How to build a good online gallery?

[aniMal]

I might have asked around other forums for this, but somehow this is the only forum I enjoy reading and posting on...

So, here goes:

I am currently developing my own site, and was just wondering what solutions people might have...

I am also working as a web designer, which means that I will generally be able to install and tweak most applications.

I have been working with joomla, and it might be a good idea for me to build the interactive part of my site with it.

I already have an online delivery system called ajaxplorer, which works nicely.

What I now need is being able to give my models and others limited access to my work, while also having a public gallery.

I was thinking of joomla + a plugin gallery, but then I see that it is possible to link to flickr.com... Anybody here using flickr? I have heard other photographers praising flickr, so maybe...

The other option is building everything from different PHP-scripts more manually, which is the route I have started on...

If anyone has a system which really works well I might also be interested in purchasing...

My site: www.terio.no Unfortunately it is in norwegian and geared more towards web design...

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

I'm very happy with my choices: four links in my signature...

 

[aniMal]

Thats a nice and clean gallery yes!

I see they are now in closed beta though... Do you know if it will become a commercial product?

I am now researching flickr in details - still seems good... At least for the main bulk of what I will need to show in public and to my models ++

 

[lZr]

aniMal, I think you go better on black or some dark background. Your site as I saw it is based on very personal approach. Keep the project forward. In time your concept can change and be better and better. No limits

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

Expressions is the current offering; the same people are launching Vividry once the beta testing is complete.

Any Expressions member can transition to Vividry when it's ready at the same monthly rate ($3), or stay at Expressions if they prefer.

It's a small company, and the people who write the code and the templates will be the same people who help you tweak your site.

You can even register your own domain name (like I did) and point it to your Expressions photoblog to give the impression that it's your own site.

 

[aniMal]

My current website is for web design, hence the layout & looks...

It dawns on me that I need a two-pronged approach. One will be part of my present site, a photographic extension of it so to speak. Here I will update not too often, showing only the best I produce. Here expressions seems like a good solution - then I wont have to fire up a full joomla installation.

The other part will be posting jobs I do on flickr - it seems very suitable for mass publication. Also, the models I use are young and use the net 24/7 - so flickr seems to fit in well.

Customizing things is really what I like to do, but now that I am focusing more on photography than design it seems the best solution is keeping it simple...

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

With Expressions you can have three separate photoblogs on the same account. So you can set them up with different material for different audiences.

When you join you can choose from a number of templates, and click and choose variants to make your photoblog your own. Then, for people such as yourself, you can click to make the template 'Advanced' and get access to the html to customize even more.

Look around Expressions and see how very differently everybody uses their space within the framework.

I'm at Expressions (I'm sort of like back alley is here) and I can see photographers such as yourself, moms with a D-SLR, people who photograph scenics, street photographers, all sorts of experimental stuff...

You'll fit in just fine.