Some suggestions RE: Website...

jemdna

jemdna

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Name
Bryan
Edit My Images
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Hey everyone :)

I just closed my old website (as it was hosted by a company which seemingly relies on hamsters to power the server and monkeys to operate it) and am now looking for a new direction.

I want to be able to display to friends and family my gallery of latest photography preferably using my own domain name. I am not looking for the option of selling my prints (As this won't ever happen ;)) but a nice gallery would be good.

I usually buy hosting/domain and then make a website via iWeb but they all seem a little out of date (read: Overused) and so looking for suggestions from online template websites? pre config websites? I don't know, its been a long time since I done webdev I seem so out of touch with it all!

Cheers TP :)

Bry
 
Zenfolio is a good pro hosting site that will let you use your own domain name. There are a couple of different account options, but even the basic account gives you some nice themes and layout options.
http://www.zenfolio.com/

There are other similar sites such as smugmug and photoshelter that you may want to check out.
 
Bryan - if you want to look to save a few quid - you could buy new templates for iWeb....

One such linky (loads more out there...)
 
Another approach is to take a look at Wordpress. Easily customisable to make it look like a website rather than a blog.

Then integrate a gallery. There is Next Gen Gallery Wordpress plugin, or Zenphoto or Coppermine galleries for example.

Some hosts have quite a good package called Fantastico which will even install these for you.
 
cheers for all the replies :) i like the look of wordpress, any one fancy throwing up an example or 2 of photography sites done via wordpress and maybe a guide to how you found it using the setup (E.g pros/cons)

Bry
 
Very Impressive :) How did you get on using wordpress? Might investigate this afternoon!
 
I LOVE using Wordpress...

For the most part, everything's so easy to do, you can install stuff from the admin control panel, without having to FTP everything each time (handy when I'm not at home). There are a couple of security procedures you need to follow;

http://codex.wordpress.org/Hardening_WordPress

And, as mentioned above, there are many awsome plugins you can use to get it working great :)
 
I was swayed to Wordpress by Mattyh as well, i think her gets a kick back or some perverse pleaseure...!

Anyway www.huddersfieldtaekwondoclub.org is the first one i have done with wordpress, i will do my own site soon but that is paid up for the year with Zenfolio www.photographicclarity.co.uk so you can see the options.

Zenfolio is easy to use and very easy to see through and add pics and custom products but then so it wordpress when you get it all right, i used Zenfolio because i was in a rush and did not have time to learn wordpress. But when the year is up i will be using wordpress for my own site as well.

Mac
 
The site in my signature is also using Wordpress and Next Gen Gallery plugin.
 
Decisions Decisions... lol :p What host do you guys/girls use for your WP sites? Was it as a nice one click install or a trip to FTP land via config files? :p

Bry
 
The original install for me was one click but the automatic upgrade doesn't work very well so a WP upgrade for me is an FTP procedure (Filezilla makes things very easy though).

Can't advise on a host as it is via a mate who is reselling at mate's rates. If you see what I mean.
 
I think it may be something to do with the hardening on my host. It's not a big deal.

Don't want to put the OP off now do we? :)
 
I use Vidahost. Prices are very good and the service is top notch too.
 
Ack, so many suggestions lol :p

http://www.nativespace.co.uk/web-hosting-premier.html
and
http://www.vidahost.com/

Look like they offer similar types of deals, main things Im looking for is:

Ease of use
I don't have all the time in the world now, so it would be nice to have it easily accessible

Tech Support
Im a dab hand at computers and not afraid to tinker away but with no physical access to the server, I want to be able to talk to a HUMAN who can fix a problem as quick as possible as apposed to the typically employed script monkeys.

Payment
Monthly payments are a must and im just a poor boy (Nobody loves me) so cheap is obviously a good bonus :lol:

Bry
 
www.eukhost.com are another good option - I keep banging on about them, but they really are good.

24/7 live chat/phone support - Who've never failed to fix something there and then, except a small issue where I deleted my own database, and it took them two hours to restore their backup.

Think they do monthly payments too :)
 
eukhost seem pretty good as well ;) :lol:

Bronze package looks like the one?

Bry
 
mattyh said:
The site in my signature is Wordpress based :)
Click to expand...

Freester said:
The site in my signature is also using Wordpress and Next Gen Gallery plugin.
Click to expand...

But you don't have signatures :thinking:

I use wordpress just for a little fun tbh, nothing like a pro site. Friends and family sort of thing here using the YAPB plug in which in all fairness was very easy to install/setup. I did the whole thing in about 45 mins and that was finding the plugins/themes, downloading and installing.

For a host I find krystal hosting very quick and reliable but when it comes to hosting, what's your budget and what are your needs? I took a slightly better (Topaz) hosting pack to give me unlimited domains and a few other space/bandwidth extras just in case but a budget package can also work well.

K
 
If your post is under a certain amount of letters, your signature won't appear ;)
 
Mattys (and all sigs) only show in post they make in thread of a certain length. Try the first post he made in this thread :thumbs:

Im just trying to choose my wordpress theme!
 
Ok Krystal has chucked ANOTHER option into the list lol

That said I like the look of eukhost... :) Time for more research me thinks...

Also what do people think for some domains? Im seeing this as a new start in life including photographic so sod "JEMDNA Photography" to many memories attached, time to start again...

Heres some details about me to come up with names mayb...

My names Bryan Hardy, I enjoy black and white photography, usually on film but also like creative/special effects. I stay away (usually) from a lot of strict portrait stuff but fun portraits and gig photography are high on my list of things enjoyed
 
:lol::lol::lol: :p

Thing is - Bryan Hardy Photography... sounds a bit boring lol, aaah I guess I need to have a think lol!
 
bryanhardy.co.uk with say, BHPHOTOGRAPHY as the name for the site?

Bry
 
Matty, your site looks amazing... all in Wordpress?

Easy to do, even for someone of limited technical know how??? How SEO friendly is it, as my site is with iWeb and appears nowhere!!
 
cambsno said:
Matty, your site looks amazing... all in Wordpress?

Easy to do, even for someone of limited technical know how??? How SEO friendly is it, as my site is with iWeb and appears nowhere!!
Click to expand...

Thanks :)

Yeah, it's not my own work, to be honest... I took a theme and just changed a few of the design elements so it suited my logo and other stuff...

SEO wise, I'm currently 3rd on page 1 for my top keyword, but it's still a relatively new site and still being tweaked to get to #1!
 
bhphotography.co.uk is taken unfortuntely :(

Its settled, www.bryanhardy.co.uk for domain and BH Photography for name :)

Bry
 
Done...
 
:lol: hosted now as bryanhardy.co.uk :)

THANKYOU EVERYONE so much for all your help, that said, that was the easy bit, now to work with Wordpress etc lol :)
 
Next job - choose your theme!
 
Not a bad start, managed to setup a redirect using Cpanel, and have slapped a theme up just as a test... happy bunny is me :)

bryanhardy.co.uk
 
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