I made a number of changes PACKED with a LOT OF MARKETING stuff in it. Allow me to explain my decisions. Oh yeah, it’s iPad / iPhone and smartphone compatible. There are no parent-child nodes to maintain simplicity.
The 1-column photographer blog theme is available here.
Smaller Images
After studying my Google Analytics, not everyone is like a photographer with 27″ or 30″ cinema displays. Actually, many are laptop sized. Plus, slightly smaller images allow for the sequence of images to flow like a story.
A very good example is a blog theme I designed a while ago for Jose Villa. And he’s still using it, so I’m assuming he likes what I did and more importantly it works for his business. Plus, it loads faster!
Menu
I chose to go with a large typography for clear navigation. I also minimized many functions to narrow choices. Ever heard of “paralysis by analysis”? It means by having too many choices, users cannot decide, therefore won’t decide.
Example – Whenever I dine out with Julie at restaurants with huge menus, I can never decide. I always tell Julie to pick for me as long as I get half of hers.
So rather than inhibiting viewers, let’s help them pick the right choices. Plus it follows the users wherever they are.
Banner
You can upload your own images and link them to specific portfolio posts or portfolio categories. Again, control your audience’s navigation. And it uses javascript, so it’s iPad and smartphone compatible! Limit: 10.
Sidebar
Fully-widgetized sidebar so you can add your own things. Plus, there is an area for your own profile to promote transparency.
Post Footers
After a viewer lands on your post and looks through all of your lovely images…what is there to do at the bottom? Either comment, scroll all the way back up to find a contact button… or leave. Usually it’s the last. So I added customizable links at the bottom. The marketing strategy behind this is called “call to action.”
Additionally, I know how tags and comments can clutter your portfolio, so I added a javascript expander to show/hide everything…booyah!
Much More
For more information like images of the admin control panel, you can visit here.
Promotions
Like all of my product inceptions, I always have some sweet incentives.
This is what you have to do, tweet or facebook post the following:
Tweet This:
Lawrence Chan’s (@tofurious) new blog theme is out! Check out why it rocks – http://bit.ly/dlHsGp(make sure you’re following me or else I can’t DM)
or Facebook This:
Lawrence Chan’s (@tofurious) new blog theme is out! Check out why it rocks – http://bit.ly/dlHsGp
(make sure to tag me with “@Lawrence Chan“)…and I will DM or FB email you a discount code for a random percent off from 25%-100%!! My assistant is generating the codes, so I have no clue what I’m distributing.
Deadline: Once a day! No spamming, just sharing. :)
Promotion ends 11:59pm June 26, 2010 (Saturday).
Free Version
Subscribe and you will be granted :) This one is for coder-friendly peeps so it doesn’t have the back-end except for the banner customizing part.
Thank you for the support and hope you all like it,
Lawrence Chan
P.S. I actually test the marketing validity of these themes out for months before hand, which is why I sometimes have delays in releases. And since then, I successfully booked a number of clients for Caribbean based weddings…over the web. *pats self on back*
P.P.S. Many thanks to Israel from Avalanche Photography for help on the back-end.
Related posts:
very cool. thanks for posting!
I’m so excited for this Lawrence. Great job on making changes and updates to an already great product. I look forward to incorporating this new theme. I know I still haven’t launched my blog yet but I’m almost there. Now I have to stop everything and get going on this new theme! Take care
Hey Lawrence
Love what you do, always very clear and visually wonderful.
I would like to load up your new blog version , I am a bit of a beginner , can any one help me load it up ?
In the past we contacted Heather from lovebugs , is she still the one .
Cheers
Bianca
Yeah Heather can help! Just make sure to have a receipt and hosting ready.
LOVE IT!!!!
I tweeted, so when do we get the code? Im excited to get started!!!
Love this new theme! I am currently using your “old” one and have gotten many compliments. Great job!
Love it! Do you know if i update with this theme from the old Tofurious theme will i lose my previous posts or will they be imported into the new theme? Thanks!
You won’t lose your old posts, but depending on the size of the previous images used, you might have to go into the html and remove the size specifications. Example –
Go to edit posts
Switch from visual to html mode
Look for
Remove the width and height and that should work.
thanks — one more question is it possible to switch the columns so that the posts are on the left and widgets etc on the right??? i will probably upgrade either way but i am curious. thank you!
curious yes… but are you… TOFUurious? hehehe sorry couldn’t help myself ;) thanks Lawrence!
I am who I am…I think.
Sort of, but you’re going to need to modify your CSS. The wide column is currently under float: right; and the #sidebar is float: left;
Change them around and voila!
The code above isn’t showing up quite right, so this might or might not work :)
<img src=”…” width=”something px” height=”something px” />
(that’s img src=”…” width=”something px” height=”something px” / inside of angled brackets)
You can also use width=”100%” and leave out the height attribute to make it automatically size to the width of your theme. So that would look like this:
<img src=”…” width=”100%” />
(img src=”…” width=”100%” / inside of angled brackets)
Thanks Israel – always a life savior!
Oooooh, pretty!!! Very nice! Mucho better :)
there he goes again, love that I can add widgets on the side,,,,
You are an absolute genius! I love your old theme, and this is even better (of course!).
Question… if I now use the new theme on an existing blog, will all my images in old posts automatically resize to 640?
Thanks!
Depending on the size of the previous images used, you might have to go into the html and remove the size specifications. Example –
Go to edit posts
Switch from visual to html mode
Look for
Remove the width and height and that should work.
Otherwise, wait for the single column theme bc it’ll host larger images. But then again, business is my still a priority sacrificing some time to edit will be worthwhile – promise.
Depending on the size of the previous images used, you might have to go into the html and remove the size specifications. Example –
Go to edit posts
Switch from visual to html mode
Look for
Remove the width and height and that should work.
Otherwise, wait for the single column theme bc it’ll host larger images. But then again, business is my still a priority sacrificing some time to edit will be worthwhile – promise.
Great job as always Lawrence!
You rock Lawrence! Thanks for sharing the free theme! Alhough I’m not going to use it because of having a custom blog, I’m going to incorporate some of your ideas into mine!
Thanks, Lawrence.
I like the look of it so am looking forward to you releasing the 1 theme version
Cheers,
Tracy
Yeah the 1-column will be released soon. Hang tight!
Great theme!!! love it…. I am trying to watch the video on customizing the theme and it stopped running 1/3 through it.. can you fix that please? thanks!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8jzyQKxYUs&feature=player_embedded#!
Works for me :)
forgot to add, I tweeked it too and signed up to receive the free code.. :) thanks a lot for sharing.. this is awesome!!
forgot to add, I tweeked it too and signed up to receive the free code.. :) thanks a lot for sharing.. this is awesome!!
You’re very welcome!
Hi Lawrence, excellent job! Congratulations!
Thanks for sharing this with the wedding photography community.
Do you have anything in mind to make this theme a single column theme? I like my images 900px wide.
Cheers,
Valdecir Carvalho, São Paulo, Brazil
Yeah that one is coming out shortly :)
Added the link to facebook but not sure what you mean by tag the link.
Lawrence you are an amazing fella whose example i hope to follow.
This is a wonderful blog you have created and as a person who is not really computer literate, i really appreciate the guidance that you also supply to those of us old timers. I will definitely tweet about this as well! I hope i win a great discount! LOL
Blessings,
Elena
OH MY!!!!!
Thank you, like a billion times over (now where’s that work experience person I need to organise……).
Love the layout! it makes so much sense having the menu follow and also the links right under the post.
I will have to anxiously wait for the one column though…thanks!
curious yes… but are you… TOFUurious? hehehe sorry couldn’t help myself ;) thanks Lawrence!
Thanks Lawrence ; )
Amazing theme, Lawrence, thanks so much. I was getting close to finishing my site on another theme but loved yours so much I changed…
Thanks again,
Jeff
very cool for sure, I still like your old theme, but overall I like all the neat javascript stuff.
This is great!! Where in the Caribbean will you be? At your service here in Puerto Rico! Much Success!!
@valdecir I think Lawrence is coming out with a 1 column one
I just watched the video and I am in love, been looking for new layout, some changes and did not want to get a pro photo and spend the bucks and this solves my problems, makes it so easier to do,
can not thank you enough
oh and that its java and can be seen anywhere- BRILLANT
Hey Lawrence, I love the slick look– this is the nicest blog template I’ve seen, since the other companies are looking too much the same! Anyway, I love it, but I would love it more if it wasn’t so much work to read the comments on the blog post- you have to click “comment”, then click “1 comment” to read the comment. I would love it if the comments just displayed under the post because more people would read them, and then more would comment. anyway, the blog looks amazing!
Great! Excellent! I always follow your fantastic work and admire your comminment and altruism!
Finally, thanks to you again, I’ll launch my own blog site.
Thanks again…
Too cool for words! I’m speechless!
-G
THNX Lawrence for this clear and much more handy theme, I am in use of your previous theme (that free) and am happy with it. Maybe I transfer for this one :)
Love :) Thanks so much!
So there is one coming out soon that is a single colum (just like this one)? I prefer that look so perhaps I will wait. Just let me know.
Cheers dude!!!
Wow, this is so great. I’m planning on putting up a website of my own and was looking for a nice blog – other than my current wordpress.com thingy. I thought I’d have to settle for prophoto (which is really nice looking but kinda expensive for someone who’s just starting out to build a business). So this is a very affordable alternative and I totally love the simple and elegant layout.
I live to serve and help the community.
It looks great! I’ve been wanting to get a blog going and to use one of your theme’s, so I’m looking forward to getting it started and this one looks great! I just tweeted and am new to tweeting so hopefully I did it right?? Thanks!
It looks great! I’ve been wanting to get a blog going and to use one of your theme’s, so I’m looking forward to getting it started and this one looks great! I just tweeted and am new to tweeting so hopefully I did it right?? Thanks!
How soon is soon on the one column? I love my one column Tofu one but I need to start a new one for photos of my bunny to show. Wanted to start the new one with the new theme. I know you’re busy but please hurry. :)
Thanks so much for this! How does the template handle SEO?
Do you even need to ask that :P well enough that I still book high end weddings ;)
Most GAWGEOUS my friend!!!
P2C needs a new blog – in the WORST way – this may just be the new look for me!
HUGE hugs my friend!
Thank you for the kind words Roxanne!!!
Thanks Lawrence! I just posted on my fb – hopefully I tagged you correctly to get the code. Not sure about that?? Can’t wait!
Hi Lawrence! Love it so far and the back-end user interface is so great!
I am hosting on Bludomain so using upload features within a theme or plugin tend to NEVER WORK EVER… so I like to FTP new content/images directly into their appropriate folders.
:)
Thanks for a great product – and the Twitter code helped bigtime. All three days I got the code for 50% off. :)
Hi! I love your theme!
Just tweeted to get the discount code. I am SO excited to get this new blog theme. It is amazing! You do great work!
Awesome theme! I just installed it and it looks great.
Nice change from the two previous versions, Lawrence. The code in 3.1 was so much easier to go through than the other ones. :) , and 3.2 is a breeze to set up. Thanks.
Looks wonderful! Thank you much, Lawrence!!
Love the new blog! I just uploaded it to my new boudoir brand. Anyway, I got the free version. I am trying to find where I can change the URL for the “contact me” button. I can’t seem to find it under the edit themes section. Can you help? Thanks!
That’s in the single.php, index.php and etc. files. That version is designed for code lovers.
I really like the new blog. The back-end makes things so easy to use – so much nicer than having to code everything! Couple questions:
1. Any chance I can change it to a single column or remove the side-bar? I can code . . .just didn’t know if it is something “easy” to modify and if I did – would I loose the modifications if I made an update using the back end?
2. Where do I remove the link to twitter?
3. Can I change the color header navigation using the back-end? I don’t think so but I thought I would check to see if I was missing something. . .
Thanks!
Glad you like it!
1. One-column will be coming out shortly
2. Back end
3. Back end (under “header” tab)
Any chance to get a sneak peak at the 1 column? Giddy with anticipation for all of the great new updates in the 2 column version to be placed in a bigger picture, 1 column version.
Hi Lawrence I love the new theme. I am in the process of uploading the banners. Is there any way to slow down the scrolling the banner?
thanks
@Jason Armond
I just discovered that you can slow down the scrolling banner by editing the header.php file. If you have any questions feel free to contact me at jennyarnez@gmail.com.
=)