Look Like this

Earle

This may or may not be the correct place to put this...
But here it goes

First off, I have to say that "I" LOVE smugmug. With that said, here we go.

I have been introducing photographers all over the place ( I currently started a TOP PHOTOGRAPHER a week on myspace, www.myspace.com/markissaearlephotography So I look at MANY photographers WEB Pages and Sites week) to smugmug.

And so, here are some of the reasons why Photographers would or wouldn't join.

The main reason was and is because there are only a few options on how to display your photos, or the options are not kept up to current web site desires.

For example if smugmug could dissplay photos like these web sites, then more photographers would be interested.

For SIDE Viewing
http://www.eoloperfido.com
http://www.escalantephotography.com/editorial-1.html

FOR LITTLE THUMBS
http://www.noelphotography.com/galleries/babies/index.html
http://www.breehesterphotography.com/
AND
http://www.footprintsphotography.com/index2.php

And one the biggest requests,
http://www.edensgarden.ca/
Which if I can remember correctly, is how Anne Geddes has her galleries displayed.

The reason that SO MANY photographers liked smugmug is the basically unlimited amount of photo storage, and THE PRICE!! Cannot beat that and is amazing.
Thank you smugmug

Any more comments? Or ways to add some of these features to smugmug?
Just trying to inspire!

PBolchover

One idea that has come to me, is that it might be useful for Smugmug to allow Power Users and Pros to be able to create custom layouts, as well as custom themes.

Khaos

Some thoughts:

It looks like those sites are custom built and are not using another service. That needs to be taken into account. The first link took me to a site that I very much enjoyed, but noticed it was more a site showing the photographer and his work and not one to purchase work. For the cheap price smug mug charges, getting a little slice form print sales is a big profit drive, and to just host, with unlimited space a pro who doesn't use them to sell doesn't seem like very good business sense to me.

When you start allowing custom layouts, you start becoming akin to a host rather than a service. Smugmug does allow for some layout possibilites in making your site look very original. Even with that, the amount of confusion on how to do it is high and smugmug has set a great team to assist and they do it for FREE. Allowing an open design for users will only open up for even more confusion and the need for a lot more hand holding support. Most photographers don;t have the time nor want to be able to do the site themselves. Many simply outsource it.

I think, that while smugmug does want to make everyone happy and be everything anyone ever wanted, there comes a time when the realization is that is impossible. There are many flavors of pros, and with some, a unique way to display is needed and thus they need to create the site themselves, and with others, an easy template with a guaranteed system of purchase and delivery is exactly what they are looking for.

I will say that I notice that they take all suggestions and seriously look at them. Many implementations have come from suggestions, so who knows, maybe a side scrolling gallery may be in the future. I think it's a neat idea myself.

Andy

Earle, thanks for taking the time to post this!

Earle

Totally awesome

Andy wrote:

Earle, thanks for taking the time to post this!

Hey thanks Andy!

dogwood

Khaos wrote:

When you start allowing custom layouts, you start becoming akin to a host rather than a service. Smugmug does allow for some layout possibilites in making your site look very original. Even with that, the amount of confusion on how to do it is high and smugmug has set a great team to assist and they do it for FREE. Allowing an open design for users will only open up for even more confusion and the need for a lot more hand holding support. Most photographers don;t have the time nor want to be able to do the site themselves. Many simply outsource it.

...maybe a side scrolling gallery may be in the future. I think it's a neat idea myself.

I agree with this post. I understand the reason for not offering the custom layout, but I gotta say, the side scrolling galleries are all the rage right now. I see them on a lot of photog websites. You could use your SM site for print/download sales and gallery organization then purchase a seperate service for your portfolio (with the side scrolling gallery)... 'course that would be expensive and a little bit of a pain.

Mike Lane

dogwood wrote:

I agree with this post. I understand the reason for not offering the custom layout, but I gotta say, the side scrolling galleries are all the rage right now. I see them on a lot of photog websites. You could use your SM site for print/download sales and gallery organization then purchase a seperate service for your portfolio (with the side scrolling gallery)... 'course that would be expensive and a little bit of a pain.

Side scrollig isn't un-possible in a sm gallery. It's just takes some fairly advanced CSS-ing.

Hint: use the journal style, get familiar with absolute positioning, and understand overflow:hidden.

dogwood

Mike Lane wrote:

Side scrollig isn't un-possible in a sm gallery. It's just takes some fairly advanced CSS-ing.

Hint: use the journal style, get familiar with absolute positioning, and understand overflow:hidden.

Aaaahh, I had a feeling someone a lot smarter than me would have a clue about this. Seems like I've accidentally side-scrolled a gallery by leaving a div tag open too-- but that may just be my hazy imagination! Come to think of it, that situation was more of a top-to-bottom single column scroll. I'm sure the CSS method is better!