Posted on by Leslie

iPhones

I’ve finally added an iPhone to my toolbelt. I was going to hold off for the next generation, but my old cell was dying too rapidly and I needed the data capabilities anyway, so I got one.

They are as cool as advertised. It’s all I can do not to sit in a corner and play with it. I even made my first iTunes-based ringtone last evening. And there are loads of helpful webapps I still have to explore and little tricks to learn (like answering by clicking the mic on the earbud cord).

But that’s not what this post is about.

This post is about how popular iPhones are with your targets. They are extremely popular. If one of your targets doesn’t have an iPhone, s/he probably has a Blackberry or the like instead and even if s/he has one of those other devices, an iPhone may still be in the future. And these people are using these tools (iPhones and other devices) more and more to check their email and to look at websites…including photographer’s websites. I’m currently running a small photo buyer survey and the numbers are backing up this point so far.

How does your site look on an iPhone or Blackberry? And how well does it work on one? If you don’t know the answer to these questions, you’d better find out. Buyers are busy people and they will indeed, for example, look at a site on their iPhone while they’re waiting for a set to be ready on another shoot, in hopes of finding a photographer for their next project. If yours doesn’t work here’s what they’ll be thinking: Next!

5 Replies to “iPhones”

  1. Check out http://www.TestiPhone.com, it’s a great little javascript application that shows you what your website will look like on an iPhone. I need to do some work 🙂

    I am sure that this kind of thing exists for the RIM as well, but I couldn’t manage to find something this didn’t involve downloaded the developer pack.

    Brett

  2. My site is flash so no luck but I do have portfolios on my iphone. I have a general one and then ones that are specific to portraits, events, and other kinds of assignments. CLIENTS LOVE IT! I recommend sizing them at 150 dpi (which I believe is native to the screen) and making it larger than the actual dimensions of the screen. The ability to zoom in and out is great if you’re using it as a selling tool. (“Notice how this little bit of catchlight adds a sparkle to her eyes?”) Clients also love the rotating and the way you can swipe from one photo to the next. Very tactile and very portfolio-like.

    I would recommend setting up the wallpaper with your biz name in case you ever lose the phone. (Tip from J.Harrington.)

  3. I love my iphone but either Livebooks needs to have a HTML option for the sites optimized for iphones or Apple needs to get with it and let us see flash content on the iphone.

    I do format my e-promos to fit the iphone. I tested them the other day and they look great.

    I also put my portfolio on the iphone just in case. You never know who you’re going to meet and they make a great conversation piece (the iphone)

    For movies the iphone sucks. David Lynch agrees:
    http://youtube.com/watch?v=wKiIroiCvZ0

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