Photo Hosting Interest Check?

[Hamish Gill]

As a couple of you know I am planning on launching a photography hosting web site...

The basic idea is something a little bit like photobucket but, well, a bit more classy!

It is really designed to run along side this web site for members to host their images in a simple but stylish gallery!

we are not looking to "compete" with photobucket of flickr or the like, just provide an alternative for people who use forums to host their images - this will be the free version

along side this there will also be a paid for version for pros

the pro version will allow multiple galleries that can be used for proofing images for their clients in a similar way to how i currently do eg http://www.hamishgillweddingphotography.com/alexandcaroline/
but nicer looking

the concentration is going to be entirely on the images hosted, with a gallery view and image view ... very basic, very clean and no advertising on users pages
it will also provide the links for dropping into forums

might anyone here be interested in something like this?
or is everyone happy with what they currently use to host their images?

If anyone has any ideas on how this could work i am all ears!

 

[Ralph Thornton]

I would be interested in a basic hosting site as I do not have one other than my own. One requirement is that the photographer maintains ownership of the image and copyright but that should be no problem.

A pro site might interest me too depending on how it is set up. I like to have images custom printed and often specify unusual sizes. The printer I use produces fantastic high gloss archival quality prints. I would like to host photos in albums but would want my customers to contact me for the print order.

 

[Hamish Gill]

I'll keep you up to date in this thread ... It might not be so soon ... Unless a lot of people show a lot if interest ...

We have a lot of work on at the mo, not to mention rebranding the company, so stuff like this has to fit in when we have the odd hour here and there ... We will get there though, so watch this space!

I expect we will need people to test it too so no doubt I'll need volunteers

 

[Paul Lange]

I'd go for this. I use photobucket but like the idea that RPF holds the images it seems a more elegant solution.

 

[Mark Grant]

Good idea Hamish.

I have been looking for somewhere to put some photos that is better than photobucket etc.

Could be huge bandwidth though if people over use it, so plan ahead

 

[Hamish Gill]

we have no worries about bandwidth ... we are looking at upgrading to our own server soon!
hence these plans!

 

[Pete Askew]

Hi Hamish,

That's basically the model behind http://www.babelsberg-studio.com It will essentially become a commercial site driven at first by commission on sales and maybe later by subscription. Behind the scenes is a very sophisticated graphical user interface driving a SQL database. It was created by a commercial database / website developer (and paid for by my company). The actual engine will probably be for sale at some point as well once it has been fully tested and the exhibition and administration modules have been completed and we have agreed the rules of what is essentially a joint venture.

 

[Hamish Gill]

Yeah, ours is based on a re-sellable product too!
All (bar this one and the shopping sites we do) our sites are built on a modular website building package that Greg has built ... we will no doubt be offering this system in a variety of options allowing people to have the free one on a sub-domain eg www.whatwearegoingtocallit.com/hamishgill but then they could upgrade it to the pro version for more versatility then if they like buy their own domain, we can then host their domain and install their gallery onto it!
it will give people a nice way to take baby steps into having a proper website basically ... anyway, i shouldn't say to much about it for now
p.s. linky no worky?

 

[Pete Askew]

That's 'cos I misspelled it!

http://www.babelsberg-studio.com/

 

[Hamish Gill]

it is certainly looking good ... so ... your my competition then are ya Pete

 

[Pete Askew]

Seems so! Websites at dawn it is then!!

 

[Darren Bradley]

I wish you would try to compete with Flickr. We're all pretty much slaves to whatever changes they arbitrarily decide to roll out because there really isn't much out there in the way of alternatives.

 

[Hamish Gill]

... we will come up with something at some point ... it will no doubt have its down falls and good points compared to all the other options ...
i personally have never got on with flickr really
what features of flickr would you like to see in an alternative?

 

[Darren Turner]

i like this idea & would be very interested. I have my own hosting but dont want to use up my bandwidth allowance so i used photo bucket for forums & flickr if i want to share images on there also

Daz

 

[Bryan Hunt]

Sounds interesting i would be up for that

 

[Hamish Gill]

Cool ... Good to know we would have a few users ... I'll keep this thread updated ... Please excuse the time it may take, we have a lot on ... But it's firmly on our "road map"
In the mean while ....
Any thoughts on features that may be useful pop them in here and we will dutifully ignore them or implement them at our own will hehe

 

[Ralph Thornton]

...I have my own hosting but dont want to use up my bandwidth allowance...

Same with me. I've been searching for other sites to display albums for clients and prospective clients as well as just host some work for use on other websites and forum. Just haven't found the one that works best for me yet.

 

[Darren Bradley]

what features of flickr would you like to see in an alternative?

Flickr can never seem to decide if it wants to be a photo-hosting site or a social networking site, so it doesn't do either very well. I'd like to see a more configurable user interface that could be tailored more easily to user preferences, and also more search and statistics features. Also, better photo search parameters (such as an ability to search by exif data, for example).