Portfolios of interest

http://www.lifephotographic.co.uk/510477/home/

I like the centralised layout that I can see and the automatic slideshow of portfolios that it goes through, showing you a few images. This is a good way to show people your work before they start navigating the site.

At the bottom of the website they have icons which will take you to different social media sites. These links are on every page, this is a good way to promote yourself as if people like and follow you and social media other people will see your work and be able to share it to a network of people expanding your audience.

Their logo is repeated a few times on the home page so it gets in to your head I guess, this means people who visit your site will be more likely to remember your name so they can search you in the future.

 The about page tells you a bit about each service they provide giving you a quick description, easy to read of what service you shall receive and includes prices around the page in bold pink font so it is easy to see.

They have their address and phone number at the bottom of every page so you can contact them easily without having to navigate further around the website.

 I was a little confused by the vouchers page as it didn't appear to have any deals. I think they should have just made this page 'prices' so it would be easier for the audience to understand.

I also think they could've combined Family, Fashion, Parties and Weddings in to one page titled 'Galleries' as I feel it would make the site more easy to navigate and see work as there are quite a few tabs to open which can take a while to view each one.

 The site has a tab of 'Kids magazine' which offers a service in which portraits are taken 'magazine style' of children 16 and under which would help them with a portfolio if they were going in to modelling (I assume). This offer of service is quite different to usual services which could be one of the Photographers key selling points. It also includes prices on the page which is always handy rather than having to contact them.

 When you open the Family portrait gallery page you are greeted with a large images which is an automatic slideshow to other images so you can see their style of family photography straight away, you can also choose images to click on the left to view through them more quickly which is handy for people who are in a rush to look through your website.

Each gallery page has a drop down menu to information aswell so you can see prices and a description of the service you will be getting if you choose to use them.

 The customer gallery page shows images taken with customers. They have watermarks over them so I assume this page is for customers to view their photos so that they can report back to the photographer about which images they would like to keep and have the watermark taken off.

This is an easy way to show your customers the photos without having to meet up a second time as you can send them the images online and any products via post.

 When you click on the reviews tab it is an external link to their Facebook social media page. It shows you a few reviews from customers and also gives you the option to browse the sit and to also like the page so that if you have a Facebook page you can see regular updates from the page and contact them if you need to.

The last tab on the website is contact and maps. There is an easy form to fill in and submit if you would like them  to contact you and there is also a map on the left with an address and phone number so you can contact them more quickly and know of there whereabouts. This is a handy feature to have as many people will not choose to use a service if they do not know exactly where it is.


http://www.fayefordphotography.com/

 The home page has the logo in the centre in a large format which looks of a professional quality. The more time you spend on a logo the better it will look and customers will think 'oh that looks professional' and will be more likely to use your services so it is important to spend a while perfecting a logo.

The home page also displays a large image which automatically changes to other images so you can see a range of the photographers images when you first enter the site.

There are only 6 tabs and the background is white and grey so it is very simplistic and easy to navigate.

If you scroll further on the homepage there is a grid display of many of the photographers recent images so you can see a range of their work showing their genres and style. You can click on these to maximise them.

At the bottom of the home page you can see icons which are external links to their social media accounts so you can follow their updates if you are interested.

Their 'about' page gives a brief description of the photographer so you can gain a sense of personality. It is important to let the customers know about yourself because if you appear friendly and seem like you have a lot of knowledge in the photographic area they will be likely to choose you over people who have no 'about them' on their site as they wouldn't know what the person would be like and may not feel comfortable using their services.

 The potfolio pages shows you images from different genres all layed out in a grid format easy to look around and you can click any images you really like and it will maximise them so you can see them in a larger format.

The galleries tab is specifically if you have used their services already as you can type in a code the photographer will have given you to access your images online.

 The blog page shows you a blog of up to date work they have done with clients. This shows customers more of your work and they can see what you have recently been up to.

The contact page has a simple contact form to fill out to submit if you want to contact them or they have provided an email and phone number if you want to contact them sooner. They have also provided an address so you know where they are located.

http://www.jontalksphotography.com/

The home page has 9 tabs, 5 on one side, the logo in the middle and 4 on the right side. There is also a larger image filling the screen and arrows on the left to change the images. This allows the audience to see some of the photographers work straight away and see the kind of style they have.

 The gallery tab brings you to a selection of galleries to look through so you can see the style and genres of work that the photographer works with. They are layed out in a grid format which is an easy format to look around.

 The wedding, portrait and commercial page give you information on the service of each one that the photographer provides and shows a collage of images taken by the photographer in this genre.

 The prices page only tells you about wedding prices so I assume you have to contact the photographer to find out other prices. I would have added other prices on to this page aswell to make it easier for people who are interested in your services.

The blog tab shows you up to date blog work from the photographer so you can see what they have been up to photography wise.

 He has an 'about' page which goes in to detail of his professional experience and a little bit about himself. This could help people who are interested be more likely to use his services as they know a bit more about him just than the fact hes a photographer.

He has a simply layed out contact page with contact numbers and an address so you people who are interested in his services can contact him.