need website feedback

[firecrest]

Ive got my website online, but it needs some work doing on it, so Ill be grateful for any suggestions. please tell me if you think its bad because I need to know!

http://www.helper3000.net/phil/

I was told to put the menu on each page, which I agree with. (once I figure it out!)
My main problem is that I have a huge widescreen monitor so Im not sure what its going to look like on a normal sized monitor.

also the name of the site will be changed. Also yes, a couple of links are broken, im still trying to figure out what I did there.

[MartinK9]

Nice start to your site,

Is there some way to make your pictures NOT J-pegs so people cannot download them? Just a thought.

[spamel]

Watermark your work this instant! Poeple can nick those pictures, use Faststone as it is easy and free. Don't ket people steal your work!

[firecrest]

faststone? ok Ill just look that up

[firecrest]

Ive got adobe fireworks, will that watermark?

it *may* not be that nessisary as none of the images are high enough res to produce a professional print from, plus I wrote copyright across some of them.

[MartinK9]

Watermark your work this instant! Poeple can nick those pictures, use Faststone as it is easy and free. Don't ket people steal your work!

I knew someone would have the proper terminology and software thanks Spamel. At least I knew what I meant

[spamel]

It'd e worth asking Gary how he protects his work, I'm sure he mentioned that if you save his pictures from his websites, you get crappy quality images to stop his work being nicked.

[MartinK9]

Ive got adobe fireworks, will that watermark?

it *may* not be that nessisary as none of the images are high enough res to produce a professional print from, plus I wrote copyright across some of them.

It's not just that; they can download the picture and use it without your knowledge. Your work is stunning and people should pay for the privaledge of owning it.

[Wallenstein]

First up got to say the pics are fantastic.

From a website design point-of-view I would suggest the following:

1) The text in your banner doesn't stand out too well... you have a very "busy" textured background, with text much the same colour. Perhaps think about an orange stroke around the letters, or an orange background glow. Something subtle but enough to delineate the letters. Or slightly tone down the background, either desaturate 10% or blur slightly.

2) Tables are not the best way to produce a menu or display your pics; it's a real b*gger to get them to display across browsers and resolutions. If you can take a look at CSS you will find it much easier to maintain and update your site.

3) For watermarks as well as a digital mark I would "emboss" a copyright sign into the image files. Not enough to distract, but enough to make clear they've been nicked if someone else swipes 'em!

4) You ought to have a banner on each page as well as a menu, to help maintain the "branding". Also helps people navigate around more easily.

5) Have you thought about registering a domain name? You can pick up a .net account for £5/year - something like "lindseydearnley.net"?

You've made a great start, just needs a few tweaks and it'll be spot on.

[Wayland]

I keep most of my pictures at 600px or below.

It won't stop people nicking them for use on the web but it means there's not much point making prints from them.

I also include copyright notices in the metadata so that they travel with the picture unless it is stripped out.

It does mean that if you need to prove that it was copyrighted you have some evidence to back it up.

Also, never ever put a full sized copy on the web because if you have the full sized version and someone else doesn't then it helps to prove that you are the originator.

Visual watermarking can help of course but you have to make your own mind up about the aesthetics of that.

Digital watermarking like Digimark is the safest method but will cost you money for a licence.

As for tracking down your work, Tineye seems to be the way to go in the future.

[firecrest]

Ill be changing the domain name, probably to lindseydearnley.co.uk.
yes watermarking seems a good idea, i dont like writing copyright on the stuff its distracting. I dont think ill have problem proving the originator though, unlike photos, I have the original.

Does anybody think I should put prices on the pictures? or just an "enquire within"? do I need more contact details, i only put up my email address at the moment.

Ps
I changed my avatar. last time I had this one, everyone thought i was a bloke

[Wallenstein]

I would put a statement saying "All works are originals and prices start from £xx for a 8"x10" print, please contact me for more details" ?

Email address is fine, although you could think about a contact form on the site, so you fill in the details there and then and hit "send"?

[Galemys]

Ps
I changed my avatar

I miss that superb bird of paradise already!

Except for one small typo (perigrine should be peregrine) I like the site, great artwork.

Cheers,

Tom

[harryhaller]

Really beautiful pictures, firecrest

You definitely deserve the magnifico award!

But you're not after compliments, but criticisms in order to improve the site.

The pages must have individual titles because these titles appear in bookmarks and, more importantly, in google. And the home page must NOT be called "home page"

At the moment the pages have no titles and therefore have the title "Untitled Document".

[firecrest]

Really beautiful pictures, firecrest

You definitely deserve the magnifico award!

But you're not after compliments, but criticisms in order to improve the site.

The pages must have individual titles because these titles appear in bookmarks and, more importantly, in google. And the home page must NOT be called "home page"

At the moment the pages have no titles and therefore have the title "Untitled Document".

oo `eck, I never thought of page titles!

Thanks for the compliment

[alpha_centaur]

Wow what amazing pastels: I'd a wee look at your site and here's my crits

Massi firemen and Venice don't display in my browser. They come up as missing image files.

The tables don't display correctly in my browser for the resolution of my screen.

Oh and could you PM me a price for the pastel of the peregrine on its kill.

Ta

[pentrekeeper]

firecrest you really are a tallented artist, and I understand wanting to create you own website yourself but I would recommend looking at this link:
http://www.cssplay.co.uk/
He is very tallented in the use of CSS to style web sites and has many examples of his work, he allows anyone to use his code as long as you leave the copyright lines in it.
He has some beautiful photo album type web sites and only using html and css.
Needless to say I have no connection with the guy just admire his work.
best of luck.

[firecrest]

firecrest you really are a tallented artist, and I understand wanting to create you own website yourself but I would recommend looking at this link:
http://www.cssplay.co.uk/
He is very tallented in the use of CSS to style web sites and has many examples of his work, he allows anyone to use his code as long as you leave the copyright lines in it.
He has some beautiful photo album type web sites and only using html and css.
Needless to say I have no connection with the guy just admire his work.
best of luck.

Thanks, ive book marked the page. I decided to do it myself after I paid for a website last time, and it was poor quality, expensive and nothing like what I asked for
I may be able to copy and paste the HTML into dreamweaver, it certainly does look like a good style. failing that, DW is flexible, I just need to learn it better.

[Glen]

Also yes, a couple of links are broken, im still trying to figure out what I did there

Some of them are coded to your own "C" drive
eg
for 1 which won't link
Venice Night is trying to link to file:///C|/Users/Phil/Pictures/venicenight.png

or for 1 that won't display
Venice Backalley file:///C|/Users/Phil/Pictures/Lindseys Pictures/Original Files/thumbnails/Venice---work-in-progress.jpg

Lovely pieces works though.

[Gailainne]

Pictures are superb, site needs a bit of work, My comments;

I have 24" widescreen, and everything is set to the left, I would imagine on most displays it would be the same, apart from the one you set it up on.

I dont have a problem with using tables, just make them invisible/blend in, and know their limitations, for menus there are loads of free sites out there that will create a menu for you, in just about any format, colour, style you like, do a search. Freesite is a good place to start.

There is no home button, no way to return to your home page, apart from from using the back button, not elegant, having the menu set either to the left or the top as a constant on every page may be a better way to do it, see above.

About the artist, is good, from a description point of view, however you havent set any limits on its width, it stretches across my whole screen, set some boundarys, use the table setting to sit it in the centre.

Also think about links to the awards, if they display your work all to the better, if they dont, create one to the work that won the award.

The pages of your works, bushcraft and misc have the same problem as the home page, its left rather than centre oriented.

Also the Bushcraft page you have set a white background over which the wood effect background displays your work, however on the misc page its all the wood effect, personally I dont like that, one or the other.

I'm curious why you have your header with a distinct celtic dog format (Lindisfarne at a guess) over the top of a Korean background ? A very faded version of the blue/green mosaic, would I think work very well across all your pages, again personal preference.

To be frank, from what I've seen of your work to date, in no time at all you'll be able to afford a professional company to design a website for you.

Also I've been thinking of asking you to do a commission for me, I think looking at your work has crystallised that for me, I hope to be sending you PM shortly about that.

Regards

Stephen

[firecrest]

Thanks Gailainne, thats all really helpful.
so....
Center orientate
Sort out frames
add HOME button
redo Banner ( I didnt like it either, it was a "s*d it, that will do moment")
I might make the backgrounds more consistent, a lot of it is me trying to figure out what features do what on dreamweaver and leaving it be when Id produced something semi-acceptable.
I look forward to getting a PM from you