Blog Articles for ‘wordpress customization’



How to create a blog post

Written on February 6, 2010, Posted in smugmug help


So…. you want to write a blog, add cool pictures, but you don’t know how?!  Well then, I wrote this blog just for YOU!!   <grin>

Please read the rules about adding pictures and then follow the step by step instructions I’ve provided ~  and when you are done…. voila!  You have created your own blog posting.

Good luck and happy creating!

Tracey

READ ME FIRST!!!

Rules for adding images to your blog:
 
1. Image width must be equal to or less than 950px  in width
 
2. To change the image size in the blog posting, edit the image source  line in the blog posting on the HTML page.

change the “-L.jpg” to , example -O.jpg to display the Original size, -M.jpg to display the Medium Size, etc…
 
img src=http://www.jrphotosandwebdesign.com/Michigan-Nature-Photography/Traverse-City-Michigan/traversecitysunrise/674112382_tWUJF-L.jpg
 
For different image sizes, please refer to  http://www.smugmug.com/help/display-quality

Creating a Blog:

  1. Login to the Administrator site.
  2. Click to select Posts from the Dashboard and a shortcut menu appears, as seen in the example below:
  3. Click Add New.  The Add New Post screen appears. 
  4. Enter the Title for the Blog Post and the body of the post.  There are word processing tools available to add bullets, numbering, and text justification options.  Text can be bolded, or italicized for emphasis.  See example for where to add the blog post title and the body of the message:
  5. Tags help identify what your article is about.   Tags can either be selected from a predefined list or added manually.  To view the tags that already exist, or add tags, find the Post Tags area on the right side of the screen.  To add pre-existing tags, click to select the Choose from the most used tags in Post Tags link.  To add your own tags, click in the field and enter each tag separated by commas.  See example below:
  6. Categorize your blog post by clicking in the check boxes to select the appropriate categories from the Categories area on the right side of the screen.  New categories can also be added by clicking the Add New Category link.
  7. Scroll down to the Discussion section and make sure the Allow trackbacks and pingbacks and Comments options are selected (have checks in them).  This allows readers to add comments to your blog article and pingbacks allow other sites to link back to this article.  See example below:
    The Author field defaults to the name of the user logged in. See example below:
  8. Locate the All in One SEO Pack section.  This section controls text relating to your blog posting that appears in the Browser it is viewed in, as well as the Navigation Bar at the top of the article. NOTE:  Keywords entered here should be the SAME as the Post Tags entered in step #5.  BE CONSISTENT!!  See example below:
  9. Pictures or videos from any Smugmug site can be inserted into your blog post.     To insert a picture from a Smugmug site, click to position your cursor where the picture should be inserted. 
  10. Open your Smugmug site and navigate to the photo to be inserted into your blog. 
  11. Locate and click on the Share button in the upper right hand corner of the Smugmug screen, as seen in the example below:NOTE: The settings in your gallery must have external links set to “Yes” and social sharing set to “Yes” to see this button.  Setting can be changed in the gallery by selecting Tools, Gallery Settings.  

  12. Click the Get a Link option from the drop down menu.  Click to select the Embeddable Links tab, as seen in the example below:
  13. Click the Copy button for the image size you want to use.  The following confirmation window appears:
  14. Click the Allow access buttonThe Copy button changes to  ”Copied!” to indicate that the picture has been copied in that size.  See example below:
  15. Switch back to your blog, click on the HTML tab. 
  16. Click where you want the image to be inserted.
  17. Right click and select Paste from the shortcut menu. The URL will be pasted into your blog on the HTML tab, and the actual picture will be visible on the Visual tab, as seen in the example below:

18.  Click the Preview button in the Publish section to review your article.


  19.  Make any changes and when ready, click the Publish button.

**Don’t forget to social share your blog posting (facebook, twitter, etc…)**

Note: Tracey does both technical training and writing of documentation/course material on a professional level. If you are interested in her reviewing your web site content, please contact us.



Back in 2008, I had the opportunity to work with Cathy Hartman Photography on the customization of her smugmug site. At the time, her photography business was “Treasured Moments” photography.

Cathy recently contact us for ‘an extreme makeover’ to her site with new colors, banner, logo, slideshow, content and music. LT worked with the Cathy on implementing the modifications. Most importantly, LT did not have to ‘recreate’ the customization of her smugmug site. The customization is design specifically for ‘extreme makeovers’ and enhancements for photographers who change there market brand strategy. This results in both a savings in time and money and expedites the redesign process. LT also work with Cathy to design and develop her wordpress blog which looks exactly like her smugmug web site.

Cathy writes to us “I have loved photography since I was a kid. It was always a great hobby, but not something I had time to pursue professionally. Most of my images were of my six children, 10 grandchildren, and students at my dance studio. Three years ago I sold my dance studio and last year became an empty nester. This gave me the opportunity to take my photography to the next level. I am very passionate about my photography and feel so blessed to spend every day with my camera. Some days I think I only want to be a baby and child photographer because I absolutely love the little ones. Then the next day I change my mind as I have a blast with a senior. Weddings are awesome – who doesn’t love a wedding! It means so much to be able tell the story of the couple’s special day through my images. And, I still have my passion for dance, but now as a dance photographer. There is nothing like capturing the beauty of a dancer whether on stage or leaping through the park. ”

Before – Treasured Moments Photography

Before - Treasured Moments

After – Cathy Hartman Photography

After - Cathy Hartman Photography

After – Cathy Hartman Photographys Blog


Visit Cathy Hartman Photography

Congrats to Cathy Hartman Photography on the new implementation of her market brand and “awesome” job LT!
Visit Cath Hartman Photography to see more images..

Jeni: Gotta LOVE the passion of the photographer and the passion from Jerry to make us look good!



Visit Lyn Foley

Round Top Texas jeweler Lyn Foley uses specializes in handmade beads and glasswork jewelry. Lyn uses Smugmug to post images of jewelry and sells to customers via paypal. Lyn uses the wordpress blog – which design is similar to her smugmug site – to write her latest creative jewerly work, art shows, specials and topics related to jewelry making.

Lyn writes about smugmug and jR Customization:

“I was excited when I discovered SmugMug a few years ago since selling my jewelry online requires a lot of photos of my work. SmugMug makes uploading those picture so easy (I don’t have to resize them), and I can show my extensive photo portfolio of sold work online as well. Many customers have commented on the clear easy screen navigation is, and how good my jewelry looks. Thanks Jerry, for customizing my site and making it look fabulous and professional. Now my jewelry will be easier to sell with the much needed “Buy Now” buttons, great navigation, and integrated blog and other stuff! Jerry, you Rock!”

– Lyn Foley

Visit Lyn Foley – Wearable Art | Born in Fire to see more of Lyns jewelry. Lyn is featured in Bead Star. The magazine, Bead Star, is a beading publication comprised entirely of prize-winning designs selected by beaders and is published nationwide.



South Louisiana award-winning lifestyle photographer Alicia Hartfield of Moments Photography uses the smugmug/wordpress solution to host her breathtaking images and share client success stories. Alicia specializes in maternity, newborn, children, senior and family photography. She is continuing to build her portfolio into 2010 with her work in birth experience photography.

Alicia is also known for her fabulous Holiday Greeting cards and her customers are anxiously awaiting her 2009 ‘rock your Christmas card’ designs.

Alicia also creates amazing graphic designs for web sites and we have partnered together on several sites over the past two years.

You can view her work at Moments Photography.

Visit Moments Photography



During the summer, myself and Alicia from Moments Photography had the opportunity to work on a new site – Dakota Cuvée Events. “Dakota Cuvée Events is the event planner and caterer of choice when looking for a company to treat your party as if it was their own.” Given the elegance of Dakota Cuvée Events, we did not want to implement some plain-boring static html web site nor did we want to implement a ‘flashy-flash’ site which is next to impossible for anyone to maintain; scratch both those ideas from the ‘menu’. What would be the solution ? Simple – wordpress!

The Wordpress solution enabled us to design a site combining pages and blog posts. The pages consist of information about the Dakota Cuvée Events five-star menus, catering information, events planning, the southshore Louisiana and northshore Louisiana venues. The sites pages also contain information about the Cuvée, Dakota and Rambla restaurants. New Orleans nationally acclaimed events planner Bridgette Miramon has the ability to use the blog to write articles about up-coming events as well as several of Dakota Cuvée Events success stories. Bridgette can also maintain the sites blog articles and content pages herself easily through the wordpress dashboard. Visitors to the site have the ability to share the blog articles via the several social media platforms. The site is even iphone friendly and google search engine optimization (SEO) loves wordpress! Yeah – this is a blog – see for yourself – visit Dakota Cuvée Events.

Visit Dakota Cuvée Events

ShowIt Web Slideshows

Written on November 6, 2009, Posted in business


Visit Showit Web



Showit Web Slideshows

Create stunning slideshows quickly and simply. Just upload your photos, select your music, customize the look and ShowitWeb does the rest.
 • Automatically resizes images and generates Flash file
 • Pre-timed transitions syncopated to the music
 • Customize the music, text, colors, zoom, focal points, and include your own logo
 • Embed slideshow into your blog or Facebook page
 • Sell a DVD of the slideshow to your customers with Showit’s MediaLab

I used Showit Web for a the home page slideshow on my Sarah and James Wedding Site. It was very easy to use and I had the slideshow created within minutes. I like the ability to create variations on slideshow transitions and timings.

Visit Showit Web to learn more.



Visit Galt Wedding Photography

Galt Wedding Photography

Visit Galt Photography

Galt Photography

Santa Rosa California area photographers Forrest and Myra Galt specialize and wedding and portrait photography.

 

Forrest and Myra “love photography because of the way it conveys to the viewer the image of a loved one in a pleasant or amusing way. The photograph is a record of a person or event that will not change. So often photography is overlooked by most people, they don’t see the value of it until it is too late. We strive to make the best images possible, and we enjoy the challenge of it.”

 

Galt Photography uses both wordpress and smugmug for their internet site. “Thanks to Jaki Good, we found Jerry Roek. He did an incredible job of designing our new web site! Our old web site was stagnant, yet I wasn’t sure how to create a new one. Jerry lead us through the process quickly and was very responsive to our questions and concerns. We highly recommend him.”

 

You can view their work at Galt Wedding Photography and Galt Photography.