Yajhil Alvarez wrote:
Hi everyone,
So I've been working on my website for the past few days.  Therefore, I'm looking for overall feedback of the actual website and the work featured in it.  Now I'm not asking you to review every single picture, I'm simply asking for your gut impression of it.  If you participate and want me to return the favor please post a link to your website.  Thanks!

http://www.yajhil.com (please view on a computer if possible)

Hi Yajhil,

I like your website. It's simple and easy to use. It shows off your work quite nicely.
It's perfect for your clientele, I think.

However, I do feel there's a lot of text in your services section.
Maybe edit it down a little. Make each package a link?

My website: www.gershonkreimer.com

Jorge Kreimer wrote:
I like your website. It's simple and easy to use. It shows off your work quite nicely.
It's perfect for your clientele, I think.

However, I do feel there's a lot of text in your services section.
Maybe edit it down a little. Make each package a link?

My website: www.gershonkreimer.com

Thanks!  I went ahead and shortened the text by splitting it up.  I left some because I want people to see prices and what they get right away and then if they are interested they can click on "more info" and read the rest.  Now on to your website.

There were three things that I wish were different:

The first is that the website comes across as two websites in one.  What I mean by that is that first, i see the intro page, which is just that, and I am not counting as a website.  Once I click and enter though it takes me to the index which features that large gallery pic, which is awesome.  However, I immediately wanted to move the text to the top or somewhere else less intrusive and I even spent a minute debating if all that text would fit up on top.

I then clicked on veils and the website completely changed into something else, and wow, the text fit nicely up on top like I was envisioning a minute ago.  I then clicked on the other categories and they all followed the same format/look.  I honestly love this format better for the entire site, including the index, because of the text placement and how nice your name looks on the top left.  It just looks clean and professional.  As a result, the index looks like it was made for another site.

The second thing I wished were different is that when I scrolled down to view pictures, the menu up on top and the pictures clash as I scroll.  They start to blend and things look a little messy.

The last thing would be the spacing between pictures and titles when I click on a picture category.  For example, when I click on index the first thing I see is the word index and a lot of white.  I then have to scroll down a bit to see the first picture.  I basically would rather there be no gap so I can see your work immediately.

And that's all I have to say.  It's a pretty nice website that does show off your work well.  Thank you so much for your help.

thiswayup wrote:
Can't get the photographs in a large enough version to judge the real quality. That means I'd cross you off the list of people to look at and go on to the next one.

This picture shows you don't how to direct a model properly:

http://www.yajhil.com/outdoorheadshotsp … m-iuljyn7j

..The arm is being squeezed against the body making it look fat; it's a beginner mistake. See eg

http://petapixel.com/2013/05/24/dear-mo … otographs/

If you Google photographers and click on their website I guarantee you that the sizes they display are the same size, smaller, or a tiny bit bigger but not by much.  I'm not sure if you just viewed them and didn't bother clicking on them or if you did and expected them to be larger because you want to see every detail like it's heading out to print.  If they opened any bigger than they already do you would have to scroll up and down to see the entire picture and you would never see it in one piece which makes no sense.  800px tall is more than enough in my opinion for an everyday customer to see my work and decide if they want to hire me.

As for the one picture leading you to state that I don't know how to direct models and that I make beginner mistakes, well I don't know how to respond to that.  I mean I know how but I'm not going to.  I asked for this feedback, so even though every word of what you said is coming off like you're attempting to make me feel inferior to you, I'm just gonna say thanks.  So thanks.

Yajhil Alvarez wrote:
If you Google photographers and click on their website I guarantee you that the sizes they display are the same size, smaller, or a tiny bit bigger but not by much.

This is the first - literally example - when I googled "photographers website":

http://www.fenita.co.uk/photo25510645.html

Images enlarge to at least 4 times the area of yours.

This is from my research on wedding photography:

http://www.colinnichollsphotography.com … otograper/

..Images display by default at at least ten times the area of yours. Another:

http://www.kevinmullinsphotography.co.uk/

Again, ten times. One of the most successful commercial photographers in my areas:

http://www.kevinmullinsphotography.co.uk/

..Five to ten times.

The size of image you are using is a fraction of the size clients typically want images in. It could hide any number of awful mistakes. Given that the market is over-saturated and that there is no special hook to the work you do, then sensible clients will just skip to the next portfolio.

thiswayup wrote:

This is the first - literally example - when I googled "photographers website":

http://www.fenita.co.uk/photo25510645.html

Images enlarge to at 4 times the area of yours.

This is from my research on wedding photography:

http://www.colinnichollsphotography.com … otograper/

..Images display by default at at least ten times the area of yours.

Well that hasn't been my experience and I have looked at a lot of them, specially when I was putting mine together.  If there is a way to make the open a little bigger without cutting off the images I'll do it but if not I doubt it will make my clients run because they can't count how many pores a person has.  I think the quality of someone's work is quickly apparent even when pictures are small.  Even browsing through MM i can see who's retouching is good, who's lighting is good, who know's how to compose a picture and many other things before I even click to expand anything.  It would have to be the tiniest picture that once opened would fool me and become something totally different.

Yajhil Alvarez wrote:
Thanks!  I went ahead and shortened the text by splitting it up.  I left some because I want people to see prices and what they get right away and then if they are interested they can click on "more info" and read the rest.  Now on to your website.

There were three things that I wish were different:

The first is that the website comes across as two websites in one.  What I mean by that is that first, i see the intro page, which is just that, and I am not counting as a website.  Once I click and enter though it takes me to the index which features that large gallery pic, which is awesome.  However, I immediately wanted to move the text to the top or somewhere else less intrusive and I even spent a minute debating if all that text would fit up on top.

I then clicked on veils and the website completely changed into something else, and wow, the text fit nicely up on top like I was envisioning a minute ago.  I then clicked on the other categories and they all followed the same format/look.  I honestly love this format better for the entire site, including the index, because of the text placement and how nice your name looks on the top left.  It just looks clean and professional.  As a result, the index looks like it was made for another site.

The second thing I wished were different is that when I scrolled down to view pictures, the menu up on top and the pictures clash as I scroll.  They start to blend and things look a little messy.

The last thing would be the spacing between pictures and titles when I click on a picture category.  For example, when I click on index the first thing I see is the word index and a lot of white.  I then have to scroll down a bit to see the first picture.  I basically would rather there be no gap so I can see your work immediately.

And that's all I have to say.  It's a pretty nice website that does show off your work well.  Thank you so much for your help.

Thank you!

I used to have it without the index page, but the reason I added the index page is that I didn't want to jump into the first image. I feel like it's an introduction to the work, and lets the viewers choose wherever they want to go first.

Jorge Kreimer wrote:
Thank you!

I used to have it without the index page, but the reason I added the index page is that I didn't want to jump into the first image. I feel like it's an introduction to the work, and lets the viewers choose wherever they want to go first.

No problem.  I agree, the index should be the first page.  I just want the text stuff up on top to mimic the rest of the site.  I like the gallery pic and how epic it feels and that it's a nice lead in to the rest of your stuff.

Yajhil Alvarez wrote:
Updated it a tiny bit.  If anyone wants to trade feedback let me know.  Thanks!

I think your site is very well made, informative with clear instructions and easy to navigate (although I didn't really try it on mobile).

A couple of small observations:

1) I wonder if you should make backgrounds of the top-menu dropdowns solid. They are usually fine as is, but when they overlap text it looks a bit messy (for example, hovering over "Portfolio" when on the "Services" page).

2) The footer is a bit too heavy, a thick black bar with a small copyright notice. Reducing it to a third of the thickness I think would look better and free up space to show a bit more content.

Great job overall!

My site is rather idiosyncratic, but a plug is a plug

http://photo.reimeika.ca

Wandering Eyebubble wrote:
Hi Yajhil,


I think your site is very well made, informative with clear instructions and easy to navigate (although I didn't really try it on mobile).

A couple of small observations:

1) I wonder if you should make backgrounds of the top-menu dropdowns solid. They are usually fine as is, but when they overlap text it looks a bit messy (for example, hovering over "Portfolio" when on the "Services" page).

2) The footer is a bit too heavy, a thick black bar with a small copyright notice. Reducing it to a third of the thickness I think would look better and free up space to show a bit more content.

Great job overall!

My site is rather idiosyncratic, but a plug is a plug

http://photo.reimeika.ca

I did have a feeling that the footer was too thick so I made it smaller and it looks way better now.  The background for the menu dropdown, I tried it solid but then found that I like it with a tiny bit of opacity so I made it less see-through.  Thanks for the feedback!

As for your site.  I would say it's important that you have a way for people to contact you and to know what you do and who you are.  Right now it's just pictures and if it wasn't for your website's name I wouldn't know who shot them.  However, if you do this as a hobby or you have specific clients so your main thing is to send the link and they already know you then it doesn't matter.  Hope that helps.

Yajhil Alvarez wrote:
I did have a feeling that the footer was too thick so I made it smaller and it looks way better now.  The background for the menu dropdown, I tried it solid but then found that I like it with a tiny bit of opacity so I made it less see-through.  Thanks for the feedback!

Yes, I concur, the footer is much improved. Looks nifty!

Yajhil Alvarez wrote:
As for your site.  I would say it's important that you have a way for people to contact you and to know what you do and who you are.  Right now it's just pictures and if it wasn't for your website's name I wouldn't know who shot them.  However, if you do this as a hobby or you have specific clients so your main thing is to send the link and they already know you then it doesn't matter.  Hope that helps.

It's just a hobby, and I prefer minimalism. I agree it'd be madness as a business site.

Thanks!

Wandering Eyebubble wrote:
Yes, I concur, the footer is much improved. Looks nifty!

It's just a hobby, and I prefer minimalism. I agree it'd be madness as a business site.

Thanks!

No problem and once again thanks for the help!

Yajhil Photography wrote:

No problem and once again thanks for the help!

Liked your website.  We have had to change ours - having trouble with the res of images as we cannot enlarge it too much as the load time drops.  Hopefully the main page has enough images to provide good indication.  Review and suggestion will be highly appreciated.
www.uzmas.co.uk