Canvas of Light version 3.0 is here!

After working on my website offline for about 2 weeks, testing different themes, playing around with CSS and breaking/fixing things, I have finally reached a point where I am happy with the results.

Canvas of Light ~ Travel Photography has now a brand new design.

I first launched my Photography Blog in October 2008 on Blogspot. It was a way for me to share my passion and improve my craft while working in a cubicle in the UAE.

Later after quitting my job and backpacking through different countries, I slowly changed my “hobby-blog” to a Travel Photography blog where I’d share photos from places I visited.
In September 4th 2010, almost a year ago, I decided to drastically change direction and migrated to a self-hosted website with a brand new cool design and much bigger photos. The feedback was incredible and I had 10 times more daily visitors than before.
I started sharing more photography related articles with “Quick tips” and “How to” software tutorials. But inevitably, I noticed the limits of having a simple theme. It was time for a change.

The new theme will give me room to improve and expand my photoblog to become a more professional photography website. I didn’t just want a portfolio but also a place where people can share and learn about photography. I still wanted to keep the clean and simple feel with big photos but needed to separate my blog section from my portfolio.

So here’s a list of changes from my old design:

• Canvas of Light used to only be a place to showcase my photography. Now the Blog section is separated from the Portfolio section.
• The Portfolio section will take you to my Smugmug gallery where you can browse the different categories/countries and purchase prints. It will also have a slideshow of my favorite photos. Sit back and enjoy.
• The Blog section will not only be used for showcasing new photos, but will also have a more personal touch with stories, anecdotes, random thoughts and whatever I feel like posting. Just like a normal personal blog.
• To view a bigger version of the photos, click on the image. There is also a “Buy Now” button available for prints.
• There is a new “Resources” section with Tutorials (for photography tutorials) and Reviews (to review gears, cameras, lenses, etc..), as well as an E-book section to review Photography related e-books and to sell my own photography e-books (to be available in the next few months).
• You can minimize the menu sidebar by clicking “Hide Menu” on the bottom left side, switch your browser to fullscreen and enjoy huge photo slideshows as big as your screen.
• On the Blog page, you can use the Search box in the bottom or browse by Category or by Date to find older posts.

Now an important question. Will I monetize my blog? Will I have ads everywhere? Yes and no.

There won’t be blinking ad banners everywhere or any nasty pop-ups. I like to keep it clean. I will however start monetizing my website by adding photography and travel related Amazon links as well as affiliate links to e-books (all products will be carefully chosen). Nothing really intrusive.

I hope you’ll enjoy the change and let me know if you encounter any bugs or for any feedback/additions.

Happy browsing and don’t forget to check the Home page!

Posted on Monday, August 29th, 2011 at 19:50. Filed under: Blog Tags: blog, new, version RSS 2.0 feed.

12 Responses to “Canvas of Light version 3.0 is here!”

1. Sally says:

   29/08/2011 at 21:27

   I thought your website before was lovely… but this is just stunning! Amazing job, Dan. I can’t wait to explore it all!
   Sally recently posted..By Any Other Name: Why I Call Myself A Writer

   Reply
   • Daniel Nahabedian says:

     30/08/2011 at 08:08

     Thank you very much Sally! I liked my previous theme but it had it limits and the menu wasn’t really functional. Seems to be all good now!
     Daniel Nahabedian recently posted..Canvas of Light version 3.0 is here!

     Reply
2. Dustin Main - Skinny Backpacker says:

   30/08/2011 at 01:12

   Looks great Dan!
   Dustin Main – Skinny Backpacker recently posted..Antarctic Ice

   Reply
   • Daniel Nahabedian says:

     30/08/2011 at 08:09

     Thanks mate :)
     Daniel Nahabedian recently posted..Canvas of Light version 3.0 is here!

     Reply
3. Joya says:

   30/08/2011 at 11:55

   Love the new design Dan!
   Joya recently posted..Photo Essay: San Francisco’s Presidio

   Reply
   • Daniel Nahabedian says:

     31/08/2011 at 09:22

     Thank you!

     Reply
4. christine says:

   30/08/2011 at 23:59

   congrats, daniel! this new look is AMAZING! clean, functional and gorgeous. great work!

   Reply
   • Daniel Nahabedian says:

     31/08/2011 at 09:21

     Thank you very much Christine :) I spent 2 weeks to try to find a good theme hehe.

     Reply
5. Hal Amen says:

   31/08/2011 at 09:24

   Congrats, Dan. Enjoyed reading about your progression, and the new design is beautiful.
   Hal Amen recently posted..How I Learned that Downhill/Freestyle Mountain Biking Is Cool

   Reply
6. Kara says:

   01/09/2011 at 18:34

   Dan, I’m a (very) new reader, so I don’t know what your format was like before, but this is simply gorgeous! Sleek and vibrant, you should be very proud.

   Thanks for sharing such beauty!
   Kara
   Kara recently posted..It was splendid

   Reply
   • Daniel Nahabedian says:

     01/09/2011 at 19:08

     Thank you very much for the visit and the compliment Kara!

     Reply
7. Pete Heck says:

   03/09/2011 at 16:24

   Daniel,

   This looks great, well done. Very sharp and I love the sidebar nav.
   Pete Heck recently posted..Connemara, Ireland – In Photos

   Reply

Leave a Reply

Click here to cancel reply.

Name (required)

Mail (will not be published) (required)

Website