Competitive
analysis
Main Inspiration
http://www.ericryananderson.com/
(+) This is a very
beautiful portfolio site. Neat and
well organized, the aesthetic qualities of the page compliment the photographs
and communicate the style of the photographer well. Photos are already at full size and hovering over reveals a
description, allowing for easy viewing.
There are very few mouse clicks required to enjoy this site.
(-) One negative of this
site is the lack of ÒhomeÓ navigation.
http://www.fashionphotographer.it/index.html
(+) Another beautiful
portfolio site with full size photos right up front. The front-page image refreshes to show the range of the
photographer, and thumbnail previews of each category section allow for quick
and easy navigation through the portfolio. This site also reveals a description of each photo when you
hover over the image.
(-) While the navigation
bar is nicely situated on top throughout the project pages, it is not
consistently there. Specifically,
it is in the middle of the front-page.
It makes for easy viewing that the photographs scroll horizontally on
the page, but this may not be user friendly on all OS. Finally, the number of photographs
displayed should be considered.
http://www.martinlawrencephotography.com/
(+) You can immediately
tell that this portfolio site is different from the first two given here. The Shadow Box effect displays photos
without distraction. The Online
Shop is straightforward and probably facilitates easy purchasing of the
photographerÕs work. Useful php
contact form.
(-) This site looks like a
Wordpress theme, there is nothing special about it that gives us insight into
the photographerÕs aesthetic. The
header image on all pages is too big, making it distracting and the only sample
of work we see when first navigated to that page, and all other images are too
small. The is too much text
throughout the site and too many mouse clicks are required before the user gets
to what they want to see.
(+) A striking portfolio
site, we immediately get a sense of the photographerÕs aesthetic. Very effective navigation bar with
expandable options. The ÒMy GearÓ
section of the About Me page is helpful to learn about the photographer and
their work. The Tag Cloud is a
very nice way to group photographs, but perhaps it can be incorporated into the
Gallery Page instead of being its own page.
(-) The information presented on the first
page is useful and interesting, but perhaps it does not fit as the first thing
we see on this site. While the background image on the front-page is striking,
there is too much of an inconsistency between the front-page and inside
pages. It is unclear what the
difference is between the Gallery and Full Sets sections. Within the photo gallery, thumbnails
are too small.
(+) Another striking
portfolio site. The logo and
front-image immediately show the aesthetic of the photographer. The horizontal scroll and side
navigation allow the user to navigate through the photographerÕs work
seamlessly and immediately, and the simple top arrow navigation makes it easy
to get back home. The order of the
photographs is smart. Some photos
bleed into each other, others are ordered so they do not distract each other.
(-) One negative is that
there are no photo descriptions provided.
The About Me/Contact information may be too simple, although it
contributes to the allusive nature of the photographer.
Secondary Inspiration
(+) The Client Page could
possibly serve as a private log-in for clients.
(-) The navigation in the
section pages is too low. The user
has to scroll down so far to navigate that the top of the image is cut off on
some screens.
(-) Photographs are not of
great quality (pixilated/noisy).
(+) Great use of
color-reveal in the slideshow of photographs.
http://www.chrisphelps.com/site/index.php
(+) The non-black
background of this portfolio site is refreshing!
(-) Too many mouse clicks
required to see photographs.
http://www.claytonbozard.com/#/client/template.xml?aaa=home
(+) Great arrow navigation
over photographs.
http://www.isabelle-ribeiro.com/
(+) This ÒsillyÓ site shows of the
photographerÕs aesthetic well. The
ÒBook Your ShootÓ link is a great way to allow future clients to contact the
photographer.
Summary
Your site should consider
the following and employ techniques used in sites mentioned above:
á
Ease of navigation
throughout photographs and website
á
Large display of
photographs
á
Display of photograph
descriptions, using hover-over or Shadow Box techniques
á
Communication of the
photographerÕs aesthetic quality through design elements
á
Client contact and
log-in features