Welcome to Pacific Studios
Pacific Studios was built specifically to help those building or maintaining websites and the associated photography and video that are so common online now thanks to the proliferation of related online services, broadband internet access, cheap and easy-to-use digital cameras and video cameras, and hosting solutions that are easier now than ever before. This site is provided by David Campbell, Founder and President of MarineBio.org, Inc. where since 1998 he has been learning, building and running one of the most popular and important online sites concerning marine life and its conservation. This site contains what he has learned over the years from the countless people online providing their input, time, knowledge, and help to improve not only marinebio.org but all sites and therefore the Web itself. I thank you all for your tireless assistance and priceless skills that you chose to share with us all.
Building Websites
Building a website is often a painful experience. It can be expensive in terms of both time and money. Many put it off after becoming overwhelmed with the jargon like domains, ftp, SSL, ASP, javascript, flash, jpg, gif, SEO, etc. The truth is that you need a team to create and then run a successful website. What exactly is a "successful" website? A site that helps you achieve your business goals is one answer and probably the most important one. A site that helps visitors achieve their goals is one I like better and if done properly coincides with your business goals.
In this section I will share what I know about building websites from deciding to building one, picking a domain name, deciding on emails, creating the site structure, planning content creation, generating photos and video, testing and optimizing it all, and launching it on the Web as well as ways to generate traffic. Once your site is live, the work then really begins. I'll share what I've learned to help you keep your site fresh and proactive in terms of responding to visitors feedback, statistics, error logs, reviews, etc. Once a site is live it's in the public realm and if you let them, they will help guide you to even further success. Let's get started...
Online Photography/Videography
In this section I'll explore first taking great photographs and video. "Garbage in Garbage out" is a saying I like, which means simply that if you start with bad photos or video there's little you can do to make them great and you might as well not even bother trying. I have wasted untold days trying to "fix" bad photos and video and the results are almost always the same, the delete key. Taking great photos or video or paying the experts for their skills is the way to go and today it is cheaper than ever to find great photos and videos online for reasonable prices.
Knowing ahead of time what you plan to use your photos and videos for helps in numerous ways as well. Using them exclusively for online purposes greatly reduces your requirements for camera gear and computer hardware to convert them to multiple formats. Most of the classic rules for taking photos and video apply for online media and we'll explore them as we learn about what's needed to produce world-class online photography and videography. This way to the studios...
Hardware & Software
Computers, cpus, RAM, video cards, firewire, scanners, monitors, flash media, etc. What's required, what's recommended, and what's new? I'll share where I go, who I ask, and what I use to produce what I need for marinebio.org and the other sites I manage. Hardware can be expensive, a real pain to work with, and even dangerous when it fails. I'll start with the basics that I've learned to help you keep your data safe and your black boxes of hardware happy. It starts with an understanding that there are no ghosts in the machine....
Software... hmmmm. The good thing is that software is now better than it's ever been and only getting better, for the most part. I'll share what software I use, how I use it, and most importantly why I chose what I have. We'll explore alternatives and the deep resources online that are simply priceless to everyone using software. Hardware & Software central, next stop...
Articles & Resources
This site will always be a work in progress, as are all good sites. I'll add articles by myself and others as time goes on to help you (and me) keep abreast of the latest developments and news concerning building successful websites and working with photos and video online.
I have used many of the same resources online for years and will share all I have and then keep an eye out for new ones. Most of what I've learned concerning building websites and working with photos and video online came from online sources and books and people I've met while working in the industry. One of the most beautiful things about the Web is that it is our collective mind and so many freely share what they know for no other reason than to share in the hopes to make the Web, and therefore our world, a better place. I hope, in some small way, that I can also contribute my knowledge to help make our world a better place too. Visit the Articles & Resources home page...
If you have suggestions, comments or would like to contribute to this website, feel free to contact me.
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