In the days of film and dark rooms, successful photographers only required one skill; the ability to take good pictures. Today, however, having an impressive online portfolio carries equal weight. Many website builders provide practically everything needed to create a professional website. Still, with the abundance of flash templates, portfolio website templates and content management systems available, many photographers find creating an online portfolio and deciding what to include daunting. This post looks at 6 current trends in photography web design worth noting.
1. Minimalism and Simplicity
Minimalism continues to be a big trend in photography web page design. Stripping a landing page of superfluous elements allows your best images to stand out and successfully create homepage interest. By eliminating visual pollution, visitors quickly gain an understanding of what you, not your Website developer, can do. With powerful imagery, you have the capability of whetting your visitors' visual appetites and inspiring them to delve deeper into your website.
2. Using HTML5 and CSS3 over Flash
iPhones', iPods' and iPads' inability to support or make use of Flash, give rise to an added element of complexity when creating a digital portfolio or web design. Because of this shortcoming, websites designed to use Flash intro, a technique heavily relied upon by many photography portfolios, loose out to a staggering number of potential visitors. Fortunately, HTML5 and CSS3 bring alternatives ways to provide a level of interactivity and display options to the millions of iPhone, iPod and iPad users.
3. Scattered Photographs
Displaying scattered photographs and thumbnails is another trend we can expect to see more of on photography websites. This fun concept welcomes visitors to scan scattered images in search of clues for visuals of interest. More appealing and exciting than orderly displayed photographs, scattered photos provide site users the advantage of making exciting discoveries. A number of website builders offer the availability of free website photo galleries and publishing platforms. Incorporating a random layout of photographs to an existing web page involves simply uploading your images and allowing the program or plug-in to do the work.
4. Large Background Images
With increasing monitor resolution and blazing Internet speed, comes the welcomed trend of huge background images. One beautiful over-sized photo, placed boldly on your landing page, can easily communicate a thousand plus words. By filling up blank website space, this popular technique works masterfully in drawing your users' attention and holding their interests. Embedding over-sized background images within your photography portfolio is a huge trend and one that is not likely to go away anytime soon.
5. Subtle Grunge
Expect to see more subtle elements of grunge design used in photography websites. This technique, when used sparingly, can offer a more genuinely realistic and rigid look to your photo gallery. More importantly, subtle grunge enables you to convey an individual note.
6. Modal and Light Boxes
Finally, thanks to new technology seen in the latest versions of website builders, a new generation of pop up windows are popping up all over photography web designs. The user clicks a thumbnail and the image pops up in a scaled-up, clean version. User friendly, modal and light boxes offer a different method of exhibiting images, text and videos. One of the trends biggest advantages is the visitor's ability to concentrate on relevant pictures without leaving the page. This aspect makes the modal and light box technique a favorite among many web designers and site visitors.