Saira's Photography Website

This term has been a very testing one. Need I mention why? Well here goes. PHP have been the biggest challenge of the year so far and I'm sure there is plenty more coming in my direction! Overall I am pleased with my website but there is a lot things that I want to change about it and develop for the client. The hardest thing about working with this particular client was merging my brief with what she wanted. Basically she didn't want the PHP page but I needed to use PHP to deepen my skills base, which I think I have. Both the log in and the journal page are working but I want to develop them by styling them and making fit work with the website design on a more professional level. Also I want to experiment more with the interactive gallery menu. From feedback I think I need to make it more accessible and clearer as to it's use.

On the other hand I think the colour scheme works well, her photos and the centre of the website and nothing takes away the focus from them. Also I like the logo being half Punjabi and half English to represent her multicultural heritage. Also O have saved space on the photos whilst keeping the clarity of them so they can still engage the viewer.

Flash Inspired Photography Websites

http://www.andrewfphotography.com/

• I like this site for its smooth use of flash from each section (the dark grey part of the page moves up and down)
• I like the simple use of black white and grey
• The white title works well to draw your attention to his name

http://www.jessicahilltout.com/

• The 'hand made' feel makes it feel personal
• Also the polaroid shots make the photos look 'real', again emphasising the personal look.

http://www.bottlebellphotography.com/about.aspx

• Simple yet has a good impact with the flash introduction. Also lets teh viewr know what the website is about whilst offering tehn an interesting form of interaction

http://www.tomhoops.com/latest.html

• Simple, clean cut design with a bold edge.
• My favourite part of the website is the typography for the logo

http://www.krijtenberg.nl/

Social networking
Many photographers have a page on Facebook, or a Flickr or Twitter account.

Flash
Flash-based websites can be beautiful and effective, freeing the web designer from the limitations of HTML and CSS. The downside is that they’re expensive to create, can take time to download and aren’t good for SEO. Often used by pro photographers who will send their url to interested parties and need a spectacular showcase for their images.

HUGE photos
Photography websites are naturally dominated by images. A recent trend is to display large photos for maximum impact.

Sophisticated design
Photographers are visual artists and need the design of their websites to reflect this. Good design often works in the background by making websites quick to load, easy to navigate and search engine friendly.

Content over design
No matter how good the design, content is king. It may look pretty, but if it doesn’t inform and entertain, your visitors won’t return. Some of the most popular photography websites are nothing more than a free Blogger blog.

Finished Flash Elements

These are a couple of screen shots of the introduction to my identities box. It starts with childlike game to present my version of the exquisite corpse. It works my moving the mouse over different sections of the image to change therefore you make your own version of me. The three section represent three characters of me (although there are more.) Passionate, happy and reflective as all three trait's I can relate to the rest of my life passion for art, family, friends, travelling etc, my happy/positive outlook and the reflective nature that unites my character.

I also thought the exquisite corpse is a good introduction to my box because it reflects how we are introduced in real life, by face value we interpret some ones looks and make a prejudgement on them. I want to give my audience a prejudgement and show them the inner depths that make me who I am.

My identity shuffled. I experimented with different focuses (close-up etc) to provoke different reactions and emphasis certain part of my personality. For example the happy character is in a close-up form to grab peoples attention because it is the first photo you will see.
First scene of my box. I am my identity box.

Before I placed the pictures of me onto the box I experimented with boxes to work out the code. I admit I found it hard at first but with some help with the code from David I was on my way.

My code.

My original plan was to repeat the pictures 3 times to make more options to enter the box in but with the time scale I am working with I haven't been able to produce that many. If I have time at the end of the project I will add in more exquisite corpse characters.

Flash Game Update...

I am now in the final stages of finishing one of my flash games. The structure is working well as I have chosen to use the coding from our interactive narrative due to time issues. (Simon advised me to simplify my ideas).

I am thinking about arranging my images at the bottom of the page so that the user can still interact with them as a game but also have some more imagery to relate to the people. The main reason I am going to try this is to liven the page up but it might become too cluttered.
This is the simple code I used to produce the structure. It's amazing more much easier it has become to use than when I was doing the narratives project but it's going to leave me time to add animation.
These are the pictures I am going to use for people to choose who they think knows the most in about my identity.

Curiosity Box Experimentation

I was having trouble getting to grips with how I'd use layers to create my introduction. I want there to be 3/4 photographs of myself presented in flash and the audience has to choose the image different sections of the face (like the exquisite corpse.) A third year student (thanks to Simon) helped me to organise the frames with a bit of action script.

At first Simon suggested creating a sub menu to choose different heads but I felt that this would compromise my ideas as I just want the audience to click on the face and it will change.
For example you would choose the top of the head that you want, the eyes the neck. This would all be a symbol of how others change you identity, as a society we effect each other. Would we all be who we are today if it isn't for you family, your friends, or that person you bumped into in the street?
(original idea)

Click on the head

Then it be change to the next head. If you like that one you keep it and move onto the eyes and repeat the process so that you make my appearance resemble what you think my identity might be by first impressions. The image of my face on one level will symbolise what people think of me on first impressions, the next level will go into my pixilation, avatar, flash game etc

Flash Tutorials

Check this website out for flash tutorials: http://flashfridge.com/tuitorial.asp?ID=118

This is a simple animated photograph that I used twice to experiment with how I could introduce my box of characters. The blurred effect was easy to do but probably a bit too simple for what I want my overall box to look like however it is helping me get used to flash cs3 and its potential. I am going to do a few more tutorial on creating flash games before I get stuck into my final products.

http://www.tuitorialsportal.com/uncategorized/create-a-drawing-effect-in-flash.html

Again this tutorial deals with another form of animation in flash that I wanted to experiment with. Although it is simple at the moment I could take this onto another level by not just taking away her face, her identity but replacing it with another. 

Pirates of the Floatin' Internet

This is a simple question and answer treasure map. i found it a bit boring but it has some good basics that I think could be easily achievable in flash. I want to design a basic map such as this that will lead to different treasures along the way. It is a game based on cultural experiences and things that I have found out about myself whilst I was travelling around the world. You will follow a map and along it it will give you clues and choices that you will follow to the next country. The aim of the game is to pick up as many clues as possible to get the treasure and find out your identity and destiny...  I want to up the complexity of my game and add in animation and more diverse outcomes to where you end up in the game.

http://rochedalss.eq.edu.au/fish4.htmt

I liked the idea of getting a pirate name. It gave the game a sense of character and imagination. It is a form of your identity outside of the physical you. I think this really appeals to kids to get them wondering what their character will do next.

Unholy Island (Pirate Game)
http://www.fncgames.com/tag/pirates

This is a flash game where the aim of the game is to protect the treasure and make sure you reach it before the live pirates get it. (You are a cursed skeleton pirate.) This is both an action and strategy game. You reach this choice by choosing either a sword or a cannon of which the sword is more manual.