Help Choosing Tools

[sud]

Am looking for some advice on website development, My intensions over the next couple months are to construct a website for my photography, I have some experience using Html and have in the past used DW to develop a basic static site some years back.

My preferences are to use some flash for the main/first page intro and perhaps some for navigation. (Have seen some really great flash sites)

1. I have Iweb (No longer have DW) but was wandering if I should just hand coding the site myself in Html and perhaps using other code found on the web for effects (Navigation) and perhaps use Lightbox 2? What are your thoughts.

2. I have a mobile me account, Can I use that to host a hand coded website or is that just for Iweb?

3. Even better are there templates or prebuilt websites out there for a photography blog.

4. I will in the not to distance future be using this website as part of a small sideline business in photography, so it needs to be built with that in mind.

Thanks

 

[angelwatt]

I'd stay away from iWeb if you're looking to do business related things with the site later, it simply won't be helpful. Also, MobileMe doesn't have much in the way or server side scripting (e.g., PHP) so will limit the things you can do with your site.

As far Flash, I personally don't like it at all on web sites. I use browser extensions to block Flash, so would never use it for a site, especially for navigation. Having an intro for the site is pointless. Nobody likes them so don't waste your time developing one.

If you know how to hand code, then I'd say go that route. I do nothing but hand coding and like the complete control I have. There are photography templates out there, some free, so paid, just search them out. I did a photography site for a coworker and it's all HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. It wasn't horribly fancy, but worked for the guy. It was all hand coded and I put some together a custom slide show for his pictures. There's pre-built scripts like LightBox, which you have found so you don't need JavaScript skills to add that functionality to the web site.