PDA

View Full Version : Help! Where do I get started?



blackshadowpix
05 Apr 2007, 08:35 AM
I'm a music photographer and have outgrown my present website.

I have decided I need a custom website and hope to build it myself; I have very basic html knowledge but am unsure about how to go about building a professional looking and functional site to do what I need.

I have been researching different web gallery packages and have decided on Gallery2 as the one to use as the basis for my site.

I have decided on what I would like included in my site and it is detailed below... I'm stuck though on where to go to start and to find some easy to understand information to allow me to get it happening - most of the info I have found is fairly tech heavy which is going way over my head.

I know that what I want sounds a lot but I just want a clean, simple and professional site - most of the nuts and bolts are there I just need to know how to put them together.

If anyone can assist with how I should go about this task I'd be grateful.

Gallery Software
Gallery2 (using Ice theme)

Style
Font – Verdana
Colours
Background: Black
Text: White
Link Text: Yellow
Copyright notice to appear on all pages of the website and gallery.

Home Page
Contents:
Logo
Photo links to random image from the gallery to include Music, Weddings, and Miscellaneous (with the option to add more eg Glamour, Portraits, Pets)
Random image from latest additions to the gallery
Random image from most popular images
Latest News (last three items from the News page)
Calendar (optional)

Links to the following:
• About
• News
• Clients
• Tearsheet
• Bands
• Ordering and pricing
• Registration
• Contact
• Guestbook
• Links

About
General about me page

News
Photos published, site updates etc

Clients
List of clients

Tearsheet
Examples of work published in print

Band Lists
List of bands shot

Ordering and Pricing
Instructions for ordering
Print prices
Package prices
Timing for orders

Registration
Allows users to post comments and to receive email news updates

Contact
Contact form to email me

Guestbook
A general guestbook which allows people to comment on the page (all comments must be approved before being published online)

Links
General links page

Gallery requirements
• Logo up the top
• Style the same as the rest of the website
• Links to main home page and all other site pages
• Full size image maximum side to be 640 pixels
• Thumbnails maximum side to be 150 pixels
• Do not display filenames of thumbnails
• Cart ordering to include:

o print pricing for each item (a number of different prices depending on print size)
o each order to generate email to me identifying the prints ordered, contact details, postal address, postage and handling (different for Australian and International orders)
o calculate and collect payment by Direct Bank Deposit, PayPal or Google Checkout (PayPal and Google Checkout to have a 3% surcharge on each order)