February 22nd, 2010 by Kris
So, I was going to write this incredible, potentially life changing blog post on how to think about e-commerce. Then I found something online that was much more involved than I was ever going to get, so I’ll keep my post short (a no doubt, a little life changing) and let you sift thru the wealth of information over there. Ready, here we go:
Web a user is surfing the internet research shows that people take between 5 and 7 seconds to decide weather to stay on a website or not. Print catalogues usually are given to a somewhat interested audience. That means that your leading web image, needs to be a ROCK STAR. Not to say that you can slack with your print catalogue, just that you are speaking to two different audiences. Alright, that’s all from me right now.
Here’s a teaser and a link to Philosphie’s e-commerce series, it’s more about design standards and the thought behind selling on the web than photography, but without the correct positioning and web functionality then it really doesn’t matter what the pictures look like, right?
-Kris
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February 22nd, 2010 by Kris
Last photo tip, we talked a little about composition, if you missed it, check it out here. Today, let’s talk just for a second about the opportunity for that great shot. We’ve all done it, the racer’s coming around the corner and we snap the shot… then they leave the ground and fly for a half second. And we’ve missed the shot, or more often than that, we take the shot as they’ve landed. Now, although “trigger” speed and instincts of when to take the shot are really developed by shooting in the field there are a few things we can do to increase our chances of success.
**In these examples I am going to use some images of my son, Holland, who is not yet 4, because he is the fastest target I’ve yet to encounter! Just know that all of these examples can be used in corporate photography (capturing that single real smile out of the CEO), advertising photos (esp. lifestyle work), wedding photos, just about any instance where there is something moving in front of your camera!
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February 16th, 2010 by Kris
by David H. Sandler
“Show me an achievement, and I will show you a price! The price we choose to pay is directly related to our priorities. There are no exceptions.
Unwillingness to pay a price destroys the possibility of success. Understanding that a price has to be paid makes satisfaction possible. Knowing and accepting the price and the fact that it must be paid, actually liberates us. If we recognize that our choices require making changes, and all action involves paying a price for achieving a goal, we are free to give up paralysis, and the child’s wish to have it all.
Human existence has built-in limitations. When we freely choose and take responsibility for the price we pay, and know what we want in return, we can assert self-ownership, and greatly increase our chances of success.”
February 12th, 2010 by Kris
So, last week we talked a little about angle and thinking about how the “why” of your picture helps you shoot the “what.” So, here’s a quick thought. Change your altitude.
Get down on their level, go way over their head. I know that a lot of folks say that but let’s think about this for one hot second. Did you ever think “how amazing” when you see those shots are from a helicopter flying over the beach? From where you stand the world looks one way, get up, get down. My point is when we change our view of the world and bring our cameras with us, it will change the way we shoot.
Here’s a quick example from my iPhone and my cup of coffee…
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February 11th, 2010 by Kris
Just a little teaser for you from a shoot last night…
February 10th, 2010 by Kris
So, last week we talked about the simple fact that solid product photography can make or break your e-commerce or print catalogue. I wanted to talk this week a little about what we do in order to make those products we shoot look like rock stars!
Let’s take a quick look at 2 product lines that I’ve had the pleasure to work with. Today, I’ll talk about Master Grinding and tomorrow I’ll talk about Twelve South.
Master Grinding, maybe I should change the title of this post to “How to not cut your finger off when working with incredibly sharp objects.” But, I don’t know how SEO friendly that is. Anyway, the product shots are all live at http://www.mastergrinding.com/ and let’s talk about the thought process for this gig. We’ll do this in a pros and cons list, because everyone like lists, right?
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February 8th, 2010 by Kris
So, this morning my 4 year old woke up and before he’s even out of bed, he looks right at me and says, “Dad, today is going to be a good day.” When was the last time you thought this fist thing in the morning, let alone before your feed hit the floor.
Despite unemployment, outstanding invoices, taxes, whatever is eating you, what if tomorrow you wake up and before your first cup of coffee, before you get out of bed – you say, out loud, “Today is going to be a great day!” How would that change your attitude toward an impending storm? Could that attitude alone turn a good day in to a great one, a bad day into a good day? Just a thought. Have a great week and let me know about your great day!
February 5th, 2010 by Kris
Tip 2. Consciously place your WHAT where you think it most belongs, not where it happens to land in the photo.
When thinking about composition, there’s a huge gray area and there are 500 rules to follow… Let me simplify it for you.
You are trying to achieve balance in your image so try these simple tips and forget about all the rules:
- If you can try keep the horizon level OR your subject squared up.
- Extra elements in the photo can be distracting, think again about the “Why am I taking this photo?” To showcase the chaos of the plaza or to pull out one element of the fountain in the middle.
- Make a conscious effort to place your subject where you think it should go, you are the one with the camera, the director, you move to your subject or have them move to you.
- Perspective lines and patterns are your friend. There’s much more drama if you shoot down the endless line of trees or square up with them, then if you happen to have a few in the shot.
- Think about shapes in the frame, do the three buildings in the center of the frame make a triangle shape? Can you get lower to the ground and make the door a perfect rectangle? Look for that naturally occurring geometry and use it!
Some examples:
So here’s a shot of a plasma cutter that was in a factory we shot this last week.
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February 4th, 2010 by Kris
This article was reposted from: http://www.brandingstrategyinsider.com. Despite the fact that I do disagree with a few of their “pop-predictions” about 2010, it seems that many of these trends have already come to pass, and like most major trends in the market, trends just take time for most folks to grab a hold of them.
- Facebook replaces personal email
- Open source software starts making proper money, thanks to the cloud
- Mobile Commerce – the promise that has never delivered, yet.
- Fewer registrations – one sign-in fits all
- Disruption vs. Continuity – Alternatives to the “Big Idea”
- Self-Sufficiency – The Continuing Evolution of Web-Driven, Open Source DIY Culture
- Info-Art
- Crowd Sourcing
- More Flash, Not Less
Here’s the article:
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February 2nd, 2010 by Kris
So the formatting of this article was so bad that I decided to repost it here on my blog:
By Scott Tillitt
Publication: Photo District News
Date: Wednesday, December 1 2004
“We asked some of the leading creatives in the county to talk about current and future trends in advertising photography, and what they would like to see both more of and less of in 2005. We certainly got some interesting answers: covering everything from photographs of parking lots at noon to Juergen Teller; from a discussion of plagiarism to a rejection (by one creative) of any more photographs of people over the age of 80. Warning: This is essential reading for anyone with an interest in advertising photography.
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