Be Excellent To Each Other

Hey folks, ever get bored at work and want something to browse? Well you're in luck, because I'm going to be setting up my spiffing website entitled, "Pete Takes Pictures" this Monday. All going well.

Unless I call it, "Pete Talks Pictures", in which case... yeah. Any alternate names welcome. I'm publishing through Squarespace as it nicely straddles the portfolio and blog layout I'm after, and its templates easy enough for a dullard like me to tinker with. Alas, it does have a fee, but I can stomach it, and I get a domain name out of it among other things. Don't hit me Doc Gaywood, please.

So, you'll be able to find a blog (that I'll actually commit to) and my portfolio there, plus any photo projects on the go and full, unfettered access to a splendid array of US Civil War in the UK pics, with a link to buy the book when I self publish through Blurb later. The blog will not only cover my own photography and fun stuff, but news, reviews, articles and hopefully interviews on other photographers out there who cut the mustard. Plus film reviews, because, y'know, it's me. (I can argue that I'm judging them from a visual cinematopographical-photomographical perspective, or something.) But I'll also be really chuffed if you lot, who are far more web-savvy than I, offer me any advice as to where I'm going wrong - in layout, conciseness, whatever. Plus, if you can tip me off as to how it's looking on your newfangled mobile devices, that'd be cool too.

Main thing is getting the intro right. Man, why is web design so cocking hard?

So, er, yeah - Monday, with luck!

Excellent! Looking forward to seeing it, Sir!

Sounds ace!

Sounds good! Also I am now singing 'Pete takes pictures' to the tune of 'Papa loves mambo'. It doesn't really work.

Yeah! Good work sir!

Great stuff, it'll be awesome.

Good luck with it. Hopefully you'll still post pictures on here as I do enjoy them.

I approve

I have to say that does look like an awesome service. Let us know when we should take a peak...

I approve of this product and/or service.

And it's up! Finally!

http://petetakespictures.com/

Bit rough and ready, gotta work on the intro and stuff. The only existing person on the net who'd used petetakespictures before was for a wordpress blog with a .blogspot.co.uk rider, and hasn't updated since early 2008 with a mere two posts to his name, so feel pretty lucky there. Hope you like. Gotta get my head round a lot of this website malarky first though... and I have a nagging temptation to change the layout.

Tell me what you think anyhow. I'll be asking for advice soon, no doubt.

Yay!

I like it, a lot, content wise.
A couple of formatting things, I'm not sure the square grid layout on the home page does anything for your photos, and it takes a while to load.

Mm, I'm torn. I quite like the grid format because it shows a good variety, and I like the banner. However, there is a big full-screen 'frontrow' option that basically puts a full on photo up big that's tempting, where mouse clicks propel you through. My concern with that one though is that it might play merry hell with my aspect ratios.

Squarespace allows you to switch templates fairly easily at anytime, so I can meddle easily.

http://www.squarespace.com/templates/

Yay! Only 3 weeks late too.

It's just occurred to me that Pete's site is probably the last blog I'll ever add to Google Reader.

That's a great site, Pete.

Hey folks!

Exciting new content available now up at http://petetakespictures.com - it's the practically complete SOSKAN US Civil War photo project, all online and awaiting your perusal. There's even a dinky intro-essay. It's split into four galleries, in total around 280 photos. I'd rather it was less to be honest, but 'till I distribute the CD's at the next big SOSKAN bash I'm letting everyone have a chance to see their mugs up there.

So, if yer bored pop over and tell me what you think. Any constructive criticism is welcome. Later on I'll be putting captions to some of them.

Christ on a bike, Pete, you're good. I really hope you start making a load of money from your photography, becuse you bloody well deserve to.

Looking good Pete.

Had a cursory skim through, but there's loads of excellent stuff up there deserving to be savoured at a more leisurely pace.

Hey Pete,

Your site looks great, will definitely be spending some time going through it all. I can only seem to see the pictures when I access it through Firefox or IE however, when I go in Chrome (my main browser) I can see the header and the options but see no photos at all, not sure if it is just a issue at my end or if it is a wider problem you need to worry about. Just though I should let you know.

Keep up the awesome work

SG

You are a good photographer, Pete. Your site looks brillsticks. The civil war stuff is really lovely. I love the one of the rifleman wearing glasses, it's so crisp and clear while being very atmospheric.

So, after an age of umming and ahhing, I've finally decided on a final look for the website and blog. It's a lot more minimalist now and puts the photos up front and centre. I've switched a fair few of the photos for different ones and tried to keep only my faves up there. I like the new blog layout more too. If anyone's got any thoughts or suggestions, please let me know. I'm pretty sold on this final cut though.

Kern, I've pruned the US Civil War pics down a hell of a lot as I might be trying for an exhibition next year after getting some more material. I've had some of the Third Floor Gallery elders take a look and they think it has potential. They also pointed to a couple of photos I dismissed that they reckon have something. So you'll see some differences and one or two up there that you haven't seen before. I'll probably make the full set online as a drop-box thing for Soskan folk who want it.

As ever, link in my sig. Let me know folks, and tell me what operating system you're looking at it through, and on what screen. It's supposed to scale well but I only have my laptop and regular 16:9 desktop monitor to check them and no smart phone or iPad, so it'd be cool to know.

Ta!

Good luck on getting the gallery show.

Had a look on my iPad this morning and it worked nicely. I think it showcases your work really well, seeing it all together like that highlights what talent you've got going on there, Pete. If they don't give you the show they are fools. FOOLS!

Location: Cardiff

Yet two of your categories are "America". Did you move?

Your revamped site looks great, Pete.

If id seen this earlier I would have suggested 'Petures' as the name. Try it in totally racist Mexican.


Peeeeetures.

Only in my head.



"You want peeetures? You don't need no stinkin' peetures!"

I saw an interview with Eli Wallach. It was like that bit after Dermot's death when they interview Father Jack who comes across as a Werthers Original grandpa in real life. Completely discombobulating.

Glad you lot like. Squarespace is jolly good, despite occassionally not allowing things in template design it clearly should. One thing I really like is the 24/7 chat advice which is really useful. I got stumped on a couple of minor but niggling things and got answers straight away from their support, which was nice.

Hey folks!

Website's still a-going, though I haven't updated in a month. That's because I was putting the X100 through its paces and didn't want to post until I had an opinion, like, maaan.

Here's the linky: http://petetakespictures.com/blog/

It's a gear review with pictures, and the internet says that those are popular, so, er, click. I've been using the X100 a hell of a lot these last two weeks. Most of what I've taken has been somewhat incompetent, but there's lots of stuff to come.

Also, I passed the 100,000 photo-view marker on Flickr t'other day. Hurrah!

Really? I've got 128,000, and I hardly ever put stuff on there any more

Thats because everyones searchijg for the infamous ice cream munching creatorof little savages, naturally.

128,000?1 Am I so out of touch?

...

No. No. It is the children who are wrong.

Hey folks.

So I had my first paid photo-gig not so long ago. It was a big Greek birthday for a lovely 90 year old lady. I stayed all day, shooting it out. And now the photos are up on my blog. There's far too many of them up there, and some need a little more finessing and some need weeding out, but I'm quite pleased with it all.

Not been around on Beex much lately owing to stuff going on - been quite busy! Which is a shame, as I'm missing the Beexing, so I shall potter around here more soon and write more confounding articles on obscure 1950's sci-fi films or whatever.

As ever: http://petetakespictures.com/blog

My limited knowledge of sweet looking elderly greek women suggests that you are now probably engaged to one of her great-great-granddaughters, whether you know it or not.


It looks as if everyone there had a really great time - loads of really natural looking smiles all round!

Our Mrs Pete?

Hey guys and gals!

The blog still goes, despite a brief post-Berlin pause. There's a new chunky post up where I ramble a bit and post more photos of drunk people. Figured I'd let you know in case you were stuck for something to read during coffee break.

I've found a neat new feature on the blog where I can add a carousel of featured posts at the bottom for ease of browsing through earlier additions. More handsome than the usual side calendar. (Which admittedly my template choice doesn't support. Gngh.)

http://petetakespictures.com/blog

Let me know what you think, if you fancy.

Wotcha, buddies.

So I dipped into my website's traffic and analytics page today. It had been quite a while since I'd taken a look as I found myself amusingly incapable of predicting what blog post was going to be popular or not in the matter of hits, which is probably for the best, as I'd be writing for an audience and not for myself. Anyway, pleased to see its chugging along nicely with a little milestone passed. Here's the breakdown...

(Visits to date are since records began in Jan 2014.)

Visits this month: 4,512
Visits this Year: 48.4k
Visits to date: 104k

Unique visitors this month: 3,945
Unique visitors this year: 31.8k
Unique visitors to date: 69.9k

So yeah, passed the 100k milestone this month. I have no idea what that proves, or even how good it is in the scope of personal photography website things, but it is ample justification to buy a decent bottle of Nero Mascalese. Anyway, I was wondering how to push it further. I think more content in the form of increasing to two (count 'em!) big blog posts a month and one little one. Also I guess I have to effectively engage with twitter but aaargh.

Do you guys who visit get pinged automatically when I update? Does my RSS Subscription option and Subscribe by Email actually work okay for you? Or do you just direct link check in now and again? Should I be doing anything particularly crafty?

I'm going to be making more content anyway soon as a writer for the Ffoton Wales website and next year some zines. I'd like to maybe kick things up to the point of doing zines and pdf books you can order from an online store a year from now. Who knows, eh? At the very least it'll provide entertaining immerse distraction for me, and with a bit of luck for a few readers too.

Glad to hear it's going well Pete. I tend to rely on your posts here to learn about updates, but do drop by the site from time to time for visual stimulation.

Cheers Kern mate.

Whiskey. Developing random photos. Need to do more street. Energy there. Need to post more random shit.









Need to shoot more colour.

Also new blog post at PeteTakesPictures dudes.

http://petetakespictures.com/blog/thetrialofoscarwilde

Decided to do this thing on Facebook using a random date generator, where a day between 01/01/2015 and 31/12/2017 is chosen on a computational whim and I have to choose an image within three days either side of the date. Figured I'd post them here as well for relentless self-aggrandisement! To be mysterious I offer no captions, no context, no sepia. Here's the first...