Thread: How Many Pictures are in Your Gallery?

I'm taking a survey here. Yup, more web design queries, so bear with me

My web designer, who is awesome, and whose judgement I completely trust, has been encouraging me to take a scalpel to my image collection. He says 10pics is more than enough...but even that seems incredibly minimal to me. I've got about 20, live and studio, that I really, really love

I go on tons of photo shoots and pride myself on my work - but I'm also realizing that customers might not share my passion for creating stellar images. Many probably just want to get down to business and find out how to hire me. Then, there's the opposing logic that killer pics could be a valuable selling tool.

I want to see what the general consensus is on gallery size - or if there even is a consensus on the matter.

Who wants to be the first to take a stab?

I don't have a website, but I would do is just look at some of the top people's galleries. I believe Aziza of Montreal has quite a few photos.

20 doesn't sound like that many to me. I don't know what kind of design you're going for, but you could always have a different photo of you on every page of your site, to help minimize the number of photos in your actual gallery.

I know...that's what I was thinking. Especially if you divide it into Studio, Live, and/or any additional categories, to make it easier on the consumer's eyes.

Should be interesting to hear some other viewpoints, too!

We have lots, divided up by event or photo shoot. I know I love looking at photos, and for fans and friends and family, it's great to have more there, IMO. but not as one big gallery or wad of photos. Dvide them by categories of some sort and you're set.

Why not divide them into catagories (say: Stage performances, parties, studio photos, art, traditional, fusion...whatever)　 and pick the best photo of each catagory to be used above the link to the larger galleries...so you "gallery" page won't seem cluttered and will show you quickly looking good, but the rest of the images are there with a click or two for those who want a better idea of your range, or what booking a party with you might look like...

Here's a link to my gallery (I'm my own webmaster, so I only get to argue with myself, lol)

Media Gallery ~ Pictures and Video

i don't have a website, but as a viewer, i like it when there are quite a few pics (cos i like looking at them :) ), but not too many (to not feel flooded and overwhelmed).
definitely divide into categories!
but also, don't have 5000 pics per category. sometimes you get the impression someone puts every single pic they ever took in they're gallery pick the best ones.
also this may be just me, but i don't like having to scroll, or change pages within a category, i like having everything on one page.
also something that may be just me, i don't like those java programs that are used sometimes for photo galleries. because, usually when i go through a photo gallery, i scan through the thumbnails and Right-click -> Open in New Tab the pics that look interesting to me, but the java program thingy doesn't allow that, and it's annoying to be halfway through the gallery and realize that the 35 tabs you have that were supposed to be pics are just errors because java didn't allow them.
lol

Dividing them into 'studio' and 'action' shots seems common, although I don't really understand it from a customer's point of view.

What do they want to know when they look at pics? I'm guessing overall attractiveness, a sense of your stage presence and professionalism, and an idea of your costume collection.

Maybe a few pics that give a quick overview of you as a dancer -- your typical 'look' in most of them, then any props you might include in a show (sword, wings, veil, etc) and/or any folkloric looks in your arsenal. If I had the photo collection to work with, I'd use a mixture of live and studio shots. Any live shots that show you performing in a local highly-respected venue would be a huge plus, I think!!

Then I'd maybe add a text link at the bottom of that page that says 'More photos' so that other dancers (and *ahem* dance aficionados?) can see more shots if they want.

Some of your favorite shots will be sprinkled throughout the site, of course.

My personal pet peeve (not directed to Satin but to the dance community at large)-- shots that include poses the client would NEVER see at a dance show shouldn't appear on your site, or at least a person should have to drill down through several 'layers' to see them.

A client who has doubts about whether bellydancing might be too risqué for their event shouldn't be confronted with a dancer who is reclining in a pile of rose petals or otherwise looking like the Playmate of the Month in a fantasy costume.

I've seen a lot of *really* beautiful boudoir pics of dancers, and I understand the temptation to include them on the dancer's site, looking all sultry and magnificent. But I think from a business standpoint, and from a 'we're trying to shake the sex-industry image' standpoint... those should be hung on your bedroom wall, gifted to lovers, or on your personal myspace, etc.

My opinions, of course. YMMV

I've got a little over 30 in my gallery, a single one with both live performance and studio shots. I tend to have more performance shots than studio in the gallery because I think a lot of clients want to see a representation of what I look like at a gig without special lighting, photoshopping, etc.

my opinion wont be of much held b.c I have alot too. LOL. I too have alot that I love. being a photographer I tend to take alot..or have my hubby...or when I am lucky enough, Audra does some...so I end up w/ a ton...I have it broken down to a studio pics gallery and a performance gallery

**I openly admit I am a photo snob...it is rare I am in pics since I am always behind the camera...so when I look nice..i do a shoot....happens every couple of months when I get my hair done...LOL

Originally Posted by Lauren_

My personal pet peeve (not directed to Satin but to the dance community at large)-- shots that include poses the client would NEVER see at a dance show shouldn't appear on your site, or at least a person should have to drill down through several 'layers' to see them.

A client who has doubts about whether bellydancing might be too risqué for their event shouldn't be confronted with a dancer who is reclining in a pile of rose petals or otherwise looking like the Playmate of the Month in a fantasy costume.

I've seen a lot of *really* beautiful boudoir pics of dancers, and I understand the temptation to include them on the dancer's site, looking all sultry and magnificent. But I think from a business standpoint, and from a 'we're trying to shake the sex-industry image' standpoint... those should be hung on your bedroom wall, gifted to lovers, or on your personal myspace, etc.

My opinions, of course. YMMV

I'd have to agree that boudoir stylings are very difficult to pull off - and not advisable in the vast majority of cases. I am tooooooooooootally guilty as charged of holding a single red rose, running my fingers through my hair, and lounging on fancy furniture! I also tend to love shooting in odd settings, like rocky beaches, gardens, mansions, etc. So I am technically not in any place to hate on the unconventional or studio shots that display a tasteful modicum of sex appeal. (I'm not accusing you of drinking the Haterade, Lauren! I know you're peeved by one very specific look that also peeves me, too).

But I've seen quite a few pictures where a dancer is rolling around on her back, or her back is arched and eyes are closed....it's all in the eyes of the beholder, but the common "expression of ecstasy" just doesn't seem to work on most dancers. Photographic cliche? Yes. Universally flattering? Uhhhhhhhh. Jerry Bezdikian does this look beautifully, but he avoids the scary intensity because his models generally seem to be looking away from the camera and not making porno faces. It's sexy but still commercially viable.

Interestingly, I've limited the number of shots by my boyfriend to just a few. By virtue of me being in love with the guy behind the camera, there's a little too much, uhhh, intensity, in some of our studio shots - it's not over the top, just in the way I make eye contact with the camera. The only shots I've posted of his are the ones where I'm looking down or away from the camera. Hmmmmm.....

Originally Posted by SatinWorship19

I'd have to agree that boudoir stylings are very difficult to pull off - and not advisable in the vast majority of cases. I am tooooooooooootally guilty as charged of holding a single red rose, running my fingers through my hair, and lounging on fancy furniture! I also tend to love shooting in odd settings, like rocky beaches, gardens, mansions, etc. So I am technically not in any place to hate on the unconventional or studio shots that display a tasteful modicum of sex appeal.

Yup, not hating just sharing an opinion. I'm fine with odd settings (and it's not inconceivable that you might dance in a garden or a mansion!).

Lounging on furniture holding a rose and running your fingers through the hair... that's one I wouldn't use. We've had whole threads about how insulting it is when clients expect us to lounge around at an event, looking sexy and eating grapes or whatever, so if you're showing them furniture-lounging in your promo materials, I don't think you'll have a right to be all indignant if they ask you to do it on a gig. You sold them that image -- of us all.

If you aren't willing to do it on a gig, you shouldn't sell it on your website.

Again, I fully expect that some people won't share my opinion.

deleted. I was being very naughty and picking on a dancer who isn't present to defend herself on Bhuz.

deleted. I was being very naughty and picking on a dancer who isn't present to defend herself on Bhuz.

Originally Posted by Lauren_

Lounging on furniture holding a rose and running your fingers through the hair... that's one I wouldn't use. We've had whole threads about how insulting it is when clients expect us to lounge around at an event, looking sexy and eating grapes or whatever, so if you're showing them furniture-lounging in your promo materials, I don't think you'll have a right to be all indignant if they ask you to do it on a gig. You sold them that image -- of us all.

*sigh* It is something for me to think about. Sometimes, we do give the general public too much credit for what they do and don't know about BD. Maybe I can address the lounging requests in a cleverly written FAQ

And those pictures you posted for reference are just downright scary. 'Nuff said ..c::

Oops, thought I deleted that!

Didn't mean to jack your thread into my personal pet peeves, Satin. I should've spun that off. I'll let you get back to the topic at hand.

My short answer - offer to compromise with your webmaster by having 10 pics on your gallery page, with a link to 'more pics' where you can have as many as you like.

Originally Posted by SatinWorship19

Maybe I can address the lounging requests in a cleverly written FAQ

Q: Are you going to come in, dance around a bit, than hang out the rest of the evening out my couch eating grapes and caressing your hair in a sensual manner?
A: No, sorry, all I do is dance.

..l;,

Lauren - your topic is more interesting than mine! It's valuable to see where we draw our individual boundaries of taste. No worries about the spinoff ..g.:

My webmaster is amenable to doing separate galleries. Now, by a link to "more pics," do you mean a link to Flickr, Photobucket or one of those sites?

Originally Posted by Kathiya

Q: Are you going to come in, dance around a bit, than hang out the rest of the evening out my couch eating grapes and caressing your hair in a sensual manner?
A: No, sorry, all I do is dance.

..l;,

LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Or how 'bout:

Q: Will you lounge around on cushions and feed grapes to the birthday boy?
A: Due to swine flu concerns, I am presently unable to accommodate this request.

.w.:

Originally Posted by SatinWorship19

LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Or how 'bout:

Q: Will you lounge around on cushions and feed grapes to the birthday boy?
A: Due to swine flu concerns, I am presently unable to accommodate this request.

.w.:

How 'bout: Sure! That'll be $300 for every 15 minutes of lounging and grape feeding.

Bwahahahahahahahaha....

Now, Tex, that almost makes me want to go eat grapes on some stranger's couch.

Almost. ..c::

there should be a price-per-grape past a certain lounging time ^^ cos if you hafta hang out the whole evening eating grapes, that bloody 200th grape better well be worth it financially :D

Hahahaha! Cost-per-grape. I LOVE it.

Heck, why can't they be artesinal chocolate truffles, or chocolate covered strawberries? I'd be much more enticed by offers of finger food if it involved chocolate.

Then, of course, I'd need to dance a 25-minute set afterward to burn off all the calories. Cool! That would be a great way to con an extra $250 out of them.

I am so naughty. ..l;,

Originally Posted by SatinWorship19

Hahahaha! Cost-per-grape. I LOVE it.

Heck, why can't they be artesinal chocolate truffles, or chocolate covered strawberries? I'd be much more enticed by offers of finger food if it involved chocolate.

Then, of course, I'd need to dance a 25-minute set afterward to burn off all the calories. Cool! That would be a great way to con an extra $250 out of them.

I am so naughty. ..l;,

Mmmmmm... I'll give you $1000 if you'll come over right NOW and feed me chocolate truffles!

(Dear diary: Day 2 of my fitness plan, feeling a *bit* deprived)

..l;,

(i love how completely freestyle this thread went ^^ and Lauren was apologizing for being somewhat off-topic... ..g.:)

Well, I don't have a website but I visit them often and I enjoy looking at the photos.

I too, like the idea of having the pictures grouped together. It looks more professional than just everything thrown into one page.(Just my opinion). I also like it when dancers have more live pictures than studio b/c it "looks" like they have a pretty heavy schedule and know what they are doing. Studio pics. are nice but they are kinda cold compared to live pictures.

I think I would tell your designer to stick to designing the content you want on your site. LOL!!!

Originally Posted by SatinWorship19

Lauren - your topic is more interesting than mine! It's valuable to see where we draw our individual boundaries of taste. No worries about the spinoff ..g.:

My webmaster is amenable to doing separate galleries. Now, by a link to "more pics," do you mean a link to Flickr, Photobucket or one of those sites?

I was picturing more pages within your own site, in the same style.

So one page with enough pics to give a client an overview of your look (and alternative looks), then links to more pages for those of us who like to look at pics.

I'm with your designer in that more than 10 pics on a single page and any visitor who's on dial-up is going to get disgusted and just close the window.

Categorizing also makes sense, but 'live action' and 'studio shots' don't make sense with how a client wants to view the pics.

Maybe 'birthday party show' 'stage shows' 'weddings' and 'folkloric styles' or something like that would meet their browsing needs better? Each category showing the types of costumes, props, audience interaction (or not), venues that a person might see if they hired you? Just a thought...

I love lots of pics! Like mentioned above, just seperate them out.