Website Critique

[Mattsbagger]

32 minutes ago, LatigoAmigo said:

You may not be interested, but there are various ways to gain access to Photoshop and Lightroom at a reasonable price. This link shows several options. Check the Students and Teachers section for discounted student pricing.

https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/plans.html

Thanks my wife works at a University and is a licensed educator!

[Jack1970]

I like it!  One thing that might be good is to expand your "about us" section a little.  Maybe you could sell yourself as an artisan in that section.  You're work is beautiful, btw!  Very clean!

[JLSleather]

I'm not one to really care about your "about" page -- most of it just made up BS anyway (I mean web sites in general).  But in the end, I want a GOOD PRODUCT, and I don't much care HOW you got there, or who works for you, or if you grow your own cows.  None of that matters to me -- Im interested in the PRODUCT I"m buying.  

Not once have I been in a store and asked a cashier about what else they do, unless she's SO cute she got me temporarily NOT thinking about what I'm here to buy (which has happened, though not frequent  ).  Never asked one about the interview for their job, or what they did when they were younger.  Don't care if she went to school for this position, or how long she's been doing it (though, that cute girl MAY be asked when she's done for the day, and if my buddy is with me she may be asked about any sisters ...).

[Jack1970]

1 hour ago, JLSleather said:

I'm not one to really care about your "about" page -- most of it just made up BS anyway (I mean web sites in general).  But in the end, I want a GOOD PRODUCT, and I don't much care HOW you got there, or who works for you, or if you grow your own cows.  None of that matters to me -- Im interested in the PRODUCT I"m buying.  

Not once have I been in a store and asked a cashier about what else they do, unless she's SO cute she got me temporarily NOT thinking about what I'm here to buy (which has happened, though not frequent  ).  Never asked one about the interview for their job, or what they did when they were younger.  Don't care if she went to school for this position, or how long she's been doing it (though, that cute girl MAY be asked when she's done for the day, and if my buddy is with me she may be asked about any sisters ...).

And yet, the front page of your website has exactly what I'm talking about.

[Tob]

Also, for all that that has  been said, you can use the background to tell Photoshop Elements that an area is white. Can get interesting results if you use another color other than white.

Another tip is to select your object in its entirety, then invert the selection and fill with white.

Bear in mind that was a quick and dirty job. I also used GIMP. 

[JLSleather]

Oh - well that's about the LEATHER.  I thought you meant them OTHER folks.. you know the ones -- wen't to high school in Yugoslavia (or whatever)... in teh french foregin legion (or whatever) til I was older, then worked as a yutubetramp til I was even older ...

And other assorted BS having nothing to do with what I'm trying to buy

Do your programs not allow you to use transparent backgrounds?

Edited November 13, 2018 by JLSleather

[Mattsbagger]

33 minutes ago, Tob said:

Also, for all that that has  been said, you can use the background to tell Photoshop Elements that an area is white. Can get interesting results if you use another color other than white.

Another tip is to select your object in its entirety, then invert the selection and fill with white.

Bear in mind that was a quick and dirty job. I also used GIMP. 

Our big problem every thing you said is like you are speaking Greek. Lol

[Jack1970]

22 minutes ago, JLSleather said:

Oh - well that's about the LEATHER.  I thought you meant them OTHER folks.. you know the ones -- wen't to high school in Yugoslavia (or whatever)... in teh french foregin legion (or whatever) til I was older, then worked as a yutubetramp til I was even older ...

And other assorted BS having nothing to do with what I'm trying to buy

Do your programs not allow you to use transparent backgrounds?

I hear ya.  I was not particularly clear.  I don't think a bunch of irrelevant stuff that a customer has to sort through is a very good strategy either.  I was thinking of something like you've done with your site.  I wouldn't say it's just about the leather.  A person looking at your site knows not only that you use quality leather, they know that you're a one man shop, they can discern your guiding philosophy (quality over hype and no BS), and that you know and can articulate what a person should be looking for in a leather good (educating your customer). 

[Tob]

Ah, yeah sorry.

https://digital-photography-school.com/white-balance-on-a-jpeg-in-photoshop-elements-and-lightroom/ to set white balance.

https://www.essential-photoshop-elements.com/change-background-color.html  to change background color.

Sometimes I prefer a web page tutorial, if I screw up a step (which happens all too frequently), I can just skim the page to get back on track. Harder to do with videos. That is my experience.

 

[SilverForgeStudio]

I know Im late to the game- apologies.

One thing I have used in the past to assist me in another employment venture is looking around at a community college or university art program and having a chat with a photography instructor- We used students learning commercial photography for "test-product" shoots and the students worked free (for a project grade) and the caveat is their photography was used with their name citation for them to build a professional reference. 

Worked out well until the university started wanting to charge us for the studio/student time (But we were able to get 4 product runs and 2 catalogs of stock photos out of it FREE!)

Just a thought if you have the ability to schmooze and the opportunity to be close enough to tap this as a resource.