Am I the only one who hates SLIDESHOWS on blogs?! I'm not sure why I hate 'em ... maybe it's because I usually can't stand the music and because I just don't want to sit there that long watching photos move either WAY too fast or WAY too sloooooow.

I VERY VERY VERY much prefer looking at a blog post full of photos. I can scroll up and down and look longer at the ones I really like. Posted photos are usually bigger than slideshow photos, too. I like that.

So anyway, just wondering if I'm the only one. I think ShowIt is a great slideshow tool and I know brides and moms love it (when it's pics of their wedding or their kiddos) but as a photographer trying to blog-stalk other photogs, I can't stand it when blogs only have slideshows. I wanna SCROLL!

(Quick, someone agree with me so I don't just look grouchy )

I totally agree! I like to scroll quickly until something catches my eye!

I'm on the fence about this.

I have posts with slideshows and posts with images.

Ugh... I can't decide.

We have both, but never auto start slideshows! But Im definitely a scroll and look kind of guy! Applies to blogs and websites both. No you are not being a grouch!

im with you. none of us have time to sit and watch them. but yeah the clients like em'.

All of our blog posts have a bunch of photos, but if you click on any of the photos it takes you to the full slideshow. Adam always mentions that they can see the whole slideshow by clicking a photo. It kind of gives the best of both worlds.

I usually just don't want to wait for them to load so I move onto something else. Impatience, I guess. So, yes, I fully agree with you! Even if there are 50 images in a post, I like that better!

Oh, good, it's not just me! I was feeling very ADD for not wanting to wait

Hmmm I've never thought about it before but anytime I go to someone's blog and they have a slide show I can't remember ever pushing 'Play'! I just do NOT feel like watching a slide show so I guess I don't care for them either!

They bug me too, I always end up skipping the slideshows.

I have another question though...on my blog I use simpleviewer because I personally hate scrolling, is that just as annoying to other people as slideshows? Never thought about that until now....

well i am using it as a marketing tool - and i'm really more interested in what clients and potential clients might like so i guess i'm going to have to disagree here!

i would much rather have a potential client click and go: ewwwww way cool tami we love it! than try to appeal to a photographer who isnt going to hire me.

i mean its sorta up there with music on our sites isnt it? how many times do you click on a photographer's site, and turn off the music? yet we think it appeals to our clients/potential clients so we keep it on our own.


?????????

Yep, Tami. You're right that its WAY more important to cater to clients (not photogs). I'm just being whiny 'cause I'm too antsy to sit through slideshows. Continue marketing! I'll get over it

I will usually click over to the ss, see what music you chose, if I like it and I don't already have it, I'll go buy it on iTunes. I find a lot of great music this way! Thanks!

Definitely no auto start shows. You ever put 2 of those on the same blog? I've seen it done. You wonder "What is that weird music?", and realize it's 2 songs playing at the same time.

Im the same way, sure it is great for clients but I rarely spend the time to look at them.

Many photographers will include the gallery option with the ShowIt slideshow so you can look at the images one at a time. That's a nice alternative if you want more control over the images. It also stops the music.

Yep, I always look first for the thumbnail option so I can click through the photos one by one. And I always include that option on my slideshows.

I always put the images AND a link to the slideshow. That way, I immediately get the viewers attention with images. If they want to see more, they can click the slideshow link. The embedded slideshows don't show up in the readers, either. So, if I have a client that is a normal reader, the images will still populate. It's also frustrating with all the blogs that I read, because I have to click over to the blog and then click to play the slideshow. I am obsessed with categories, too. They can see all the blog posts from their venue and vendors.

i always post photos and then embed the slideshow as well. i personally love watching slideshows. i always watch jasmine's (everytime!) and jessica claire's (when she posts them!) and i watch sarah barlow's as well. there are a few photographer that i love enough to sit for three minutes and admire their work.

My main problem with slide shows is that they're too slow. Sometimes I like them, but not if I have to wait what seems like FOREVER for the next pic to come up. I'm seriously short on attention sometimes. I am also a member of the "No music on websites" club. If I can't find out how to turn it off quickly, I'll close the page. If it's an interesting site, I may just mute my sound, but not always.

All my blog posts are slide shows (except like 2)...because my clients love them and that's who my blog is for.

My site is where I have single images posted...well, they start as a show but only because that was the template..you can stop it right away and thumb though

I almost never watch other photog's slide shows...I much prefer their single images too!

I usually do both - I'll blog it with just a few (10-12) images the I'll post the slideshow when I post the wedding gallery online - more for the bride to share than for photographers to stalk. They're both there though. Every time I post one my daily blog hits go up by at least 100-ish - often more, so it serves its purpose for sure.

I don't blog for photographers though, I blog for my clients

Oooh, I love this one. (Alisa and Jason in Central Park!!!)

hmm, i must have missed that part of showit, dang!

Wow, I really like simpleviewer! That's a great way to condense a post. I'm going to read some more about using it. - Jeff

My blog doesn't allow scrolling for a load of photos...and it pretty much sucks in this respect. But it's free so I can't complain too much. I still use iweb for my blog but I don't like the way posts show up. You always have to click on the post to see more...and I think that's where I lose people. I understand most people want to go to the blog page and scroll through it, not have to click on a link to another post and such. I may be switching sometime this year though because of this...otherwise, it hasn't been too bad. Also the text doesn't show up correctly on the blog home page, only when you go go the link...ahh frustrated.Awesome slide show...and I love the music. Who is that?

Blogger is free, too And it's pretty easy to customize!

No you are not the only one. I generally hate to watch a slideshow. If I see a slideshow, I skip it. I feel like it limits my freedom to a) listen to my own music b) move away from that page c) control the speed at which I view the images.. d) etc.

totally agree. i think we sometimes forget who we are really blogging for. our peers or our clients.

that's what i just got my showit for! i want everyone to see my slideshows!!!!! i just told my esession couple from yesterday tht i was going to post their slideshow on my blog and they were just in awe of me! heheheheheheheheheheeh

we're all in awe of you!!!

This is the only way I will look at them...if I can stop it and click through each image! I'm with everyone else though on blogging for the client and not other photographers!

Sarah, I'm with you too -- what I like better is when the photog gives you the images you want then offers you the link to the slideshow to view more. I find that I often skip over slide shows when they are in the blog, but occasionally will check out the link on some (I seem to always find myself doing that w/Jasmine Star's blog - probably b/c I know the results are so good!)

I don't usually watch the slideshows.

BUT... I just booked a May wedding and they wanted an online slideshow, so I guess they are popular with brides. I would rather please clients than competition.

Just to clarify ... I COMPLETELY agree that you should blog for clients and not other photographers! I was just being whiny and impatient while trying to blogstalk.

Sarah, I just read your post and the funniest thing happened to day at the studio.

Funny as in ironic. I had just finished a little slideshow - not for my blog just to see how everthing flowed together. I went to show it to my intern and before I could even hit the start button she replies, "oh geeze, tell me you don't do those cheeze-ball slide shows?!"

Well, from now on I don't!!!

Wow, I hate a good dose of reality.

Pam

I agree on both counts!

really? you make up your mind like that off of just one person's opinion?

i like slideshows - once.
and i don't make them 'cheezy'. at least my clients love them.

i don't like anything that loads slow - so i don't put them on blogs.

for albums, once i do a revision, i reference THIS. otherwise it's too redundant for clients, imho.