web site

[madmax12]

:) Do you have a web site. Did you build it yourself use one of the items such as mac iweb to build it.or hire someone to do your work for you.:o I would like to have a site but I am getting some crazy numbers for cost:eek: Anyone on this form do this kind of work or maybe a good reference to one would be greatly appreciated.OH my new to me 4x5 will be here to day. thanx ;)

[Charles Carstensen]

Mine is home made using iweb and MobileMe. Check it out, send a private email if you want. iWeb is good for personal, not business site. There are many free site builders, you must put up with ads, however. Zenfolio is good. http://www.zenfolio.com

Best,
Chuck

http://www.blackcanyonphoto.com

[Scott Knowles]

I built my from scratch using GoLive and BBEdit in text/coding mode (had the domain name long before), but then I've been working on Web pages since 1994 and html 1.0, long before wysiwyg Web editors were invented. And yes, my Website (http://www.wsrphoto.com/) looks like it, simple, but it's easy to maintain, manage and update. It's also a multi-function Website for a variety of interests besides photography.

That said, I agree, to start, try one of the free on-line photography ones first. If you do have and develop your own, you'll need a domain name. Just be sure you buy it and not rent/lease it from the DNS company and/or host. And remember, your domain name company (registration) doesn't have to be your Website host. Although it's handy, it's not essential.

Good luck.

[PenGun]

My amazing site is done in pure HTML. Lovingly hand crafted in Midnight Commander's text editor.

I've used only the finest of keyboards and a custom computer to build this edifice for the ages. All archival and ..... breaks down laughing.

Good luck with it.

[B.S.Kumar]

Most commercial solutions do not let you use their templates if you aren't hosting with them. I built my website on my own, using Kompozer and SimpleViewer Pro. While Kompozer is quite easy to figure out, you need Adobe Flash to customize the more advanced features of SimpleViewer Pro.

Unlike PenGun, I used a generic PC box and a no-name keyboard, and it's certainly not archival, because I expect to change it in the next few months...:D

Kumar

[Preston]

I built the current iteration of my site using MS Front Page 2003. My Site (http://www.gildedmoon.com)

I am in the process of developing a data-driven site using Asp.Net and a SQL database with MS Expression Web 2 and Visual Studio 2008. It is not yet live.

If you are not proficient in html and CSS, one of the free on-line sites is a good way to go. At some point you may want to roll your own, so you'll need to obtain a good web site development program, put on your learning cap, and go to work.

A great learning resource is W3Schools (http://www.w3schools.com/default.asp). There are many, easy to understand tutorials that will help you. Pay particular attention to html and CSS to start with.

You didn't mention if you are using a PC or Mac. If a PC then you can download a free 60 day trial of Expression Web 3 at the Expression Products (http://expression.microsoft.com/en-us/cc136520.aspx). It is a full-featured program and has the added facility of a built-in web server so that you can see how your site will look and behave without having it be live on the Web. There is also a very active Expression Web forum where you can get help if you get stuck.

Have fun!

@PenGun: That's too funny! :-)

-Preston

[Winger]

I did mine with iWeb and it's hosted through MobileMe. Another program (it's free, though they'd appreciate donations and a mention) is jalbum - I think it's jalbum.com, but I'm not sure. They have lots of templates and it's pretty easy to learn. I went with iWeb because I wasn't sure how to get something I made with jalbum uploaded to my MobileMe account. With iWeb, it's wicked simple.
Oh, and mine's www.ewfisher.com (thought it was in my sig line)

[Santo Roman]

As well as a few others above..iweb is the way to go. You can create some great sites or dirt cheap, and its easy to use! I don't use mobileme but have been wanting to look into it. As for the provider I use 1and1.com

santo

[willwilson]

If you are computer inclined I suggest you invest the time and energy into learning how to code your own site from scratch. You can learn as you go. It is really pretty easy. Photo sites are not too bad either just a menu and a thumbnail gallery with larger pop-ups of some sort. simple is always better with web design.

There are lots of good how-to sites. google is your friend.

[waterproof9]

I love wordpress and want to create a site using wordpress

[A.J. Dickson]

Check out the link at aphotoeditor.com that takes you to Photographer website Design. good advice here and a list of template websites, custom builders etc.
I am building a template site with qufoto.com 'cos its cheap 'n easy with a simple interface. Maybe one day I'll learn html but till then....

[adonis_abril]

i built mine from scratch using lightroom to create the galleries then using java script to display larger photos...as a web developer, i do have extensive experience in building web applications... just not a lot in designing em :D

http://www.thedynamiclight.com

[percepts]

:) Do you have a web site. Did you build it yourself use one of the items such as mac iweb to build it.or hire someone to do your work for you.:o I would like to have a site but I am getting some crazy numbers for cost:eek: Anyone on this form do this kind of work or maybe a good reference to one would be greatly appreciated.OH my new to me 4x5 will be here to day. thanx ;)

crazy numbers? web designers and builders put together sites for all sorts of companies. For most of them it becomes their primary form of advertising and it can multiply their turnover from maybe 10% to several 1000%. A 100% increase in turnover for a small company doing 500,000 a year is a lot of money and web site designers and builders want their cut for doing that for the business. It isn't a question of how many hours does it take but rather a question of what am I going to do for your business.
Enter the amateur photographer. I want all that but I expect it to cost nothing becuase my business is worth nothing and 100% of nothing is nothing.
There is no incentive for web designers to spend time and money on photographers web sites when they can make far more doing it for companies they can make a real difference to.

Buy yourself a ready made site from a company selling the same work over and over and making their money from volume of sales and not bespoke design and build. It will be far far cheaper. See the following:

http://www.clikpic.com/

[iamjanco]

There is no incentive for web designers to spend time and money on photographers web sites when they can make far more doing it for companies they can make a real difference to.

I can attest to that ;)


Buy yourself a ready made site from a company selling the same work over and over and making their money from volume of sales and not bespoke design and build. It will be far far cheaper. See the following:

http://www.clikpic.com/

And that's very sound advice. There are a lot of places on the web that sell high quality templates at fairly low prices. Some come with licensing restrictions that determine the actual cost., e.g. pricing is based on whether you're going to use the site for personal or commercial use. Me, I learned to code html back in '95 during the very early days of Netscape, and have grown from then.

To the OP: good luck in your hunt for a good coder or template!

[Drew Bedo]

I fooled around with building my own website for a while, but found that I am not gifted inthat direction. Shopped the web for a local, small, independentweb designer and found Lynn Bell at http://www.lynnbelldesign.com/. She put together a site that matched my vision and expectation for under $600 total. This included design, programming, putting it all together and going "live". Hosting is with GoDaddy at www.godaddy.com . I have been happy with both.

[Mike Putnam]

I am not at all tech savvy and I wanted the flexibility to change my website myself so I decided to go with a blog format for these two sites. They're not flashy but my clients seem to like them and they are easy for me to manage.
Mike Putnam Photography (http://www.mikeputnamphoto.com/)
Pacific Crest Stock (http://www.pacificcreststock.com/blog/)

[lfgary]

I created www.thecolorblindphotographer.net using iweb. the flash intro was done by a friend that is a mac technician.

[pocketfulladoubles]

There are a lot of unemployed website developers right now that will do consulting work. For a good quality, well coded, professional, clean and simple site, you won't need to spend more than $1,000 to $1,500, depending on the amount of pages/content. Without a lot of experience, you will spend/waste more time and money than that messing around with it yourself.

[Aahx]

Another developer site one might want to look at is LiveBooks. There claim to fame is they specificaly design sites for photographers. http://www.livebooks.com/

[PenGun]

There are a lot of unemployed website developers right now that will do consulting work. For a good quality, well coded, professional, clean and simple site, you won't need to spend more than $1,000 to $1,500, depending on the amount of pages/content. Without a lot of experience, you will spend/waste more time and money than that messing around with it yourself.

My site, I know how to code, was about 2 hours work. Nothing special but does the job.

http://carnagepro.com

You may want to learn how to do simple HTML instead of spending big bucks.

[PenGun]

My site, I know how to code, was about 2 hours work. Nothing special but does the job.

http://carnagepro.com

You may want to learn how to do simple HTML instead of spending big bucks.

Feel free to take anything you like. You can change some stuff and use my code base. This how we all learned. There is wget for windows and it will take source from almost any website. If you ask nice I'll even bundle it up for ya.

I come from free software not the open sores crowd.

[pocketfulladoubles]

My site, I know how to code, was about 2 hours work. Nothing special but does the job.

http://carnagepro.com

You may want to learn how to do simple HTML instead of spending big bucks.

Nice images on your site. Very clean and simple. My #'s were for quotes I see for small sites using CSS and some menu's to drive it, so you can quickly modify the site later. This is what I consider the least effort for a small business needing a 'professional' site. A grand for a well built site is a small cost, considering what prices I see come back for some sites these days. Some firms won't even flinch at 5 and 6 figures for sites these days, because the internet runs their business.

[mandoman7]

Clikpic has been mentioned and I would second that recommendation as one choice. You can get a nice site with a couple of hours work and it will only cost you $50/year. Indexhibit is another excellent choice, with NO up front cost if you already have a domain name and ftp site.

Its important, too, to think about what you're trying to achieve. is it just place to show your work, or are sales a big consideration? Are you looking to impress your peers, or are you trying to grow a client base? It would be interesting to know which of the design approaches that have been suggested have actually produced sales or generated customers, but my guess would be that most websites are essentially places for friends to visit.

[Drew Bedo]

My website was done by Lynn Bell Designs at www.lynnbelldesigns.com . I like the way it looks and how it displays my images. I have full controle of the content, and can add or delete pages. The total cost (in 2007) was $700. Hosting is with GoDaddy . While I have a simple set of pages, GoDaddy offers more elaborate packages when its time to grow; see www.godaddy.com .

[coops]

I just made one with Foliosnap. Easy to put up and manage, and I pay about $20 a month. I think it looks decent, and just did not have the time or money to have one custon made or to figure out for myself.

[Darren H]

When you say "I want a website" do you mean:

1- I want my own page on the web to display a few images

2-I want to run a small photo business selling prints

3-I want to run a very active photography business with almost unlimited options

For option one, free account at Flickr or a free Smugmug account (or other similar places) is perfect. Maybe a free blog at Blogger. Free is good. All have templates. You have a space.

For option two a Smugmug Pro account for $150/year is a great way to do it. Still with a template, low cost, and in business.

For option three you need to seek out web professionals and that can cost. Others have mentioned some.

I went with free Blogger accounts, a free Flickr account as places to show work. then I added a Smugmug Pro account with my own domain. Smugmug provided the template and it works for me.

Website (by Smugmug): www.WildernessPhotographer.net

Blog 1 on large format : http://thetravelingcamera.blogspot.com/

Blog 2 on travels: http://wildernessphotographer.blogspot.com/

Flickr for just playing around sharing images: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wildernessphotographer/

So there are examples of the free and low cost.

BTW, maybe you want to do a blog but you also want your own domain. Well Blogger will do that. Take a look at Strobist to see what lighting guru David Hobby did. He uses a free Blogger account (and template) for his lighting stuff and a free Flickr page/group for his fans and followers. Nice