Introduction This site consists of two parts, a public gallery and a content manager. The site is fully database driven and the manager allows me to upload images, and create categories, subcategories, and pages from any browser. Since I will be constantly adding content, I wanted a system that I could use anywhere, without having to install any special software, or even an FTP program. It doesn't matter if I'm using my Apple G4 laptop on a wireless connection at a coffee shop, or a PC at my office. I can update my site just as easily from home as I can from an iMac in a cafe in Venice. Naturally, when I'm using film, I have to develop it and scan it, but when I'm shooting digital, all I need is a USB port. Gallery Design I had two goals in mind for the gallery part of the site. I wanted a very simple and clean design and I wanted a navigation system that would automatically expand as I added both categories and subcategories. I also did not want to use any flash on this site. I like Flash but I think it tends to be used too much. I wanted to make a point with this site that you can achieve a lot without it. The site is about the images that I create. I want the viewer to be focused on the images, not the site itself. I selected a simple color scheme and an opening image that people would remember and identify with the site. The font style of the gallery215 logo matches the logo of my company, Design215 Inc. The menu and all of the page headings use a font that I tediously created to resemble the Atari computer font. Its very easy to read and its not used on a million other sites. Finally, I have tried to make sure my site looks and functions the same in all browsers, on the Mac and PC. I'm using CSS and DHTML extensively and yet the site works fine in Netscape 4, Netscape 6, and Internet Explorer on the Mac. Yes, I know ninety percent of the world uses Internet Explorer, but other artists and photographers visit my site. Many of these people use Macintosh computers and standards compliant browsers like Safari, or Camino.

Content Manager Naturally I tailored the manager to my site's specific needs but I also designed it to be flexible enough to fit the needs of other sites. Content is organized using categories, subcategories, and pages. Each category can link to a url or a list of subcategories. The link can either be text or a graphic. Subcategories link to a url using text or a graphic. Each subcategory contains a list of items. Items are placed in any number of pages within the subcategory. Each item can have any number of custom fields. For this site, I use fields like camera, lens, exposure, film, etc. The order of items in any list can be changed at any time. When I add a new subcategory or item, I can put it at the top of the list, the bottom, or anywhere in the middle. As an exercise, I wrote the gallery pages in ASP but I built the manager in PHP. The site is hosted by Nexpoint on a Windows 2000 server. I've written code in both ASP and PHP before but I've always done PHP on Unix servers so I'm testing the Windows version of PHP. The site uses a mySQL database, running on a separate server. To preview the manager, login using the word "guest" (no quotes) for both username and password. Don't worry, you won't be able to change anything on my site. =) Hire Me If you like this site, its functionality, or the content manager and want something like it for your own site, please contact me and I will be happy to sit down with you and discuss your needs. Being an artist as well as a programmer gives me a unique perspective that not only helps me solve problems but allows me to combine functionality with aesthetics. -Rob G