re-read your post and realised you weren't looking for opinions on your photos, just the website. Oh well, there's a pat on the back for you anyway!

eoglyn

sumo12 wrote: »

Hi Eoghan
Just had a look - very impressive. Lovely use of light and DOF too. Well composed shots. I use Smugmug too and fit them very good. Best of luck with your venture!

P.S. Just re-read your post and realised you weren't looking for opinions on your photos, just the website. Oh well, there's a pat on the back for you anyway!

Thanks for the feedback. Yeah just want to be sure that the website is doing what its supposed to.

I chose smugmug off the back of one recommendation, didn't do any shopping around, so glad to see someone else is using them.

bren2002

Some nice shots in there, I like the exposed tree one.

Aside though, does anyone actually sell anything on these sites?
I'm really curious to know.

eoglyn

bren2002 wrote: »

Some nice shots in there, I like the exposed tree one.

Aside though, does anyone actually sell anything on these sites?
I'm really curious to know.

I disabled the option for all of the portrait shots - so if they are showing up please let me know, as i hope they don't.

I doubt anyone sells anything to anyone they don't know tbh. I'm not even sure how it works - if a family or friend wanted one from me i'd get it done myself locally.

If someone did order from that website, presumably i'd get a cut - but i don't know where the printing and mounting would be done, if you buy a business website you can partner with loxley colour in the uk, but there was little about in the details when setting up this option, so maybe its done in america???

Maybe i should disable that option on all of the photos as it is obviously distracting.

bren2002

Are you not paying a premium for the commerce options? $20 p/m

eoglyn

bren2002 wrote: »

Are you not paying a premium for the commerce options? $20 p/m

Nope, really should have read more of the T&Cs before i signed up. But i defintely know i only paid smugmug itself €28 for the first year, so €2.33 per month

Tiriel

I think it's one of the better portfolio sites posted here to be critiqued in terms of it's clarity, simplicity and functionality. It is nice and simple, well laid out and easy to navigate. It is not too cluttered with images, in fact I wanted to see more

The only small thing I was wondering is about the images on the home page - is it possible to shuffle those a bit - or make a specific selection? At the moment they are grouped I think by the album they appear in, but it would be nice to have a mix up front.

I really like the font and colour scheme too!

eoglyn

Just to confirm, i got 40% off the power user plan, based on their own website it shouldn't come with any commerce rights. Must look into it. Will disable the purchase options when i get the chance

eoglyn

Cork_girl wrote: »

I think it's one of the better portfolio sites posted here to be critiqued in terms of it's clarity, simplicity and functionality. It is nice and simple, well laid out and easy to navigate. It is not too cluttered with images, in fact I wanted to see more

The only small thing I was wondering is about the images on the home page - is it possible to shuffle those a bit - or make a specific selection? At the moment they are grouped I think by the album they appear in, but it would be nice to have a mix up front.

I really like the font and colour scheme too!

Thank you.

I must go create more portfolio worthy images so.

Agreed. Now that you say it I would like to shuffle them a bit too. I still want it focused more on the people shots, of which there are not as many as landscape, but i'd like to have a bit more variety near the top. I'm sure i can so that. Must have a look this evening.

dinneenp

I went through the motions of buying a print (€3.71 for an 8" by 12"! Great value) but it gets stuck when I click on 'shipping options'.
looks like it working (spinning icon in browser tab) but nothing happens.

eoglyn

dinneenp wrote: »

I went through the motions of buying a print (€3.71 for an 8" by 12"! Great value) but it gets stuck when I click on 'shipping options'.
looks like it working (spinning icon in browser tab) but nothing happens.

Jeez, that is good value. I am underselling myself there methinks.

Ok, definitely need to disable those options when i get the chance this evening.

Bet you it was a print of Hugo you tried Pat, I'll send you on print with a signed paw print.

at the special pre-christmas once only price of cost plus €50

dinneenp

Nice site.

There's no 'contact page.'
I found it in the 'about' page but it doesn't stand out. Why not give it a larger font/bold to make it stand out?
Or include an about page with a contact form. It makes it easier if someone can bang out a quick message to you without having to copy your e-mail address, open Gmail and send.
On the homepage I'd put a striking/eye-catching, bright photo in the centre. I see a kids face (with darkness all around) and the back of a girls head.

eoglyn

dinneenp wrote: »

Nice site.

There's no 'contact page.'
I found it in the 'about' page but it doesn't stand out. Why not give it a larger font/bold to make it stand out?
Or include an about page with a contact form. It makes it easier if someone can bang out a quick message to you without having to copy your e-mail address, open Gmail and send.
On the homepage I'd put a striking/eye-catching, bright photo in the centre. I see a kids face (with darkness all around) and the back of a girls head.

Yeah, do you call it a 'contact' or 'about' page, i am trying to keep the menu options minimalist so i don't want both, but maybe i'll have to go with both.

Its funny, i would consider those two images you mentioned the strongest, but maybe other people wouldn't see it that way - its hard to be unattached about these things when they are your own. Definitely need a rejig of what images the viewer is presented with first.

Silva360

I've never tried smugmug so I don't know what functionality you have available, but if you don't mind I will share some observations:

I think the homepage is too cluttered. It shows too much and doesn't entice me to explore further (I did because i like looking at photographs, but for the casual passer by I'm not so sure). I think a homepage should be really simple, just one photo (your best), or a slideshow of your best work (ie, one photo at a time).

I think that the thumbnails should be the same size. I appreciate you have landscape and portrait formats, but square format thumbs look nice when they are all uniform. I also think there should be some separation between the thumbnails.

There is no information about the landscapes. I think as a minimum you should say where they are (ie, Glendalough, Co. Wicklow, Ireland) and then use those as tags.

Just my opinion, but otherwise nice site and photos.

eoglyn

Thanks everybody for your input so far. I have made changes based on most of what each of you has said.

Some are value judgements, i've tried the one picture thing, but i think overall this grid is better.

I'd like to put an email form in the contact me section but i can't seem to find how to do it, i'm sure i'll figure it out, if its possible.

Thanks for all the suggestions. Will gladly accept more critique.

sumo12

eoglyn wrote: »

I'd like to put an email form in the contact me section but i can't seem to find how to do it, i'm sure i'll figure it out, if its possible.

Yes it is possible with SmugMug. In your customising menus, there will be an option to add in a Wufoo form. You need to sign up with Wufoo (it's free) and relatively simple to set up, just follow the instructions.

You can see my one here: http://www.bsp.ie/Contact

eoglyn

sumo12 wrote: »

Yes it is possible with SmugMug. In your customising menus, there will be an option to add in a Wufoo form. You need to sign up with Wufoo (it's free) and relatively simple to set up, just follow the instructions.

You can see my one here: http://www.bsp.ie/Contact

Thanks so much, i'll do that later.

milkjunkie90

Looks great eoghan!, nicely laid out and easy to navigate. The blog section looks great too.