a modern web design and branding company
I’m so excited to share this pair of websites for Allegra Anderson Photography!
We designed it using the just released Pro Photo 7, a custom design with two sites for each of her photography specialities.
Allegra is an amazing photographer who wanted a custom design to match her well established brand. Full case study to come later, but for now check out her sites at allegraanderson.com and weddings.allegraanderson.com.
Interested in a project? Send me a note to talk about all the details.
I’m really excited to share my Pro Photo 7 review! This new version was just released a couple weeks ago but I’ve been beta testing it since winter.
As many of you already know, Pro Photo 6 was a major overhaul to this long standing theme for photographers. While a good product, it had one challenge… ease of use from the backend. It allowed us to create beautiful responsive websites but learning it took some time. You can read my review of Pro Photo 6 if you want the back story to this new release.
Below is a teaser preview of the Pro Photo 7 custom designed website that we are launching later this week!
First, the new tagline is awesome…
It really does sum it up. This is a theme that can do it all. I’ve even caught this little voice in mind recently saying “should I use Pro Photo?” when I was working with a business client. More than 75% of my clients are photographers and 95% of them use Pro Photo. The rest of my clients are small business owners and I normally use a framework called Genesis. This new version though can be used for any type of website, for photographers, creatives and more.
It can look sleek and modern, minimalist, feminine or bold. You can create a one page site, a modern scrolling style or a traditional feel. Pro Photo 7 is really what you want it to be.
Exactly what needed to be.
If I was to look at a website I could not distinguish between version 6 and the new Pro Photo 7. The backend has completely changed. Honestly, it threw me for a loop at first because as a designer who uses it day in and day out, I developed an in depth understanding of v6. It’s a very different infrastructure when designing and took a little bit of getting used to.
The backend is completely new. We’ve gone from working on the back side of the site to making edits while actually viewing the site. You can click on part of your website and make the change right there. No more going into a special view with rows and columns. I think this change will help new users adapt much more quickly whether upgrading from version 5 or 6.
Here is a really quick video showing the design view.
If you are on Pro Photo 5 or older, absolutely! Keep in mind there is no upgrade path as far as your design goes though. You’ll have to start new, but you keep all your content such as your blog posts, galleries, about page, ect. You absolutely need to have a responsive website these days and the mobile friendly look of v5 is dated. Just be prepared to invest some time into learning Pro Photo 7, or hire a designer (send me a note) to get it setup for you.
If you have a Pro Photo 6 website that you like and don’t need to make any changes to at the moment, I’d hold off. The new version doesn’t add anything to what the site looks like. I haven’t found any new features yet, so if you’ve got an awesome template or custom design in pp6, leave it for now.
Have version 6 and you are struggling to figure it out? Upgrade. Version 7 is definitely simpler to figure out. I would not invest more time into building a site with 6 when 7 is available.
I was just wrapping up a custom design project when v7 came out. I spoke with my client and we decided to go ahead with migrating the site. Unlike from version 5, there is an upgrade path. Designs can be imported from v6 to v7.
Keep in mind, that though it may not look like a big change, from a development standpoint, is a big change. It’s dramatically different in how it works and how you use it to create your site. Considering this, I’m just excited that designs can be upgraded.
I do have to admit it wasn’t flawless. It was simple to do as far as the actual upgrade but things were a bit wonky, and I’ve gone back and forth with support quite often over the last two weeks to get this site migrated. It was little things but little things can drive you bonkers in website design if you are detail oriented.
During this process, Pro Photo has rolled out many updates to v7 though and fixed issues, so my guess is my next design migration will be much easier. This is why I say not yet if you are happy with your Pro Photo 6 site. Give it a few weeks or a month, and I’m guessing the migration process will be seamless.
Yes, I absolutely recommend it.
It’s an amazing theme, with an awesome support team behind it. The support is the reason I work with this theme daily. I know they are there if I have issues during the custom design process, but more so I know they are there for my clients later.
I think I’m actually starting to I like it. Liking software and recommending it are two different things. I was excited to beta test because I like to play with new technology. However, I was actually not excited it was being released so soon because it meant changes to my daily work flow that I have perfected. Right now I’m going back and forth between 6 and 7 depending on the project I’m working on. The more hours I put into Pro Photo 7, the more I am feeling like it’s starting to jive and am enjoying using it.
If you’d like to buy Pro Photo, here is my affilliate link. Please note, I only sign up for affiliate links for products I truly believe it.
Want to create an incredible custom design for Pro Photo 7 or need help with personalizing a template? I’m now accepting Pro Photo 7 clients, and have two openings left this summer! Send me a note for all the details about working together.
I just adored working with Abby. When we first spoke she told me her goal in her photography business is to create a fun enjoyable session experience for each of her clients. I love this! I really dig her approach and philosophy as a photographer.
It was so important that her warmth come across in her website. A little bit of flair, lots of creativity, and a bubbly friendly personality that can make anyone feel at ease… that is how I would describe Abby and hope this project does that justice. (I think it does and she loved it too!)
We did a logo, branding, and full custom design using Pro Photo 6. Check out some of the screenshots below and head over to see her full site at abbybphotography.com.
Abby’s galleries have quick links and a feminine touch with script titles. We kept to delicate colors for the main parts of the site but added pops of bright, including her pink on pink logo.
We incorporated a long home page with a scroll down to give a flowing feel to the site. The menu bar sticks to the top of the screen so viewers can easily find what they needed, wherever they are on the site.
Below is her masonry style portfolio, for quick viewing of images. They can be clicked to see in a larger view or scrolled to get it all in at once.
This brings us to our Meet Abby page. Abby worked really hard on creating the content for this page. I love how bold and fun it turned out!
As always, the site is completely mobile responsive and great for SEO. To see it all, check out abbybphotography.com.
Looking to book your own site revamp? Send me a note.
Let me start this off with the necessary I am not a lawyer, and therefore can’t tell you if your site is GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) compliant. Now that I have statement out of the way, this is what I understand. I am hoping a plain words explanation might be helpful to my clients, other photographers and small business owners.
So here is the thing, you are collecting data on your website whether you think you are or not. Sites by default have cookies. Most of us run Google Analytics to understand our web traffic. Many of us have blog posts with comments, and almost all of us have contact forms. Some of us also have opt in forms for a newsletter. All of these items collect data.
This is a very brief overview of action steps you can take without spending too much time. Read the article I linked above if you really want to understand this thoroughly. I’m not an expert by any means on this, but I do understand WordPress so I am sharing the steps I took for my own site.
Questions about SSL? Send me a note or stay tuned for a blog post on the topic.
Have a project in mind? My next opening is July 16th! Setup a consult now.
Disclaimer: We are not lawyers. Nothing on this website should be considered legal advice.