i need a critique?

Question

Hi. I need someones HONEST opinion of my website and work. Family memebers and friends are always WAY too kind!
www.holtportraitdesign.com

Answer 1

To much black. My opinion.

Answer 2

The page is nice and simple. However, gold text against a black background is a huge NO NO in the design world. Especially since not all monitors will show a bright gold color properly. What you are truly gettign is a dark bronze text against a black background. Mixing that color with a small size font (it looks like a +1 size) with a narrow font such as Arial makes it hard to read.

The way your log ends disrupts the flow of the page. It would look much nicer if the white of your logo continued to the end of the navigational menu. This would create a nice flowing reading line for your eyes.

The mouse over style for the nav menu really darkens the text to almost impossible reading. Instead, have it change to a ligher shade of the the text so that it's still readable.

Even though the Privacy and Copyright notices open in a new window they should still carry over the design elements of the website itself. Same font sizes and styles along with same background. Or at least the font information should be teh same. You want it to be an extension of your website, not a seperation.

Answer 3

This is a beautiful and professional site in my opinion. Since you ask for critique though, so here it is:

I clicked on your links at the top from left to right. First is home which got no text, second is Gallery which was empty, third is Portfolio with only photos...

I think that you should somewhere describe a little about your services before people which don't know you reach the photos at portfolio.

Describe maybe at the front page in one or two sentences what you are doing or add a marketing sentence which does the same job? I'm not a native english speaker but I mean something like: holt - capturing the most important moments in your life

In your logo the words "Portrait Design" are difficult to read so I wasn't looking at them really. Maybe you can make them darker?

Answer 4

The only photo I was able to view was the black and white portrait of the man and the baby. At the risk of parroting your family and friends, I thought the work was excellent ( and I qualify that answer based on the fact that I am a photographer). It was compositionally sound, and perfectly engaging subject matter. If I were to make any suggestions whatsoever it would be on one minor point. The lighting on the baby is a little specular ( causing him to wash out just a bit) but it's a simple matter of dodging out some of the light on the baby if you do your own darkroom work...or printing it on more contrast neutral paper. Excellent job. Keep up the great work.
P.S.
I just took another look based on comments I read from others, and I was able to see the other photos this time. You have a lot of talent; your work is thought-provoking and emotionally engaging. Again, keep it up...you will undoubtedly go very far.

Answer 5

I like your work, however, I'd love to see on your website, some more intimite, close-up shots of wedding couples- it's such a beautiful connection and I think that getting in close to a shot of the couple holding one-another, etc. can be really powerful.

I'd also love to see some photos of yours which were more spontaneous and candid and less-obviously set-up.

I personally feel like candids, or even set-up shots where the person looks as though they weren't expecting to have a picture taken can have so much more emotion put into them- I'm also a huge fan of dramatic lighting and creating mood with rich use of colour- maybe try pumping up different colour levels in your pics to create varying moods or themes??

Anyway, I'm seriously in NO WAY a professional, so my opinion is completely out of the picture- though I did like your work, I just had those little ideas of the kind of things that would make me- the ignorant customer, go to your site and say "Yeah, this is someone I would love to have photograph me/my family/my wedding, etc." :)

Answer 6

I absolutely love the sepia tone father and baby image on your homepage!

I'm not quite sure what the password protected galleries section is there for. In any case, I would put the portfolio section before the galleries section. You might also consider dividing the portfolio page into "gallery" type categories with examples of the various styles of work you do. In other words, a basic image on the first portfolio page representative of the general style that links to a page with more examples of that type of work.

You seem to shine in black in white, particularly with children as a central theme. As a matter of personal preference, I am not that fond of the asymmetrical composition of some of your color portraits with the exception of those that are tightly focused on the subject(s) and don't contain much negative space.

Answer 7

You've got some great stuff in here and the opening page is adorable. Definitely draws you in. I like that you have the password protected client pages, but also a portfolio so possible clients can see your work. You have the artistic flare that makes photos interesting and gives clients a unique product, but also the traditional portraits that people are used to.

I'd hire you.

Answer 8

I like your style. Your models are less than stunning. I don't like the fact that the eyeliner is so noticeably prominent in many of the women's pictures. I REALLY like two portraits. The distant shot of the guy sitting on the steps peering out at the viewer, and the distant shot of the woman standing in the window area of the building. Good photography.

Answer 9

Business card on top left, says Holt can't read the rest. At first glance I can't tell what you do, The opening photo is very good.and I like the black background.I read in business magazine, that if you create an invisable page with links on them that the search engines will pick them up faster. Why? because thats how they work.

Answer 10

I think your websight is very nice and very user firendly. Your photos are nice, but I do have to admit the ones taken on the angles, well, are not easy to enjoy. They are almost distracting, not all of them, the one with the family(mom, dad, and baby), I did enjoy. But, some like with the single girl, I notice the angle and not the girl. I don't mean to be negative, just sharing my thoughts. By the way, the opening photo (man and baby), heartwarming....

Answer 11

Very nice pictures. I like your web sites layout. Need to have some basic pricing to draw people in. Most will not call to find out assuming you are too expensize if you don't list something (sitting fees and basic packages). A interactive map to you location would be helpful too. Good luck!