Waterworld Images Website

Over the last year I have started and stopped working on a new website multiple times, and it's been tough.

I've worked with a couple of website designers, who just could not seem to get what I wanted.

I was looking for something I could easily add to and modify myself, easy uploading, and a blog.

Finally landed up doing it myself on Smugmug, and getting a little help to incorporate a Wordpress blog.

One issue I ran into on SmugMug has to do with some of my pool work which incorporates nudes; SmugMug does not allow these on public galleries. So far I have simply got around this with password protected galleries, with no complaints.

The site (particularly the blog) is not fully populated yet having just come online.

I'm looking for critique and suggestions for changes/improvements before I fully populate the galleries etc.

http://waterworldimages.smugmug.com/

Looks really great. Really like the image selection too.

Trying to be critical, I think that your name is a bit lost in the bubbles in the main banner.

Alex

Thanks Alex. I presume you mean my own name not the Waterworld Images title. Nice thing, is I can easily redo the banner myself.

I think image selection is one of the hardest things. My general rule - I think the image has to be able to stand alone as a large print to get on the site.

In fact my next step is to have a 'Selects' gallery for each category, so that viewers do not have to be bored viewing all the galleries.

Immediate critique from me, I cannot access it at work as it is a blog, maybe if you buy a domain name and frame/forward it to the above, it might avoid this, and you will have your own individual name!

Altho time consuming, once you get used to it, iWeb is very straight forward to use

eta.....I take it you already have www.waterworldimages.com? if not, www.waterworldimages.net is available on www.123reg.com

Immediate critique from me, I cannot access it at work as it is a blog, maybe if you buy a domain name and frame/forward it to the above, it might avoid this, and you will have your own individual name!

Altho time consuming, once you get used to it, iWeb is very straight forward to use

 

eta.....I take it you already have www.waterworldimages.com? if not, www.waterworldimages.net is available on www.123reg.com

Thanks, yes I am aware of that. I will be switching the waterworldimages.com url to the home page; it's just a leftover from when the site was previously done in WordPress using the NextGen Gallery plug-in. I found that too cumbersome for uploading etc.

Critique:-

None of the gallery images are marked with your copyright, and there is even a "Save Photo" function that appears from the right hand side, encouraging everyone - from personal use to commercial exploitation - to copy the file and create what is known as an "Orphan Work".

Putting the copyright notice on your work will not stop thieves, but if an image is lifted then it's easier to identify ownership.

And in my view, your images are worth more than $0.21 for a print - no matter how small.

If you value your work, protect it.

Apart from that, nothing else negative. A nice looking site with plenty of strong images.

Nice work!

Like the page alot, alltough the ABOUT page has a light gray backround when all the others have a dark grey.

Maybe it's intentional, but I would go with the same dark gray bacround (and text in white) as on other pages.

Just my 2 cents.

Cheers

Karel

Some cracking images there ( as expected to be honest ).

The image previews do some weird stuff to the pictures, the previews being square, at first I wondered if like me you had a tendency to chop the tails of sharks - but no, in the full image they are present and correct!

In the sperm whales set there are noses and tails missing all over the show on the previews.

Which wreck is that in the Bahamas ? Doesn't look like the usual Sugar Wreck or whatever Jim calls it.

Paul C

Looking great Jeff. Your images with the ladies are simply stunning. I was also impressed with the rest of your underwater portfolio we rarely see. Thanks for sharing.

Smugmug rocks. If you haven't found it yet there is a way to reframe the preview images to avoid cutting off noses, etc as Paul notes. It's buried under tools, other.

Really astounding images,

Steve

Hi Jeff,

I really like the way you've arranged your Smugmug account. I really need to sit down and do this as mine is such a hoge-poge atm.

I looked at the blog also and can see the functionality is probably there but right now I don't like the formatting/layout (which I'm sure is preliminary). It's overburdened w/ the tag/rss/links at the bottom and on my screen the frame for the content is much too small.

In any case - you've done what I've always wanted to do - a good mixture of smugmug and wordpress!

Cheers

James

Thanks for the complements and advice folks. I've already implemented some of the changes.

Paul, the wreck is in New Providence, not sure of the name. Not on one of Jimmy's trips.

Steve, for some reason the preview images are not changing to 'original' vs 'square' when I change the gallery settings - I'll have to contact Smugmug to see what's up with that.