Sandvox Website Profile: “Peter Billard Photographer”

The website is meant to show really good looking portraits and headshots for business and professional clients. Business people have to look good: good outfit, good presentation, good marketing materials, and a good portrait. Clients want to get an idea of what their portrait might look like. They don't give a hoot about autobiographical blather about how I started at age 17 or how I had to lie on my stomach in cold rain for two hours to get a shot of a rare desert weasel.

Business and professional people who must present a good image of themselves. They should look every bit as good in photos as they do in person. Many have bad experiences from past portrait sessions, usually because of poor people skills on the part of the practitioner

Every fellow photographer's website I've seen suffers two huge mistakes: 1. a hodge-podge of types of work. A jack of all trades, a master of none. No clear strength. Dabble in a little bit of everything. 2. terribly cumbersome galleries and displays of work. One image at a time, plodding along. The viewer is held captive of the website's pace, not free to go at their own.

The real test of my Sandvox website is yet to come. I made it, for sure, but now it has to pull its own weight and get work for me. Prospective clients who do their homework will look at the samples of several photographers, then contact the one(s) that best fit the bill. Websites are ideal vehicles for photographers to show their work. I must put myself in the prospect's shoes–what would they be looking for, and what will persuade them to choose me?

I looked at many templates. I bought two Blueball designs, then did mockups in each. Then chose the one I have.

I chose not to use the sidebar. Most photos are max. width allowable. I purposefully chose to make photo collages in Photoshop first, then plunk them down into Sandvox. Better control, better consistency, better viewing experience for the visitor.