livebooks blog

We can’t believe that the first month of 2016 is already more than halfway over – is it just us or does time go faster each year?! Since now is the time to take inventory over the past year and make changes for the new one, we thought we’d get into the spirit by sharing our top photography resolutions for 2016.

Ask Others for Feedback

It can be scary and daunting to put yourself out there and ask others for feedback on your work – especially something as close to your heart as your craft. However, asking a trusted source to critique your work will allow you to see things from a new perspective and open your eyes to new ways of doing something, ultimately allowing you to hone your art. Some questions to have people think about when viewing your photos: What do you like? What don’t you like? How does it  make you feel?

Keep a Photo Journal of Goals – And Accomplishments

Many of us keep journals for all sorts of things; this should be no different for your professional life. Take the time to write down your goals, hopes, and focuses for the year ahead. But also use your journal as a way to track your progress throughout the months and make sure to account for your accomplishments, successes, and praise yourself for goals that you achieve. Looking back at all of the things that you have worked hard on will not only keep you motivated, but it will help you hold yourself accountable for the goals you still have yet to conquer.

Try Something New – Venture Into a Different Type of Photography

Many photographers are especially drawn to one or two specific types of photography. This is great; it allows you to hone your skills all while photographing something that you really love. However, sometimes, it also allows you to become complacent and narrows your horizons over time. This year, try a completely different type of photography that you’ve never done before. Are you typically a wedding photographer? Try out sports photography! Gravitate toward landscapes and nature? Try your hand at portraiture. You never know what skills you may learn from a completely different genre that can translate into making your art even better.

Commit to the Best Gear Possible

One thing we see all the time is photographers that have beautiful, top-of-the-line cameras, yet their lenses, tripods, etc aren’t fit for the job – or vice versa. This year, make sure you budget accordingly so that your gear is fit for your job and the beautiful imagery you create. Allocate plenty of time to do research, read reviews, talk to fellow photographers, and shop around before committing to a piece of gear.

Print and Frame Your Favorite Photos

While this may seem a little silly, you (hopefully!) became a photographer because you love creating beautiful imagery. This should be for you, your friends, and family to enjoy as well! Show off your favorite and best shots around your home or office. This will also be a great way to remind yourself each time you see them why you love doing what you do and inspire you to get out there and find your next favorite shot.

Embrace Technically Imperfect Photos

And lastly, while it is so easy to be harsh and critical of your own work, sometimes the technically imperfect photos make for the most breathtaking shots. Be kind to yourself; there’s a balance to be struck between striving to be better and never thinking your work is good enough. Sometimes a little bit of motion or blur can add interesting elements to an image that you never knew would work. Don’t be afraid to experiment – you never know what you’ll find!

What are some of your photography resolutions for 2016? Sound off in the comments below – we’d love to hear what your goals are!

Photographer Michel Porro takes absolutely stunning portraits that span a wide variety of genres. From musicians to actors to corporate professionals, the imagery is crisp, clean, and beautiful. We found that his website design also evokes these same elements – and couldn’t wait to feature it this week.

Read on to see what he had to say about his website’s creation, and don’t forget to check out all his photos at www.michelporro.com.

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

MP: Light (bright and not “heavy”), Modern, Clean.

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

MP: We like to display a mix of different portrait situations in the homepage slideshow. The competition for attention is intense. Millions of visuals speak to our imagination – a good picture becomes the message. We remember only the most engaging and remarkable images. The homepage is the prime chance to deliver an “elevator pitch” in just a few seconds. It is the portal and “switch” to invite the visitor into the realm of the photographer’s creative vision. liveBooks stands out because its technical and creative developers really understand the power and value of this initial impact.

Q: How often do you update your website?

MP: Not often to be honest. Four times per year and then only slight additions. I believe in stability. There is no use to constantly change. It really is about the display of a constant quality of the body of work and once the train is rolling, no need to adapt too often.

Q: What is your favorite feature that liveBooks offers?

MP: The full screen view. This is awesome.

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

MP: This really is the most important question. The website is an invitation inside the heart of the business of the entrepreneur. The site is often a one-off chance to introduce the business. The presentation has to be convincing and inspiring at the same time. There have to be two winners; the business owner and the customer. Only then will there be a fruitful cooperation between the two.

Therefore, the design and the construction of the website have to be fully in line with the philosophy of the business. The business owner has to be well aware of his/her strengths and his/her medium to long term goals and purpose in professional and personal life. This really is key. A photographer, for example, needs to be able to define his/her goals and pinpoint why it is that he/she has chosen this profession (other than paying the bills and being creative, etc.)

The design and the look and feel of a website is the result from this internal investigation and discussion. It will be much easier to work with a designer of the website if the photographer has a more clear vision and knows why he/she has actually chosen this profession. They will then be able to more specifically choose a targeted client base and the style that supports reaching out to this market segment.

Usually a younger photographer hasn’t really worked this all out. Some experienced pro’s neither, for that matter. Still, I encourage both photographers and the designers of their websites to really think and talk about the underlying purpose in an early stage of their career. I believe the involvement in this process by designers can be upped a bit. Designers are trained to design and not so much to have a serious discussion about the purpose of their client’s life. I understand that. Still, these discussions will help both the designer and the client to create the best possible product that will help the client reach their goals.

It can be easily implemented in the web design process by simply asking a few questions. Where would you like to be in 18 months from now? Name three clients that you’d love to have in your portfolio in six month’s time. What kind of photography would you like to do if money was not an issue? Or, do you love photography so much that you would still do it even if you weren’t getting paid for it? These questions make the client ponder about their real purpose in professional and personal life. I believe the designer has a shared responsibility to start these discussions in order to be able to best help the client.

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

Photographer Jason Paige Smith has some of the most interesting and unique images that we’ve ever seen – and we absolutely love the way he has designed his website in a clean-cut and simple way.

We couldn’t wait to feature his website this week – read on to see what he has to say about his site and head on over to www.jasonpsmithphotography.com to check out more photos.

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

JS: Clean, Simple, Modern.

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

JS: That’s always a tough question. I usually look for images I think have impact visually and maybe a little bit of intrigue to them. People see photos everywhere today, so if you can put up an image that causes a viewer to pause and reflect on what’s going on in the image, whether it’s lighting or composition or both, you have a better chance of getting them to dig deeper into your site and your work. I also seek out advice from trusted friends to help keep an objective view on things.

Q: How often do you update your website?

JS: I try to update my site with current work as often as I can. It’s important to keep putting up fresh and recent work to keep your site relevant and give people a reason to come back to it to see what you’ve been doing.

Q: What is your favorite feature that liveBooks offers?

JS: I like how easy it is to change and add new content to my site, and I like the various templates and options available when putting the site together.

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

JS: Do your homework! Look at a lot of other sites, and be sure to take note of what you like and what you don’t like on different sites you visit. And remember your site is never actually finished – it’s always a work in progress and will evolve and change just as your work does.

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

As 2015 comes to a close (we can’t believe it, either!) we are looking ahead to the new year. Website design trends change rapidly in this day and age – so we wanted to get a head start on what will be popular in 2016. Check out our list below and feel free to leave your predictions for trends in the comments!

Responsive Design

We know, we know – this is nothing new. But we think it’s important to reiterate that with the rise in mobile devices/tablets to conduct Internet searches, responsive design isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. In fact, mobile Internet traffic has now overtaken desktop traffic. Many businesses used to have to maintain two separate websites (one for desktop and one that was mobile-friendly) however, with responsive design and the use of HTML5, your website will automatically scale to fit the size of the device someone is using to browse. liveBooks’ new platform – liveBooks8 – is built entirely on HTML5 and allows you to easily preview what your website will look like on any type of device.

Unique Usage of Image Galleries and Layouts

With many website design companies offering templates to create your website, it is easy to feel as though your site is “cookie-cutter.” The good news is that 2016 will see a rise in unique website layouts and usage of galleries (and liveBooks8 has some pretty cool options for customizations!) that will allow you to tailor your website to completely fit your business. Plus, these new options for unique layouts will give the user an entirely original experience when browsing your site – automatically making it more memorable.

Focus on Typography

Google Fonts has made finding a font to fit your business readily accessible (and free!) – and expect a lot more emphasis on font styles, sizes, and weighting in 2016. Customizing the typography used on your website not only allows you to make those templates your own, but can add a ton of value to how users and potential clients perceive your website and business. With the new liveBooks8 platform, you will have access to Google Fonts directly in the edit screen.

Full-Bleed Photos and “Hero” Images

With the updates in technology and the fact that most websites can now support high-resolution photos without compromising load time, full-bleed images that span the entire screen and hero images will conttinue to be a trend in 2016. The idea is that these large, high-quality images grab the user’s attention as soon as they hit the site – and by choosing the images on the homepage you can direct your audience’s attention to the things that are most important about your business.

Social Media Integration

Just like responsive design, the integration of social media into your website is not a new trend. However, in 2016 and beyond it will be almost imperative that all websites have a way for users to engage on social media. Having your social icons (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc) on every page of your website will give your audience more ways to keep consuming your work in different types of settings. Allowing for a “Pin It” button on your images will make it incredibly easy for potential clients to get your photos on their Pinterest boards. Bonus: the “pin It” button will automatically link directly back to your website when someone clicks on one of your images on Pinterest.

What are your predictions for design trends in 2016? Are you making any new updates or refreshes on your website? We’d love to hear about them!