livebooks blog

Jill’s interest in photography began in high school and continued into college. Taking elective photography classes soon led to picking up photography as a hobby, which has since turned into her career. This is her story:

After college, I travelled around the world for seven months before returning home to San Francisco to find a ‘real job.’ I took photos with a point-and-shoot camera to chronicle my time abroad. The positive feedback that I received from my photographs when I returned home encouraged me to submit my work to a variety of photography exhibitions, invest in a better camera, and figure out a way to continue traveling while improving my portfolio. Eventually, I decided to enroll in the Academy of Art University in San Francisco to pursue a master’s in Fine Arts degree in photography. For my Master’s thesis project, I chose to spend nine months documenting life in the Himalayas. I travelled throughout Nepal, India, Kashmir, Bhutan and Tibet, working with a variety of non-profit agencies. In 2009, I won a National Geographic YourShot photography contest, and I had my first photograph published in National Geographic Magazine. This was the opening that I needed to move my photography career to the next level. Since 2011, my photography has been represented by National Geographic Creative. In 2012, I received my first assignment from National Geographic Books and was sent to Sydney, Australia for five weeks to photograph the National Geographic Traveler: Sydney Guidebook. Following that, I became an intern and then freelance photographer for the San Francisco Chronicle. Since 2011, I have been spending my summers teaching photography to high school students in countries all over the world for National Geographic Student Expeditions.

At home in San Francisco, I photograph events, editorial, lifestyle, architectural and food-related shoots. I also provide private/group and corporate photography workshops, mentoring and portfolio reviews.

My style is my own personal vision of stories I am drawn to, that are unique to me. I photograph issues and iconic places which I find compelling. My goal is to create a visual of places in the world many people may not have seen while exposing them to the beauty and reality of cultures they may not have experienced.

Check out more of Jill’s recent work on her liveBooks8 site at: www.jillhsphotography.com.

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

JS: Bright, colorful, exotic

Q: How often do you typically update your website?
JS: I typically update my website every few months, after any trip that I take, or whenever I have new work to show.

Q: How do you choose the photos that you display on your homepage?
JS: For my homepage, I typically pick photos that I am particularly drawn to. No specific formula. I choose photos that are vibrant, colorful, thought provoking or unique moments.

Q: What is your favorite new feature of liveBooks8?
JS: I love the new liveBooks8 platform! It is very user friendly. I particularly like all of the new design features. It has a very clean and modern feel. There are more options for easier search optimization, as well. Now, I am anxiously awaiting the capability to sell my images from my website.

Q: What’s one piece of advice you’d offer to someone designing their website? 
JS: Take your time and have patience. It took me a couple of weeks to design my website. If you have questions, call the liveBooks customer service, as they are very helpful. Show your best work…quality over quantity. A editor once told me: “you are only as good as your worst photograph on your website,” and while this may sound harsh, it always stuck with me. Try to leave people wanting to see more of your work, rather than getting bored and moving on from your site.

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

At liveBooks, we love seeing clients integrate their captivating images into their websites. Whether you are a photographer showcasing your best work, or a makeup artist advertising your newest look, displaying your portfolio has never been easier than with our gallery feature. With options ranging from grids to slideshows, you are guaranteed to find a sharp and responsive gallery that will be sure to catch a potential client’s eye.

Check out the tutorial below to learn about adding and customizing galleries on your liveBooks8 site.

To add a gallery page to your liveBooks8 site:

1. Log into the liveBooks8 editor
2. Select the Content tab and click add new page

3. Select the gallery page option and add the new page to your site.

4. To add images to your gallery, select your new gallery page from the content tab. Upload images from your computer or select images from your existing image library.
Pro-tip: reorganize the images in your gallery, using our drag and drop technology. Use your cursor to grab images, and drag them into your desired order.

Customize the design of your gallery:
1. After creating your gallery page, navigate to the Design tab.
2. Select the page or gallery that you would like to edit from your navigation bar and select the Page option.
3. Click “Image Gallery” and navigate to the “Type” section to select the styling of your gallery.

4. Select your desired gallery preset from our 12 customizable options.

Standard Grid with Large View

5. Customize the look, layout and settings of your new gallery page, using the customization options found in the design module. With the option to customize everything from columns to image display time, you are able to create a gallery that is unique to you and you and your brand.
6. Press save.

Interested in learning more about a specific liveBooks8 feature? We want to know! Send us an email at social@livebooks.com with the subject line: Tuesday’s tip.

If you recently updated to Safari 11 (or are having issues viewing Flash sites in your Safari browser), this post is for you! The new update automatically disables Flash, which will cause issues with logging into and viewing Flash sites. Don’t panic–there is a way to fix tis. Follow the step-by-step guide below to ensure a smooth transition to the new update without losing access to Flash sites.

Original post by Adobe found here. 

The following instructions are for Mac )S X 10.8 and above:
1. Open your Safari application and select the Safari drop down menu.
2. Select preferences and navigate to the Security tab.
3. Make sure the following options are selected: Enable JavaScript & Allow Plug-Ins
4. Click Manage Website Settings
5. Select Adobe Flash Player and navigate to the tab titled: “When visiting other websites.”
6. Choose allow.

The following instructions are for Mac OS X 10.6 and 10.7:
1. Open your Safari application and select the Safari dropdown menu.
2. Select preferences and navigate to the Security tab.
3. Make sure the following options are selected: Allow Java & Allow all other plug-ins
4. Close the preference window.

With all that being said, now is the perfect time to pick your migration option for our new HTML5 platform. Click here to take the survey! 

If you are still having trouble accessing your Flash website through Safari 11, please contact our support team.

The only thing we love more than our liveBooks8 platform is the gorgeous work that our clients are sharing on it! Have an image that you are dying for the world to see? We want to feature you! We are excited to announce our first ever summer Facebook cover photo contest where we are looking to feature the #bestofLB8 on our page each week.

To submit your images, please send the original image file to social@livebooks.com with the subject line “Facebook cover photo contest” or submit your entry via Twitter or Instagram by tagging liveBooks AND #bestofLB8. We will select u to eight photos to be displayed weekly between July 1 & August 22, 2016.

Submissions are now open! Follow the rules below to have the chance to be featured on our Facebook page.

To submit:
Please send the original image file to social@livebooks.com with the subject line “Facebook cover photo contest” OR submit your entry via Twitter or Instagram by using the hashtag #bestofLB8 AND tagging liveBooks. Please include your full name, where the photo was taken and the date in your entry. The summer cover photo of the week will be selected by the liveBooks team. Up to eight photos will be posted between July 1-August 22, 2016. Selected photos will be featured on our Facebook page as a cover photo for approximately one week and may be shared on Instagram

Rules & Regs:
1. Photo must have been taken by you in the last 3 years.
2. Photos must be horizontal and fit within the Facebook cover crop area of 851px by 315px. Vertical photo submissions will 3. be discarded.
4. Please avoid heavy filters and edits.
5. Explicit content will be discarded.
6. Smartphone photos are accepted but DSLR images are preferred.
7. By submitting your photo through email or hashtag, you give liveBooks permission to use and promote the submitted image via our liveBooks social media outlets.

Think you have what it takes? Submit your photo now! 

Weekly Winners: 

July 1, 2016:
C.J. Dewolf

July 11, 2016:
Joan Ford

July 18, 2016
Jason Halayko

July 25, 2016
Brian Ach

August 1, 2016
Scott Blatt

August 8, 2016
Stephen Guenther