Site Updates

Back in June, the WordPress community released a major update to its popular blogging tool. Since the core files have undergone some dramatic changes, I thought it best to hold off for awhile on an upgrade to my site and wait until my plugins had been updated or, at least, tested for compatibility with Version 3.

This weekend I took the leap and upgraded my installation of WordPress and spent quite a bit of time re-theming the site based on the new engine. There were a few hair-raising moments, but the changes are now in place. Continue reading “Site Updates”


SEO: What NOT to do.

It doesn’t take Google long to decide that something on a website is in violation of one or more of their guidelines and the website will be promptly removed from their index

Search engine optimization is an important part of web design, but how does one go about attracting the critical eye of search engine spiders without drawing their ire? The first thing to understand is that search engine optimization is one thing, while spamming is quite another, and search engines are continually working to improve their algorithms in an attempt to filter out the spammers – who are trying to manipulate the system – from the legitimate sites that are providing valuable content and just trying to improve their site rankings. Continue reading “SEO: What NOT to do.”


The Google Blacklist: It does exist

I’ve since learned that Google has a whole set of rules regarding what one can and can’t do in order to try to affect page ranking, and I broke one of those rules

It all started quite simply: I just felt it was time to redesign my website. Along the way I thought it would be a good time to learn a little something about search engine optimization (SEO) and see if I could improve my search ranking. Continue reading “The Google Blacklist: It does exist”


Up and running…

I’ve learned a lot about WordPress, tuned up my HTML and CSS skills, missed out on quite a bit of sleep, and enjoyed nearly every minute of the process – all thanks to the many wonderful tools that the WordPress community has made available to the public.

I’ve spent the past few weeks working with WordPress to set up various elements that I’ve wanted to include in my website, and I’m pleased to say that the design phase of the news and information section is now complete.  If you read my previous post on integrating WordPress into my site, it’s obvious that what you see now is worlds away from what I started with.  Along the way, I’ve learned a lot about WordPress, tuned up my HTML and CSS skills, missed out on quite a bit of sleep, and enjoyed nearly every minute of the process – all thanks to the many wonderful tools that the WordPress community has made available to the public. Continue reading “Up and running…”


Integrating a blog into my site

But there have been times when I have wanted to share more than just a portfolio of my work – perhaps to share the areas of photography that interest me, yet fall outside of the categories that define my professional life

I’ve long been looking for a way to incorporate an informational section into my website, but until recently I wasn’t sure about how to approach the task. My primary objective when designing the various iterations of my website has always been to focus on the presentation of my photography. After all, it’s what I do, and what can speak more about my art than the art itself? So I’ve spent quite a bit of time thinking about what to show and how to present it as simply as possible without distraction. And in that respect I think I’ve succeeded – at least until I figure out a better way.
Continue reading “Integrating a blog into my site”


Changes are a comin’

For the past year or so, I’ve been thinking about a practical way to be able to incorporate something like a blog into my site, but didn’t know enough about the many tools that were available out there to be able to make a decision on how to approach the task. What tools did I choose, and why?

Welcome to the News and Information section of my website. For the past year or so, I’ve been thinking about a practical way to be able to incorporate something like a blog into my site, but didn’t know enough about the many tools that were available out there to be able to make a decision on how to approach the task.  What tools did I choose, and why?  That’s perhaps more a topic of interest for techies and other people looking for specific web solutions, so I’ll reserve that topic for an upcoming article.

For now, my plan is to use this section for things that don’t fit so strictly into the category of content presentation.  Whereas the main body of my website is a portfolio of my work for the benefit of those who may be interested in using me as a photographer, I want this area to be more about the things I love about photography and how I pursue my craft in the “off hours”.  Special projects will be highlighted, and I may use this as a tool to record and share tips and techniques related to photography or even computing as it relates to photography.

Galleries will be here, but I expect that they will be presented more by event rather than by subject matter, as a documentary of what took place rather than a collection of work.

Finally, for those who have asked me about purchasing large art prints, I plan to implement an online ordering system which I hope to have up and running within the next couple of months.  We’ll see if I can find the tools I need to be able to make it work without going [more] gray in the process.

If you’re stopping by and see something you like, drop me a comment.  If you have ideas for other things you’d like to see, let me know.