AlexSimon - Member
Another good thing to do, would be to volunteer as a Photographer's Assistant with someone locally whose work you admire/respect.They may not take you on (especially for a wedding), but if they do, the experience would be incredibly valuable.
Sound advice, but don't ask local photographers - go further afield - be prepared to travel. You'll find that strangely enough, the local pros have no desire to train their future competition...
I get at least one email a fortnight from would-be photographers, asking if I'm looking for an assistant. I (almost) always reply with the same advice and a warning that payment is very unlikely to be involved even if they can find someone to take them under their wing.
In fact - is this a troll?
I've wondered this before about 4XJohn... I reckon he is, in which case the person behind it must be one of the most depressingly sad forumites there is.
If it's not then apologies, it's just a naive young lad. But I'm waging on troll.
the person behind it must be one of the most depressingly sad forumites there is.
..and he's up against some pretty damn stiff competition.
This guy [url= http://www.parrisphotography.co.uk/index.html ]Parris Photography[/url] may not have the [i]best[/i] site, although his galleries are nive and simple presentations of his work.... but he is blooming successful at what he does, maybe his photos will provide food for thought...
Not a troll 🙁
then answer some of the questions boy!
This guy Parris Photography may not have the best site, although his galleries are nive and simple presentations of his work.... but he is blooming successful at what he does, maybe his photos will provide food for thought...
Agreed. The website is poor both technically and visually but the work has mass commercial appeal, is well executed and ultimately that is what matters above everything else.
have you considered a company logo featuring a dolphin?
have you considered a company logo featuring a dolphin?
Don't tempt me, Frodo!
needs more dolphin
better but... lose the novelty names for photos, ditch the wire bound things, are you really set on JBMTB as a name? it's not exactly catchy. what about JB Photography?
the header images are 140kb each - you shoudl be able to resize them down to less than 30 at that resolution and stil lhave them sharp - would speed up page load a lot.
also, and this is a minor point, but it's not really a perfect kiss if he's missed and is licking her eye...
One other thought, if you are going to specialise in wedding photography my advice would be to offer a reportage style, a lot of people like the informality of it and more importantly the likelihood of seeing the bridesmaids in their knickers in greatly increased.
You've cheered me up no end if I ever get binned by the paper I work for!
Thank
Mike
The main problem is that your photos are not very good.
Are you using Facebook and Google+ to publicise your work? Useful as a tool to drive SEO rating too. Small linking logos at the bottom of the homepage.
Get more photos up and try a different iWeb theme!
I think everyone would agree that the site could benefit from one of these..
[img] 
[/img]
Only 1?
OK then..
[img] http://img.whynotgif.com/dog/dog-7.gif [/img][img] http://img.whynotgif.com/dog/dog-7.gi f" target="_blank">
http://img.whynotgif.com/dog/dog-7.gif [/img][img] http://img.whynotgif.com/dog/dog-7.gi f"/> [/img]
Better.
Interesting that Parris photography site. Half the photos - whilst impressive - would put me off using them. Not to my taste at all and I reckon Mrs Stilltortoise would concur.
This is definitely a troll... If it isn't, theres far bigger problems than the website design!
[img] 
[/img]
I mean seriously, WTF?
Home page - Welcome is spurious and not needed.
SB
Going back to the OP. my one piece of advice - don't redesign to 'add more features', redesign to focus on the content and user experience. You ain't gonna get a commission because a potential customer likes some spangly feature, you'll get it because that person thinks you can do a professional job for them.
Then learn some basic composition and technical skills.
Go here [url=v] http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/board/48 [/url]
Learn how to use your camera. Then learn how to use off camera flash. Then do some work seconding for a real wedding photographer. Then make a website.
Quality troll.
Looking at it via Safari, on a Mac.
You really do need your business's name prominently on each page
The RSS subscribe thing... why?
But the main problem is the photos you have posted are not good. Just not good at all
A wedding is an important day. On ours half the official photos didn't come out (rain and equipment issues we were told) But even those that survived were better than yours, and nowhere near as good as those taken by my brother who does this as a sideline.
Re-evaluate your plan... please.. before you make paying punters very disappointed.
The main problem is that your photos are not very good.
This is an understatement. He is a crap photographer.
Anyway, here is a bunny with a loo roll on it's head.
[img] 
[/img]
Wow great picture. Ever thought about setting up a website and doing it of a living 🙂
Don't let a bunch of middle aged bullies in dead end jobs put you off! If you want to be a photographer do it, learn the craft first.
learn the craft first.
This is true also.
Bunny website? ooh, I should...
"This is where the parties [[i]sic[/i]] at!"
Really? I don't see cocaine [i]or [/i]hookers.
Photos are really bad. Sorry dude.
On a more constructive note...
I'm not clear on what you want to do. Are you wanting to be a wedding photographer or a jack-of-all-trades?
No harm in the latter but you might want to set up different sites for different brands but with the same "umbrella" name. Crucially though, have a look at the competition and critically evaluate the quality that you need to achieve to succeed.
Good luck.
Hey, first off, let me explain my background as it may explain some of my comments....
I own and run a live event and video production company. I am in no way a graphic designer and cannot give masses of feedback on the website but please don't underestimate the importance of content within a good design.
Find out what you are good at and showcase it. Your website suggests that you aren't really serious about any particular area, you just fancy making some money. Whilst there is nothing wrong with that as a motivation, people like a specialist.
I've watched the 2 videos on your site and my thoughts are that you've clearly put a lot more time into the MTB vid. It comes across as though the gym advert was thrown together. This may not be the case but first impression is everything. Again, don't be afraid to specialise. If what you want to do is produce sports videos, go for that.
Think about your site from the customers point of view. If the customer is a business client, what do they want to see? I suspect, they want to know that you have experience, they want to see professionalism and they want to know that you are capable of representing their product well. Their presumption (correctly or incorrectly) is that the way you represent your own product is the pinnacle of your work.
If the customer is a private client, they want something that instills a sense of trust, they want to see an idea of the cost and they want to see an example of what you will provide. With regards to the cost element, theres nothing wrong with offerring a custom option but if that is all you offer, I have no idea whether you're a 200 quid per video spare time cameraman or a 10 grand a day film producer. I'm more likely to look at the custom option from someone who is clearly in the ballpark of my budget.
I could go on about the business side but you did ask about the site so I'll leave it at these points in summary:
1- Anyone can shoot video these days, People pay for expertise, speciality and peace of mind. Work out how to achieve and communicate these.
2- Anyone can build a website these days. Pay someone to build you a marketing tool. There is no point in spending a large amount of your time trying to build something if its not where your strength and passion lie. Marketing (including websites) done correctly is an investment which will produce a return
3- Separate the photography and video sides of the business. Again, there is massive benefit in perceived speciality. If i'm hiring someone to do a job for me either for business or privately, I want an expert. So do most people.
4- Look into copyright law. I suspect if the record label for the music you have used on the gym advert knew it was being used to promote a product and generate income, you'd be getting a bill. Regardless of anything else, if you want to appeal to businesses and organisations, you need to show that you have an in depth knowledge of the industry you're working in. Copyright law is a major element of what you need to know if you are producing videos.
Hope this all helps somehow. If you want to talk more about the business side of what you are doing, feel free to email me
Forget about the website and spend some time learning your craft. Your pictures were not very good even for a competent amateur. That doesn't mean that you should not pursue it as a career but if it is what you want to do then spend some time honing your skills/get some training before trying to entice people to pay you for your services.
+1, the videos could do with some serious work as well. Even some basic colour correction/grading would vastly improve the look of them.
Hows this so far?
404.
Post some of your photos up on some photography forums and ask for critique, I dare you!
The wedding photos are nowhere near good enough even for a basic, cheap service. Have you actually put effort into learning about photography theory/technique? Are you familiar with all the technical aspects? What happens if something goes wrong with a piece of gear?
Fair play for wanting to have a go but you're just not ready yet, nowhere near.
And the video, isn't it just a head cam video, who is going to pay for that?
There's some really nice helpful advice in this thread btw, especially the guy running the video production company. Take advantage of it! Sorry to be harsh, but it needs saying, I'm not trying to be nasty.
damo2576 - Member
Don't let a bunch of middle aged bullies in dead end jobs put you off! If you want to be a photographer do it, learn the craft first.
POSTED 2 MINUTES AGO # REPORT-POST
So can I have an opinion then, having set up my own business?
Yeah, you suck.
(-:
So can I have an opinion then, having set up my own business
Definitely. You're the genius that convinced a company to pay thousands for a logo that was just a circle, that also happened to be the first letter of their name. Got to applaud that kind of blag. 😛
John, seriously take heed of the advice here..
The main recurring theme is to learn the trade. From the photos on your site there is no way I would take the chance on our wedding with you - those examples dont inspire confidence!
Good on you etc for trying, but what do you know about photography? I am a rank amateur and from your examples i'd prefer to take the photos myself..
This may not be what you want to hear, but the truth hurts sometimes.
Also with the legal side of things - have you cover?
Putting a shot of industrial waste on the home page is something of a master stroke to catch the wedding trade ...
I said this in the previous thread but you need FAR more pictures on there (and better quality!) to start to sell yourself. The website comes a distant second to building up a quality gallery of images, learning your craft and deciding which area(s) you want to specialise in.
Buying a decent DSLR and a flashgun does not make you a professional photographer.
I've been doing freelance photography for years, done a few magazine photoshoots etc but there is no way on earth I would describe myself as a pro photographer. Competent amateur, yes but there are a lot of people on here who are competent amateurs - if you go and find the photography threads on this forum, some of the shots on there are superb. Yours, with no disrespect, are far short of that mark.
Stop worrying about the website. Go out, take photos, seek advice on the actual photos first. Then build the website. And PLEASE, get someone competent to spell check it first, there are some glaring errors in there!
