Keeping up as a photographer is an interesting, lively, wonderful, vexing, sorta kinda full time thing to do. New assignments (hopefully), seeking new clients, showing new work, pinging the internet for camera and tech developments, tweeting, Facebooking, blogging….it’s full time fast forward.
We are in the mix of this, like everyone else with a camera in hand. Hence, the newly designed blog and website, debuting today, in that hectic bracket of October days known as PhotoPlus Expo in NYC.
As an assignment photog, I have always been a fan of fewer, bigger pictures, and that was a prime motivation for the re-design of our sites. I simply wanted the pictures to play larger, and hopefully have more impact. Cleanliness of design was also on my mind, as well as the meshing of various social media streams, especially, for instance, Instagram, which imparts a wonderful “always on assignment” frame of reference to my walkabouts and travels. With the possibilities of Instagram, you are always tuned up, looking for pictures, and you don’t have to wait for next week, or next month when the magazine publishes. You can shoot it and ship it, right there and then. We are engaged now in a country music series on Instagram, and I’ve done a pic a day now for the last three days. Will keep that going throughout this week. A few frames from the series are below.
Above, Johnny Cash’s sister, Joanne, in his study at the Bon Aqua farmhouse, where he sought peace of mind, and time to think, and write. She is holding one of his most famous guitars.
The rocking duo, American Young, with Kristy Osmunson, and Jon Stone, at the legendary Cream City Ice Cream Shop in Cookeville.
And a fun, generational portrait of the enormously popular groups, Kentucky Headhunters and Black Stone Cherry.
As an aside, the pic I made up top of the blog, of the wonderful young lady eating ice cream, is done with a D7200 and a 16-80mm zoom. It is looming large at the Nikon booth at PPE. Simple little camera, lots of technology and possibilities.
Huge thanks to the crew at the studio who worked diligently with the PhotoShelter team to liven up our website. We used a template called “East” which plays the thumbnails really large, as you can see in the screen cap above. Liked it a lot. Being a generalist has its travails, among them growing up a widely diverse grouping of photos with different styles and subject matter. The play of this design, seen above, makes it, I think, a bit of a portrait of who I am as a photog, and shows well the mosaic of subject matter, light and color that I have intersected with over the last thirty years.
The site is more nimble now, faster to use and access as well. We have also jumped into the PhotoShelter Galleries in a major way, and that has enabled fast access to our archive, unlimited storage, and an easy way to grab a photo for a quick post or blog. Working this way with the galleries has simplified and speeded up our workflow. Can’t say enough about how much of a resource PhotoShelter has become for us.
The blog has gotten a major overhaul as well. Many, many thanks to Blake Imeson and Josh Mallard over at LimeCuda for their patience, excellence and input in creating the new design. The pictures are bigger, and the site moves well in simple, graphic fashion. Kudos to you guys! I have to admit I was a bit like a guy who just moved into a new apartment and couldn’t figure out where to put the couch. I had to rely on them and the intrepid team at the studio–Michael Cali, Jon Cospito, Lynn DelMastro and Annie Cahill to shape the project.
One thing that has not changed. There will be…..more tk.
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Great Joe. As always best wishes. You be the Man!
Thank you for sharing these beautiful images. You are an amazing inspiration to those of us trying to be better photographers. As “Wayne” and “Garth” said at the PW opening, “We’re not worthy!”
You really have the talent for getting some great images. The young lady eating ice cream in the ice cream shop brings back some good memories. Well done.
Hi Joe. Congratulations on your new website and blog. Looks great. Please check out what I’ve been up to lately at http://www.penandlens.ca if you ever get a few spare minutes. All the best, Ian Stewart
New site looks fantastic. Noe I can read your blog post a lot easier on my phone.
Well done with the new layout overall. I was used to the old one so today I was a little bit disoriented, but I’ll get used to this no probs. Cheers and keep up with the good work!
Ah, so that’s why you were hunched so intently over your laptop in the lobby of the seminars area Thursday morning! Twice I saw you, twice I chickened out on saying hi. Next year, Joe!
Love the new look! And love the top photo! I must re-investigate PhotoShelter….. I don’t suppose you saw this, published in the UK, of how to use a Nikon 5500 to shoot a magazine cover!
Ah – I see the link has been stripped. Google “Daily Telegraph nikon magazine cover’ and it should turn up as the top result.
Great layout, it helps to really show off your work. I continue to tweak my own site. These things are never finished.
Nice clean new design. Not sure about the newsletter toolbar being stuck on top rather than the menu. It takes a lot of space.
I really enjoy the clean new design of the website. It really mimics & compliments the style of your work. It is so interesting to see the vast community of people so passionate about photography. It keeps me motivated to keep adding to the conversation. Kind Regards!
Very cool layout! Larger pictures are great.
The blog RSS feed icon does not seem to work (or am I doing something wrong)?
All best,
David
Thank you Theo! Much appreciate the kind words….
Love the Johnny Cash-esque photo. Loved his music!
I love your artwork. Thank you for sharing. As a family and children’s photographer in El Paso, TX, I’m always looking for inspiration! http://elpasoportraits.com
Amazing website and the cool photography Joe.. Much appreciated!!
I really love this images and yes a photographer will always have the dream to take amazing shots. Cheers and keep up with the good work!
I really enjoyed new design of the website. It is more interesting.