livebooks blog

This post was originally published on the Professional Photographer Magazine blog. Photographer, Writer and liveBooks client, Lindsay Adler shares her insight in the first of two parts describing the top 10 things to think about when you start using an HDSLR camera.

Lindsay writes :

If you have an HDSLR camera, video is a great way to add an extra dimension to your work and even offer value-added services to your clients. Some photographers are beginning to differentiate themselves through their video capabilities, and others are finding video an exciting new realm for creativity.

If you are just getting into video, here are a few basic but essential tips to keep in mind.

1. Don’t Forget the Rules of Photography:Don’t forget everything you’ve learned as a photographer. That the same rules of composition and lighting apply here. Just because you add motion doesn’t mean you should drop in visual quality.

2. Add Movement: We are often used to posing our subjects to capture a still moment in time. If you try this same static approach to video, it might as well have been still images. Add motion, action and interaction to your video. You don’t just have to focus on the movement of the subject, but you can also try moving the camera, like including pans (lateral movement of camera). In video, using zoom may have an amateur look; used correctly, it emphasizes tension or intense focus on a subject.

3. Get the Angles: Try to capture all the different angles for variety. It is often suggested to capture a wide shot to establish the scene, a medium shot to meet the subjects, a close-up to interact with the subjects, and super close-up for visual interest and variety. Instead of zooming in, you capture different angles and draw the viewer into the scene. In many cinematic productions, each shot is only on screen for a matter of seconds, which helps keep up the momentum. Use your different lenses—everything from wide angle to macro.

4. Tell a Story: It is even more important to tell a story in video than with photography because you must engage the viewer for a period of time. When you are telling a story with a plot, quest or some end goal, you will be better able to hold the relatively short attention span of today’s Internet generation.

5. Prepare: Video requires more thought and preparation because the segments must be stitched together into a cohesive piece. Summarize the story you want to tell, and figure out what shots you need to tell the story. Consider drawing out a storyboard to figure out which shots you’ll need, and how you can accomplish these shots.

Watch and listen to Mark Wallace talk about liveBooks, the Vimeo integration and why he thinks it is important to take a close look ‘under the hood’ – and then do something about it.

Mark’s thoughts on liveBooks from Mark Wallace.

See more about Mark and his liveBooks website

You have a liveBooks website, but are you using your site to its fullest potential? We are constantly improving the infrastructure that surrounds your website, and these 11 features – some new, some updated – will add power and mobility to your online business presence.

And so – on to the features themselves – and why they are important to you:

Email – Your brand needs to be consistent throughout all online and offline channels, and your webmail is no exception. With a liveBooks account, you receive your own branded webmail (http://webmail.your-domain), up to five email accounts and 1GB of storage space. This feature adds professionalism to your business and further unifies your online brand.

Storage space – For each liveBooks website you are allotted 3GB of storage space. This generous space allotment allows you to upload images to the front and back end of your website without having to worry about “going over.”

iPhone/iPad/iPod compatibility – Most elements of your business are mobile, so why shouldn’t your website be mobile, too? Simply check a box in the editSuite to allow customers and potential clients to view your site on their Apple-based mobile devices.

Client Access – If your website is akin to your online studio, then the Client Access section is your presentation room. You have the ability to create a unique post-project viewing experience for each of your customers by creating portfolios with customized logins and personalized greetings. By creating an online experience that is unique for each customer, you will ensure the longevity of your business relationship.

SEO – Everything about your liveBooks site is searchable, from the site and image titles to portfolio names. liveBooks sites do exceptionally well in organic search results, so your creative business can be found in the saturated online environment.

Blog – With a liveBooks Companion Blog, you can create a blog that matches the look and feel of your website, adding consistency and credibility to your online business presence. A blog can help you build an emotional connection with customers, and generate strong leads.

More »

You don’t become known as the “elephant photographer,” receive a “Best of ASMP” award in 2008, and get your series featured on Nikon’s “Learn and Explore” page without being a great photographer. But an outstanding branding and marketing campaign doesn’t harm either. So, how did San Francisco-based fine art photographer Carol Stevenson do it?
She did it with some help from a great consultant, a liveBooks website and tools provided by other vendors, like Moo. You can read our recent case study, in which Carol shares some of her online and offline branding secrets, or hear more about her work with Moo by listening to a snippet from our podcast with Carol below. To listen to the full podcast, click here.

A SPECIAL OFFER FOR YOU: As a “thank you” to Carol for all her help with this case study and podcast, we’d like to extend a special offer to you, which will benefit the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation, the organization with which Carol works. By signing up for a new liveBooks website for $39 a month, and using promo code lbcarol5, you will save 5 percent on the initial cost of your site. In turn, we will donate 10 percent of the proceeds of that purchase to the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation.

Carol Stevenson on Brand [Short] by liveBooks

If you’d like to hear the full podcast, click here.

Download the Case Study on Online/Offline Brand that talks more about Emilie Inc and Carol Stevenson.