#website research

Nook and a small shop in Plymouth that have lots of crates outside with lots of plants on and it looks overgrown so there is a focus on plants but plants as an item that improves the space you're in but also taking care of the plants.

prick have a mailing list and a good illustrative style and good mixture of promotional items.

Prick is very like a clothing brand and appeals to a younger audience, focus on trends and being youthful. 

Horti doesn't seem to be very focused on aesthetic so much,  It does focus on selling points and experience of plants within the products though. 

This is the archival website of Marc Horowitz. 

*images used for educational purposes only* 

I remember coming across this website in second year, I was drawn to Horowitz’s presentation of his archive as a hot-line number. Horowitz is a painter and performance artist. I think that this is such an interesting way to show another part of yourself to the audience that make it to your website. The option to call and listen to Horowitz talk openly and ramblingly about his work is a unique experience. 

The form of this site allows the artist to present with coherence and understanding large bodies of work. This is something I need to keep myself aware of because my projects tend to be long and incorporating many different levels and finding a way to present such quantities of work and keep them interesting is important.

This website is wonderfully executed with the transition between pages working seamlessly, for example, the next page will slide down from the top. It feels expensive and isn’t clunky. The use of one solid colour *yellow* throughout all of the site creates coherence between all projects. 

This is the website of multimedia fine-artist, Darren Bader.

*images used for educational purposes only*

This website is rather tricky to manoeuvre. Each letter l-e-b-v-i leads you to a different part of the site. Some buttons reveals screenshots, slide shows, photographic works, it is a-mess with content. However, what I find inspiring about this site, is that when we look at Bader’s work we can see the website as a microcosm of his installations.

“Bader’s conceptual hobbyhorses include: word works, pairings, impossible sculpture, misattribution, object fetishism, and trash sculptures. His exhibitions are often collaborative in nature, exploring and questioning the interconnectedness of seemingly disparate objects through complex (re)arrangements, surprise juxtapositions, and absurd associations.” 

I borrowed the above quote from the Blum & Poe gallery website. You can see how well aligned the aesthetic of the website is with the artist’s intention and focus. This idea of trash culture, misappropriated and rearranged something akin to the Dada’s and Surrealists is screaming from the page, the photographs you come across are often pixellated, there is nothing high or fine about the aesthetic. 

I enjoy the fact that this website isn’t polished, it isn’t perfect, it reminds me of when websites were beginning back in the 2000s and I find a wonderful nostalgia in that. It works for Bader and his style of art, but it probably wouldn’t work for me....something I have struggled with when curating the website is that I want to be able to document all the things I have created. Big projects, small projects, in the middle projects, I would like to have all of them stored online. My memory is terrible too and it would be a great pool of resources. A personal archive is something I will work on at a later date and it will have to be analogous with anyotherkingdom but run with a different host.    

This is the website of neo-conceptual artist Wim Delvoye,  known for his inventive and often shocking projects. Much of his work is focused on the body. He repeatedly links the attractive with the repulsive, creating work that holds within it inherent contradictions – one does not know whether to stare, be seduced, or to look away.

*images used for education purposes only*

I chose this website because it was different which always captures my attention - I am aware that this is more a result of what I like rather than what will suit my work. I would not want to replicate this idea but use it to catapult me towards an idea of my own. The home-page features a sims like map, clicking on a different lot takes you to a different project on the website. 

Homepage - The homepage works excellently, it captures the weird and wonderful nature of Delvoye’s work and its vast reaching references and applications. 

Search bar - This is something that comes in handy when the website is very full like an archive, I would like to make an online archive or storage space that I can upload all of my projects and art work. I intend to live my life on the move for a few years after uni but this doesn’t mean I want to lose the artworks that I make along the way. 

Work page - I think this page is unsuccessful, the big green buttons under neath projects which are animated and enlarge when you hover near them are clunky. They also stop me from viewing a good size portion of the site, it feels spread over too much white space. 

About - This website has no about section, to find out more about the artist I had to travel to wiki. 

Who Is Bella Kotak

It is no secret that I have been an avid admirer of Bella Kotak’s work for years, I have followed her since college which is basically a lifetime ago. Her work is vastly different from that of Brandon Woelfel and that is clearly seen in how they style their websites. Each have aspects that I like and dislike but every website I see teaches me something. Kotak is known for her feminine and fairy tale shots that have so much detail you could spend hours looking at every single line and shade. They truly look like paintings and the way she has styled her website shows that.

First Look

When you first head to the website (found at https://www.bellakotak.com/) you open onto what I call the main page where you can scroll through the most recent images. It isn’t an endless scroll so there is an end point however there is a lot of images on that first page that you can go through. They are clearly a selection of what Kotak thinks is her best as I remember some of the images from when I was in school, so it isn’t necessarily new work but rather a reflection of the photographer and her aesthetic.All of her images seem to follow a similar colour palette, mostly golds and greens which all flow nicely into one another and maybe it is that careful curating that will keep people looking through the portfolio.

One of the standout points of this first page, aside from the beautiful images, obviously, is the logo she chose. Kotak went with her initials which is a simple choice but the logo is anything but. The colours match her style perfectly with a grey toned blue being the main focus with gold detailing that rings through most of her work. It almost appears as if it is watercolours which further adds to her dreamy fairytale aesthetic. A logo is a good calling card that gets people's attention and helps them remember your brand whilst also giving you a way to express your style of photography without necessarily using one of your images. 

Stories and Blog

To navigate the website you click on stories, this opens a drop down menu where you can get to specific image series. The one shown above is Floral Storm. The drop down menu is an interesting choice as while it is okay and easy enough to use on a desktop version and can cause problems for those viewing on mobile which can lead to people ruling you out before they have even seen your full portfolio. This might be why so much of her portfolio is available to look at from the homescreen. 

The other interesting thing I found whilst navigating Kotak’s website is when you click the blog you are actually taken to a different website (found at (http://www.bellakotakphotography.com/). I’m not sure why Kotak made this choice and I personally wouldn’t as I feel it disturbs the flow of the website, however I do like the fact that she includes a blog. Like her photography style she has a very whimsical way of writing and weaves her blog posts more like a story and this just further adds to the character of her website. It is a great way for her to get in contact with people who admire her work and want to learn but also a way for prospective clients to see just what it is Bella Kotak will be like to work with. 

Review

When I started Looking at Bella Kotak’s website for inspiration I thought that I would love every single aspect of it because I truly adore her work but I have been shocked to find that as I have analysed and written this I actually don’t agree with a lot of it. I appreciate every choice and am by no means saying ehr website is awful but more that it doesn’t match the personal preferences for a website that I have in my own head. So while I won’t be implementing a lot of what I have seen from this particular piece of research I have learnt something that I think is absolutely vital. That is that you may have an image in your head of what you think you want based on the other people you like but that does not mean it is right for you and something that you should strive to replicate. Instead you should have a lot of varied research to find little individual aspects that when put together create you. 

That aside I did find some things that I liked that I want to try on my own website that I feel will add to it and help it be the most polished version of itself that it can be. The first being the logo. A good logo that is representative of the brand is important as it will carry through in everything. It can be on your website, you Instagram, your YouTube channel, your business card and really anything else you want to put it on. It is through this that you can become a brand that is recognisable and that is one of the most important things in this industry. What is important to note is that it should be simple, while Kotak’s may seem ornate and in a way it is, it is still very clearly just her initials, something that is easy to remember and most definitely associated with her. 

Who is Brandon Woelfel 

Woelfel is one of the first photographers I remember seeing on youtube that managed to create a perfect instagram feed, run a youtube channel and maintain a website. He photographs the so called instagram and tumblr aesthetics that are so popular now. When it comes to reaching his target audience he has hit the nail on the head, the modern celebrity influencers flock to him for their promo shots and it is no wonder why. There is no shortage of work for woelfel and I certainly wouldn’t mind being rushed off my feet with work like he is. 

First Look 

So when you first go to Brandon Woelfel’s website (found at https://www.brandonwoelfel.com/) you are greeted with this very sweet and romantic image of a couple under a lit up umbrella, something that could be considered a classic Woelfel. The opening page is already grabbing your attention and giving you an idea of what is to come. It is this opening page that will draw you in further and makes people want to know more. When it comes to building your website you want to grab people very quickly, first impressions really do matter, it is that first look that could decide whether or not they hire you for a project. By taking one of your best images and displaying that, standalone, in such a straightforward way will clearly show just what your style is. 

Added with the very simple information in the bottom centre, people are getting all the information they need. It shows where he is based, which can help people make a very quick decision of if he is a suitable choice for their project. It is followed up by his email address which means that he can be quickly contacted without having to spend ages scrolling for contact information. If you wanted to get further into the website to see more examples of his work you can follow the portfolio and instagram links and icons to take you to all of his social media line the bottom in tiny bubbles. 

Main Page

The very first thing that grabs my attention when you navigate to Woelfel’s ain page is his name/logo. With his first name in a simple bold font and the word “photography” in the same font just a tad smaller and plain, his surname Woelfel stands out all the more. The soft cursive script is a great representation of his style and I have never seen someone make that choice before. Using typography isn’t something photographers often think about that, they say a picture speaks 1000 words but sometimes they way a word is written can say more than a photo ever can and this is something that should be utilised. You want the people that visit your website to remember your name so if they or anyone they know is looking for a photographer, your name pops into their head, by using a unique typography you are one step closer to being remembered and building a client base. 

What I found really interesting was his choice to include a section of before and afters. Not many photographers are willing to let people view their raws and fewer that will let you see how they make their adjustments to get their unique look. With someone like Brandon Woelfel he has a very clear style, one that is instantly recognisable but he isn’t secretive about how he achieves it and allows people to recreate his look. It has got him known enough that recreations are known as Woelfel aesthetic and this positive contribution to the community makes one more sought after and admirable. 

I think the big thing about Woelfel’s and indeed most photography websites is they offer some insight into the personal. In this case it is the before and after shots and the section you see above that shows you what equipment it is that he uses frequently. This little insight makes the viewer feel like they know who created the website. As a photographer you are offering a service where often you are working very directly with whoever contacted you and saw your website so letting them know a little about you can make all the difference. This is especially vital in smaller commissions where the client may feel a little nervous about meeting someone who they don’t know, by showing your personality they will relax and be more open through the process and keeping your clients comfortable is always the top priority. In the case of Woelfel using his sharing of his gear, while I appreciate the idea that isn’t what I would use to go about getting this effect. I feel something like a blog would be far more suited to me and my style.  

What Will I be Implementing 

Looking at this website the one thing I noticed that I didn’t go into detail about above was the very simple colour scheme. When I created my website I went for colours I felt best reflected my practice, however after looking at this website, I feel that it would be best to simplify. By taking back the colour scheme to something easier the images will only stand out more and that is what we want at the end of the day. 

The other thing I would like to try is the kind of introduction page. I want to highlight one image that I feel really reflects my work and grabs people’s attention. Something that will draw them further into my website which will greatly contribute to me finding some work. At the moment I am unsure what image I would use from my current portfolio or if I will go out and take one specifically for this use, that is something that will require more research. Unfortunately most of the images I take are portrait images so they won’t really fit and while it would work for the mobile version of the site it won’t suit a desktop view which is the priority.