Web Audit on the ARP Website
Jemma from Wonderful Machine recently did a web audit for the ARP website, so we wanted to share a few tips.
One of the most important things to ask yourself is, "What are your goals and your dream clients?" Once you figure that out, you can organize your body of work in an order that makes sense to target those clients.
For our website, each image or series of photos are sequenced as if they are part of the same collection, using color or certain types of furniture to create a cohesive flow from one "season" to the next. Attention to detail, the styling of props, use of color, light, and texture that create a particular personality are just as important.
It's good to have visual diversity with a mix of colorful and poppy color palettes unless you're targeting a client that only uses neutrals. Then you'd want to showcase imagery with neutral tones in them.
Try to show the kind of images you want to photograph and not the imagery you think the client wants to see. You'd be surprised at how many potential clients are looking for a fresh perspective.
Behind the Scenes of Lens Smudge Podcast Episode 1
Join Missy and Chelsea as they take you behind the scenes to talk about the lighting setup used in episode 1 for Tommy's "Curate the Clutter" challenge.
Amy Rose Productions is Here!
Amy Rose Productions is Here!
“Humble beginnings.” We’ve all heard that familiar quote a million times. How about a new spin on it? She was humbled by her beginnings. That’s exactly what starting a new business venture with a partner has done to me. I built my photography career working for corporate in-house studios, and I was accustomed to having a team and company capital at my disposal. I was lucky. I managed some incredible groups and worked with some of the finest talent in the industry. But 13 years into it I was an unfulfilled stress bomb: a senior manager tired of revolving corporate managers determining the future of me and my team. I couldn’t do it anymore, so I had to make some drastic changes.
Missy’s story is similar to mine and by chance ends up coming full circle. She started her career in corporate communications, working at a cubicle for 14 years until she realized how unsatisfying it was. Secure, yes. But satisfying? Not so much. But she loved photography. So even though she didn’t have an upbringing that valued creative work, and she didn’t know anyone who worked in a creative profession, she decided to turn her love of photography into a career. She quit her boring corporate job, went back to school, studied her ass off, and launched her own freelance business. She worked doing freelance and contract photography for five years and then got a job at the corporate studio where I was working.
Missy and I worked alongside one another and were quietly impressed by each other’s drive, work ethic, skill, and fun personality. We became dear friends. Our after-work cocktails turned into pool parties, vacations, and creative productions. When it came time to leave the corporate studio, we were both thinking about starting our own business. We didn’t talk about it for a while, but when we finally did, we looked at each other in shock. She’d been envisioning starting a business with me, and I’d been doing the same about her.
Hello future!
We didn’t know how much work it would take – days, nights, weekends. We didn’t have corporate capital or a team to draw on to build this business and studio. But we had a vision. And we had each other.
Flash forward six months later and we’re launching Amy Rose Productions! Missy and I are so excited to share our studio and talents with the creative community. It’s been a busy six months. We’ve spent many hours furnishing the studio, acquiring equipment, researching the market, building the brand, combing through contracts, designing the website, and creating the social media accounts. All the while taking on freelance and contract work. The best part was doing the studio renovations and installing the CYC wall. We love seeing our vision manifest in 3D, and we’re committed to giving our clients the same thrill. One of our goals at Amy Rose Productions is to ensure our clients come away with an unparalleled, superior experience and product.
Come behind-the-scenes to view the studio transformation from the raw space to what it is today. Enjoy the captures, stay tuned for more news, and we’ll see you soon!
xo Chelsea
