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Author Topic: Online "album" viewing for clients  (Read 3291 times)

Phil Indeblanc

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Online "album" viewing for clients
« on: December 10, 2013, 02:23:43 am »

I wanted to make a login section to my website so I can have multiple "albums" for different clients to login, view and select the images they want.
I asked a webdev buddy and he said there should be plenty scripts already made that can be integrated into my website, or I can use an online service.

I rather have the script in my website, but I know that might take some time, so I will want a service temporarily (unless its amazing and cheap, maybe permanent).

Any suggestions or recommendations?
My main concern is to have the images private for each "user", and hope the thumbnails are large enough to make out the images, and somehow see the original file name, or some method to select and email the pictures with file names.


thanks!
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Jim Pascoe

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Re: Online "album" viewing for clients
« Reply #1 on: December 10, 2013, 04:26:24 am »

Hello Phil

I am currently using Zenfolio for my album hosting.  I have a Premium subscription, but I think they have a free option too (or quite cheap).  It is very flexible and very easy to set up galleries of pictures and sell from them too if you like.  Here is the link to mine - the main part of the site is undeveloped at the moment but I am doing a great trade in my work there.  Lots of work to do to polish it up - but you will get the idea.  You will see that most of the pictures are open access, except for the school ones.  There is also the facility to have a client login on the Home page for direct and secure access to galleries.  Jim

http://jimpascoephotography.zenfolio.com/f202952921

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KirbyKrieger

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Re: Online "album" viewing for clients
« Reply #2 on: December 10, 2013, 04:50:21 am »

Hi Phil,

Have a look at EditDrop.  Works well.  It isn't styled in any way (can't match your site's look) — but if you can get over that you'll have a robust tool.  (I am a customer of APhotoFolio and have use of a free basic EditDrop account.)

I moved from ZenFolio to APhotoFolio.  It is easy (once you get your head around the ZenFolio interface) to set up private ZenFolio galleries as part of your ZenFolio site, but, IME, more difficult to administer selections.  In all cases, the complexity of having dozens of clients working with scores of galleries is easy to under-estimate — even before you add versioning to the mix.

APhotoFolio also allows easy set-up of private galleries.  For small photo sets — say, 30 pictures or fewer — this works OK, but it really isn't set up as a site for processing client shoots.

Kirby.

rgs

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Re: Online "album" viewing for clients
« Reply #3 on: December 10, 2013, 07:36:25 am »

I use ShootProof. It allows self fulfillment or automatic fulfillment via ProDPI, BayPhoto, WHCC, and a couple of others. It also allows you to offer digital downloads in several sizes. They charge only subscription (there is a free version that allows 100 images) and credit card fees. And it integrates with my own website with a simple weblink. I recommend them. Feel free to visit my site to see how it works. www.myrsphoto.com.  There is also Pixieset which is similar.

I think, if you try ShootProof, you may not want to hassle with doing it yourself. The fees are minimal and you don't have to spend time maintaining it. And it probably works better than anything you can do yourself unless you really know what you are doing.
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Phil Indeblanc

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Re: Online "album" viewing for clients
« Reply #4 on: December 10, 2013, 12:30:22 pm »

Great suggestions. My needs are rather light, and not too worried about interface. Editdrop so far may work.

Richard, I couldn't tell which images from your site are from ShootProof. Perhaps that is how seamless it works with your own site? Maybe I missed something? Then there is a Fine Art link which give purchase options. This is also nice, but not really needed. Let me know how to navigate to the Shootproof area.

Thanks!
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rgs

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Re: Online "album" viewing for clients
« Reply #5 on: December 10, 2013, 05:00:16 pm »


Richard, I couldn't tell which images from your site are from ShootProof. Perhaps that is how seamless it works with your own site? Maybe I missed something? Then there is a Fine Art link which give purchase options. This is also nice, but not really needed. Let me know how to navigate to the Shootproof area.

Thanks!

Follow the "Online Ordering" link. Then go to "order prints of your event" or "order digital downloads". The fine arts link goes to my Fine Art America site. Here's a direct link http://order.myrsphoto.com/. Some of the events are password protected and some only ask for an e-mail. I also have a few private galleries for which I have e-mailed a direct web address to the customer (or family member - I also use this site to share photos with family around the country and give them free downloads or my cost links to ProDPI prints). All of these options are easily selected when I set up each gallery.

I really think you may find ShootProof is all you need.
« Last Edit: December 10, 2013, 05:01:50 pm by rgs »
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Phil Indeblanc

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Re: Online "album" viewing for clients
« Reply #6 on: December 12, 2013, 04:16:36 pm »

Interesting email from Phase One. I had not considered this, but Capture Pilot can be used via web worldwide. I can see some limited uses for this being handy.

I'm gonna give it a shot
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