Building a website - most basic noob question

[Phantomas]

I'm way overdue to start at least attempting to learn and build a website. I have meant to do so for a few years now but never had time. I shoot a lot, so much that all my free time goes to shooting, the rest goes to processing, scanning. I don't even have time to build a portfolio. But I need to make that time. I'm a little bit fed up with dropping anything and everything I've shot on Flickr and would like to give my photography some direction. In that I think building a website with a distinct portfolio/direction would help.

The problem is, I'm completely out of touch with all things web-design. I consider myself relatively computer-savvy person, so I think I'll manage whatever's thrown at me, but I think it would be a good idea to concentrate on one tool/application/process from the start. The last time I tried my hand in website design was still in internet infancy days. I managed fine with Dreamweaver and Adobe GoLive (was that the program?) but have since forgot all about them. So what's out there today? Dreamweaver still exists and rules webdesign world? Other apps took over? What's a good, universal, versatile program that is safe to invest time into? Sort of like Photoshop for webdesign. I know, sounds like an immature question, I'll proceed with Google shortly, just wanted to ask for your advice.

Obviously the website will be photo-portfolio related. Would like to eventually end up with something simple but slick. I'm also looking at ready-made template services, but still wouldn't mind learning webdesign myself. So, which program do I start with?

 

[djonesii]

The cheap way to do it is to look at a myriad of open source solutions out there.

However, I opted for Microsoft Frontpage as that is what the company supplied in their employee discount bundle.

Often times, your ISP will have some software available as part of their offering.

If your primary interest is really just photos, check out gallery ( google it ), or maybe you really just want to start a photo blog.

Dave

 

[dmr]

If your primary interest is really just photos, check out gallery ( google it ), or maybe you really just want to start a photo blog.

A friend of mine helped me get Gallery on line for a potential web site I've been dreaming about for some time now. Still not ready for prime time yet (the site, that is), but it's great for displaying photos.

I also did the free photo blog thing with Blogger (now Google) and it has actually attracted a semi-regular following. (Yes, I know I should post more often.)

 

[Phantomas]

Thanks Dave. I've had a look at the ready-galleries and a lot of them look quite tempting (some even can serve as an example for "my site"). The reson I'm aiming for an established program rather than quick and easy way is that I'd like to learn such program and progress with it. It is not my goal to just build a site and be done with it, but to progress with it, learn more and make it better. Ongoing project, just like my photography 🙂
The ready design sites are indeed perfect for a quick fix and they often provide the exact look I'd go for, but they'd limit me if i wanted to progress further and customise some parts to my exact specifications.
On the other hand, they also probably offer easier workflow - updates of new materials and refresh of all the links, pages and what-not.

 

[Roger Hicks]

I bought Adobe DreamWeaver, which is alleged to be very good, and the industry standard. The trouble is, it does more than I want.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Phantomas]

I bought Adobe DreamWeaver, which is alleged to be very good, and the industry standard. The trouble is, it does more than I want.

Cheers,

R.

Tell me about it. I have the same feeling, that's why approach with caution 😱

 

[Roger Hicks]

Tell me about it. I have the same feeling, that's why approach with caution 😱

I may be able to say more when I get a proper written instruction book with words in it instead of on-line techno-nerd Californian psychobabble Newspeak instruction videos. My webmaster (who speaks highly of the program) is finding me a book. The basics are comparatively easy to pick up but the webmaster says they're 'not good html'. I suspect it'll do everything I want, and more, but right now I'm using basic tables and stuff.

Cheers,

R.

 

[wgerrard]

Basically, there are two parts to building and running a website.

The first part: Layout and design. Hundreds of books explain this, and a good number of software tools purport to make it easier. You can also do everything with only a text editor.

The second part: Maintaining a server, which encompasses making sure it's up and running, keeping current on security threats and tweaking the configuration or installing software to thwart new attacks, countering spam, etc.

Having waged battle on both fronts, I strongly suggest avoiding taking on responsibilities as a server admin. Life is too short. (If you go off for a two-week holiday, are you going to be able and willing to log on remotely to your server and deal with problems that arise?)


If it was me, I'd look for a canned-but-modifiable portfolio site and host it on a commercial provider that handles all maintenance. If I ever needed really extensive storage capacity, I'd look into services like Amazon's S3 sevice.

 

[Phantomas]

Thanks again.

Roger - that's what I hear too, Dreamweaver is a good program but makes a lot of mess with "unnecessary" HTML clutter. I had a friend who was working in DW who would make design and then spend quite some time cleaning HTML.

wgerrad - fair enough, something to consider for sure. To keep my options open, can you recomend good "canned-but-modifiable" design providers? I came across quite a few.

 

[martin s]

I just skimmed the thread - I'd recommend a Wordpress template. Can be changed in indefinite ways and look every way you want it to. Smashingmagazine is always worth a visit, too.

martin

 

[Fujitsu]

I'm way overdue to start at least attempting to learn and build a website. I have meant to do so for a few years now but never had time. I shoot a lot, so much that all my free time goes to shooting, the rest goes to processing, scanning. I don't even have time to build a portfolio. But I need to make that time. I'm a little bit fed up with dropping anything and everything I've shot on Flickr and would like to give my photography some direction. In that I think building a website with a distinct portfolio/direction would help.

The problem is, I'm completely out of touch with all things web-design. I consider myself relatively computer-savvy person, so I think I'll manage whatever's thrown at me, but I think it would be a good idea to concentrate on one tool/application/process from the start. The last time I tried my hand in website design was still in internet infancy days. I managed fine with Dreamweaver and Adobe GoLive (was that the program?) but have since forgot all about them. So what's out there today? Dreamweaver still exists and rules webdesign world? Other apps took over? What's a good, universal, versatile program that is safe to invest time into? Sort of like Photoshop for webdesign. I know, sounds like an immature question, I'll proceed with Google shortly, just wanted to ask for your advice.

Obviously the website will be photo-portfolio related. Would like to eventually end up with something simple but slick. I'm also looking at ready-made template services, but still wouldn't mind learning webdesign myself. So, which program do I start with?

Maybe you should just clean your flickr archive.

I dont see a point in designing, programming and maintaining an "own" website as a photographer, when services like flickr do most of what you could want for free. In the end, it´s the images. You can also link to slideshows or folders within your images to pass to anyone who´s interested.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Maybe you should just clean your flickr archive.

I dont see a point in designing, programming and maintaining an "own" website as a photographer, when services like flickr do most of what you could want for free. In the end, it´s the images. You can also link to slideshows or folders within your images to pass to anyone who´s interested.

There's a big difference between 'most of what I want' and 'what I want'.

Also, your own domain name makes it look as if you're a bit more serious than Flickr.

But a lot depends on what any indvidual wants.

Cheers,

R.

 

[djonesii]

a bit more info ...

a bit more info ...

There's a big difference between 'most of what I want' and 'what I want'.

Also, your own domain name makes it look as if you're a bit more serious than Flickr.

But a lot depends on what any individual wants.

Cheers,

R.

I'll agree 100%, the subdomains thing is handy too.

I send friends/family to www.jonesii.net for photos of the kids.

I put my more interesting work on www.davezphotoz.com ... I can password protect things, and it is done with very little effort using a program called cpanel from my ISP.

I should expand a bit ...

I first started using straight hand coded HTML and Photoshop actions to build the images very tedious!

I then used hand coded HTML and a free ware photo paged generator.

I then shifted to Front Page for indexing and Picisa for the galleries.

I now use Front Page for indexing and Light Room HTML for the galleries, I tried their flash ones, but I prefer the HTML based ones.

I use lunarpages as a hosting service, and the offer free domain names + unlimited storage, and are pretty cheap as I got a two year package. They keep it all up and running, I just FTP there.

Dave

 

[bmattock]

Find a service provider such as Bluehost or Hostmonster. Purchase an account. It can be quite inexpensive.

Select a domain name.

Use the Control Panel to choose 'Simple Scripts' and you will see a vast array of very nicely-designed automated tools for websites. CMS, Blogs, Forums, and Galleries of all sorts, all free to use. Select one or several and install them. You can try them out, uninstall them if you wish, etc. As much as you like. Most of the tools are 'themable' which means you can select a design you like and just click on it.

There is no need to learn any programming or scripting or even design, as long as you don't want something custom and one-off.

Easy as falling off a log.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

I bought Adobe DreamWeaver, which is alleged to be very good, and the industry standard. The trouble is, it does more than I want.

Cheers,

R.

Thats ok, it does more than even most professional designers need. But it is very easy to use for the basic functions that everyone uses. Once I learned it, I preferred it to Frontpage which looks easy but really isn't (like many MS products) and FP requires you get a web host that supports it. Everyone supports Dreamweaver and so long as you stick to either plain HTML and CSS or PHP coding every web host will support everything you do on your site design.

 

[Warren T.]

PMFJI, but does anyone have a favorite service/company for web site hosting and domain name registration? I currently have my photos on 2 different free photoblog sites, but I am interested in at the very least having my own domain name and email (linked to that domain).

Thanks 🙂

Warren

 

[kxl]

As you have surmised, Dreamweaver will teach more than you ever want to know about building a "straightforward" website. If you're not proficient with HTML to begin with, you'll end up toggling to the graphical view in Dreamweaver anyway rather than look through pages of HTML.

My advice:

1) Select a domain name, then register it with a domain host. It's usually free when you sign up for one of their hosting plans.

2) Go to jalbum.net. Download the software and select a skin. When you upload photos, point to your domain name. Jalbum will walk you through it. Your site will be up and running in no time.

3) If you still want to play with Dreamweaver, do so, but save your files to your local desktop. Doing this allows yoiu to learn how to build a site without any time constraints, since you'll already have an online presence.

4) As an alternative, and as already mentioned, all hosting services include software and a database or two. Simply load that software and have it walk you through the process. This is the route I took, signing up with Inmotion hosting, and loading Wordpress to create a photoblog -- if you're curious, it's at www.kalahi.net.

Building a website these days is straightforward. The challenge is generating traffic to your site.

Good luck!

 

[jslash6]

if you're already on flickr and want to make your own site then this might be the easiest way to use both.

http://flickrslidr.com/

from all the images you've posted on flickr, edit them down and create a set of the ones you want to present on your website. use flickrslidr to create the code for an embedded slideshow. copy and paste the small amount of code into your webpage editor. simple as that. this way you allow flickr to do most of the work and you'll save time resizing you images and reposting them to another server. the slideshow itself is pretty decent, they only thing indicating its pulling images from flickr is the spinning blue and pink dots that appear only if there's a hiccup.

i intend to use this when i ever get around to redesigning my site.

 

[wayneb]

My suggestions are:
-don't create a Flash gallery of any sort. Few people wait for them to load or figure out the interface.
-consider using Tumblr. There are many themes and templates you can tweak and re-use, more people will see your work. Also you can use your own domain.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

PMFJI, but does anyone have a favorite service/company for web site hosting and domain name registration? I currently have my photos on 2 different free photoblog sites, but I am interested in at the very least having my own domain name and email (linked to that domain).

Thanks 🙂

Warren

I use Mediatemple.net for mine. The Grid-service plan is $20 a month and you can host up to 100 websites on it if you want more than one or if other family members want to do sites. I know that's more expensive than many places but the customer service is in the USA and speaks English and to me that alone is worth the price. The tech people I have talked to have been very helpful and knowledgeable and have helped me with issues that really weren't thier problem (like problems with dreamweaver I had once). The service has been VERY reliable for the 7 years I have been with them. They don't support Frontpage though. Great for Dreamweaver users. Wordpress is installed already for you if you want to do a blog under your won domain name!

Another one I can recommend is crystaltech.com They offer hosting plans that are Frontpage enabled for those of you who use MS-Frontpage. I use them for one of my clients whose site is done in Coldfusion to support a shopping cart software that she had bought before I began working with her. As with mediatemple, crystaltech's tech support has been very knowledgeable and helpful and is in the USA with English speaking employees.