Ashton Photography (http://www.ashtonphotography.co.uk/)
Firstly is the website of Steve and Stephanie Ashton, an award winning wedding photography couple from Lancashire. Their ethos is "contemporary wedding photography" and this means their website should emulate contemporary and professional style.
The web page has a black background with a grey "a" from their logo which is a sans serif type which I believe is Optima (the typography I studied in first year ironically). The web page is sleek and does convey a contemporary style. The typography is a good point size on the homepage but is a bit small on the other pages and becomes harder to read. Although the style is informal, the information section is written in first person which is a very personal touch.
It is easy to navigate between areas onto the other photography areas (portraits and commercial) and once you are in this area there is a sub menu to navigate within the section.
Unlike other websites I have viewed, the Ashton's give examples of how their pictures would look in a physical album. This is a great idea as the way images are displayed can be very different depending on the photographer and it is a low cost option as they don't have to produce lots of albums. However, the albums are possibly a bit small, mainly because it is squeezed into a smaller area within the web page. Also, when you are viewing the albums, the pages tend to flick back to the beginning which is annoying.
The gallery is very easy to navigate through with both a slideshow option and a manual navigation button. Obviously there is a mix of styles and photography styles and weddings to give the viewer a good idea of the type of work they produce.
The other sections use the same layout and style as the wedding page.
Blogs are becoming more popular with photographers and the Ashton's are no different. The blog is written by Steve Ashton and is very personal with recent pictures they have taken.
All in all, the website in contemporary and professional, emulating the style of photography they provide but with a personal touch. The web page is easy to use although the typography is a little small but shows off their work fantastically well.
Lisa Aldersley (http://www.la-photography.co.uk/)
The second photographer is Lisa Aldersley, she has a more traditional style of photography with her work regularly being featured in bridal magazines.
Lisa's web page has a simple, plain white background giving a more traditional feel than that of the Ashton's who have gone for contemporary and sleek. Lisa's logo is her name in cursive writing which gives a more personal feeling to the viewer. However, the Information section is written in the third person which contradicts the personal feeling of the websites. It is interesting to note that the Ashton's website visually is quite impersonal with it's black background and logo, and yet their information is written from the first person, whereas Lisa's is completely opposite.
The gallery section is easy to navigate between albums and also between photographic areas (weddings, commercial and portraits) however, to view the individual pictures you have to hover over each picture which can get annoying after a while. The pictures are fantastic with a mixture of weddings and locations, which are obviously a vital tool to entice customers.
The other sections of the website (portrait and commercial) are easy to navigate to with the buttons on the left of the screen and use the same layout and style of the wedding gallery. It is a very simple design but in this case it is not a bad thing as it is uncomplicated to use and you don't have to search for any information or images.
A blog is becoming a more popular thing for photographers to do as a way to keep their clients informed of their recent activities without the hassle of constantly updating their website. It also keeps the main website uncluttered as they have the best images on the website and any others can be put on the blog.
Lisa, like the Ashton's has links to places she has worked and people she has worked with (cake makers, videographers, etc.). This is an excellent way to advertise other companies but also to increase Lisa's advertising potential. As well as the Ashton's, Lisa has a wedding album at a hotel where I work. Whenever a couple come to view the hotel, they are given the album of a previous wedding at the hotel. This gives the customer a chance to see how the hotel when it is set for weddings, but also advertises Lisa's business. This is a great advantage as the couple trust the hotel to recommend an excellent photographer, the album's show off the photographers skill and as there are a lot of wedding photographers around, it helps narrow their choice.
In conclusion, this is a more traditional website which shows off the quality of the images in a simple style. The web page is easy to use and informative, exactly what you want from a wedding website.
1 comment:
Hey, if you're looking for photographers based in leeds, take a look at John Eckart (www.johneckart.co.uk). I worked with him through an agency I was working with a while back and he really is amazing! He does all the food photography for morrisons and asda packaging, as well as interior and fashion photography. I was lucky enough to pay him a visit at his studio in meanwood. Its in this old chapel that they have converted into 4 floors so its huge!! from the outside it looks derelict, but a real treasure trove inside!
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