Photographer
VRG Photography
Posts: 1025
Tallahassee, Florida, US
I was told by someone a while back that if you don't have a "dot com" website, then you aren't legit, or serious about your work as either a model OR photographer.
There was some interesting debate about it, as well.
Your thoughts?
Photographer
photosbydmp
Posts: 3808
Shepparton-Mooroopna, Victoria, Australia
VRG Photography wrote:
I was told by someone a while back that if you don't have a "dot com" website, then you aren't legit, or serious about your work as either a model OR photographer.
There was some interesting debate about it, as well.
Your thoughts? i have one, just cannot get a designer to save my life. www.bikinibound.com
Photographer
Moraxian
Posts: 2607
Germantown, Maryland, US
VRG Photography wrote:
I was told by someone a while back that if you don't have a "dot com" website, then you aren't legit, or serious about your work as either a model OR photographer.
There was some interesting debate about it, as well.
Your thoughts? My main site is a ".us" site... I don't have any problems with being legit... although it is an adult site...
Makeup Artist
MP Make-up Artistry
Posts: 5105
Prince George, British Columbia, Canada
well you can get a "yourname".com for 12 bucks a month or a free one I think its not about the .com but rather the quality that makes you ligit.
Photographer
Arizona Shoots
Posts: 28822
Phoenix, Arizona, US
VRG Photography wrote:
I was told by someone a while back that if you don't have a "dot com" website, then you aren't legit, or serious about your work as either a model OR photographer.
There was some interesting debate about it, as well.
Your thoughts? Just get your .com... it's $8.50/yr at mydomain.com for Christ's sake! And even cheaper elsewhere.
And yes. I firmily believe that someone not willing to make use of the avenues available to them is not taking it seriously.
Photographer
artist
Posts: 294
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US
VRG Photography wrote:
I was told by someone a while back that if you don't have a "dot com" website, then you aren't legit, or serious about your work as either a model OR photographer.
There was some interesting debate about it, as well.
Your thoughts? Perhaps if you are willing to settle for 2nd best in your address, or your identity on-line, people will think you are willing to settle for 2nd best in your work, what you can or will do for them, or other aspects of your life.
Just a thought.
Right or wrong, "dot com" is still the #1, and people sort of expect it.
There are some cases where a .org or .net is better, or expected, but .cc, .ws, .info, and such are *not* addresses for personal/commercial use if you want to give a good first impression.
Just how it is.
It's not a reflection on YOU or your work, just how people perceive your address. If you have a studio in the worst part of town, it says more about you than if you have a studio in the art district, or the main business centers.
Scott
aka Bodyartist
Photographer
Arizona Shoots
Posts: 28822
Phoenix, Arizona, US
Bodyartist wrote:
Perhaps if you are willing to settle for 2nd best in your address, or your identity on-line, people will think you are willing to settle for 2nd best in your work, what you can or will do for them, or other aspects of your life.
Just a thought.
Right or wrong, "dot com" is still the #1, and people sort of expect it.
There are some cases where a .org or .net is better, or expected, but .cc, .ws, .info, and such are *not* addresses for personal/commercial use if you want to give a good first impression.
Just how it is.
It's not a reflection on YOU or your work, just how people perceive your address. If you have a studio in the worst part of town, it says more about you than if you have a studio in the art district, or the main business centers.
Scott
aka Bodyartist Not only that, with a .com anyone can type in the address field of Firefox:
"Yourname"
Tey it... type "johnjebbia" it will go right to my site. (don't type the ")
You can't do that with a .net or .org
Plus. it's so easy to tell family and friends what my e-mail address is....
[email protected] "you can remember that, right?"
Photographer
D. Brian Nelson
Posts: 5477
Rapid City, South Dakota, US
I chose "dot net" domains for all three of mine, as my photography is not commercial, and I wanted to emphasize that. I do think that a web domain of some sort is almost necessary to be in the photography business however. I don't know of any professionals that do not have a web presence and know of few serious amateurs that don't.
It's certainly cheap and easy and, if nothing else, a good place to show your work.
-Don
Photographer
VRG Photography
Posts: 1025
Tallahassee, Florida, US
For the record I DO have a dot com. I've had it for about 6 years now. I remember when I first got mine, people were downing those who were on Tripod, Angelfire, and others.
I know one photographer who operates from a model site, and the other works from another free site. Their work is excellent, but they just don't have a dot com.
Photographer
Mark Brummitt
Posts: 40527
Clarkston, Michigan, US
VRG Photography wrote:
I was told by someone a while back that if you don't have a "dot com" website, then you aren't legit, or serious about your work as either a model OR photographer.
There was some interesting debate about it, as well.
Your thoughts? Yea, and if you don't have a tear sheet in vogue your a GWC.
If you are applying your trade and earning some coin while having fun, why fret?
While there is some wisdom in asking those that have been there how to get there, they are by no means the final distilation of truth.
You may find in the future that a web site is in your best interest but that decision is your and yours alone.
Photographer
MarkMarek
Posts: 2211
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
There's another artist in the world with the same name as me. I'm guessing he's more famous than me (he's a highly respected cartoonist) but I got the .com domain registered a few years before he considered it. I remember my site was up and running for over 2 years or so when i got an email from him asking me if I'd be willing to let that domain name go, for his name is Mark Marek and he would like to use it. Needless to say I told him that Mark Marek was also my name and I wasn't willing to part with the domain name which already at the time had a few hundred bookmarks and the such. So he eventually settled down with .net domain - http://www.markmarek.net/ but I wouldn't say that he's not legit just because I was faster getting myself on line. He's far better in what he does than me - just was too late getting himself up on the information superhighway. Mark
Photographer
VRG Photography
Posts: 1025
Tallahassee, Florida, US
John Jebbia wrote:
Good topic by the way. Thanks, John!
Vic.
Photographer
Marek Mezyk
Posts: 162
Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, US
D. Brian Nelson wrote:
I chose dot net domains for all mine, as my photography is not commercial, and I wanted to emphasize that. I do think that a web domain of some sort is almost necessary to be in the photography business, however. I don't know of any professionals that do not have a web presence and know of few serious amateurs that don't.
It's certainly cheap and easy and, if nothing else, a good place to show your work.
-Don Its is the best forum to show yourself alive.
I am currently redoing my completly and the more time goes by the quicker I want to put together something simple just to have a presence.
But as far as the emphasis on the .com vs .net... I would have to argue that in the end its about them (Audience, models, folks who appriciate it) surfing and I don't think most of them will stop and think wheter it makes a difference for the .net part. Its what's popular. Some can argue that people snached up .nets and .orgs because the .coms were already taken.
One great thing about the web is that the instant feedback the work generates. Being on 24/7 all around the world... its your card to say.. this is what I do.
-Marek
Photographer
Brian Diaz
Posts: 65617
Danbury, Connecticut, US
Model
Stacy
Posts: 2505
Englewood, Florida, US
I think because the internet market has grown to be so large, so quickly, it has become viewed as a "phone book." And so most major companies will have a dot com. Also because, information technology is becoming very important to a legitimate business. BUT it's also why internet is full of scam artists. You dont need a face to set up a website.
Photographer
d j p
Posts: 3
Brooklyn, Indiana, US
damnit, brian, you beat to the punch...
"I don't know of any professionals that do not have a web presence and know of few serious amateurs that don't." (from a above previous statement)
personally, i think it's the other way around, MOST REAL professional, or should i say, REAL GOOD professional...don't even have a website...at least one that they manage.
they are way too busy working!
Photographer
Marek Mezyk
Posts: 162
Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, US
Stacy wrote:
BUT it's also why internet is full of scam artists. You dont need a face to set up a website. All sources of info have this risk... but places like this.. MM.. give the internet its greatest asset as far as clarifying and communicating in a much filtered way.
-Marek
Photographer
Steve Cain
Posts: 139
Irvine, California, US
Photographer
Brian Diaz
Posts: 65617
Danbury, Connecticut, US
Photographer
name name
Posts: 2602
New York, New York, US
Anyone can get a .com, not just professionals. I'm sure all the bad photographers/models/anyones can pay the fees to get hosting/domain names. If you do take the time to build a website, how it looks is key. A website is supposed to show who you are and what you do; it ought to reflect your personality, career or something. My website ( http://www.alwaysmadeup.com) is pink and pretty, because I'm a makeup artist and like pink; if anyone knows me, they know that my website screams ME. If your website looks like shit, or like a geocities thing, then I'll assume your work is shit. That might be harsh, but if you can't put the money together to find a good designer and have a proper website, then whats the point? xo
Photographer
Vector 38
Posts: 8296
Austin, Texas, US
VRG,
Well, I hope your reference to a "dot.com" didn't include one at OMP.com or, for that matter, that you aren't going to just accept at face value what you hear / read might establish one's legitimacy ...
(e.g., I've been shooting mainstream work going on 12 yrs now but my "dot.com" - i.e., site with my own domain name & ISP - is down being revamped by a designer; coming here to MM is a side-step to maintain a web presence of sorts)
... but that you'll keep working on your art & then find time to establish your own "dot.com" when & if the need arises.
Best always!
FML
Photographer
Arizona Shoots
Posts: 28822
Phoenix, Arizona, US
AlwaysMadeUp wrote:
I'm sure all the bad photographers/models/anyones can pay the fees to get hosting/domain names. They could get a website.. but they don't! And girls still fall for it!
Photographer
MartinCoatesIV
Posts: 450
Panama City Beach, Florida, US
John Jebbia wrote:
Just get your .com... it's $8.50/yr at mydomain.com for Christ's sake! And even cheaper elsewhere.
And yes. I firmily believe that someone not willing to make use of the avenues available to them is not taking it seriously. The domain name is dirt cheap because it is ran by the federal goverment for one step off of free.
It's domain space and a site worth looking at that cost. Unless you want to learn HTML, you pay someone like me (very affordable rate) to make the site for you. But I agree everyone in the industry should invest in a "yourname.com" site just makes you seem more serious.
Martin IV
www.martincoatesiv.com
Photographer
MarkMarek
Posts: 2211
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
MartinCoatesIV wrote:
Unless you want to learn HTML, you pay someone like me (very affordable rate) to make the site for you. Holy schmokes, where have you been last 5 years. Html is dead!!! Unles you can program in PHP or .ASP etc. you're not gonna get too far - unless of course you're happy with the site like yours.
Photographer
name name
Posts: 2602
New York, New York, US
MartinCoatesIV wrote:
The domain name is dirt cheap because it is ran by the federal goverment for one step off of free.
It's domain space and a site worth looking at that cost. Unless you want to learn HTML, you pay someone like me (very affordable rate) to make the site for you. But I agree everyone in the industry should invest in a "yourname.com" site just makes you seem more serious.
Martin IV
www.martincoatesiv.com Yea, I wouldn't let you design my website. Its weird to navigate, your buttons/links are all stretched out weird, making them hard to read. And, you can't even spell "Experience" properly. I could make something like your website (and probably better) in DreamWeaver and I don't even have any formal web design training.
Like I said before, if you are going to have a website, make it look professional. It doesn't have to be fancy or full of animations or flash. Just make it easy to navigate, pleasing to the eye, easy to read, and for pete's sake, make sure everything is spelt right.
xo
Photographer
name name
Posts: 2602
New York, New York, US
MarkMarek wrote:
Holy schmokes, where have you been last 5 years. Html is dead!!! Unles you can program in PHP or .ASP etc. you're not gonna get too far - unless of course you're happy with the site like yours. I just found out my webguy wrote out my whole website in html, just typing it out in Notepad. No programs, no flash, no java, just notepad.
I think my website looks alright, better than his, at least.
http://www.alwaysmadeup.com
xo
Photographer
MarkMarek
Posts: 2211
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
AlwaysMadeUp wrote:
Yea, I wouldn't let you design my website. Its weird to navigate, your buttons/links are all stretched out weird, making them hard to read. And, you can't even spell "Experience" properly. I could make something like your website (and probably better) in DreamWeaver and I don't even have any formal web design training.
Like I said before, if you are going to have a website, make it look professional. It doesn't have to be fancy or full of animations or flash. Just make it easy to navigate, pleasing to the eye, easy to read, and for pete's sake, make sure everything is spelt right.
xo For the record, Miss Pink - yours opens new windows waaaaaaaaaaay too often. Very annoying.It's ok if you're navigating away from the site or opening a windows which requires to be saparate, or if for any other reason it works better that way, but if I'm on the same site and it opens new window each time I click a button - that's downright annoying.
BTW, Proper programmers write scripts in notepad - that is nothing unusual.
Photographer
KoolGirlieStuff
Posts: 3560
Gainesville, Florida, US
Bunch of bullshit...........I haven`t had a dot com in the ten years I`ve been shooting MOST of my paid work comes from land based jobs and not the internet.....my original dot com`s that I had planned were stolen by an ex-business partner and since then the internet`s left me with a bad taste in my mouth
My work speaks for itself....dot com or no dot com it`s still as outstanding as it`s always been......the internet has no factor on my work and it`s quality
My work would be nice on a website, but the hassle and trouble of putting a site together and the fact I have 0% time to put into anything like that keeps me away from the net, for me the internet`s just a networking tool and I also pick up a few new models here and there, my bulk of business comes from real land based jobs
Photographer
name name
Posts: 2602
New York, New York, US
MarkMarek wrote:
For the record, Miss Pink - yours opens new windows waaaaaaaaaaay too often. Very annoying.It's ok if you're navigating away from the site or opening a windows which requires to be saparate, or if for any other reason it works better that way, but if I'm on the same site and it opens new window each time I click a button - that's downright annoying.
BTW, Proper programmers write scripts in notepad - that is nothing unusual. What the hell are you talking about? It opens a new window ONCE: at the beginning, and then for the images in the gallery, which you click on to close. If you actually navigated the site, you would discover that.
xo
Photographer
MarkMarek
Posts: 2211
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
AlwaysMadeUp wrote:
What the hell are you talking about? It opens a new window ONCE: at the beginning, and then for the images in the gallery, which you click on to close. If you actually navigated the site, you would discover that.
xo Yup, that's 3 windows open just to take a look at one picture - annoying.
Photographer
VRG Photography
Posts: 1025
Tallahassee, Florida, US
FML-Photography wrote:
VRG,
Well, I hope your reference to a "dot.com" didn't include one at omp.com or, for that matter, that you aren't going to just accept at face value what you hear / read might establish one's legitimacy ...
(e.g., I've been shooting mainstream work going on 12 yrs now but my "dot.com" - i.e., site with my own domain name
Photographer
name name
Posts: 2602
New York, New York, US
MarkMarek wrote:
Yup, that's 3 windows open just to take a look at one picture - annoying. Well if one were to work by that logic, then I have to click five things just to see one picture in one of your galleries - double annoying.
xo
Photographer
Arizona Shoots
Posts: 28822
Phoenix, Arizona, US
MarkMarek wrote:
Yup, that's 3 windows open just to take a look at one picture - annoying. Mark's right too many pop-ups.
My site has only 1 pop up page, and that's the images.
www.johnjebbia.com
Photographer
name name
Posts: 2602
New York, New York, US
John Jebbia wrote:
Mark's right too many pop-ups.
My site has only 1 pop up page, and that's the images.
www.johnjebbia.com There is just one pop up, aside from the images, so please expalin to me how that is annoying.
xo
Photographer
MarkMarek
Posts: 2211
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
AlwaysMadeUp wrote:
Well if one were to work by that logic, then I have to click five things just to see one picture in one of your galleries - double annoying.
xo Are you having problems counting to 3? It takes fewer clicks to access my galleries than it takes to access yours. And I have nude pictures in so I need a welcome screen for my protection.
Photographer
name name
Posts: 2602
New York, New York, US
MarkMarek wrote:
Are you having problems counting to 3? It takes fewer clicks to access my galleries than it takes to access yours. And I have nude pictures in so I need a welcome screen for my protection. -type in website
-click enter
-click gallery
-click which gallery you want
-click on picture
Hm, let me see...that makes 5.
Fucktard.
Photographer
oldguysrule
Posts: 6129
VRG Photography wrote:
I was told by someone a while back that if you don't have a "dot com" website, then you aren't legit, or serious about your work as either a model OR photographer.
There was some interesting debate about it, as well.
Your thoughts? tripe is tripe... this statement had to be followed by an offer to sell you yourveryownname.com for only 50k?
Photographer
Jack D Trute
Posts: 4558
New York, New York, US
KoolGirlieStuff wrote:
Bunch of bullshit...........I haven`t had a dot com in the ten years I`ve been shooting MOST of my paid work comes from land based jobs and not the internet.....my original dot com`s that I had planned were stolen by an ex-business partner and since then the internet`s left me with a bad taste in my mouth
My work speaks for itself....dot com or no dot com it`s still as outstanding as it`s always been......the internet has no factor on my work and it`s quality
My work would be nice on a website, but the hassle and trouble of putting a site together and the fact I have 0% time to put into anything like that keeps me away from the net, for me the internet`s just a networking tool and I also pick up a few new models here and there, my bulk of business comes from real land based jobs Well said. I agree. I will be polite and say that is all I need to say.
Most work done is still not done through the net and people who know better, know better.
Photographer
Arizona Shoots
Posts: 28822
Phoenix, Arizona, US
AlwaysMadeUp wrote:
There is just one pop up, aside from the images, so please expalin to me how that is annoying.
xo When you go to your main index page..
http://www.alwaysmadeup.com
You click on the "enter link" Pop-up #1.. which is really unnecessary. Why not just Enter and bam you're on the site...
Then the images all open in pop-ups... so now we have 3 windows dedicated to just your website.
* The main enter page
* The page once you enter
* The images
The pop-ups for the images, in my opinion are fine.. But the first pop-up once you enter the site is really unnecessary.
By the way, I agree with you that if Mr. Coates wants to spout off, he should first spell check his page. The mispelling of "Experiance" was the first thing that caught my eye. I was gonna comment on it, but you beat me to it.
You have a well designed site. Just lose that first pop up.
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