Mixed images
It is possible that you shoot
more than one type of
image, working in multiple
genres, but it is important
that the images you upload
to your website are logically
categorised and convenient
to find. A gallery containing
landscapes, portraits, travel
images and wildlife looks
messy and doesn’t
allow the viewer
to adequately
appreciate each
o f y o u r s k i l l s
in isolation.Repetition
A common beginner’s mistake is to upload multiple shots
from the same shoot, all displaying similar content. This may
be requested for a commercial shoot, where a client wants a
wide choice of image options, but in all other cases having five or
six near-identical images is uncreative, and likely to introduce colour
clashes or low contrast to neighbouring thumbnails.Difficult
navigation
One of the most
frustrating aspects
of a badly structured
website is being unable to
easily navigate back to the previous page
or to a main selection page. If you have
multiple galleries, always add a back
button or a link back to the page from
which the user entered the current gallery.
Leaving this functionality to the browser’s
back button is usually insufficient. The
more effort a user has to make, the less
likely they are to remain on your site.Conclusion
It may be less expensive and quicker to build
your own website these days, but by failing to
recognise some simple functional and aesthetic
issues your site will be unable to do your
photographic work justice. Study other sites for
inspiration before constructing your own.Limited
connectivity
Website visitors
now expect
connectivity to
external social
platforms
as standard.
Most
professional
webpages
now appear to
be missing a key
element if they do
not feature the usual
Twitter, Facebook,
Instagram and
Pinterest buttons, so
be sure to include
these if your template
provider offers
this functionality.Old homepage images
Your homepage is essentially your ‘front of house’ – the online
equivalent of a shop window. For all the same reasons a shop front
must capture the attention of passers-by, so too must your
homepage. Ensure the images featured here are current or at
least new to any repeat visitors. Regularly change the featured
image or those in any scrollable carousels to keep your site
looking active.Poor gallery
structure
Just as images
need to be sorted
into clearly defined
galleries, these too
should be organised
into relevant website
subsections. Having
all of your galleries
accessible from the
same page diminishes
the sense of
specialism in any
genre. Instead,
separate
personal
work from
commercial
portfolios
and subdivide
landscapes into
land, sea and detail
galleries, for example.Websites are quick and easy to create
today, with a plethora of templates and
online providers to choose from. These allow
photographers to take full control of the
creation process and build a site that displays
our images as we would like them to be seen
by prospective customers. But while we mayAVOID COMMON
WEBSITE MISTAKES
Identify the frequent errors photographers make when creating an online portfolio
be skilled photographers, retouchers and even
business people, this does not make us experts
in designing a perfect website.
An online portfolio has three functions – to
attract viewers, hold their attention and show
them a representative sample of work. For this
to be successful your images need to be of ahigh quality, but there is more to the formula
than the photographs themselves. The site
needs to follow a pattern of logic that’s familiar
to regular web surfers, leading viewers from
a core landing page to the areas of the site
containing the most critical content. Here we
examine some common oversights to avoid.PRINT & SHARE
Mixedimages
It is possiblethatyoushoot
morethanonetypeof
image,workingin multiple
genres,butit is important
thattheimagesyouupload
toyourwebsitearelogically
categorisedandconvenient
tofind.A gallerycontaining
landscapes,portraits,travel
imagesandwildlifelooks
messyanddoesn’t
allowtheviewer
toadequately
appreciateeach
o fy o u rs k i l l s
in isolation.Repetition
A common beginner’s mistake is to upload multiple shots
fromthesame shoot, all displaying similar content. This may
berequested for a commercial shoot, where a client wants a
widechoiceof image options, but in all other cases having five or
sixnear-identicalimages is uncreative, and likely to introduce colour
clashes or low contrast to neighbouring thumbnails.Difficult
navigation
Oneofthemost
frustratingaspects
ofa badlystructured
websiteis beingunableto
easilynavigatebacktothepreviouspage
ortoa mainselectionpage.If you have
multiplegalleries,alwaysadda back
buttonora linkbacktothepage from
whichtheuserenteredthecurrent gallery.
Leavingthisfunctionalitytothe browser’s
backbuttonis usuallyinsufficient. The
moreefforta userhastomake, the less
likelytheyaretoremainonyour site.Conclusion
It maybelessexpensiveandquickertobuild
yourownwebsitethesedays,butbyfailingto
recognisesomesimplefunctionalandaesthetic
issuesyoursitewillbeunabletodoyour
photographicworkjustice.Studyothersitesfor
inspirationbeforeconstructingyourown.Limited
connectivity
Websitevisitors
nowexpect
connectivityto
externalsocial
platforms
asstandard.
Most
professional
webpages
nowappearto
bemissinga key
elementif theydo
notfeaturetheusual
Twitter,Facebook,
Instagramand
Pinterestbuttons,so
besuretoinclude
theseif yourtemplate
provideroffers
thisfunctionality.Oldhomepageimages
Yourhomepageis essentiallyyour‘frontofhouse’– theonline
equivalentofa shopwindow.Forallthesamereasonsa shopfront
mustcapturetheattentionofpassers-by,sotoomustyour
homepage.Ensuretheimagesfeaturedherearecurrentorat
leastnewtoanyrepeatvisitors.Regularlychangethefeatured
imageorthosein anyscrollablecarouselstokeepyoursite
lookingactive.Poor gallery
structure
Just as images
need to be sorted
into clearly defined
galleries, these too
should be organised
into relevant website
subsections. Having
all of your galleries
accessible from the
same page diminishes
the sense of
specialism in any
genre. Instead,
separate
personal
work from
commercial
portfolios
and subdivide
landscapes into
land, sea and detail
galleries, for example.Websitesarequickandeasy to create
today,witha plethoraoftemplates and
onlineproviderstochoosefrom. These allow
photographerstotakefullcontrol of the
creationprocessandbuilda site that displays
ourimagesaswewouldlike them to be seen
byprospectivecustomers.But while we may
AVOID COMMON
WEBSITE MISTAKES
Identifythefrequent errors photographers make when creating an online portfolio
be skilled photographers, retouchers and even
business people, this does not make us experts
in designing a perfect website.
An online portfolio has three functions – to
attract viewers, hold their attention and show
them a representative sample of work. For this
to be successful your images need to be of ahigh quality, but there is more to the formula
than the photographs themselves. The site
needs to follow a pattern of logic that’s familiar
to regular web surfers, leading viewers from
a core landing page to the areas of the site
containing the most critical content. Here we
examine some common oversights to avoid.PRINT & SHARE