Need help to start a website

[Jason in LA]

I need some help in starting a website. I've never started one before, so I really don't know what to do. I'm starting one for my photographer business. I've been working for other people for too long now. I'm going to be the boss now. So I need a website to show my work. I'm not trying to break the bank on it. I just need something to show my work.

I posted some of my shots a few months back. Here they are for those of you who haven't seen them. http://www.orangemane.com/BB/showthread.php?t=20167

[ZachKC]

Just dropped you a PM.

[Pezman]

This is off topic J-dog but out of curiosity, what kind of photography do you do? And more important, what kind of SLR are ya using? I am looking to upgrade my DSLR and would love to hear from a pro if you have any advice...

[Rock Chalk]

Send me a PM.

I build websites for a living, can give you some tips.

[Meck77]

I've been working for other people for too long now. I'm going to be the boss now. 0167[/url]


Getting to that point is easy....making the leap takes guts. Sounds like you are doing it. Congrats. I'd imagine you'll get plenty of great advice from some of the web gurus around here. That's just not an area of my expertise.

Good luck in your business venture though! If you lived in Denver I'd ask you to be the Omane Tailgate/Game photographer! Not a real lucrative position but alot of fun! Infact I'm hoping to find a regular who can take better pics this next season and bring some diversity to the photographs to capture the "Game Day Experience".

[Jason in LA]

This is off topic J-dog but out of curiosity, what kind of photography do you do? And more important, what kind of SLR are ya using? I am looking to upgrade my DSLR and would love to hear from a pro if you have any advice...

I've done mostly youth sports. I've done team pictures, individual portraits, and action for baseball, softball, football, and soccer. The guy that I work for pays a decent wage, but I have a good idea of what he's making. It's a whole lot more than what he pays me.

I've also shot for a graduation company, and I've been an assistant for a wedding.

As for cameras, I shoot action with a Canon 1D. It's a great camera that can take 7 pictures per second. When I was shooting with film, I was shooting with a Canon 1N, which is pretty much the same thing, except film. The 1Ds are going for about $2500 new. The Mark II 1D just came out, for about $4500. If you shoot with film, you could get a used 1N for about $400.

The next camera down would be the 10D, which shoots about 4 pictures per second. It's not good for action (if you are a pro), but it's great for everything else. It goes for about $1300 new. You can get one on Ebay for about $800 used. I plan on shooting weddings this year, and I'm going to use the 10D. If you are a non pro, and shooting sports, this camera is fine.

The next one down is the Rebel, which is a good camera for non-pros. People will think you are a pro when they see the pictures you take with it. I think those are going for about $700 new. You can do a lot with that camera.

The 1D is over kill for any non pros. The 10D is more than a non pro needs. The Rebel is perfect.

[Jason in LA]

Getting to that point is easy....making the leap takes guts. Sounds like you are doing it. Congrats. I'd imagine you'll get plenty of great advice from some of the web gurus around here. That's just not an area of my expertise.

Good luck in your business venture though! If you lived in Denver I'd ask you to be the Omane Tailgate/Game photographer! Not a real lucrative position but alot of fun! Infact I'm hoping to find a regular who can take better pics this next season and bring some diversity to the photographs to capture the "Game Day Experience".

I'm hoping for a big year, money wise. If things go well, I'll be at a couple of games this year. I'd shoot the tailgates for free.

[Pezman]

I've done mostly youth sports. I've done team pictures, individual portraits, and action for baseball, softball, football, and soccer. The guy that I work for pays a decent wage, but I have a good idea of what he's making. It's a whole lot more than what he pays me.

I've also shot for a graduation company, and I've been an assistant for a wedding.

As for cameras, I shoot action with a Canon 1D. It's a great camera that can take 7 pictures per second. When I was shooting with film, I was shooting with a Canon 1N, which is pretty much the same thing, except film. The 1Ds are going for about $2500 new. The Mark II 1D just came out, for about $4500. If you shoot with film, you could get a used 1N for about $400.

The next camera down would be the 10D, which shoots about 4 pictures per second. It's not good for action (if you are a pro), but it's great for everything else. It goes for about $1300 new. You can get one on Ebay for about $800 used. I plan on shooting weddings this year, and I'm going to use the 10D. If you are a non pro, and shooting sports, this camera is fine.

The next one down is the Rebel, which is a good camera for non-pros. People will think you are a pro when they see the pictures you take with it. I think those are going for about $700 new. You can do a lot with that camera.

The 1D is over kill for any non pros. The 10D is more than a non pro needs. The Rebel is perfect.


I've been aiming to upgrade to the Nikon D2X but dont have $8k to kill Ha! I've actually had my eye on the Canon Mark II ID but I might just stick with the EOS 20D as its a very good prosumer level camera and it fits my hobby needs more than enough at this point.

[Kaylore]

Jason those pics were the coolest thing I've seen all day. Those little kids were looking all pro. It was awesome.

[BroncoBuff]

Just dropped you a PM.

Yo, ZackKC - drop me the same, wouldya? ;D

[Bronco9798]

Those are really nice pics. Great job there.

[ZachKC]

Yo, ZackKC - drop me the same, wouldya? ;D
Looking for a website?

[bloodsunday]

I also build websites for a living. Feel free to PM me if you need some help.

[Rock Chalk]

Hey blood, you ever put your occupation down on any internet profiles?

If not, dont. You will get mega spammed. For some reason webmaster and web designer are highly targeted keywords for spammers.

[bloodsunday]

Hey blood, you ever put your occupation down on any internet profiles?

If not, dont. You will get mega spammed. For some reason webmaster and web designer are highly targeted keywords for spammers.
No but my website gets lots of crawlers and I get spam that way. We have an email listed that gets hit.

[Rock Chalk]

No but my website gets lots of crawlers and I get spam that way. We have an email listed that gets hit.
Well I meant webmaster spam, for webmaster jobs and such.

I get 4500 spam mails an hour where I work.

[ludo21]

Cool pics Jason, good luck with the leap. I work in a photo center and u know way more than me lol. I know jack.

[Jason in LA]

I ended up making the website myself. It's not high tech, but it serves it's purpose. It shows my work, my prices, and my contact info, and it's easy to move around on the site. It didn't cost much. I made it through yahoo site builder. Just had to pay a set up fee, and I pay $9 a month. It didn't take too long to build it. Here's the link.

***Pezedit*** (first link was bad)

http://www.jasonlewisphotography.com/

[Pezman]

Fixed the link for you Jason :)

Congrats on the website!

I see you have been taking portraits over at Salt Creek beach eh? Have you seen what they did over at Strands beach bro? They are just killing the entire side of Dana Headlands for development and it sucks.

If I knew anything about portraits, I would possibly switch into that type of photography, but my real passion is landscapes, especially up in Joshua Tree NP and over along the Big Sur coast. Here's some of my work...

http://pezman.fotopic.net/

[ZachKC]

Fixed the link for you Jason :)

Congrats on the website!

I see you have been taking portraits over at Salt Creek beach eh? Have you seen what they did over at Strands beach bro? They are just killing the entire side of Dana Headlands for development and it sucks.

If I knew anything about portraits, I would possibly switch into that type of photography, but my real passion is landscapes, especially up in Joshua Tree NP and over along the Big Sur coast. Here's some of my work...

http://pezman.fotopic.net/
I didn;t know you were into photography. Good stuff. I am taking a digital photo course this semester so I cna be a wannabe photographer.

[Bronco9798]

Really nice photos there Pez. Really nice work. :-)

[Pezman]

Thanks guys. I've always had a passion for photograpny, but never had the funds to really get the best gear ;) Now that digital SLR photography is becoming more affordable, I've been able to really utilize and appreciate camera work.
Zach, what kind of course are you taking? Are they teaching you with a specific type of camera?

[ZachKC]

Thanks guys. I've always had a passion for photograpny, but never had the funds to really get the best gear ;) Now that digital SLR photography is becoming more affordable, I've been able to really utilize and appreciate camera work.
Zach, what kind of course are you taking? Are they teaching you with a specific type of camera?
Just an intro class...they are going over all the basics. Its been enjoyable so far. He basically told us to go out and take pictures...no rules or boundries...we will get technical later.

I took a walk yesterday morning and came up with this...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/zachishere/sets/825133/show/

[Pezman]

Just an intro class...they are going over all the basics. Its been enjoyable so far. He basically told us to go out and take pictures...no rules or boundries...we will get technical later.

I took a walk yesterday morning and came up with this...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/zachishere/sets/825133/show/

Very nice work :thumbsup: You've got a good eye for your surroundings and that is a major asset with progressing in photography. The apetures and DOF on your compositions are perfect for the architecture. Did you bracket each shot or did you wing it?

It looks like you were using a wide-angle lens too. Have you been taking the photos in .RAW format and converting them with PS2CS?

I know for me, I've been slowly saving for a good wideangle lens and a macro but some of the lenses I want cost more than my camera!

[ZachKC]

Very nice work :thumbsup: You've got a good eye for your surroundings and that is a major asset with progressing in photography. The apetures and DOF on your compositions are perfect for the architecture. Did you bracket each shot or did you wing it?

It looks like you were using a wide-angle lens too. Have you been taking the photos in .RAW format and converting them with PS2CS?

I know for me, I've been slowly saving for a good wideangle lens and a macro but some of the lenses I want cost more than my camera!
Thanks dude...I always thought I may have an eye for it but I have never really had the technical know how to back it up.

They gave me a Nikon CoolPix 4300 and set me on my way. As far as the pictures go I have a port on my computer where I can slide the cameras memory card in and just grab em and throw them on the computer. The Flickr service resizes them a bit so they are easy to browse but keep the actual big ass picture if you need it.

[Ratboy]

Nice photography, Zach.

[Rock Chalk]

Hey, I got a question for you photo buffs.

I am in the market for a camera capable of taking very long exposure's in very low light (starlight). Astrophotography. I just got my camera mount (universal) and the last piece of the puzzle I need is the camera but I didn't want to go spend a crap load of money on something that was not what I needed. I need long exposures to let the photograph gather as much light as possible (thus giving far more detailed images of galaxies, planets, moons, etc).

Any suggestions?

[ZachKC]

Hey, I got a question for you photo buffs.

I am in the market for a camera capable of taking very long exposure's in very low light (starlight). Astrophotography. I just got my camera mount (universal) and the last piece of the puzzle I need is the camera but I didn't want to go spend a crap load of money on something that was not what I needed. I need long exposures to let the photograph gather as much light as possible (thus giving far more detailed images of galaxies, planets, moons, etc).

Any suggestions?
I don't know enough to give a good suggestion but when you do all that stuff keep us updated. That sounds very cool.

[Pezman]

Hey, I got a question for you photo buffs.

I am in the market for a camera capable of taking very long exposure's in very low light (starlight). Astrophotography. I just got my camera mount (universal) and the last piece of the puzzle I need is the camera but I didn't want to go spend a crap load of money on something that was not what I needed. I need long exposures to let the photograph gather as much light as possible (thus giving far more detailed images of galaxies, planets, moons, etc).

Any suggestions?

Well, I hate to say it bro, but that is a tall order to say the least. You can grab a Canon 20Da. The 20Da utilizes the same image sensor as the standard 20D, but it was designed for enhanced transmission of a specific wavelength of red light within the visible spectrum. It also is able to show a live, through-the-lens view on the rear LCD monitor for focusing, which is often a necessity in astrophotography, especially in dark settings.

http://web.canon.jp/Imaging/astro/images_e/00_top.jpg

I've seen it go for $2000 bucks bro, but there are cheaper alternatives. Mainly what you need to find is a camera that has a high ISO speed with exceptionally low digital noise. And that could be tricky to find for under $500...
I'll do a search for you and see what I can find

[Breck Bronc]

Nice photos, Pez.

What DSLR are you using? I'm about to make the plunge after using a Sony F-707 for three years now. I have a couple of Canon lenses for my old EOS film camera so I'll probably get a Canon over the Nikon.

I've been researching the Canon EOS 20D, Canon EOS 350D Digital Rebel, and the Nikon D50 and D70. For about $900 the new Digital Rebel looks like a nice deal, though I'd certainly rather have the more expensive 20D.

[Pezman]

Nice photos, Pez.

What DSLR are you using? I'm about to make the plunge after using a Sony F-707 for three years now. I have a couple of Canon lenses for my old EOS film camera so I'll probably get a Canon over the Nikon.

I've been researching the Canon EOS 20D, Canon EOS 350D Digital Rebel, and the Nikon D50 and D70. For about $900 the new Digital Rebel looks like a nice deal, though I'd certainly rather have the more expensive 20D.

I use a variety of cameras Breck, ranging from the Fuji S7000 6.2 megapixel digicam, to the Canon EOS 20D. Right now, I am trying out the EOS Rebel 350 XT and hate it. Its got most of the features of the 20D but its very small and kind of wonky to use in the field (especially with a plastic body).

If you are looking for an upgrade and need a good starter lens combo for under $800, go with the Olympus 300D with the 2 lens kit. You can grab that online or at Costco (for example) for pretty cheap right now and it has great quality for an 8 megapixel camera plus a 17-55mm lens AND a 70-140mm lens. Its a great value and a hell of a good introduction to DSLR's.

If you do decide to get the 20D, wait for a few months since Canon has just announced the new 5D and its supposed to release within the next 60 days, driving the price of the 20D down signifigantly (hopefully ;) )

By the way, the nice thing about the 20D is that it supports both EF and EF-S lenses so you should be able to use your older lenses with no problem if you decide to go that route.

[Breck Bronc]

I use a variety of cameras Breck, ranging from the Fuji S7000 6.2 megapixel digicam, to the Canon EOS 20D. Right now, I am trying out the EOS Rebel 350 XT and hate it. Its got most of the features of the 20D but its very small and kind of wonky to use in the field (especially with a plastic body).

If you are looking for an upgrade and need a good starter lens combo for under $800, go with the Olympus 300D with the 2 lens kit. You can grab that online or at Costco (for example) for pretty cheap right now and it has great quality for an 8 megapixel camera plus a 17-55mm lens AND a 70-140mm lens. Its a great value and a hell of a good introduction to DSLR's.

If you do decide to get the 20D, wait for a few months since Canon has just announced the new 5D and its supposed to release within the next 60 days, driving the price of the 20D down signifigantly (hopefully ;) )

By the way, the nice thing about the 20D is that it supports both EF and EF-S lenses so you should be able to use your older lenses with no problem if you decide to go that route.That would be great if the price of the 20D comes down.

I didn't even think of looking at an Olympus DSLR. $800 for an 8 megapixel DSLR with two lenses sounds like a sweet deal. Have you usesd the 300D? I shoot pretty much only landscape and sports photos so I like fast shutter speeds and getting a lot of shots in a second.

[Pezman]

That would be great if the price of the 20D comes down.

I didn't even think of looking at an Olympus DSLR. $800 for an 8 megapixel DSLR with two lenses sounds like a sweet deal. Have you usesd the 300D? I shoot pretty much only landscape and sports photos so I like fast shutter speeds and getting a lot of shots in a second.

I used the 300D very briefly last spring but I did not really get to use it with more than the crappy EF-S 17-45mm lens that came with it, so I wasnt able to compare it for long. I do remember that it did not have a great FPS rate compared to the Nikon D70 though.

With sports and action photos, you will want to gear yourself towards the 20D IMO. The 5 FPS rate is much better than the 350D's 2.5 FPS and as long as you have a fast card to go with it, you can really grab some great action....unless of course you want to splurge on Nikon's D2X and its 8.5 FPS and $5000 price tag :wiggle:

[Play2win]

Well, I hate to say it bro, but that is a tall order to say the least. You can grab a Canon 20Da. The 20Da utilizes the same image sensor as the standard 20D, but it was designed for enhanced transmission of a specific wavelength of red light within the visible spectrum. It also is able to show a live, through-the-lens view on the rear LCD monitor for focusing, which is often a necessity in astrophotography, especially in dark settings.

http://web.canon.jp/Imaging/astro/images_e/00_top.jpg

I've seen it go for $2000 bucks bro, but there are cheaper alternatives. Mainly what you need to find is a camera that has a high ISO speed with exceptionally low digital noise. And that could be tricky to find for under $500...
I'll do a search for you and see what I can find

That is exactly the Camera I have my Sights set on.

But I am going to have to wait until atleast Spring, more likely Summer...

Edit Edit Edit: I thought That was just the 20D. That is what I am going for the 20D...

[Rock Chalk]

Nice photos, Pez.

What DSLR are you using? I'm about to make the plunge after using a Sony F-707 for three years now. I have a couple of Canon lenses for my old EOS film camera so I'll probably get a Canon over the Nikon.

I've been researching the Canon EOS 20D, Canon EOS 350D Digital Rebel, and the Nikon D50 and D70. For about $900 the new Digital Rebel looks like a nice deal, though I'd certainly rather have the more expensive 20D.
All this brings another question to mind.

Am I going to have to learn all kinds of crap about lighting and such to snap a photo with this thing? I absolutely love simplicity. Programming habit I guess, Keep It Simple Stupid, my prof always said. Anyway, it doesnt have to be a 2000 dollar camera. All I need is something that can keep the shutter open for a long period of time and gather light in. Thats it.

Just point me in that direction. Pez starts me out on the wet dream of camera's for all you amateur photographers and ****. I dont need nothing like that special.

[Jason in LA]

Alec, it all depends on how much money you want to spend, and how much you'll be using the camera. You can spend $2000 to get your shots, or just a few hundred bucks.

I'm a Canon guy, so that's the brand I'll talk about. For me I need at least a 10D because I'm selling my photos. You can get a used 10D for about $900. The 20D is the next step up. It's a great camera. I've seen them for $1500 at Costco. Every where else is close to $2000. It's a great carmera, but if you aren't selling high end photos, it's overkill. If you do get a 20D, you should try to make some money off of it. That camera is great for shooting weddings, and will make a lot of money for you.

The Digital Rebel is great for anybody. It'll get you the shots you are looking for. It's not a pro camera, but it's great for the non-pro. You'll get great shots with that camera.

If you are really looking to spend as little money as possible, you can go with a film camera. You can get a 1N for $300-$400 on Ebay. The baseball and softball photos on my website were taken with the 1N. Those cameras went for about $2500 when they first came out. But after the 1V and than the 3 came out, the price on the 1N went way down. Now that the digital cameras are here the 1N is dirt cheap, and it takes as good of a picture as any camera mentioned here.

It really depends on your needs. I'd say the Rebel sounds good for you. If you are looking for something a little better go with the 10D or 20D. But if money is an issue, go with the film camera because they are so cheap now.

[Rock Chalk]

Dude I went to some astrophotography sites and they are talking about 40 dollar webcams.

You ****ing people want me to drop 2K on a camera when I dont need it.

Bad advice all around. May you all drop dead.

[Jason in LA]

One thing about keeping it simply, for what it sounds like you are shooting you don't need to worry about anything being complex. Set the camera on a tripod, and set the camera's shutter speed so it'll stay open for a few seconds, or however long you need it open for.

For anything else you need to shoot, these cameras can pretty much get the picture for you. Put the camera on "P" and it's fully automatic. If you want to get tricky shots you'd have to do some reading and practice a bit.

[Rock Chalk]

One thing about keeping it simply, for what it sounds like you are shooting you don't need to worry about anything being complex. Set the camera on a tripod, and set the camera's shutter speed so it'll stay open for a few seconds, or however long you need it open for.

For anything else you need to shoot, these cameras can pretty much get the picture for you. Put the camera on "P" and it's fully automatic. If you want to get tricky shots you'd have to do some reading and practice a bit.
I dont need a tripod for it. The telescope has a camera mount and I just take the lens off the telescope and use the camera's lens. Id prefer a remote to keep the shutter open, since the scope is remotely operated.

Im still lookin around.

[Jason in LA]

Dude I went to some astrophotography sites and they are talking about 40 dollar webcams.

You ****ing people want me to drop 2K on a camera when I dont need it.

Bad advice all around. May you all drop dead.


When you ask photographers (pro or hobby guys), it's hard to get a good answer because we are going to start talking about the equipment that we use, which normally costs a good amount of money. You got us talking shop, and we are going to start talking about high end cameras, which it doesn't appear that you need.

But I will say this, you'll get a much better shot from a high end camera than a $40 webcam. If you don't mind using film you can pick up a Canon 1N for really cheap. Hell, you could get a film Rebel for probably under $100. That camera has shutter speeds over 10 seconds and will get you the shots you need. Much better than a webcam.