livebooks blog

liveBooks8 – our new responsive, HTML5 platform – is here and it has all the bells and whistles. Information about migration to the new platform will be coming to your email in the next few weeks, but for now, we thought we’d give an overview of some of our favorite new features of liveBooks8!

Varied Content Modules

You’ll have the ability to add as many content modules as you’d like. You can pick from our pre-configured modules or create your own by combining our image galleries, videos, or text blocks.

SEO Everything™

liveBooks8 has incredibly advanced SEO tools – yet they are so easy and simple to use. You’ll quickly be able to add title tags, descriptions, keywords, image alt text, and more to your website so that your site is easily searchable and indexed properly. Click here for more in-depth info on liveBooks8 new SEO tools.

Unlimited Images and Galleries

Photos are the stars of your website – and we want you to have all the tools possible to make them shine. You will be able to add unlimited images to your galleries, then quickly design and customize their layout so that every single one looks great on the page. All images that are added to your website are auto-categorized and saved in the image library. Plus, you can easily add titles, descriptions, and tags to every image on your website to boost your SEO.

Drag and Drop Design

Easily move your content sections, items, and images to create the exact website and layout you want. No need for file attachments; you’ll simply drag and drop images directly from your desktop to your browser!

Easy Responsive Preview

One of the coolest features is the ability to preview your site in desktop, tablet, and mobile views before you publish it – this gives you the chance to make sure your site looks perfect on every device before it’s live!

If you haven’t been contacted about migrating your current liveBooks site to liveBooks8 – hold tight! We appreciate your patience and will be reaching out very soon to get you started with your migration options.

Sue Barr’s goal is to “capture the ordinary to create the extraordinary” – and we definitely think her beautiful images speak for themselves in that regard. We also think her website is absolutely extraordinary – which is why we just had to feature it on the blog this week.

Take a look at what she had to say about her website’s design below – and head on over to www.suebarrphoto.com to see the rest of the stunning site!

Q: How would you describe the aesthetic of your website in three words?

SB: Candid, Authentic and Focused – I am a Story Teller but don’t confuse me as a documentarian. I am an intricate part of each shoot, whether it’s a head shot, portrait, or event. I compose as I am working and help my subjects with ideas and poses and then lighten the atmosphere with humor. Patience and perseverance are my mottos!

Q: How do you choose the photos that you display on your homepage?

SB: I choose my favorite from the most current shoot.

Q: How often do you update your website?

SB: I try to do it about twice a year. Instagram and my blogs show new work weekly.

Q: What is your favorite feature that liveBooks offers?

SB: The ease of re-organizing.

Q: What’s one piece of advice you’d offer to someone designing their website?

SB: Have a clear voice and don’t confuse the viewer. Target your audience and don’t stray.

Check out more of Sue’s work on Facebook and Twitter!

Have a website you’d like us to feature? Email us at social@livebooks.com!

New York fashion photographer David Paul Larson recently re-designed his website with the new liveBooks8 HTML5, responsive platform as a beta tester. We absolutely love the way it turned out – with its clean, modern design and imagery that commands the screen.

liveBooks8 is launching very soon – and you’ll be receiving communication shortly about your options for migrating your current website to the new platform. In the meantime, read on to see what David has to say about his site and check it out for yourself at www.davidpaullarson.com!

Q: How would you describe the aesthetic of your website in three words?

DPL: Modern, Simple, Classic.

Q: How do you choose the photos that you display on your homepage?

DPL: I choose them based on the type of clients I’ve been working with in the last year.

Q: How often do you update your website?

DPL: Every month. Sometimes more depending on the project.

Q: What is your favorite feature that liveBooks offers?

DPL: Great customer support, ease of use in the editor, and great designs/custom options.

Q: What’s one piece of advice you’d offer to someone designing their website?

DPL: Keep it simple and beautiful. Less features and more about the work.

Have a website you’d like us to feature? Email us at social@livebooks.com!

Lifestyle and Wedding photographer Karen Hill (based in New York City) fills a unique niche by bringing an angle of fine art to portraiture and event photography. Her photos are absolutely stunning, elegant, and classic – much like her website design. We thought her site would be perfect to showcase this week and we can’t wait for you to see it!

Read on to hear what she had to say about her site’s creation and the great advice she has for people getting started on creating their websites. Don’t forget to see more of her gorgeous site and photos at www.karenhill.com!

Q: How would you describe the aesthetic of your website in three words?

KH: Classic, Elegant, Timeless, and Modern (I came up with four.)

Q: How do you choose the photos that you display on your homepage?

KH: I chose a recent image that I think best represents my work overall. For the portfolio page, I chose to do a grid to highlight each portfolio. I love how this page turned out. Hopefully it will intrigue prospective clients, wedding planners, and editors to click to see more!

Q: How often do you update your website?

KH: I update my website a few times a year as I have new work I want to share. I find keeping my website fresh is very important to me, as well as to my potential clients as my work is ever evolving. We often spend time looking at my site together and talking about their wedding and their favorite images. This gives me a lovely window into their sensibilities and helps me to plan the photography timeline with them.

Since I use a bunch of different cameras, both digital and traditional film, I like to hear which images speak to them the most so that I can talk about the different cameras I use to prepare our shoot. For instance, two very distinctive cameras I use are the Holga and the Widelux. These are very specialized cameras that do one thing. The Holga is a plastic camera and has a square, very ethereal look to it while the Widelux is an extra wide panoramic. The Widelux is great for overviews and dramatic shots, but it’s not a formal portrait camera. So for instance if a client doesn’t love the Holga’s ethereal, somewhat blurry look, I know to focus on a different camera like the Rollei or the Hasselblad, which are also square format cameras. But the Widelux is one of those cameras that everybody seems to love.

I also point out that the Holga and the Widelux are not my main cameras but that I shoot a roll or two throughout the day. My main cameras are the Contax 645 and the Canon 5D Mark III. Clients often want to distinguish between digital and traditional film images, so it’s helpful for this. In the end they are engaging me to make beautiful photographs that reflect their day but I do love having a conversation with them as well, I think it gets couples excited about the photography. I truly love to think that the photography just “happens.” That feels so romantic to me and to some degree it’s true; but weddings and portrait sessions take on a personality and energy all their own. It’s important to key into this essential element but to also keep in mind the images your client has engaged you to capture. I spend a good amount of time planning each shoot to develop the photography timeline and make sure all of the requested images are in the timeline. This collaboration is key for me and my website really helps get the conversation going. In January, when the studio is a little slower, I usually refresh the whole site to reflect what’s new and what’s relevant now. This year, that meant a whole new look for us. Prospective clients, wedding planners, and editors seem to love how it turned out!

Q: What is your favorite feature that liveBooks offers?

KH: My favorite feature is the editSuite. It allows me behind-the-scenes access, so to speak, and be in charge of image placement and image updates. I love this feature so much! Secondly, working with one of liveBooks’ web designers, Ryan. He gets it. This was our second redesign that we’ve worked on together and he’s awesome. And finally, SEO, keywording, and stats.

Q: What’s one piece of advice you’d offer to someone designing their website?

KH: Just do it, the rest will follow. It’s definitely a labor of love that is your most important business tool and should feature your very best and brightest work at all times.

Have a website you’d like us to feature? Email us at social@livebooks.com!