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Evrium Fluid Galleries: March Giveaway Announced.
March 5th, 2009
You’ll be please to know I’ve stopped the navel-gazing in which I was stuck yesterday. Or at least I’ve opted to keep it to myself for now. I’ve got the loan of a 4×5 field camera to play with and if that doesn’t either satisy my need to jump the rut or send me back to digital with my tail between my legs in a hurry, nothing will. 
So, onward.
I know not everyone agrees with me on this, and I’m cool with that. Different strokes, different folks, etc. BUT since it’s my blog and y’all don’t come here to hear me prevaricate…ahem…Flickr is a horrible thing to do to your photographs. I know, I know, you love Flickr, but before you go all 2.0 on me, hear me out.
Flickr is a great place to connect, a super-duper place even to find sycophantic people who will tell you everything you want to hear about how good your images are. Some of you need that encouragement and, God bless ya, you’ll find it there. Some of us desperately need to be told our images suck and need work. If you’re 5 years old, you should be PRAISED for creating a drawing of a house with a sun on top, regardless of the purple cat. Heck, BECAUSE of the purple cat. But if you’re 25 and you’re still drawing like that, the folks still praising you as the next Robert Bateman aren’t helping. You see that alot on Flickr. Some of us need it. Most should be seeking critics, not fanboys. Myself included. But that’s a digression.
Flickr is ugly, ugly, ugly. And while it has it’s uses, it is not the place to be showing your photographs to the world. Photography is a visual medium. Aesthetics matter. Your work deserves much, much better than the trailer park bulletin board (not that there’s anything wrong with trailers, parks, or bulletin boards, per se) – they deserve a gallery. A space that has been designed for showing the world your art, making it the hero. I guarantee the image that I passed over on Flickr would at least beg my eye for a second chance if it was hung on a stark white wall. (I’m not saying Flickr has no value, it does indeed. But you pick the right tool for the right job and if you’re looking to (1) showcase your images or (b) get truly constructive image critique, there are much better tools than Flickr. That’s all)
Why am I preaching this particular sermon? Because I want to love your photographs. I want to look at them – stare at them – and hear your intention, the thing that moved you to say “hey, look at that,” in a powerful enough way that you captured it in a frame and now compell me to look at it too. I can’t do that on Flickr or a crappy website. But I can do it on a website created, not for interaction and Web 2.0 – but for showing and looking at images.
There is alot of great software out there for this very thing. Some frighteningly expensive, some not so much. The one I use is Evrium’s Fluid Galleries and the good folks at Evrium have ponied up for this month’s giveaway. They’re giving away a Fluid Galleries Professional Package to one luck winner, chosen through a random draw. But wait! There’s more! For everyone who does not win, but who enters, there is a $50 discount coupon code. For sheer simplicity of building a good-looking, Flash-based gallery, Fluid Galleries is fantastic. Yup, lots of other good ones out there too and I don’t have a bad word to say about most of them, but this is the one I chose and the one that’s sharing the love with you. Matt Brandon uses them. Gavin Gough uses them. I use them. If you use them to, there’s a chance we’ll let you into the cult. A slim chance, but a hope springs eternal right? Whatever you chose, I urge you to put your best work somewhere that dignifies it, gives it it’s best shot at speaking to me.
A couple resources to check out. First, PhotoShelter did some great research about creating websites and online portfolios that don’t suck – check it out, and download a pdf, HERE on the Photoshelter Blog. Second, the Fluid Gallery Website is HERE. Lastly, if you’re sold on fleeing from Flickr but need to do it on a shoestring, check out the Lightroom Gallery templates from the Turning Gate HERE, including a great one for quick iPhone portfolios.
Ok, same rules as always. Winner must leave a comment with their name and email address in the name and email fields. No email, no name, no prize. I’ll draw for this in a couple weeks when the mood hits. Those that don’t win will be able to email me for a $50 discount coupon, but I suggest you go to Evrium.com and sign up for their free newsletter and try to win your software first. They do a monthly photo contest – no rights grabbing, no wierdness, and the winner gets free software. Who couldn’t love that? And don’t forget I’ve still got three copies of Joe McNally’s new book, the Hotshoe Diaries to give away just as soon as they’re off the press – enter HERE.
David,
Fluid Galleries looks very promising. Thanks for alerting us to its potential.
You’re on a roll with your giveaways!
Fluid Galleries looks like one of the few good portfolio solutions for photographers imo.
I need to leave my frame-based 2001ish html site ASAP and have no clue how to design in flash, but love the look of FluidGalleries
Thanks for the oppurtunity!
Lord knows my site needs it. Seriously, look at that thing…
Upgrading my site is on my yearly plan…this would do nicely. I was going to go the cheap way and do the lightroom galleries but if I could win a free year on Fluid then who am I to look a gift horse in the mouth?
Why not!
Sounds like a steal! Thanks for keeping the giveaways going.
-Dave Shaw
This sounds like yet another awesome giveaway. So generous of you/them. Here’s to hoping that I win.
Oh goodness, I could not agree more with all of your flickr points. I’m a bit of a strobist fan boy and have posted a few images there. On one occasion my setup shot got more attention than the actual shot.
Does anyone have any recommendations on finding people that will constructively critique images? I’m at the point where I really need that. It might seem like a silly question but I’m relatively new to the world of photography. I’ll go out on a limb, here’s my portfolio: http://www.2factorphoto.com/portfolio.pl
I loved reading your thoughts about Flickr! Lately I’ve been thinking the same thing. I think there’s a lot of us out there that need a major upgrade to something professional like this. Thanks for the opportunity to win!
i’ve been wondering what site software you use, and never got to doing the research, this is great! i’ve spent so much time (as i’m sure many of the readers here have) trying to cobble together a website using lightroom presets and templates but it never really looks… right. I will give this some serious consideration!
thanks!!
Lovin’ your giveaways! pick me, pick me!
Well I gotta add my two cents… I mostly agree with you on flickr BUT I still find it useful for some things. One – as you pointed out – is the social aspect. I run the Peoria, IL group on Flickr group here – strangely enough – in Peoria, IL. We’re nearly 250 strong and a very active social group where pros and amateurs help each other out. Secondly, some business opportunities still find their way to me from flickr – or at least some customers find their way to my real website from flickr. It’s a one-way street. You don’t get to flickr from my site but you can get to my site from flickr. I’ve been using imagevuex for my site software. It’s fine – but the link to Photoshelter’s list is invaluable – so thanks. Flickr is what it is – I can live with that – as long as I don’t count on it. As for you – keep up the good work. Oh – and if I can’t win the McNally book – I guess winning this would do too. The McNally book may be more valuable.
Okay – one more thought – while I eat up all your storage… If you’re an editorial or commercial shooter yeah – flickr isn’t for you. My editorial work never ends up there – nor does it end up on my fine art/portrait site. It stands alone. I count on flickr to augment fine art sales and nothing else really from a business perspective. Did I mention I love McNally, er the McNally book? Okay.
Excellent product. I’ve been saving my pennies to make the switch some day, but heck- I could spend those saved up pennies on some new bubblegum and STILL have an awesome website.
Hi D: Great Web Gallerie Giveaway. Cheers.
I don’t even have a site. Would love one though.
Dave – You nailed it. Flickr can in fact be a great tool for the right purposes. It’s when we take one tool and apply it as the solution to the wrong problems, that something like Flickr begins to show its cracks. For photouser groups, etc, it’s brilliant. I’ve put an addendum into my post to clarify – your comment made me realize I was not as clear as I ought to have been. I’m not trying at all to slander Flickr, except to say it’s not generally the best (or even a good) tool for critique or portfolios.
Solid giveaway! What a great opportunity for someone to get a website going.
Thanks for offering a really cool freebie again. I continue to enjoy reading your thoughts.
This is awesome! I’ve been looking for a way to build a website, other than the WP software I’m using right now. I’ve been playing with Lightroom, and thanks for that link to additional templates, but a chance at the software giveaway would be totally cool.
Your post made me think about and see Flickr in a different light. I agree with most of your points, but perhaps, with another post you can give suggestions on how to get more eyes to your own personal site.
Me please!
Count me in! I can line up with the anti-flickr-everything idea. It’s good for some stuff, but not for everything. Sad to see so many talented shooters putting their best work on the same coffee table with loads of, um, er, crap. I ended up going elsewhere to “show off” my stuff. Still working out the kinks but I like it better.
Blimey, “prevaricate” and “sycophantic” in a single blog post! I’m in for impressive-language use alone.
I use evrium, I use flickr – neither is better then the other. Evrium has its limits (lots of them) an Flickr has it’s own limits.
When everyone has an Evrium website are those going to be considered the new trailer park of websites?
Bernard hit it on the head, Flickr brings more traffic to your images then a personal site generally will. I think you’ll need to clarify your opinion by giving up some suggestion on how to augment better traffic to a static website like an Evrium galleries one.
[...] Read David’s whole arguement. Share and Enjoy: [...]
Since I live with my own personal web designer, I’m not entering the contest, but I wanted to say a few things.
On flickr: I actually use it as back-up storage, as well as a bit of social networking, although my images get very little traffic (I think you have to submit them to all kinds of groups, use lots of tags, and spend half your time commenting on other people’s photos to generate that traffic). It’s great for using other websites like imagekind, for selling prints, and moo.com, for creating business cards and post cards and stuff, and posting photos into my blog. You can import directly from flickr. Upload once, use many times across many different sites. Also, I find it a better content management system than I have on my computer. I use it to edit collections and view slideshows and stuff. It could well be that lightroom would give me the same capabilities, I just haven’t yet learned how to adjust my workflow.
Finally, as a viewer/user of photographers’ websites, I often find flash sites the most annoying, because I can’t link other people directly to the photo or page I want to draw their attention to; you have to spell out instructions (e.g., click here, go to Ethiopia gallery, then image number 31). I also find that a lot of flash sites (not yours, and probably not fluid galleries, but I’m on a ranty roll) have mystery meat navigation, so you can’t always give good directions to bring other people to whatever you think is wonderful (e.g., swing your mouse wildly around the screen until the word Portfolio appears, then try to catch it before it disappears). Oh – and maybe it’s just me, but I have a heck of a time operating the flash sites with the slidey thumbnails that just move automatically. I can’t figure out how to make it stop, or I get stressed out if it speeds up too much.
Im going to keep trying to win one of your awesome contests !! Cheers!
I’m just starting the development of a new site and this would be great. Keep up the great giveaways.
went in search of animal shooters, saw you were in vancouver, hit on the site, loved it. checked the source code, found ‘fluid galleries’, very impressed; am coasting on dphoto while building my portfolio
Right on! This is a great giveaway.
Please please count me in. I was just thinking about trashing my website and starting over. Evrium was on my mind!
Great that you’re home again and blogging more. Thanks!
Joe McNally rocks! I love to get his book.
I have been interested in Fluid Gallieries since you showed it at the PDI in Temple TX with Matt last year. That might have been the best hundred bucks I spent on photography ever. I am still trying to work on the vision.
Following your stream of consciousness mood… just today something strange happened to me. I was walking downtown in Santiago de Chile, my hometown, after being away for about a month. I was going to drop my resume at a job offering. My photography just isn’t putting the bread on the table. And for the first time ever, I was really afraid. At first I thought it was related to crime on the streets somehow, but I slowly started to realize it was because of my giving up. And one of the things I said to myself is that I have to improve my website. I’m not saying your giveaway is a godsend that will make all my dreams come true, of course. But I really appreciate the chance.
Thanks for everything David.
You always have such great giveaways, David…thanks for thinking of us!
Hey David my site needs to be updated. I will keep the old one for those people that want to look at tons of images. It was a $95.00 template and has served me well to date. It is time to update and get a better look. I wanted one with individual flash galleries and combine that with searchable pages. I don’t know if that even makes sense:), but pick me and we can see if it works. J
I have just completed a site; http://www.larsen-images.com. Its a do it your self template, but I think that it looks good. Anyone in this community is welcome to look and critique.
The next one that I make will use Flash as it seems to be the only way to keep things from being stolen. If I am lucky it will be in Fluid Galleries.
Wow! Count me in..another great giveaway. Thanks!
Hi David. Couldn’t agree more re Flickr. I’ve had my eye on Evrium Fluid Galleries ever since stumbling across your site a couple years back. If I’m not the lucky winner, I may be interested in going halvesies with someone on the ’2-for-1′ deal they run every month.
Just renewed my subscription at SmugMug – but if nothing else this thread gives me the itch to tweak it up a bit. Thank you!
I’ve had a problem with most of these Flash Galleries – my site need so be in English and Japanese. But usually the Japanese comes out all weird, just like my photographs.
Fingers crossed…my website could do with a new pair of shoes or in this case a whole new Evrium wardrobe!
It’s been said, but I like using flickr for what it was intented. Showing picutures to friends and family that follow you. I agree that it is not the best professional presentation tool though. I post far more shots on flickr than I would want to show as my “best work”. http://www.flickr.com/photos/v3ggi32u
I have to agree with kate about flash. Many people can’t use it from work (like me), and it doesn’t run on all devices, like the iPhone. I have had a few editors tell me that if they can’t grab your (low res) images to try in a layout becuase of flash, they won’t use them.
I recently put up a cross browser javascript based site at http://www.christopherwardphotography.com that still has the images in a simple folder. It also has a way to degrade for the iPhone. I haven’t decided if I like the effect I did or not. It doesn’t lend well to adding more gallery’s either. But, it is somewhere to send people that looks interesting at least.
I need a new website so bad and I love coming here and begging you to pick me!!!
Hey, I was the first runner up with one of my photos from Ladakh a couple months ago. Too bad second place doesn’t get anything!
I know a lot of people use flickr, myspace and the like for professional purposes. For me, it ends up being mostly for personal use, a way to keep in touch with family and friends. I agree that a professinal looking website is so much better.
Thanks for sharing your wisdom, particularly in your last few blog entries. Plenty of food for thought
Cheers!
[...] Evrium Fluid Galleries: March Giveaway Announced. [...]
So I’m very impressed with Evrium Fluid Galleries. I would really like to have a professional site so I really hope that you draw my name.
Just noticed that David is the featured editorial photographer : http://www.evrium.com/demo/fg2p/
Just wanted to add about flickr that people’s most genuine and constructive critics are really scarce, and sometimes the people with most friends get their pictures raised to “explore” sometimes with no good reasons… Anywho, I have a website, not totally happy with it, so I’d be willing to start over again with Evrium Fluid Galleries
Thank goodness! – hate Flickr
I hate Flickr too! I thought I was the only one. Presentation is so key!
OK, I won’t waste my time uploading photos to flickr. Thanks for not allowing me to waste more of my time…
I would like to add some flash galleries to my site at http://www.johnthephotographer.com/
I do have a bludomain template there, but not really happy with it…
Evrium looks cool – signed up for the newsletter – will try the contest if I fail here.
thanks,
John
real people, real pictures
http://www.johnthephotographer.com/
David,
You’re absolutely right about Flickr not being the right platform for showcasing photography. Flickr is good for actually finding an audience for your professional photography site. This Evrium software seems fantastic. However, it’s only a good option for those who want to only show their work and attract clients. Smugmug and Photoshelter are a better option for those who also want full e-commerce integration into their site. And from what I’ve seen, photo galleries look amazing on those sites.
I’ve been wanting to set up a website and this looks like great software to use.
O yeeeeah sounds awesome!
I agree. I have never liked Flickr to display my photos. I do like the connections I’m building with area photographers, however. But I live in a town that is rather anemic when it comes to photographers. It’s a fairly tight-knit community. I digress.
I would love to get my hands on something that I could actually use to share my photos. My love of art, whatever the medium, does not stop at the creation aspect. I like to carry it through to the presentation. Flickr has not met that need, and neither has the freeware plugins that I’m using on my site currently.
thanks for another giveaway! a new website would be pretty cool! thx
I’d love one!
This looks like a great product. Thanks for the giveaway.
Yep, I’m in! And Tim, I would definitely be interested in going halvsies with you if we don’t win! Have been contemplating purchase for awhile but have noone to go halves with.
This flash gallery looks awesome!
Ooohhh, pick me! Pick me!
Hi David,
I fully agree with you about Flickr. I created an account for the Vancouver photo walk and haven’t used it since. Flickr has no appeal for me whatsoever. I wish I could get up the enthusiasm, but I just can’t…
Bay
I wouldn’t mind upgrade my portfolio to something better than flickr
Hey David,
I’ve been looking for a good looking gallery for so long this was I huge help!
Hey just wondering how this program compares to just using DW and building your own site?
I am sure that if I get a better web site, I will become a better photographer…
Thanks for keeping up the giveaways.
After checking out the Evrium website, looks pretty cool..and I could certainly use this to help me get my website up and running.
Thanks for keeping up these great giveaways!
Mmmmm…. Free stuff
I’m forever hopeful. thanks.
[...] Flickr. lisa on Evrium Fluid Galleries: March Giveaway Announced. [...]
thanks for the giveaways! great way to give back!
Evrium looks great! I love the horizontal scroll!
Great blog here! Thanks for investing your time to share and for the chance at the software!
Now David, how on earth have I been missing out on these giveaways, must have been to busy looking through the viewfinder rather than my screen
Keep up the good work on the blog, it’s an easy and unpretentious read. Not much of that around.
I am in for this giveaway.