SharpByCoop • New look

[SharpByCoop]

Nope, I haven't grown a beard. But, if my old website could, it would be Rip Van Winkle. 5 years old. It served me well.

I have been wishing for a new site for years. I knew it would be a lengthy undertaking, and so I anticipated the time between Christmas and New Years. In fact, I planned: No studio work has been promised for the past ten days.

I looked into a BUNCH of website designers catering to the photographer. I looked at 25 of the Best Photographers websites. I talked to webmasters....

I did it myself.

Well, almost. I bought an $85 web template that was ugly, but had the features I wanted. They claimed I could change everything. They were mostly right. The help files and FAQ's convinced me I could do this on my own. Ten days non-stop. What's that worth... ???!

Boy, did I get an education in programming code. It wasn't all that hard, but it wasn't easy, either. I spent time recreating every single page with applicable information, and learned how to change the colors and the look to suit.

Also, In the end I completely scrapped the provided template gallery and purchased another program as a Gallery display. Good move. MUCH better.

Anyway, I am being verbose. Let's just look. Please click on my NEW banner below to take you there. (That was the tip-off had you noticed.) Watch the opening (8) images slideshow, and then click on the Site Map.

Coop

 

[JatMat]

I love the format, you did a great job, love the slides moving on the bottom and the enlargements above in the Gallery. Would you like to do another?
Jim

 

[RogerP]

Very nicely done Coop - I really like the new look. Browsing the galleries in full screen mode is just too cool.

Roger

 

[Lorien]

Awesome! Can't wait to spend some time in there. A cursory glance revealed a very atmospheric and interesting website.

 

[betzner]

Jim, really nicely done. I like it.

 

[Kevin Jones]

Really looks nice Coop. Like the format.
Plan on spending some time there browsing your photos.

 

[rbslaughter1]

It' s really good Jim.. All of it... Happy New Year, Rich

 

[ckerwin]

Sweet, you da man!

 

[Jon Brand]

Nice job!! Looking fresh. Thats funny to read this, because I spent the past few hours planning updates with my webmaster and making a few of them.

I spent so much time on your fototime site that I have probably seen most of these photos. However, I find new magic every time.

Congrats and have fun with this.

 

[Charles Vestal]

You did a bang-up job Coop

The galleries are very nice

Charles

 

[NickWheeler]

Fantastic my friend!!!

Love the look, the format...and the gallery is RAD!!! Just like Roger said, watching the images scroll by in full screen was just too freaking cool.

Totally awesome Coop!!! :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: Your work certainly paid off!

 

[canineforge]

Every enjoyable to view, Coop. Your hard work has paid off with this new look. Look forward to spending some time there this weekend.

Super nice! :thumbup:

- Joe

 

[Keith Montgomery]

Looks like you have added another skill to your resume.

The website looks great, and is a pleasure to use.

 

[stephanfowler]

that's a remarkable improvement. I am very much impressed.


Now don't go getting to busy building website to take pictures of my knives ok.....

:-0

 

[tom mayo]

Very nice.............the flash home page is great!!!!

 

[delander]

Jim,

The site is great. I know first hand how much time and effort you put into it.

Congratulations on a job well done.

Del

 

[h2ostx]

Love the format. Very intuitive.

I too really like the scrolling shots in your gallery.

Nice job.:thumbup:

Kelly

 

[antonanton]

very very nice .. I like the album section - well done!

 

[Joss]

Jim, I like it. Good work building that!

I went first to the "about us" page, and I'd like to see bigger pics. I find that you only use a very small portion of the screen's real estate.

I don't understand why the righ-clicking is disabled. I like to right-click links and open them in new tabs.

In the gallery, the 3 personnal interest sub categories do not seem to load.

Personally, I like much better a set up of thumbnails that you click to get to a large size picture page, rather than the slide show. I find slide shows very inefficient to view pictures since it is not imperative for a user to watch all slides (as opposed to a business presentation). I also find that many slideshow features get stuck sometimes, that has happened to me on your site. Also, in your slide show, it is impossible to navigate the thumbnails as the slideshow is playing. Each time a slide changes, the cursor is sent back to the thumbnail of the pic being played.

As a side note, there are several duplicate pics in the 2006 Chicago gallery.

The gallery needs a home page button.

I hope you take the above as a mark of the esteem I have for your work.

Cheers,

Joss

 

[GigOne]

Nicely done, Coop ! :thumbup: