Donnan

Photographer’s: Beware of WordPress Jetpack

I was doing a checkup on one of my client’s websites this past week and noticed extremely slow loading times on one of their portfolio galleries. I thought that was strange, as the hosting is a virtual private server setup and generally – blazing fast (compared to shared hosting).

One gallery was taking over 15 seconds to load and had almost 200 queries happening on one page! I checked to see what all was turned on in Jetpack’s settings. Here’s what was turned on (and what I turned back off).

  • Enable site accelerator
    • Speed up image load times
    • Speed up static file load times
  • Lazy-loading images will improve your site’s speed and create a smoother viewing experience. Images will load as visitors scroll down the screen, instead of all at once.
    • Enable Lazy Loading for images

After disabling these settings the Requests on the page dropped to 58 and page load time dropped to under one second. This one gallery has 130+ images on it, which I’d try and reduce later on, but for now this one change in Jetpack made a huge improvement in portfolio performance.

Photographers, social media may get the most immediate attention and great reward, but do not neglect regular posts to your blog. It not only is longer lasting than social posts, but it also improves your website ranking over time.

Virgil’s website now ranks in the top ten for “charleston wedding photographer” – which is an extremely crowded and competitive market. Now – that may not bring in a large quantity of quality leads for the higher end market, but it at the very least gets a lot more eyes on his website.

Whether you’re a brand new business, or one that’s been around for ten years – reach out to me if you need help improving and optimizing your website portfolio. I love the challenge and love to see the results it brings.

Backup Cameras & Wireless Apple CarPlay in E90 and E60 BMW’s

I have been using wireless Apple CarPlay in my 2010 BMW 535 Wagon for more than a year now, as well as wireless Android Auto. Before this vehicle I installed just the backup camera in a 2009 328 E91 wagon. The hardest part with both installs is running the backup camera wiring through the tailgate latch and up behind the dashboard. I’m told it’s a much easier process on sedans, coupes and convertibles. This same installation info should also apply to BMW X5, 6 series bmw, f series bmw, etc. This is written for someone inclined to DIY and can handle a few quirks.

Installation Parts List (excluding tools)

Once everything is installed you will have to tweak the resolution a little bit. The password for changing this setting is 1314 on my unit. I would also recommend using a different launcher for the Android screen if you’re buying all of this primarily for wireless Apple CarPlay. FCC Launcher is a great app to use as the default launcher.

If you’re only looking to do wireless Android Auto, grab Headunit Reloaded app. You don’t need the carplay adapter.

Sites Built with Flothemes ❤️

I’ve built a lot of websites over the years and generally have a distaste for any theme that includes its own version of page editors or theme builders. Generally themes like that are poorly supported, or have issues down the road, but I must say Flothemes is great. Whether you’re building a site from scratch or improving an existing site – their themes, support and features are top notch. Here’s my take on using their professional themes.

FLOTHEMES ❤️

Fiji 2 Theme

When Virgil reached out to me to migrate two websites into one, I knew it would be a big task as he’s been uploading pictures to his blog for over ten years now. Since migrating the website to Flothemes, his SEO score has gone way up as has his inquiries. Take a look at how we laid out his photography site. On the back end, data talks to Mailchimp and everything is well integrated.

Blanco Theme

Wedding photography used to be my main gig for nearly ten years and throughout that stint I put a lot of effort into making my website look and work great. I’m biased, but I still think the theme is top notch. I was using other themes and photo plugins to display my work, but it never really felt cohesive until I found Flothemes. Blanco theme is at least four years old now and while I may not update the site very often, my photography is still displayed beautifully. Take a look.

Crowd Theme

Jennings reached out to me to revamp their site and merge from some other paid theme they were using. We built their site out with crowd’s theme and it is also several years old now. The portfolio page has both featured weddings and a highlights gallery, and is easy to navigate on any device. If you take a look at their blog posts, tons of pictures load incredibly quick. People are impatient these days and want to see it all now. Their site is also hosted through a virtual private server, which is so much faster than the common hosting solutions out there.

In another post I will share some more information on how you can connect WordPress websites and Mailchimp, without using any extra plugins. Be warned, it’s going to get a little nerdy, but provides an easy way for you to reach your photography audiences.

Silver Comet & Chief Ladiga

So what’s it like to ride 195 miles solo in two days?

I rode 101 miles this past Friday with headwinds the entire way from Smyrna, GA to Anniston, AL – and then back to Jacksonville, AL to spend the night. Got back up and rode all the way to the new Braves stadium in Marietta, GA (95 ish miles). Total trip was roughly 16 hours on the bike and 195 miles of pedaling. Solo.

Turkey sandwich at Soli’s hit the spot.

I made multiple stops along the way to get relief from the 15-35 mph headwinds. Ate a sandwich at Soli’s Soup, Salads & Sandwiches in Rockmart, GA – which is right by the trail.

Bike the Silver Comet & Chief Ladiga Trail

I then grabbed a double-shot espresso in Cedartown and a peanut butter cookie at the Ideal Bakery. That hit the spot. These two towns are great stops right along the trail.

  • Bike the Silver Comet & Chief Ladiga Trail
  • Bike the Silver Comet & Chief Ladiga Trail
  • Bike the Silver Comet & Chief Ladiga Trail
  • Bike the Silver Comet & Chief Ladiga Trail

After the the ‘big hill’ and eventually the GA/AL state line, the ride is pretty dang remote. I barely saw anyone Cedartown, GA all the way to Jacksonville, AL. This was a test of the mind and body. A forest service truck was parked on the trail… I guess tending to wild game. I saw a turkey that would probably come up to my waist in height.

  • Bike the Silver Comet & Chief Ladiga Trail
  • Bike the Silver Comet & Chief Ladiga Trail
  • Bike the Silver Comet & Chief Ladiga Trail
  • Bike the Silver Comet & Chief Ladiga Trail

Sorry to say it folks, but the end of the Chief Ladiga trail in Anniston is kinda boring. You can camp out at a really nice campground, or have someone pick you up, or turn around and head back to Jacksonville. The tailwind put me in a good mood so I even found a halfpipe drain to ride in before making my final push up the hill to the B&B.

  • Bike the Silver Comet & Chief Ladiga Trail
  • Bike the Silver Comet & Chief Ladiga Trail
  • Bike the Silver Comet & Chief Ladiga Trail
  • Bike the Silver Comet & Chief Ladiga Trail
  • Bike the Silver Comet & Chief Ladiga Trail
  • Bike the Silver Comet & Chief Ladiga Trail

Once I got to the B&B, I got situated, out of the silly lycra and into the shower. After that my host graciously lent me a car to grab some dinner. It was a pretty special ride considering it was a BMW Z3 convertible that she’s owned for ten years (I’ve owned a z3m coupe for roughly the same amount of time). Once I filled my belly to the brim with Loco Mex – I tried to pass out, but my body was too wired from the day to really sleep.

  • Bike the Silver Comet & Chief Ladiga Trail
  • Bike the Silver Comet & Chief Ladiga Trail
  • Bike the Silver Comet & Chief Ladiga Trail

I looked up just about every possibility to avoid riding a bicycle again back to Atlanta. Uber doesn’t exist in Jacksonville, AL – and a cheap pickup truck on Craigslist tempted me to cheat my way home. A few hours of sleep, clean clothes (B&B washed my cycling kit – how nice!), a great breakfast and cooler temperatures in the morning was enough motivation to get back on the bike and ride back to Atlanta.

Bike the Silver Comet & Chief Ladiga Trail

I set my finish line for Antico Pizza in Battery Park (aka new Braves stadium). There were a lot more cyclists on the trails on Saturday, but I only saw two or four riders that were bikepacking. A gal on an aero tri-bike came alongside me at about mile 60, so I hopped on her wheel to pick up the pace for a while.

Bike the Silver Comet & Chief Ladiga Trail

This lifted my spirits a good bit and hopefully didn’t freak her out too much. We rode along for a good 10-15 miles until she dropped a bottle – and I kept going. Of course she passed me again, but it’s kinda hard to do 24 mph on a 1×11 gravel bike without someone breaking the wind.

  • Bike the Silver Comet & Chief Ladiga Trail
  • Bike the Silver Comet & Chief Ladiga Trail
  • Bike the Silver Comet & Chief Ladiga Trail

Once the Silver Comet trail ends – you’re on a trail extension pretty much the entire way to the park. It was on a game day so the roads were a little crazy and the crowds were probably giving me funny looks, but I didn’t care because my wife was there to greet me with a big smile.

We took a few pictures, got out of the silly lycra, ate some pizza and drove back to the burbs of ATL. This was a great trip. Sure, it would’ve been more fun with a buddy riding with me, but I also was content to spend some time pedaling solo for the two days.

Day 1
Day 2
  • Mile zero
  • This bug probably cost me 5 watts.
  • Lots of this.
  • Big tunnel before you get to Rockmart.
  • Windblock / wool jersey was nice to have on day 1.
  • Cows.
  • Cedartown?
  • Bike the Silver Comet & Chief Ladiga Trail
  • Chief Ladiga Trail
  • Entering Jacksonville, AL
  • My handlebars were a bit crowded.
  • Piedmont, AL. Didn’t stop here.
  • Mostly flat, but a few twists, turns and hills made the ride interesting.
  • Mr. Bones
  • I had to change to short sleeve like a bike diva.
  • I didn’t even stop at the end of the Silver Comet for a picture. I was on my way to pizza.

In conclusion, this ride was awesome. Sure, there aren’t many scenic overlooks like you get on the Blue Ridge Parkway, but you also don’t have to deal with climbing mountains – or worrying about cars for the most part. GA/AL is fortunate to have such a long continuous trail system. I’m glad to mark this one off the bucket list.

Lost 30 by 30

and gained most of it back five years later 🙁

Several years ago we lived on the westside of Atlanta, near Smyrna, GA. I wasn’t much of a cyclist back then – and to be fair Atlanta isn’t the easiest place to be one. Anyway, our local Publix was close to the Silver Comet trailhead – which is a paved trail that goes all the way to the Georgia/Alabama border, then continues on to Anniston, Alabama on the Chief Ladiga trail.

After we moved to Charleston, SC I got into cycling – and due to my self-employment work I could free up many hours to ride long distance rides. This was great for my physical fitness. I once set a goal to lose 30 lbs in less than six months! I achieved that goal – and then some, knocking off close to 40 lbs of weight.

That was almost five years ago – and a lot has changed in our lives. Greenville, SC is home. Our son is almost two years old. Several job changes later and most of that weight has crept back. It turns out you won’t always have 10 hours a week to dedicate to working out. And if you don’t have great discipline at meal time, or snack time, or late night snack time you’ll end up right back where you started.

Anyway, tomorrow I’m going on a long ride again. First day will be over 100 mile ride from Smyrna, GA to Anniston, Al. Spend the night at a Bed&Breakfast, then wake up and ride back to Smyrna/Atlanta. The goal is to rack up 200 miles in two days.

Thankfully there are no cars to worry about – so in theory it’ll be ‘easy’.

Here’s the bike I’ll be riding, with a few bits and bobs bolted to it for comfort and gear.

Rodeo Labs Flannimal

To quote my friend Mountain Man Bill – “Hike your own hike – and finish”. Maybe one day he’ll see the light about bike touring vs just walking.

There is this really cool app called Epic Ride Weather and it shows me temperature, precipitation, wind and wind direction along my planned routes. Since I’m a newbie at solo long-distance riding, I welcome any tool that can help me anticipate challenges I may encounter.

It’s Back

I have some good news. My 10 year old photography website is back! Even though I stopped making pictures for a paycheck, I never stopped shooting. Head over to andrewdonnanphoto.com if you like pretty pictures. Want pictures? Let’s talk.

We all want our website to be faster, mobile responsive, high ranking on google and easier than ever before to update. Or perhaps you want to get your products listed on Amazon, eBay or Walmart, but haven’t a clue where to start. I can help.

I have been building websites on the side for many years and have found a few things that work. Whether it’s a three page small business site or serving the needs of a 2M E-Commerce platform, I can steer you in the right direction. I can’t promise you fame and fortune, but I can equip your business with the tools it needs to thrive online.

Here are a few websites I’ve worked on.

Stay tuned. There’s a lot more to come.

Posted in Etc Tagged