You Know Why I'm Here!

[knj]

Do your thing, photog community! I have a super streamlined and basic website that I just re-did a few days ago. Not complete, but a first step. Would love your thoughts. I’m sure my style won’t be appealing to everyone and that’s fine, but constructive criticism is helpful, as always. Thanks!

http://www.kristanicolejones.com

 

**To be more specific, I’d love feedback on the following:

Consistency- are images shown consistent? Do they look like they came from the same “brand” so to speak?

Website Friendliness- is it easy to navigate?

Interesting Content- are photos interesting? Do you want to see more?

Professionalism- does this ooze amateur or look like it reflects a more seasoned approach?

Over all feel- after spending a few minutes on the website, what words come to mind in terms of the style, overall feel, etc?

[cameraclicker]

Yep!  It’s basic!  Lets take “is it easy to navigate?” first.  There is only “Home”, “About”, “Contact”, and “FAQ”!  So it is easy to navigate, or I missed something and it is hard to navigate because I missed it.  I feel there is very little there.

Thinking about your photos:

Home took me to two photos of a black girl.  They are well done.  Then images shifted left on their own, rather irregularly.  It’s more even if you go back once they are all in cache.

http://static1.squarespace.com/static/54de6101e4b0b72929ba3f1f/54de6173e4b006037283d5ae/54e0ae49e4b0f4a6ba302a86/1424010848893/a6f0470f9006a453f956eafe8633bbfa.jpg?format=500w, feels too tightly cropped.

http://static1.squarespace.com/static/54de6101e4b0b72929ba3f1f/54de6173e4b006037283d5ae/54e0f0a4e4b0cc0f0863ce8a/1424027812864/%3Cuntitled%3E+390+%283%29.jpg?format=1000w, I would lose the orange aperture shape over her head.

http://static1.squarespace.com/static/54de6101e4b0b72929ba3f1f/54de6173e4b006037283d5ae/54dff091e4b0409b0659b23a/1424010358098/kristanicolejones.jpg?format=500w, is cropped too tight and he is looking out the top of the frame.

http://static1.squarespace.com/static/54de6101e4b0b72929ba3f1f/54de6173e4b006037283d5ae/54e0a709e4b0549c367175b4/1424008970821/%3Cuntitled%3E+392.jpg?format=1000w, and http://static1.squarespace.com/static/54de6101e4b0b72929ba3f1f/54de6173e4b006037283d5ae/54e29351e4b0549c367a3bff/1424134997701/a+394.png?format=1000w, have nice colour palettes but why are they in with portraits.

http://static1.squarespace.com/static/54de6101e4b0b72929ba3f1f/54de6173e4b006037283d5ae/54e0f1c5e4b0c4ae29d16a67/1424028101484/%3Cuntitled%3E+391+%281%29.jpg?format=1000w, is a style that is popular now.  I’m hoping people get over it soon.  To me it says you need a lens hood and/or a lens with better coatings.

On your About page, http://static1.squarespace.com/static/54de6101e4b0b72929ba3f1f/t/54e119c6e4b05ae622645e41/1424038349991/photo+by+kevin+jones?format=750w, shows a pretty face with bad posture.  That may just be the pose, perhaps a different one would work better.

“are photos interesting?”, I like the first two.  Your subjects and their families will like all the ones of them.

Professionalism?  You are doing this for money, right.   It’s a bit bare.  What’s there is mostly good.

 

Over all?  Good first steps in creating a web page.

[knj]

Hey thanks! Appreciate that you took the time to respond!

OK, so what I heard was “website- bare, minimum, really basic. First steps.” Got it. In a sense, that’s what I was going for with this first step.

Agree with the orange orb in the photo. Thanks for pointing out.

On the “tightly cropped” images. I sort of want to explore that, as I prefer out -of-synch- breaking-rule-of-thirds type photos. But hey, that’s neither here nor there! Point noted!

On the pecan and pinecone images. I specifically wanted to incorporate “nature” shots with the portraits BECAUSE I so heavily incorporate shots of nature in my shots of families. Does that make sense? I actually do take those kinds of images and include them with family portraits. Whether or not clients want that is basically where I think folks would or wouldn’t choose me as a photog. Anyway, think I should still keep them? I liked the colors, the “Feel” of nature…etc. I’m divided myself on them.

Poorly posed photo on About. Got it. Agreed. My husband snapped that of me really quickly so I could have a photo on the about me section. Will re-do and actually stand up straight. Side note: i need to work on that in general. hah!

One really helpful thing was you mentioning you didn’t like the “auto play” of the images. I agree. Website is with Square space. I don’t like how choppy it is. I can take it off auto.

 

thanks again!

 

 

[emf]

On the pecan and pinecone images. I specifically wanted to incorporate “nature” shots with the portraits BECAUSE I so heavily incorporate shots of nature in my shots of families. Does that make sense? I actually do take those kinds of images and include them with family portraits. Whether or not clients want that is basically where I think folks would or wouldn’t choose me as a photog. Anyway, think I should still keep them? I liked the colors, the “Feel” of nature…etc. I’m divided myself on them.

I personally think there should be more of a link between the nature shots and the portraits, I don’t know how, but if there was a clearer connection between your nature close-ups and the family/kid portraits, I think this would work well, like say, a straw doll a kid (you) made for example. Also, if you want to do it, have more interspersed between your images and from earlier on; at the moment there are only 2 near the end and the fact that they didn’t appear before and there’s only a couple, make them appear somewhat random and a little disjointed in the series.

[knj]

I think you hit the nail on the head emf! Thanks!

[yogorilla]

A point on the site rather than the photos if I may, there’s nothing to say where you are located.

[knj]

thanks yogorilla! you’re right!

[knj]

noted— thanks!

[EyeDocPhotog]

love the images, clearly from someone who ‘gets it.’

My own site contains a plethora of shots that are all over the place because I candidly shoot specially-abled kids (including my own daughter) in the 5 boroughs of NYC. BUT, it’s really not meant to attract new clients because my potential parents hear of me through word of mouth only and could care less of a website. I’ve even been asked to make a ‘photo-tips’ part of the site for parents who want to try their hand at editing and the like.

Your headed on the right path… more pwer to you! 🙂

 

[knj]

Thanks so much EyeDocPhotog– so great to find encouragement. I think you should totally do a “tips” on your site- great idea!

[Bill]

I like the ease of navigation, as for website friendliness, I wish the camera roll of photos rolled out more smoothly.

Not sure how you can better present that except using all photos the exact same size.  I have this problem with my hosting provider.  I use Zenfolio and for my slideshows, let’s say the 1st image is 600×800, and the 2nd is 800×600 it throws the entire presentation off.  But yours scrolls from the side, that’s why I say, not sure sure how easy that is to fix.

 

This is my OCD or maybe my 3rd beer for tonight talking, the 2  black girls on the very beginning of the slide/camera roll, the 1st girl has a hair on her right cheek and the 2nd has a hair covering her lip.  I find those distracting, easily fixed but distracting.  To me, it is attention to the finest detail, but none of us are perfect, including myself.

Anyway, everything else I can think of has already been mentioned.  A bit more detail would be nice, it’s basic, but maybe a bit too basic, but nice.

The one thing that I love that you didn’t do is use the word “Passion” in your about page.

 

[knj]

Bill, I’d like to applaud you for noticing the “lack of passion” (hah) I have on the about page. I respect anyone out there trying to improve their craft, but sometimes I think everyone is reading the same “how-to” blogs and writing the same stuff.  Or maybe everyone does have a passion, and we’re all really inept at delivering that any other way- myself included!

Thanks for your helpful input. I am sensitive to not making the website too messy. I like streamlined. Simple. Easy. Clean. Basic is not necessarily where I want to end up, so will keep chugging away at it.

And yes, hair in the faces! Thanks for that. I actually like it in the 1st photo, but not in the 2nd.

Finally, I’m having no luck on turning off Auto-Play for the Gallery. If anyone out there has insight (Squarespace “ishimoto” template) I’d love help!

[knj]

figured out how to turn off auto play. yes.

[cameraclicker]

He’s using Squarespace as just one of his web pages, and the primary focus is sports.  Probably a different template, too.  Still might be worth a look:  scottkelby.squarespace.com/

[knj]

thanks! i checked his out. after some time i am learning squarespace a bit more.

 

tweaked the website. no need to check it out again, but if you wanted feel free!

[Author]

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