DH Templates

How do i build a photo website?

i'm trying to put together a pro/ semi pro looking photo site to represent myself, my art, and my portfolio. i want it to be interactive and really not all that much.. i DO NOT want to use one of those free hosting sites because i want a custom URL. not Wordpress.___.com or soemthing worse... i know nothing about webdesign! and have no idea what i'm doing. iwant to buy my desired domain from go daddy but have NO idea which one to get.. and once i do how to set it up with a good template to look pretty good. something like these http://www.dawnleblanc.com/ http://www.fillingtheframe.com.ar/photoblog/index.php?showimage=160 i went to go daddy and i was very confused about which package i should get! i dont know what to do and really only have a 50$ AME card. and i dont know what to do once i get the package... please help i want to be able to work on it.. i use a mac and have iweb.. but honestly dont know how to use it or work with a template i need... ive just been told these terms i'm very computer literate yet dont know anything about writing coding... thats why i use a mac... the help and guidance would be much appreciated contacting me here.. or at the domain email i was given as a gift once.. JD@jdcohen.biz would be much appreciated!

Public Comments

1. I will not be much help, but I wouldn't use godaddy if I were you but Changeip.com or Powweb.com to host. And it helps sometimes when you're at a site to right click and view source. That is kind of your template, its just a matter of taking out what you don't want and putting in what you do want. But I am running on Winders 7 and am not that familiar with macs :( Though I have no doubt it was Colanth that gave me a thumbs down, he is right... Though viewing the source of the site is helpful, you need to know that is only for viewing purposes, though it does help with practice. It is not neccessarily a template, but it helps you see what you're looking at, in code. Like me, if you see 60% code and 40% headache, it is best just to pay someone else. But in the land of photography and design, your site itself aslo can be a part of your porfolio, so even if you know nothing about it, it is not too late to learn.
2. That's like asking to be taught how to become a professional photographer in an answer here. "i know nothing about webdesign" says it all. Either take the time and effort to learn (6 months for the basics) or hire someone to do it for you. What would you tell someone who wants a quick (5 minutes) course in taking professional photos of, say, a wedding, and knows nothing about cameras?
3. http://www.jason-ism.com/artschool.html I have just started a free how to make your own gallery site with a step by step guide. Even if you don't know how to use Flash or Dreamweaver you can learn easily from my site.
4. Definitely DO NOT use godaddy.Look around: Hosting Info: Free dns services to the internet community: http://www.everydns.com/ Web Hosting Jury: http://www.webhostingjury.com/ http://www.hosting-shopper.com/ Check hosting packages and terms of use carefully. Useful Tools/Info: How to Register Your Own Domain Name: http://www.thesitewizard.com/archive/registerdomain.shtml Web Design Tips: http://www.webweaver.nu/html-tips/ Webmaster Frequently Asked Questions: http://www.thesitewizard.com/faqs/ Free Photo Galleries: Coppermine Photo Gallery: http://coppermine-gallery.net/ Gallery: http://gallery.menalto.com/ Full Screen Image Gallery (It automatically scales the image with kept aspect ratio to fill the browser background, with a flickr search engine, thumbnails, captions, preloader and some other goodies): http://devkick.com/blog/full-screen-image-gallery-using-jquery-and-flickr/ 12 Javascript Image Galleries: http://tutorialblog.org/12-javascript-image-galleries/
5. As you may know a domain name is just a name, not a real website. If you are going to create your website: 1- Buy a domain name. A domain name is a name you want to call your website (ex: www.yahoo.com). To get a domain name, you have to pay an annual fee to a registrar for the right to use that name. 2- Buy a web hosting service to provide your online space and enable you to get your website online at your purchased domain name. If you want to start your website I recommend purchase your domain and hosting together. In this way it is possible to get your domain for free. Some hosting services offer this gift today. As an experienced webmaster I recommend BH web hosting which I’m sure it would work for you and fulfill all your requirements. They have a really great offer for hosting & I have used them for over 3 yrs now, and have never had a single problem with them. You can reach reviews about this web hosting provider and its latest DISCOUNT COUPONS at: http://www.threehosts.com/reviews/1st They also offer "Free Site Builder" that helps you build your web pages without difficulty if you are not skilled in using any website creating program. (WYSIWYG: What You See Is What You Get) You can use this service optionally. You can also create the pages offline with your favorite program (DreamWeaver, FrontPage, Microsoft Publisher, etc.), and then upload them to your web host. This is another easy way to get your website online. ******IMPORTANT******** * This service was awarded “The Best Web Host OF The Year”. * If you sign up for this service you will have $75 credits to advertise your website with the google & yahoo search engines for free! * You Can Register A Free Domain or Use Your Existing Domains. They Support All Domain Names. **************************** Another useful link: http://www.threehosts.com/build There you can find a step-by-step guide to start your website with more details. If your website is not a business site (is personal), you can also refer to this cheap, reliable service: http://www.goldpuma.com Hope This Helps.