Thinking about making a website...

[JohnG]

Blueberry,

That 100K file won't support printing. So, if the purposeincludes the abilityto allow people to print or download originals then you're looking at 3mb-5mb per image file. Then you can only store 25 images.

If your sole purpose is just to display on the web then it isn't an issue. But if you want to be able to print from the image files you need a lot more storage space.

[Caboose]

Blueberry Midnight wrote:

Also, as they mention in the F.A.Q on Expressions that even if you posted one 100K image every day it would still take you 2 years to use up your first 100 meg.

I haven't had my site a month yet, and am over 700mb. and a $3 for each additional 100mb I would have already gone over the $40 I pay for unlimited storage. At the pace I upload pictures, Expressions would cost me well over $200 per year. For $150 I can upgrade to pro level at smugmug, set my own prices for prints and make a profit off of any pictures I sell from the site, among a lot of other benifits. Expressions may work for someone that just wants to put a few pictures on the net to share with friends and family, but you will end up deleting pictures when ever you want to add some new ones, or pay the price.

[Blueberry Midnight]

As I said, the two services are very differnt. It depends on what you want. For me, smugmug is just like flicker, but you have to pay for it. Your limited to small sizes of photos, it's definatly more a "social album" more than a photography hosting site.

With expressions you get your own site seperate from expressions. You can have your images as large as you want, you get slick templates to choose from.

Expressions does have the ablity to sell your prints same as smugmug.

Depends what you want. I think most people don't upload loads of photographs a day. I upload one a day and if I carry on it will be TWO YEARS before I need to pay just a tiny bit of money for another two years.

Depends what you want. To me, Smugmug is the same as all the other social photo share sites out that. If that's what you want, then great. If you want a professional looking isolated site to host a portfollio of your work then expressions is the one.

[JohnG]

Your limited to small sizes of photos, it's definatly more a "social album" more than a photography hosting site.

Not sure where you got this from - Smugmug allows you to display different photo sizes and choose from multiple styles and templates.

With expressions you get your own site seperate from expressions. You can have your images as large as you want, you get slick templates to choose from.

Smugmug offers the same - although again you need a Pro level account to use your own URL. But multiple styles and templates are available on all 3 account levels.

Expressions does have the ablity to sell your prints same as smugmug.

But you need original size files - around 3-5 megabytes each to support printing. So, let's take the average - 4mb - if Expressions only allows you 100mb of storage without paying extra that means it will only support about 25 print quality image files. That's way too small if you want a site people can print from.

Depends what you want. To me, Smugmug is the same as all the other social photo share sites out that. If that's what you want, then great. If you want a professional looking isolated site to host a portfollio of your work then expressions is the one.

I think you need to look a little harder - Smugmug allows you to make your site as good as any commercial product I've seen. Here are some examples:


My site:

http://www.jagsportsphotos.com

Some others that look pretty darn professional (as you can see there's a wide variety of looks here):

http://www.moonriverphotography.com/

http://www.brandolinoimaging.com/

http://www.danieldesjardins.com/

http://www.jrinaldiphotography.com/

http://lenscapephoto.smugmug.com/

http://flyingdutchie.smugmug.com/

http://www.light-mttrs.com/
















Current time is 05:24 pm

[Blueberry Midnight]

Not sure where you got this from - Smugmug allows you to display different photo sizes and choose from multiple styles and templates.

I think you need to look a little harder - Smugmug allows you to make your site as good as any commercial product I've seen. Here are some examples:


My site:

http://www.jagsportsphotos.com

Some others that look pretty darn professional (as you can see there's a wide variety of looks here):

http://www.moonriverphotography.com/

http://www.brandolinoimaging.com/

http://www.danieldesjardins.com/

http://www.jrinaldiphotography.com/

http://lenscapephoto.smugmug.com/

http://flyingdutchie.smugmug.com/

http://www.light-mttrs.com/

I looked at the sites you listed, they are all the same dispite some design diferences. 5 thumbnails and a medium sized image. I'm not arguing they don't look nice, they do, but they are all the same. If you can show me one that does not follow the same "thumnails and medium sized pic" then I'll give you this point :-) Until then, i'm not convinced. Every site looks the same but customized. The essensce of what I'm trying to say is smugmug sites still look like a "blog" where as expressions doesn't. I want a huge central photograph showing my work in detail.

Smugmug offers the same - although again you need a Pro level account to use your own URL. But multiple styles and templates are available on all 3 account levels.

I don't mean that they allow you to host the site on your own URL ( although they do allow you to do this with a standard account ) What I mean is this: Every single member of Expressions gets a seperate site. It's not part of a social network site.

When you sign up you are asked to pick a domain name. Your site will then be: whatevername.myexpressions.com so each site is a complete and seperate entity. This is something I really like. Although for others who want the whole community thing will see that as a failing since they want to be a part of something and share their photos.

No you don't.

Expressions have a "order print" feature for any potential customer to click. When they click it and make an order it's then up to the owner of the site to print and send the finished product to the customer.

Everybody has their tastes. Everybody has different desires and expectations.