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.

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!

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!

Guest blog post by liveBooks client Ed Asmus

“Stunning” is a word that I don’t often use. But in this particular case, my trip to visit Ethiopia’s Omo Valley was not only aesthetically stunning, but strange and otherworldly. Almost ancestral.

This magical place is also known as “The Cradle of Mankind” – home of the oldest hominid fossil, #AL288-1 or “Lucy.” 3.5 million years after her, I went to photograph and visit her descendants.

This life changing journey started in a strange way. I am a long time user of the Broncolor lighting in my professional photography business in Sacramento, CA. One day, when I was reading their monthly newsletter, I saw a featured photographer and read about his trip to Ethiopia. His images were immediately captivating. Eerie, almost. It was hard to believe that what I was looking at really still existed in the world today. I contacted Ken, the photographer, who told me that things were rapidly changing over there, that I should go for at least two weeks, and that I should go NOW. He gave me his trusted guide’s name and shoot organizer, Ayele Sode, and all the pieces began to fall into place.

We planned our trip in November, just after the Ethiopian rainy season – their springtime – so native flowers would be in bloom. With equipment loaded atop our SUV, we headed to our first stop to see the “Surma Tribe.” It took three long days of driving in the bush to get to their village; the dirt roads were horrible. Not many Western people get to this tribe because they are so far off the beaten path, and there are no accommodations or running water. Our guide had organized tent camping and an enormous bottled water supply. He brought with us a chef and a hired bodyguard with an AK-47. I forgot we were in the bush and a long ways away from any cell service or modern conveniences.

We planned to stay five days with the Surma people, but it was cut short by tribal tensions one night, so we departed a day early. We still experienced rain, which made the roads even more difficult. On our way out, some roads were washed out and we ended up getting stuck four times. It crossed my mind more than once that we were all going to spend the night in the Landcruiser. The first little town we came to is where we found pension for $2.00 a night – and I gladly picked up the tab. The rain made our travels longer as we had another three days of driving to get to our next tribe. We saw seven tribes total, each more different than the last. The one commonality is that they all live and depend on the land; most are either farmers of teff, corn, wheat, or coffee, or they free range cattle and goats. Our accommodations ranged from $2 to $120 per night/USD. This really is a National Geographic wonderland, and what you will see and experience is worth every penny. All I can say is stunning.

I’ve been back for only two weeks and am already missing the ET native people. They seem to get by on what they have and are happy. My plans are to go back again next year, fine tune the logistics, and shoot more beautiful work.

Please check out Ed’s website for more stunning images!

Studio: 916-455-5061

Email: edasmus@sbcglobal.net