I’ve been running a blog since 2002 and have always either made my own templates, used pre-designed templates or modified basic designs to fit my site design.  It has always worked out pretty well for me, especially since I switched from Xanga to MoveableType to Blogger and finally to WordPress.

After my first WordPress install, I came to the realization that this was the last blogging platform I would ever need.  Really, over the last few years, WordPress has become less of a blogging platform and more of a true CMS (Content Management System).

Unfortunately, WordPress has never been the best format for me to manage my photography.  I’ve used photo templates and plugins such as Yet Another Photo Blog plugin (which is just about the best one I’ve used).  In the end though, I was always left wanting something more.  As it is right now, I host my photo blog, Justin Moore Scott on PixelPost.  It’s basically a stripped down blogging platform just for photography.  Instead of a true blog format, however, it creates a sort of online portfolio like you’d get from LiveBooks.com, only it’s free and self hosted.

But it also isn’t regularly updated by it’s creator and seem to have a few bugs in the system when it comes to managing my photos and such.  Plus, since I’ve actually started to have my photography shown in galleries, collected by real artist collectors and with the new possibility of my show going on tour, I have this real need for a professional, limited collection, online portfolio.  Wow, that was a long sentence.  Sorry Mrs. Bader, my 6th grade English teacher.

But I don’t want to keep all my other work pushed away.  Most of my work isn’t shot for gallery shows but I’m still proud of it so instead of having Justin Moore Scott hold my gallery stuff and some older, less refined work, it will be turned into a portfolio site with just the best of my work, the stuff I want galleries to see.  I will also have a photoblog where I will post all the photos going through my day to day life, like I used to do on this very blog.  I also plan to have a page that shows the latest Flickr uploads, from screenshots to iPhone photos and videos to whatever else finds its way into the view of my lens.

And finally, the blog, which is where you are right now.  This will remain the same only with a much better design.  Thanks to my friend, David.

Already at the top I’ve begun to build out pages that will give you quick access to all my favorite sites. My three future photo sites, my Twitter stream, my Facebook updates, my location via FourSquare and more.  These pages will load directly into this blog so you won’t have to go anywhere else just to see what I’m up to.  Pretty sweet huh?

Meanwhile, bear with me (bare with me? beer with me?) while I make all these changes.  I figured, now is as good a time as any to make all these changes.  I’m hoping WordPress 3, which so far is amazing, will prove to be a much better photo blogging and even portfolio system and that I will find the time to actually manage all of this.  Which I’m pretty sure won’t be a problem.

I’ve got so much to catch you guys up on.  Let me apologize right here and right now for my belated blog updates.  Graduating, moving, new job, friends moving away and life aside, it would be unfair to keep all of you out of the loop.  I promise to make a much stronger effort into keeping you apprised of all the things going on in my little world.

Catch you later!

-justin