Building a Website

krp · 12-16-2010, 10:45 PM

Right now I am trying to build my own photography website. I already bought the domain and my brother is a web designer so he's offered to help me and even host the website. Does anyone have any advice for building a photography website? I want a professional looking website to display my pictures. I would like to hopefully make a little money off of it. The easiest way seems to be to link to my pictures on a stock photography website. Is there an easy way to sell prints or should I not worry about that right now? Right now I'm looking through a bunch of free web templates and trying to decide if I want my pictures in a flash gallery or not. I'm sorry if this is in the wrong section.
Kevin

wsteffey · 12-17-2010, 06:31 AM

I wanted a simple place to share photos with family and friends. No commercial aspirations, alas. I tried godaddy, but was bombarded with little extra fees, and didn't like the results anyway. A friend of mine set me up with ocalahorsepix.com in an hour or so, and charged a very modest fee for the setup and hosting. I am very happy with the result. It is very flexible and seems to offer a lot that I have not even explored. It suits my needs. If you like the site email him at , or contact me and I'll be happy to give you his phone # etc.

If you want a site for commercial purposes I'm sure Erik can help get more exposure.

Just be careful, a lot of people who want to register seem to have other agenda.

My site is ocalahorsepix.com.

Hope this helps

Ubuntu_user · 12-17-2010, 07:51 AM

Well, there's things like Zenfolio, Smugmug, Fotki, etc. that are built just for the photographer...

Check them out. They charge a yearly fee, but the service is really nice. However, if your brother is able to set you up something nice, then you'll make more $$ on your own.

Adam · 12-17-2010, 09:08 AM

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Adam
PentaxForums.com Webmaster (Site Usage Guide | Site Help | My Photography)

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Coeurdechene · 12-17-2010, 09:31 AM

You can build a fine looking website with wordpress .it's open source and quite easy to use with tons of documentation and forums to help..If you are going to be hosted pick a good name and start building:P
Or you can use Blogger too..just pick and pay for a domain name (it's very cheap...) and redirect to blogger page..
Here goes a page..it's about food but got some fine pictures in it:
Vanilla Garlic
They build the blog with blogger and put the fotos on flickr...i think it's a good combination..
There are some big businesses using wordpress..there are tons of plugins and when you start fiddling with it you get pretty fast the basics..you can integrate payment gateways for an online shop you just gotta spend some time reading how to do it..
I recommend that you use and get familiar with wordpress..
WordPress › Blog Tool and Publishing Platform

krp · 12-17-2010, 12:23 PM

Originally posted by wsteffey

A friend of mine set me up with ocalahorsepix.com

That looks like a pretty good website.

I was considering wordpress also. I found some good looking themes I could use. I just wasn't planning on having much of a blog so I'm not sure.

Coeurdechene · 12-17-2010, 04:34 PM - **1 Like**

The beauty of wordpress is that it can be made pretty much anything you like...it's very versatile...don't need to organize it as a blog..you can organize following different parameters..you can put two sidebars...it can be programed into any type of organization in a fairly simple manner..
-How to Turn Your WordPress Site into a Digital Photo Store and Sell Photos Securely | WordPress eCommerce
Or you can build a phisical shop if you are going to sell the prints...
Some of the ecommerce themes are sold..but what you buy is mostly a configured theme with lots of php scripts and style cms, and the support (dedicated forums and online support)...all this can be done for free with a litle time and patience..or you can buy one..there are tons and some are quite cheap.

http://sta.rtup.biz/profiles/blogs/100-wordpress-digital-product
here you got a "free" one..it can be downloaded in exchange of receiving junk (commercial) mail from the company..i haven't tried it yet..only downloaded it..but i'm sure it got scripts you can use and look if you need examples.

PD: i wish you luck with this idea, hope it works

.

Last edited by Coeurdechene; 12-17-2010 at 04:45 PM.

hockmasm · 12-21-2010, 08:28 AM

go with WORDPRESS. its the best and will be better for you in the long run. You can create new posts/pages/articles super simple - you wont need your brother anymore after it is set up. Also, there are a TON of free templates for you to get the look you want. Check out my personal website at www.stephenhockman.com - that was based off a free template i modified. Its made for showcasing a portfolio.

also go with IN MOTION HOSTING for your web hosting. been using them for years! godaddy nickle and dimes you for every little thing. In Motion is like 4 bucks a month.

tuco · 12-21-2010, 08:50 AM

Using WordPress usually means the hosting server in not running Microsoft's IIS. So find out what platform the hosting server is and that might narrow you decision down.

Coeurdechene · 12-21-2010, 10:20 AM

You don't want your things hosted on a microsoft server...There are tons of reasons of why Linux is the most used system for servers (security and response time issues mainly, that's why 70% of actual web servers run linux...).
Comparison of Windows and Linux - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
(this may be slightly off topic but could'nt resist the temptation

)

krp · 12-21-2010, 04:19 PM - **1 Like**

I decided to go with wordpress. I have the theme installed, now I just have to put my website together and decide how I want to sell my pictures.

**Tamia** · 12-22-2010, 06:59 AM

I'll toss my hat into the WordPress ring, too. I use a WordPress hosted at Laughing Squid, which has been very good to work with. The theme which I use was free and I modified it significantly. My "for sale" photos are on Zenfolio (professional account) and I link to it through my website's sidebar.

Good luck with your website. Let us know when it's up and running!

grainbelt · 12-22-2010, 07:21 AM

If you actually want to sell photos and make money, I would reconsider a bog format and go with a photo hosting site such as SmugMug. Depending on the level of service you buy, you can use your own domain name, customize the look to your heart's content, and people can order prints directly from them. I have my Smugmug wide-open so my family can download full-res photos and order prints, but you can lock that all down so no one can download, and set your own prices for prints including a profit margin for you.

Think about the actual process of closing a deal with a photo hosted in low-res on a blog. How would you go about it?

12-16-2010, 10:45 PM	#1
krp Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Illinois Photos: Gallery Posts: 470	Building a Website Right now I am trying to build my own photography website. I already bought the domain and my brother is a web designer so he's offered to help me and even host the website. Does anyone have any advice for building a photography website? I want a professional looking website to display my pictures. I would like to hopefully make a little money off of it. The easiest way seems to be to link to my pictures on a stock photography website. Is there an easy way to sell prints or should I not worry about that right now? Right now I'm looking through a bunch of free web templates and trying to decide if I want my pictures in a flash gallery or not. I'm sorry if this is in the wrong section. Kevin

12-17-2010, 06:31 AM	#2
wsteffey Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 106	Photo sharing website I wanted a simple place to share photos with family and friends. No commercial aspirations, alas. I tried godaddy, but was bombarded with little extra fees, and didn't like the results anyway. A friend of mine set me up with ocalahorsepix.com in an hour or so, and charged a very modest fee for the setup and hosting. I am very happy with the result. It is very flexible and seems to offer a lot that I have not even explored. It suits my needs. If you like the site email him at , or contact me and I'll be happy to give you his phone # etc. If you want a site for commercial purposes I'm sure Erik can help get more exposure. Just be careful, a lot of people who want to register seem to have other agenda. My site is ocalahorsepix.com. Hope this helps

12-21-2010, 10:20 AM	#10
Coeurdechene Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: madrid Photos: Albums Posts: 833	You don't want your things hosted on a microsoft server...There are tons of reasons of why Linux is the most used system for servers (security and response time issues mainly, that's why 70% of actual web servers run linux...). Comparison of Windows and Linux - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (this may be slightly off topic but could'nt resist the temptation)

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12-17-2010, 07:51 AM	#3
Ubuntu_user Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,545	Well, there's things like Zenfolio, Smugmug, Fotki, etc. that are built just for the photographer... Check them out. They charge a yearly fee, but the service is really nice. However, if your brother is able to set you up something nice, then you'll make more $$ on your own.

12-17-2010, 09:08 AM	#4
Adam Administrator Site Webmaster Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Arizona Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 51,595	FYI, please don't post e-mail addresses on the forum without first wrapping them in [hide] bbcode - just a smart thing to do so that it won't be indexed on google, etc. Adam PentaxForums.com Webmaster (Site Usage Guide \| Site Help \| My Photography) PentaxForums.com server and development costs are user-supported. You can help cover these costs by donating or purchasing one of our Pentax eBooks. Or, buy your photo gear from our affiliates, Adorama, B&H Photo, KEH, or Topaz Labs, and get FREE Marketplace access - click here to see how! Trusted Pentax retailers:

12-17-2010, 09:31 AM	#5
Coeurdechene Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: madrid Photos: Albums Posts: 833	You can build a fine looking website with wordpress .it's open source and quite easy to use with tons of documentation and forums to help..If you are going to be hosted pick a good name and start building:P Or you can use Blogger too..just pick and pay for a domain name (it's very cheap...) and redirect to blogger page.. Here goes a page..it's about food but got some fine pictures in it: Vanilla Garlic They build the blog with blogger and put the fotos on flickr...i think it's a good combination.. There are some big businesses using wordpress..there are tons of plugins and when you start fiddling with it you get pretty fast the basics..you can integrate payment gateways for an online shop you just gotta spend some time reading how to do it.. I recommend that you use and get familiar with wordpress.. WordPress › Blog Tool and Publishing Platform

12-17-2010, 12:23 PM	#6
krp Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Illinois Photos: Gallery Posts: 470 Original Poster	Originally posted by wsteffey A friend of mine set me up with ocalahorsepix.com That looks like a pretty good website. I was considering wordpress also. I found some good looking themes I could use. I just wasn't planning on having much of a blog so I'm not sure.

12-17-2010, 04:34 PM - 1 Like	#7
Coeurdechene Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: madrid Photos: Albums Posts: 833	The beauty of wordpress is that it can be made pretty much anything you like...it's very versatile...don't need to organize it as a blog..you can organize following different parameters..you can put two sidebars...it can be programed into any type of organization in a fairly simple manner.. -How to Turn Your WordPress Site into a Digital Photo Store and Sell Photos Securely \| WordPress eCommerce Or you can build a phisical shop if you are going to sell the prints... Some of the ecommerce themes are sold..but what you buy is mostly a configured theme with lots of php scripts and style cms, and the support (dedicated forums and online support)...all this can be done for free with a litle time and patience..or you can buy one..there are tons and some are quite cheap. http://sta.rtup.biz/profiles/blogs/100-wordpress-digital-product here you got a "free" one..it can be downloaded in exchange of receiving junk (commercial) mail from the company..i haven't tried it yet..only downloaded it..but i'm sure it got scripts you can use and look if you need examples. PD: i wish you luck with this idea, hope it works . Last edited by Coeurdechene; 12-17-2010 at 04:45 PM.

12-21-2010, 08:28 AM	#8
hockmasm Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Photos: Albums Posts: 353	go with WORDPRESS. its the best and will be better for you in the long run. You can create new posts/pages/articles super simple - you wont need your brother anymore after it is set up. Also, there are a TON of free templates for you to get the look you want. Check out my personal website at www.stephenhockman.com - that was based off a free template i modified. Its made for showcasing a portfolio. also go with IN MOTION HOSTING for your web hosting. been using them for years! godaddy nickle and dimes you for every little thing. In Motion is like 4 bucks a month.

12-21-2010, 08:50 AM	#9
tuco Pentaxian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Pugetopolis Posts: 11,026	Using WordPress usually means the hosting server in not running Microsoft's IIS. So find out what platform the hosting server is and that might narrow you decision down.

12-21-2010, 04:19 PM - 1 Like	#11
krp Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Illinois Photos: Gallery Posts: 470 Original Poster	I decided to go with wordpress. I have the theme installed, now I just have to put my website together and decide how I want to sell my pictures.

12-22-2010, 06:59 AM	#12
Tamia Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Here, there, and everywhere. Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,384	I'll toss my hat into the WordPress ring, too. I use a WordPress hosted at Laughing Squid, which has been very good to work with. The theme which I use was free and I modified it significantly. My "for sale" photos are on Zenfolio (professional account) and I link to it through my website's sidebar. Good luck with your website. Let us know when it's up and running!

12-22-2010, 07:21 AM	#13
grainbelt Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Minneapolis Photos: Albums Posts: 587	If you actually want to sell photos and make money, I would reconsider a bog format and go with a photo hosting site such as SmugMug. Depending on the level of service you buy, you can use your own domain name, customize the look to your heart's content, and people can order prints directly from them. I have my Smugmug wide-open so my family can download full-res photos and order prints, but you can lock that all down so no one can download, and set your own prices for prints including a profit margin for you. Think about the actual process of closing a deal with a photo hosted in low-res on a blog. How would you go about it?