New (additional) Light Art Photo site ...

[admin]

Hello to all,

Some of you may recall that I have been fiddling around with alternatives to this format from time to time over the last few months.
All of that was sidelined for a while with other commitments (work will do that, you know!).

Rather than replacing this site (which will continue on as long as I am able and as long as you all stick around), I also own some other Light Art related domains.
I am interested in stretching the forum concept more towards a gallery.
My latest attempt uses an entirely different approach and in the next few days I will provide the URL if anyone is interested in having a play.
I have taken the "Blog" concept and enhanced it with some niffty software, but only experimentation will see with it finds any intetest.
There is an excellent development community around a blogging software called 'Wordpress' (www.wordpress.org)
Rather than "blog" myself, I have set it up so that on regisitration, each member becomes a contibuting author.
We will still have photogaphic categories, and each "post" still inivites comments from other users. When posting you can elect to insert an image directly into the article, however the kicker (hopefully) is a new gallery format called NextGEN. NextGEN allows for the inclusion of some amazing Flash image presentation scripts from a development called Airtight Interactive ( http://www.airtightinteractive.com ).
I have also loaded some other gallery software called Zen that you can elect to fiddle around with later.
In the first instance, this will be the only place that the new site is promoted and as usual, I only have half an idea of what I am doing!
It is different from forum software in that you will each be provided with your own Admin area for creating "Posting", the this end it will probably work for some to have two windows open, one to publish and the other to view the site. May be this will work, maybe you will hate it, but we can only try.
Comments are posted back directly, as they are now. To release the full power of this webiste, I will be providing you with a little set of short BBcode -style snippets for each of the Airtight script options. You will only need to edit with the ID of any gallery that you have created and the rest will happen automatically. it is all in place. Tonight, if I get the chance, I will load a single image into each category to make the initial galleries live.
When you regisiter to the site an "author admin" account will automatically be set up. It will be useful to add descriptive tags to your images.
EXIF info will be displayed in the galleries and a PDA version will follow soon after. Please be aware that I will be learning myself through this process and the Site will be in Beta for the first few weeks. I have substantially increased allowed file sizes and we will see how self managment of gallery set up goes. In the first instance, we will stick to the ones that i have set up along with One personal gallery for each of you, which you can set up yourself from the Admin dashboard area. Anyway, its a bit differenent what we are all used to and should be a bit of fun. I have called it Light Art Photo.
Be a bit patient with me for the first few days. You are welcome to visit now and try loading a few images and posting, but the gallery links may not be up for a day or so, you can just get a feel for the thing. I would never presume to just import you all across, so register if you choose using your current username and password and join me on the journey. Just please don't stop coming here too!
You will need to verify your registration via an email that will be sent. Let me know what you think after a week or so. You can probaly guess at the web address  but if not, I will provide it tomorrow anyway.

[Tim N]

All sounds a little bit complicated !

[admin]

Hi Tim,

It is not complicated...but is a different approach and allows for some interesting ways to present images.
I have now installed the gallery system and a few categories, along with a plugin that provide choice of how images are included in posts.

The primary difference in Posting is that you set a category and keywords (tags) when you write the post.
this set up also allow for bulk uploads of up to 150Mb per instance. Give it ago and see what you think.
As people register, I will set up a peronal gallery in their user name. You can get an idea of some of the 6 or so presentation styles from the front page click-to-zoom postcards and on my own personal gallery (where I simply reloaded images that I have posted here).
The site is at www.lightartphoto.com

[Truckman]

I don't know anthing about "blogging" but I registered anyway (gotta preserve the username)... ...Ben

[admin]

Thanks Ben,

I have set up a personal gallery for you.
You just login and at the bottom of the left hand menu, you will see gallery. You simply do what you do here upload single or multiple images and select the gallery that you want them in.

[Tim N]

Will have a look tonight and probably sign up !!

[Ross and Cher]

Early days MR Admin dude but just in case your worst nightmares come true and there is another Ross and Cher, we have reserved our spot!!!! 

Intuitively not as easy (and hey we are well I am at least grey!! ) and we are yet to see how to track recent posts (hint to you guys to post!) BUT LOVE THE PHOTO SIZE/DETAIL. Formatting post (ie text with photos) is a bit more challenging, but Rome…! That we can post multiple photos in one topic without the current limitations is excellent! Big tick so far Mr Admin Dude, well done!!!

[bigbob]

After switching on and double click left mouse I'm lost but if Mr admin says anyone can use it then i will give it a go.but don't be surprised if i mess up and keep asking for help.

[tommykelso]

I've joined too Admin Dude!!

Tho just waiting on my password to be emailed... 

[tommykelso]

Oh and just so I'm clear...

... Are people going to be using the new site for posting pics or this one? or Both?  It's just handy going to the one website to see all your pics, comments and views etc.. I don't want to have to check two sites to see wat you guys are up2, if you know what I mean?

[Analog6]

Me too, did it yesterday and no email yet.

I've joined too Admin Dude!!

Tho just waiting on my password to be emailed... 

[Truckman]

Must be an exclusive club...I got mine...Good job keeping the riff-raff out, Mark... ...Ben

[bigbob]

hi again just joined up looks more complex than this one but hay admin dude can fix all the mistakes

[admin]

Tough crowd, but "a rod for my back" as they say.
Yes, a different style and format and yes a bit of a learning curve.

To Tommy, I don't want to confuse anyone or drag them away from family life with yet another forum/blog whatever.
I do these things from time to time to try and keep up with available techologies to provide the best resources and I don't want split any allegiances.
Just visit wherever you are most comfortable

With a Blog you are making posts into a category of a gallery or discussion from an admin panel, which (once you a familiar with it) provides a few more creative options paricularly in presenting images...and the amount of space allocated to them.

You can also create your own page, say Tommy K's page (put in the member's pages category) - include your personal gallery and post your own opinions under your own area. We can provide links to include Digg galleries. (your page and gallery have been set up)

Comments are made form below the post just like here.

Odille, I do believe you have a typo in your email domain...missing an 'e' in the - I think. I'll edit for you. When a confirmation email doesn't get though there is generally a typo or its in your junk folder and needs to be set as NOT JUNK.

BTW When writing your Posts you will see a check box with categories on the right. Select one or more.

[Tim N]

Must be an exclusive club...I got mine...Good job keeping the riff-raff out, Mark... ...Ben

I got mine too ... but I did have to look in Junk email !

[admin]

Here is a copy of the start guide that I have just posted on Light Art Photo.

(print for reference)
Community Blog Posting works a little differently to a Forum. Blogging software provides for powerful communication tools and most importantly sharing images and galleries. Here is a brief summary & some simple tips:

The 'Home' page is a simple chronological scroll of recent posts and attached comments, independent of Category.
Clicking on the category or description tags at the bottom of a front page (or any) Post will take you to all Posts of this type.
The top menu is self explanitory - Most important are the Galleries
The right menu of the home page also displays:
Login panel for login and subscribing to RSS feeds of posts and comments
Links to Posts by Category
For convenience, Posts are also automatically grouped as an Archive by month
The 'Tag cloud' area in the right menu shows poplular descriptive tags, linking to items containing these.
Posting discussion items:
First you'll need to register, to Post discussion items and Post images. It only takes a moment and it is free.

Next, click on your 'Admin login' button in the front page menu. 
This will take you to your own Admin Dashboard area where you can:

Create new Posts (or comprehensive articles) or edit exisiting posts. (you can also edit directly from your posting)
This is simple, but fully featured publishing and once you get he hang of it, there are a lot of creative options.
But... it is all about the image!
When creating a new Post, be sure to select a category from the check boxes supplied and add simple descriptive tags (if they don't exist already). You may also add images, slide shows or galleries from the Post editor.

Create a Personal Home page (Use your user name as the Title).
NOTE: When create your page the first time, please select the 'Member pages' as the 'Parent page' option
Once you have created a personal image gallery, you can easily add this from the page editor using the  shortcut, as either thumbnails, or a slideshow.
We also provide some short tag snippets that allow you add some fancy variations on image presentation. More on that later.

Create a personal gallery. (one time set up)
From the Admin menu select  'Add Gallery / Image'  'New gallery' and name as your 'user name' and save. You can now add images individually or in bulk. You can come back later, click on your gallery name and edit descriptions and tags. EXIF dat is captured, if available. When you set up your gallery make an note of your Gallery ID number. We are going to use that later.
Now select Album from the Admin menu. Select 'Member Galleries' from the drop down list of Albums (groups of galleries).
From the right hand list of galleries find yours and drag across your new personal gallery to the Member gallery Album. Done!
Don't forget, if you have set up your own page, you can go back and add your new gallery to your page.
You can now also include inmages from your gallery into any new or existing Posts.

Image and gallery effects. (You do not ned to use them - there is a simple point and click too)

One of the great things about the WordPress blogging software is the integration of the NextGEN gallery system.
NextGEN has some excellent image and gallery effects available by including your personal Gallery ID .
My gallery ID is '14' (yours will be different and you will it when you create a personal gallery - or I can if requested)

Try pasting the following code into YOUR Home page to add some pizzaz to your gallery display:
( TIP: you might want to copy these into a new text file for later reference  - include the brackets when pasting)
For a basic gallery :  [nggallery id=x]          Where X is your gallery ID number
For a basic slideshow : [slideshow id=x w=width h=height]
For fancy flash versions: replace your "Gallery-ID" like this "14"

[simpleviewer id="GALLERY-ID" width="800"]
Thumbnails on the left, main image to the right with nav buttons.

[tiltviewer id="GALLERY-ID" width="800"]
A 'wall' of images that pivot with click to zoom

[autoviewer id="GALLERY-ID" width="800"]
A slide show variation

[pcviewer id="GALLERY-ID" width="800"]
Displays your images as a "Postcard" board. Click to zoom in and again to zoom out.

[admin]

I didn't sleep much last night. (Tell someone who cares, I here you you say)
I was pondering the strucuture of this new format Light Art Photo site and the reasons for creating it.
Just before going to bed a bit after 1am, I found myself frustrated with my inability to sort out Ross & Cher not being able to post to galleries other than there own. Then the penny dropped. I have been trying to match the structure of the Light Art Forum site and ignoring why I had been investigating blogging software.
The fact of the matter is, there should NOT be galleries other than a Personal gallery for each member to segregate and manage their images.
We simply don't need themed galleries here.

The images need to be inserted into the Posts FROM each member's gallery. So how do we then find them and view in any meaningful theme context?....via Categories and tags, of course. DOH!
Setting the correct Category and simple descriptive Tags, allows us to group images in a far more powerful and flexible way.
Sooo... I have deleted all galleries except for those of Members and creates a new Post category of Images.
I will also add ratings to comments which allows us to VOTE on an image OR series of images in a Post

As a new member joins, I will create a gallery in their user name

Members load all images into their own gallery
(you can upload single images, a few at at a time or in bulk and  add descritions and tags via Dashboard > Manage Gallery )
Create a new Post and insert an image or series of images into the post
Select a Category for the Post and add a few descriptive tags and publish
(The most recent Posts appear in the main menu automatically and in a A-Z list by Author or Category)

If you get a chance just upload a few images into your gallery and see how you go.
(If you registered already you have one ready to go, if not...register nad I'll set one up for you)