Dear Kusha, This is your Christmas gift, one what I've been thinking about for some time. If it isn't obvious, it is a webpage, but not just any homepage. Hopefully it is one that is of some use to you. I'll let you look around to decide the rest. Alas, a word of caution though, as I was unable to finalize it in time for Christmas. So don't accidentally trip over a misplaced graphic, and keep your "Back" button handy. There is still much work to be done, and at the bottom of this page is a "To Do" list of the many things that I hope to complete by vacation's end. The rest is up to you, and I'll be sending you more instructions as it nears it's end. Oh, a few more words. This Site is probably best viewed using Internet Explorer, if you aren't using it already, and on a big screen for now. Try a resolution of 1024x768. Onward Ho... to the Table of Contents. Enjoy,   dana.

About This Website
KUSHA'S PHOTOGRAPHY PORTFOLIO – UNDER CONSTRUCTION

QUICK INDEX OF THIS PAGE:

• Site History
• To Do List
• Things Needed from Kusha (Image & Content Formatting )
• About the Designer

1.2.02

• Lightened background of the Photo Album (Friends) from black to a dark grey (#222222). I would need to modified the antialiased graphics if I lightened it any further, though someone suggested changing the background to white which wouldn't look bad.
• Updated titles in Moments portfolio.
• Fixed missing spacer gif bug.

1.1.02

• The About This Site page was uploaded to server. It contains a ongoing site history, a To Do list, details on formatting photographs and other things need for the site, and finally a bit about the sites designer.
• Uploaded first draft of Moments slide show images. Light levels might needs some work and type is very simple right now. But there is at least reverse navigation here.

12.31.01

• Main table of contents index uploaded to server. Though it is still a first draft, links and rollovers work. However, the title typography needs to be adjusted and new rollovers need to be designed to replace the current, somewhat busy and simplistic ones.

12.25.01

• Site Presented, though half a day late.
• Still under construction. This site is missing a main table of contents page and picture views in the Moments section, as well as a variety of other minor items (see the To Do List).
• This site only has a few sample photography, but is otherwise empty of content (see Things Needed from Kusha).

• Incomplete Sections:
  • The slide show for the Moments Portfolio doesn't exist yet, and it only partially exist in my head. But is is coming next. Ideas welcome.
  • 1,000 Words is not even started. Though for this I will need your comments to start with (see more below).
  • The enterance page is still in a rough state. The title typography needs a bit of work (a bit sticking point), and the rollovers need to be changed to something more interesting and less busy. It would also be nice to change the graphic for the 1,000 Words puzzle piece, perhaps include the words, "a picture is worth...". But all the links should work.
• More Features:
  • You definitely want roll over buttons that change, particularly for the preview images, but this just mean chucking a bunch of new graphics.
  • Humm, better navigation is a must, particularly Home buttons and reverse navigation.
  • Speed, while I'm trying to do my best so the site doesn't take forever to download, that one will take some work, but it is slow going.
  • I'd like to figure out a way to automatically open the website up into a resized browser window without all the junk at the top. It's possible, but it will take a bit of figuring out.
  • Apply a note/sketch pad theme to the About This Site page. Perhaps some doodles or sketchs.
  • Add a Contact page from the bottom most puzzle piece? And list Kusha's name on every photograph page with an email address.
• Things to clean up:
  • The titles on most of the pages could use some work for sure, even if they are temporarily just text.
  • Fitting everything into the actual window is the next challenge, perhaps moving slide show navigation to the top of the page? Your thoughts on this one are welcome.
  • Try changing the background of the Photo Album pages to white, though this will require recreating the anti-aliased graphics. The corners need to be lighted anyway.
• Bugs:
  • There are still many cross browsers problems, particularly with text size and table layout. I don't like Netscape very much these days.
  • There is a problem with the Title frame in the Gallery slide show that makes the edges not draw correctly.

• Pictures:
  • Though eventually I imagine you will wish to take over maintaining your own site, I can at least put up the photographs you have now, assuming you get around to PICKING THEM OUT. For each photograph you want, I will need the following files:
    • A High Resolution image: scanned at 150dpi (though this is optional)
    • A Med Resolution image: with the pixel dimensions of: 284 x 482, horizontal or vertical
    • A Low Resolution preview image:
      • For the Gallery Page, the reduced image needs to be 72x48 pixels, horizontal or vertical. You also may consider running a sharpen filter on your reduced images.
      • For the People Page, I would suggest a cropped close-up of one part of the Med Res image, but it needs to be 95x63 pixel horizontal.
      • For the Moments Page, the image again needs to be 95x63 pixels, but it can be horizontal or vertical, a close-up or the entire image shrunken to fit.
  • The files will also need to be named in a particular fashion which I will give you more details on when you are ready. Basically it goes something like "gallery_med_res_01.jpg","...02.jpg", etc...
• Title Information:
  • Each Picture needs information to go along with it. Simply put you need the following general info for each image, though not all are required:
    • Title (or Person)
    • Location
    • Date (approximate)
    • Comments (people like to read comments, they can add a lot. a quote, a story, something about the other 4 senses, anything. Though this is not required, or it can be done later.)
• Artist Statement:
  • I need words from you. Basically a general statement about your photography, something to give viewers a frame of references. Perhaps some things you have discovered, things you look for in a picture, or things you strive to achieve through your photography. Statements are always hard and vague to come up with, but they can make a world of difference, and they don't require much technical legwork.
  • Let me know if you'd like any particular imagery on this page, as it is currently a blank slate. Also, if you keep track of comments your friends have made about your work, this is the place to include them, even if they are bad. 8)
• Feedback:
  • I need feedback. It's your site, tell me what you think of it, and how you would like to make it better. Criticism requested. Ideas and suggestions also welcome, particularly for some of the missing pages.
• Quotes:
• I was also hoping to put quotes in each section which have influenced you or which you regard as meaningful.

• This site was designed and developed by Dana Sheikholeslami (sheik@stanford.edu) as a Christmas gift for his brother, Kusha, in hopes of adding momentum to the ongoing development of his photography.
• This site was designed using Dreamweaver 4, Photoshop 6 & Imageready 3.
• Dana studied computer graphics at Penn State University, though is currently working at Stanford University doing Software Administration & Distribution. His ultimate goals are a job doing computer graphic design.