I have a new website almost done we went live this week I still need to make a couple changes but wanted the opinions of a few others.
Thank you
David
www.davejilekphotography.com

On my (calibrated) monitor, the text on the home page and titles is too dark and too small to read easily. I would lightn the text by a good bit and double the size. Otherwise, the site is straightforward and direct and easy to navigate. And you have some nice photos.

I'm seeing 5 rectangles with some hard to read blue text links in them. These duplicate the (also hard to read) items in the header. I'm guessing there should be some pictures in those rectangles.

I would lighten the text in the header just a bit.

That's as far as I went.

Text illegibility seems to be a rather common problem, as pointed out in the following thread. The two skinny books I recommended there should be required reading before designing a site:

http://luminous-landscape.com/forum/index....showtopic=13890

It's post number 50 in that thread that mentions the two books. But the entire thread is a good introduction to good web layout.

Chris,

OK, I'm finally going to get them, since I fully intend to have my own web design completed before my 75th birthday (or maybe the 80th), and I want to be able to include a line that says "Vetted and Approved by Chris_T".

Eric

Eric,

Are your 74 th birthday yet?

BlasR

Not for several more years, thank goodness, BlasR. But I'd rather spend time photographing than working on the web site.

Eric

Trouble is, Eric, that there´s a point when taking pictures, working on them and even perhaps printing some of them up, thinking the while about a website and what might be worth putting on it, becomes so much of a vicious circle that you can forget that the whole damn thing is perhaps meant to be fun. At least, once you retire from active service in the battle to exist as a photographer it might be fun.

But perhaps that´s just a hangover from working as a pro: there is this sneaky feeling always at the back of my mind that it isn´t worth taking a shot unless there´s going to be a cheque in the post. And truth to tell, very often it is neither.

Rob C

Same cosmetic issues as above: text is too dark. The "galleries:" and "about & contact" text is almost illegible. There's no photo in the rectangles with the blue links. Safari rendering is broken but Firefox works OK. See the screenshots below.

Ah, yes, that lengthy thread touched on so many web design topics (and probably offended so many) that it needs an index. Thanks.

Both books are in your local library. Unlike 500+ page monsters, you can leaf through these in an evening, or before your 75th birthday, whichever comes first. I'm not a wagering type, but I'll bet you a lunch that light bulbs will come on after you are through. In particular, "Don't Make Me Think" is a classic.

Prior to using my "name" for approval, please have your accountant contact mine.

Amen. That's why I only critique others' web sites and don't work on mine.

Dave - what the others said about usability/legibility. Some lovely images in "Places".

Two articles you might find helpful:

http://lois.co.uk/web-design/articles/colour-access.asp on contrast/colour, and

http://lois.co.uk/web-design/articles/art-...to-web-site.asp on ways to engage with your viewers. You haven't written the text yet - but I assume there will be some?

Thank you for all the helpfull links. I find it amazing the difference in quality from browser to browser. I will add the images to the home page a little text and contact information fix the verticle shots in the wedding gallery and lighten and enlarge the text on the home page. Again thank you for all the help.
David

In which case, I have another answer that may lessen your amazement
http://lois.co.uk/web-design/articles/not-dtp.asp

</End of shameless plugs for today>

Anyway, good luck with the site when it goes live.

What file size are you using Dave?

Some of us poor sods, through no fault of our own, are still on dial up and I really didn't have the time to hang around.

Pity, as I wanted to see more.

Justin.

Justin,
Images are 700 long ways. I think parts could be better but now I'm getting busy so I guess the website is working. Spring has sprung so that seems to get people moving. I think the site turned out pretty good. Sorry if it doesn't look great on Fire Fox and a couple others but when it gets done for free I'm not going to argue to much. Some of the images need to be replaced and I'll always be working on that. The key now is to keep pushing it to get more work!
Thanks for all the help everyone. Justin I hope sometime you can get through the entire site. Have a great night
David

Dave

I try and keep my file size to around 50-80kb, even this is a bit big for dial up connections but anything less and quality does suffer, it's all a compromise. B&W files should be a lot smaller.

But hey, the sun is shining over here to so it's time to get the ass out of the office and do something useful instead, as you so rightly point out.

Justin.

I could not live with a dial up service at this point in the game. I do so much with FTP servers and sending images to clients. You do any flyfishing over there? THat is the one thing I'll shut everything down for!

1) What the other guys said. The text is too small and/or too drab for my middle-aged eyes. As soon as I have to struggle to read something, I'm a lot less likely to bother.

2) The irregular layout of images on home screen is visually disturbing. I doesn't look balanced or arty; it just looks like a mistake.

3) You need a "home" button for subsequent screens to get back to the opening page. It's a pain trying to navigate back after going into your galleries.

4) Nice wedding pictures and landscapes. But the repetitive "down the dress" cleavage shots in your "people" gallery really pissed off my wife. One or two are okay, but as a repeated motif it seems just...tacky. In a plaid sportcoat and toupe kind of way.

Well as far as tacky goes Lake county Plastic surgery is one of my regular clients. So sorry for pissing off the wife but it brings me repeat business all of which are woman.

There is no need for a home page button. All you need to do is click on the next gallery in the task bar or the blog or the contact etc. I hate clicking

Middle aged eyes I have also and I'm doing okay with it.

I agree with the pictures being odd and without balance.
Thansk for the comments. I'm not trying to piss off any wives. Sorry if anyone finds it tacky but they are still clean shots that can be shown in public.