Earlier today, as I pondered the “All the Nose” debate — and the subsidiary question of what to do with all that white space in the blog masthead if I eliminate the subtitle — I had a brainstorm. What if I use one of my panoramic pictures, or better yet, a rotating series of them, as a photographic backdrop for the blog’s title? For instance, if I were to use one of my recent planetary conjunction shots as the background:
Or how about the photo I took Sunday — actually a series of photos stitched together into a panorama using a piece of software called Calico — showing Becky and Loyette in the lower left corner, looking out at the vista at Red Rocks Amphitheater:
Here’s an example of what it would look like atop the homepage. I might have to tweak some of the rounded borders and such, but I think it definitely has potential.
There are lots of other photographic possibilities, and I could rotate the photos at random depending on what strikes my fancy, or use a specific photo when a particular event is happening. For instance, perhaps during football season:
Or, better yet:
Maybe this on the anniversary of 9/11:
Maybe this on just some random day whenever:
Et cetera, et cetera. There are many, many photos over the last 6 1/2 years — i.e., since I bought my first high-resolution digital camera — that could potentially fit the bill, for one occasion or another (or for no occasion at all, just because they’re pretty).
Downside: such a setup would decrease, by 150-200 pixels, the vertical space available for blog content; i.e., you’d have to scroll more, and you’d see less of the blog when you first load the page, because the masthead graphic would be substantially “taller” than it is now.
Upside(s): it would allow me to showcase some of my pretty horizontal/panoramic photos from over the years; it would solve not only the “All the Nose” problem, but also the problem of the homepage being somewhat drab and colorless; and, well, it’s just kind of cool.
Thoughts?
I’d have to scroll more?
EVERYBODY PANIC!!
LOL
It looks like the Nose is going down (or was when I voted). That being the case, I’d say pick another masthead and stay with it. Think of it:
“Hey, did you read that LRT lately?”
“Yeah, yesterday. Love that football masthead.”
“Football? Are you joking?? I was just reading it! It was some mountains!!!!
“I’m telling you it was football!!!!
“Football, my A**!! You @&$@%!!!”
[Mountains bludgeons Football.]
Don’t play with these people, Brendan.
Re: the Nose, it is indeed losing the poll, but of course, that’s ultimately my decision — my blog is a dictatorship, not a democracy. 🙂 I am leaning toward scrapping it, though, or at least relegating it to some less prominent spot on the site.
Although I still think you should use my idea of semi-randomly changing subtitles, this is pretty cool too, and it adds a much needed splash of color. Feel free to combine the two ideas, I won’t charge you for using my idea 😀
Consistency and repetition. I’m with Leanna on this one. Pick an identity and grow with it. You can still showcase your photos with the latest sidebar app for a slideshow, etc.
I like the rotating banners, and think that the Nose should show up somewhere, like at the bottom of the sidebar or something. I like the Nose. 😀 See, I even put a nose in the smiley face! I’m sincere!
I love the mastheads. I think as a matter of a design and as a reflection of you, it’s far better. You are not a nonsensical rip off of the NYT. You’re way cooler than that.
Rotating banners is a cool idea, but I think you just need to put up a picture of your parents’ living room in Newington. That is, after all, THE living room that gave LRT its name.
Actually Josh, the Living Room Times was never produced in the living room. 🙂 It was produced in the den (a.k.a. the “Play Porch”), where our computer was located.
Big fan of the picture mastheads – do it!
On second thought, those banners ARE gorgeous. Is there some little corner where the Nose could go? Keeping the Olde English font for the ‘Living Room Times’ would be nice, though, especially as white-over-color-photo. I know you’ll make good choices.