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Will be slightly commercial, in that I'll try to sell a couple of eBooks I'm working on, my photos as screen-savers, maybe some physical prints, etc. But mostly a gallery for my images and pages for my philosophy of photography and for technical tips (with lots of example images).
Also, an extensive links section that I'll probably do in a database this time.
So far, thinking of a standard 3 column layout (left nav, center content, right call-outs, affiliates, tek tips, etc.).
BTW, I have zero interest in using Flash.
Anyone have a favorite site design for presenting still images? Something that goes beyond a standard 2 or 3 column layout?
Will add my (embarrassingly old) site to my profile so you can see typical content, if you like.
Thanks all!
I personally, do not like pop-ups for images nor do I like sending visitors to other pages. I use an iframe and thumbnail or text link combination. (sorry NN4!)
I like this approach for setting "themes" - if you need NN4 compatibility this is not a solution, but if that is not an issue it can be a great way to display images.
Here are some pages (grab url from profile) that may give you some ideas. The first uses simple thumbnails as links to load larger images into an iframe; This is the page: aliciakeys.htm
The second example again blends the background, masking the iframe until the links are clicked: thumptrax.htm
Here is an example that I am working on, it will ultimately offer 107 images for viewing in a targeted iframe: kingofthecourt.htm
And the last example does NOT use iframes. It uses progressive links from each loaded page: urbanimages.htm
There are lots of other possibilities as well, each serving a purpose. Preferences are subjective... and that's okay! ;)
Actually - I do like your iframe treatments, but sometimes a pop-up with a nice BIG size gives a visual impact that you can't get easily any other way - and for cross-browser compatibility, it can't be beat. Especially if you use this kind of link, so the non-js folks (and the spiders) can still visit the blow-up page:
<a href="bigpic.html" onClick="popUp('bigpic.html');return false;">link</a>
I once created a gallery-like treatment that used horizontal AND vertical scrolling to wander around a large page. There were thumbnails along the "walls" and not much but white space and a few "exhibit placards" for the rest of the screen. Here and there along the edge of the screen were "doorways" that were actually links to other gallery rooms, each with its own exhibit.
I still like the idea. Even though that particular gallery went out of business, it wasn't because of their website.
Seriously, sometimes that is the best way... crossbrowser it is as well. The pop-ups that bother me are the kind that need to be closed after each individual viewing. If a pop-up window is to be used, I like the kind frequently displayed on some of the news sites, where once the window is open, you simply click a link within the opened window to load the next image.
I still prefer the iframe method as it is the least obtrusive. The display window is predefined (and preloaded with the first image) and no part of the page is obstructed by "new windows."
I actually have an idea to use photo slices targeted to multiple adjacent iframes for a "picture puzzle" effect. This is very easy to do and can result in some creatively entertaining pages. For photos of people this has lots of potential, especially if you use an iframe for the "eyes" another for the "mouth" and so on...
You could even create an "interactive photo-montage" performance artwork using multiple iframes and a mixture of image fragments and photos. Lots and lots of possibilities!
I never feel guilty about using the <iframe> tag... It was introduced with HTML 4 back in what? 1997? Ah, Netscape.... lol! ;)
Couldn't it achieve NN4 support by wrapping the iframe in an ilayer? NN4 would blow off the iframe tag, and other browsers would ignore the ilayer tag.
I'm beginning to feel that NN4 support will be needed for some clients for a lot longer than I hoped.
Ah, then imho it's not a solution, papabaer. ;)
Sorry, I have to disagree on this one for one reason mostly. It's reliably rumored that Yahoo editors check sites for NS4+ compatibility, and also that the sites have to work with JS turned off. That applies even when paying.
There are Perl & PHP scripts for image gallery displays, and even scripts that dynamically resize images on the fly. Some are great, and there are no compatibility issues that way.
My advice, JayCee, is that you pretty it up if you feel you have to, but leave anything commercial OFF for right now. Then, obscure the part about marketing and if you already haven't, you submit to Zeal and Yahoo for free listings. Afterward you can put on the commercial part.
Oh, I know someone will tell me this is bait and switch. And I know who, too. :) But it's only a minor detail. The quality is still there. And when you really think about it, didn't Yahoo start out as a free directory, then start charging for commercial sites, and then annually to boot? Well then, Yahoo pulled a bait and switch, didn't they!
Being my own site development client is going to be such fun! Finding the non-billable time will be a challenge though.
Couple of directions:
Not interested in a "slide show" approach to the photos. I want to display all the thumbnails (in a certain category) and then let the visitor decide which (if any) to view full-size (max control to the visitor principle).
Each thumbnail also needs 3-4 indicators as to whether it has (or has not) a ["tek-trick"/"photo philosophy"/"how it was made"] annotation (this is currently to an anchor on another page) to also pop-up or jump to. Several images link to the same annotation (making the link back problematic? Use history?)and some link to more than one.
Want the full-size images spidered 'cause I want image keywords/filenames to get the images into the image SEs (I'm encouraging everyone to steal the photos and I only "protect" them by making too small/lo-rez to use commercially). The more people that see/have my images the better, lol.
Thought I could finally ignore NN4! So, Marcia just how "reliable" is this Yahoo! rumor? Sure would love to kiss off that <5% of visitors.
Great idea about starting out non-commercial and adding that later (especially since the "products" are still in development ;).
Thanks all!
Any more favorite existing sites?
From a useability standpoint, I would say that iframes have a lot going for them.
First, the viewing area is pre-defined, and since it is treated as normal page element, it can flow with page content, work seemlessly into liquid layouts, and text can wrap around the iframe itself. Only the actual "image content" changes, nothing else.
There are no pop-ups to interfere with exisiting page content, or scripts required for viewing. Remember the 12% surfing with javascript-off, including some of our own [webmasterworld.com] (...myself included! ;)) forgetful of the F12 Quick Preference settings in Opera.
All in all, <iframes> can be a VERY user friendly approach, working seemlessly into page content.
There are some decided advantages to the "i-framed" pages as well. First, they are "stand-alone" html pages that with a little simple forethought can also be turned into additional doorway pages.
As an example, I have one site that uses an iframe as an image viewer. Each of the images carries a simple text description, title and meta tags; each image page can be viewed displayed in the iframe or as a full-fledged stand-alone.
Everyone of the "image pages" is listed by all the major search engines, each page also has a simple, unobtrusive link back to the parent page where the iframe is displayed.
An image that loads in a pop-up is still just an image, while an image that loads in an <iframe> can be so much more. Very fast, very simple. Again, links can be placed between the iframe tags for NN4 - if there are a lot of images, a link to a single "image index" page will provide NN4 users with means to view the images while also providing a great "mini site map" for search engine spidering.
Yahoo Directory aside, the cumulative benefits are many. I'm not talking theory, but from experience. I am VERY happy with the search engine indexing (including Google's Yahoo results). I'll take 100 legitimate "doorways" indexed across the all the major engines over a single Yahoo Directory listing any day of the week.
Yes, you can have your cake and eat it too... but that is an entirely different discussion.
Think outside the box... new trends start that way. ;)
Also seems like a great way to present text inline links leading to deeper explanations, diagrams, glossary definitions, etc. in training materials. I'm always looking for good WBT (Web-Based Training) techniques.
I like the concept of stand-alone content pages that also can act much like pop-ups, but with fewer contraints. That synergetically combines the ease-of-navigation of a pop-up (visitor can't get lost so easily as with standard links) with the SEO, flexibility, multi-use and other advantages of full (but compact) HTML pages.
Much food for thought and experiment here!
I would lean towards valid html between the <iframe>text links - javascript pop-ups, etc.</iframe> for supplying NN4 content. My choice would be a simple text link for an image index page... I'd like to keep the coding down to a minimum on the parent page. but that is STRICTLY a matter of choice.
Here is another example (myprofile url + indiaarie.htm) that uses two (2) iframes - one for images, a second for text content. It is an older design but worth looking at. I personally like the way the "images" load. They appear "seemless" and very unobtrusive.
Like you said JayCee, food for thought!
[pinilla-studios.com...]
It's a shame that the ad industry soured the publics taste for popups. An entire site in a popup would IMO be the most contrallable canvas for images.
I'm a photographer and rebuilding right now, I'm using a left navigation layout with images sized for avaliable window space via a javascript.
