Recommend me a web host! (and a request for general beginners help...)

[Solnyshko]

Been wrestling with this one for a while. I want to set up a site to host my back catalogue and new photo projects, but the guy who's promised to build it for me I've just about given up on. So... I'm doing it myself.

I've no experience in such wizardry. I considered off-the-shelf websites from the likes of Photium, Clikpic and Vodahost - but these seem like poor value and are inherently limited. Just started a 3 week course in web design, and picking up the basics of Dreamweaver - unfortunately very little guidance offered in the real-world nuts & bolts.

Recommendations for value web host & domain name company would be great.

Has anyone had experience with free tool kits such as Smartest - looks very impressive, and may well fill the gaps in my crappy skillset

Just don't know where to start really, any pointers really welcome!

 

[Solnyshko]

Mostly photos - embedded galleries/slideshows etc - but want the flexibility to add pages for photographic services, diary events and possibly a forum bolted on at some point.

Is wordpress similar to Smartest ? - bear in mind I'm a total novice!

I see a pattern emerging with TsoHost

 

[Solnyshko]

Isn't Wordpress more of a blogging platform?

 

[Solnyshko]

Vidahost and TSOHost will be the two recommended here. I have two accounts with the former.

Out of curiosity, why is this the case? Not that I have any issue with narrowing my options - frankly the less distraction the higher the likelihood of me nailing it and getting my site up and running sometime this century!

looking at the http://www.webhostingtalk.com/ site, there's a plethora of possibilities out there.

I also note that one of the contributors to this thread and forum appears to be intimately involved in the machinations of Vidahost

Since starting this thread I have also received PMs from other locally-based webhosting companies - is this a conspiracy?! (though seriously thanks for the suggestions, private and otherwise; I'm up for anything at the moment though have some specific requirements I'm not sure every webhost would be best placed to accommodate)

 

[Solnyshko]

Ah very enlightening. Thanks Beansprout. You reference Vodahost, which I imagine is a completely different kettle of fish to Bath-based Vidahost. I have heard pretty awful stuff about the north american company.

Smugmug is, not unlike Clikpic & Photinium, one of those dedicated services I would say are somewhat overpriced and limited given the alternatives (if you have access and time to build your own).

The simple 'solution' as you cite, may not be the best for me at this point as am hoping to put together something quite unique.