By Stephanie Robb, PRC Intern, Fall 2011

I’m not thrilled about the speed at which technology is evolving. Just when I figure out how to use one device, a newer version comes out and quickly renders my work unreadable. I have considered getting a website for my photography – and people frequently ask if I have one. Last time I attempted building a website, I got overwhelmed with computer language and put my website on the back burner. The pace of technology may be frustrating, but I can’t afford to fall behind. When the opportunity arose to attend a website workshop specifically designed for photographers, I decided it’s time to face the challenge, elbow out my uncertainties, and geek-out.

Glenn Ruga, Director of the PRC and presenter of the Websites for Photographers workshop on December 3, showed about fifteen photography professionals and enthusiasts how to understand the many different ways to create an easy-to-maintain website without paying someone else to do it. He showed us that we can pay, but with just a little bit of “geeking-out” we’ll be on the right track for doing it ourselves.

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By David Finks, Workshop Assistant

This workshop was perfect for photographers looking to build that eye-catching website. The PRC’s Executive Director Glenn Ruga presented a great introduction to this topic by delving into the many components of a website and how your branding idea can work for you.

Glenn Ruga's introduction to the workshop.

A view of the classroom and workshop attendees.

Glenn began with defining some terminology of a website, such as i.p. address, H.T.M.L., Javascript, and Flash. We then looked at differences between good—and not so good—websites, and determined if their branding idea worked cohesively as a marketing tool. A key design point I learned for creating a website is to make sure there is a “Home” button on your page. This way, the viewer can always return to the beginning and start over. Also, make your page easy to navigate because no one wants to be lost, and always have consistent color and text that goes along with your brand. We looked at a lot of examples, critiquing each one, which helped get my ideas flowing.

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