akfishguide Loc: PA

Hello All,
I am the quiet guy who sits in the back and just watches what goes in front of him. Yesterday I retired from Teaching Biology. Now its time to move to the next phase of my life, so where to Begin.
I have never set up a web site (and frankly don't know how" but want to learn. From what I have been reading UHH posts over the past months (remember the quiet guy in the back) and have read articles and opinions on camera's and lenses etc. (seems like there are both avid Canon and Nikon users. Nikon is the crowd I read most as that is what I use). I am looking for guidance toward setting up a web site for photos and travel blog (I am off to Cayman Islands - then Costa Rica, New York, Jamaica, Alaska etc. Remember I am retired and this is what I have been waiting for)
I really would like photographers ideas on what is the best software for setting up a web site and then getting it online. I am apealing for guidance to the UHH crowd as it appears there are many well rounded photographers here with many different websites of their own. Any and all suggestions would be appreciated. (The attached photo is me at the Jameson Distillary in Ireland on one of my previous travels using the other guys camera (Canon G11)
Thanks
akfishguide

Gidgette Loc: Boerne,Texas

Welcome to UHH. I am a Nikon D90 user, you will find several different camera uses, that includes P&S, film, SLRs and DSLRs. Looking forward to seeing some of you pictures

MtnMan Loc: ID

Have you considered using Facebook?

You can set up Albums with it.

CaptainC Loc: Colorado, south of Denver

You could use Facebook, but a dedicated website is FAR superior. Sounds like something like Smug Mug might be perfect for you. Also Zenfolio. There is a free website from a place called Wix - but I have seen some of the sites and they look like crap...but it is free!

gdwsr Loc: Northern California

Your own website is nice but you might also check out Google+ It really has become a photographers community and you have a lot of control over who sees which photos. You might also consider an account like Zenfolio both for sharing and as a full resolution backup storage. Still do the blog site but consider those as a supplement.

Let me know if you join Google+ so I can add you to one of my circles if you don't mind.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Welcome to our forum, and enjoy your retirement. If you want to get into building your own web site, your community college probably offers courses in that. Ours even offers online courses. Another possibility is meetup.com. They list all sorts of clubs and activities in your area. In my area, there is a web design club, one for the ukulele, and several for different dog breeds. There are no photography clubs, though.

Good luck, and take it slow. No more lesson plans and faculty meetings.

wrr Loc: SEK

Google's Blogger is an excellent platform for sharing your photos and written word. You can design it as simple or as fancy as you wish and you will find it is easy to setup and to promote.

Facebook is closed off from Google so if being 'found' is what you are after that really isn't so good. Flip side of Facebook is if you are only wanting to share with a closed group of friends then it would work ok.

Google+ works similar to Facebook but is much easier to find people of similar interest. Plus once you open a Google account you have access to the Blogger software and the social networking of G+, gmail(best email client going), Youtube, G Drive(free cloud storage)and several more items that may be of interest.

rfbccb Loc: Central Mississippi

Welcome to the "HOG". Let us lnow what you decide.

akfishguide Loc: PA

No more lesson plans, faculty meetings or students who want you to give them the answer to everything because it is to much work to actually read anything other than 3 letter sentences like OMG or LOL (and others that I do not have a clue what they mean). So all I do now is -- 'Happy Dance, Happy Dance, Happy Dance'. Still continuing my education though. Headed to Little Cayman Island in 3 days to continue my education in Underwater Photography, which is my current bad (and expensive) habit. Thank you for your suggestions.

UP-2-IT Loc: RED STICK, LA

Just send a keg of that Jameson, web site will be taken care of.
Best advice, "google for web site set up" that way you will see there are quite a few out there and you will be able to judge their atributes more closely.

krgatlgm Loc: Las Vegas, Nv

Welcome to UHH. Congratulations on your retirement and beginning of your new life as a traveling photographer! Thank you for your service as an educator!

pjreed Loc: Tonopah, Arizona

Welcome to the UHH :thumbup:

UP-2-IT Loc: RED STICK, LA

[quote=MtnMan]Have you considered using Facebook?

You can set up Albums with it.[/quot

Be careful with facebook, once you post the pictures you loose control of them.

Zerbphlatz Loc: Southern New Hampshire

Welcome to the forum. I see you retired from teaching to liver pickling... :lol: :lol: :lol:

I'd stay away from facebook for creating a web site also.

Good luck and have fun in your retirement.

akfishguide Loc: PA

I went to both the Smug Mug and the zenfolio websites and loooked at what they had to offer. I liked both, but will have to investigate them more when I have time to do comparasions, unless someone from UHH has already done it and can give me the pro's and con's. No need to reinvent the wheel so to speak.