livebooks blog

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!

Angels Team Photographer and liveBooks Ambassador Matt Brown takes us behind the lens to describe the technical aspects and innovative considerations that went into the creation of the top 10 photos he captures during the 2015 season.

Camera Information: Nikon D4s 50 mm F/1.4 shutter speed 1/8000

“I always wanted to make a photo of Mike [Trout] taking the field smiling. It shows just how much he loves the game. Shooting it at F/1.4 adds to images and brings the focus more to Mike.” 8/2/15

Camera Information: Nikon D4s 600mm F/4 shutter speed 1/2000

“I loved that Albert took over the situation and stood up for Mike after the brush up with Kansas City.” 4/12/15

Camera Information: Nikon D4s 16mm F/4 shutter speed 1/250

“The Angels visit CHOC Children’s Hospital during the season. During this particular visit, Mike jumped into the red wagon. At times Mike forgets his size and that he’s not a little boy anymore.” 8/20/15

Camera Information: Nikon D4 16mm F/3.5 shutter speed 1/800

“I love the fact that Collin Cowgill  never moved or looked at me as teammate Erick Aybar cleans his game glasses on his jersey. Being able to shoot from the dugout before the game brings a whole new level of access to the players.” 4/12/15

Camera Information: Nikon D4s 600mm F/4 shutter speed 1/2000

“No player likes being called out on strike three. So when it happened to David Freese I captured this nice moment when he talked to the umpire about it. I like the way he’s holding his bat and being calm during the conversation.” 4/25/15

Camera Information: Nikon D4 35mm F/4.5 shutter speed 1/640

“During batting practice, Albert hits in the group that takes the cages during the visitors’ warmup. So when he and Miguel Cabrera started talking about hitting I knew I wanted to capture the two of them together. Two of the best players to play baseball is always a good catch.” 5/28/15

Camera Information: Nikon D4s 400mm F/4 shutter speed 1/2000

“I love the loneliness of this photo. Clean walls and dark shadows. I know everyone has seen the shot of Mike climbing the wall to make the catch against Seattle. It’s great, but I like this type of image more because it won the game for us in Oakland. It’s all Mike, no ads, no TV cameras in the background. Just Mike doing what he does best.” 4/30/15

Camera Information: Nikon D4s 240mm F/4 shutter speed 1/400

“The veteran David Freese shares a cute moment with rookie Taylor Featherston before taking the field. Being the rookie can be tough on a baseball team.” 5/27/15

Camera Information: Nikon D4s 24mm F/5.6 shutter speed 1/800

“Angels bench coach Dino Ebel is always getting picked on by Albert and Erick. It happens more on the road. I captured poor Dino being swung in the air during batting practice in Oakland.” 4/28/15

Camera Information: Nikon D4s 70mm F/2.8 shutter speed 1/2500

“Over the last couple of years, the players have become very good at nailing their teammates during post-game interviews. In this photo, Hector Santiago sneaked up on Kole Calhoun and blasted him with a head shot of Bodyarmor. I love the spray and form created in the image.” 7/28/15

To read the original article, go here.

The latest in the Drones and Small Unmanned Aerial Systems Special Series, in which Kike profiles interesting information, research, and thoughts using drones, UAVs and remotely piloted vehicles for journalism and photography. 

Shopping for a “drone-obsessed” friend, family member, or yourself? I have decided to update my article The Best Drones for Beginners that was enjoyed by thousands of readers, and think of a general guide (list is not in order of preference) to help you choose your first drone.

I recommend you read my Drones and Small Unmanned Aerial Systems Special Series before buying any aerial platforms, including:

• So You Want to Fly Drones?
• So You Want to Shoot Aerial Photography Using Drones?
• So You Want to Backup Your Aerial Footage Taken From Drones?
• So You Lost Your Drone Again?
• So You Want to Fly an FPV Racing Mini Quadcopter?
• So You Want to Keep Track of All Your Drone Flights?
• So You Want to Create Maps Using Drones? (New book)

1.  Byrobot Drone Fighter GX100: 2.4GHz RF two-way communication with six channels mini drone. Remove the rotor guards in expert mode to cut down on the weight and you can even do 360 flips. It has infrared transmitters and receivers on it, so if you have two or more, you can assign them to different teams. If your Drone Fighter is “hit” by an infrared shot, its LEDs flash and your controller vibrates in your hands. Get hit six times, and the game is over.

2.  Sky Viper Video Drone: With a Super Tough Duraflex Body made of resilient polypropylene, it’s easy to perform easy one-tough stunts. Perform barrel rolls in mid-flight with a simple tap of the Stunt button. Experience a true bird’s eye and record 720p High Definition pictures and video. Be sure to check the Sky Rocket S670 Sky Viper Stunt Drone too.

3.  Holy Stone RC Quadcopter Drone with HD Camera: A key 360 four-ways flip (left, right, forward, backward), continuous roll for perfection action and wonderful performance. It’s equipped with a key return and “headless security system” to prevent from losing the copter.

4.  Cheerson CX-10 Mini RC Quadcopter: The 29mm 4CH 2.4Ghz-6-Axis Gyro LED RC Quadcopter incorporates a 6-axis design which makes the gyroscope adjustable, promoting flying stability. Flight time is up to 4-8 minutes and it includes a 3-level adjustable speed flip function.

5.  Syma X5C Explorers 2.4G 4CH 6-Axis Gyro RC Quadcopter with HD Camera: Equipped with HD camera, it performs flips at the press of a button with 360 degree eversion. Wind resistant, the X5C can be flown indoors or outdoors for about a 7 minute flight. A 6-axis Gyro stabilization system ensures maximum stability. For an FPV version, look at the Syma X5SW WiFi FPV, working with both Android and Apple iOS mobile phones.

Check out the rest of Kike’s drone recommendations and the full article here, and don’t forget to head on over to Amazon and iTunes to pick up a copy of his new book, So You Want to Create Maps Using Drones?

liveBooks Ambassador Marcela Taboada’s exhibit, Sanmigueleñas, is currently running through the end of January at the Centro Cultural San Pablo in Oaxaca, Mexico. 

These Mexican girls are daughters of farmers who learned how to grow vegetables organically. They are the future mothers who will transmit to their children how to stop the use and abuse of pesticides and to eat healthy. I photographed them the day that the harvest was done. My idea was to raise awareness that we all belong to Mother Earth and that by having a healthy and conscious society we can respect our planet in this globalized world.

Due to lack of information, children are fed sweets and processed drinks that affect their physical development. Although corn is the basis of our diet, at schools and other institutions, junk food abounds.

I decided to make these portraits of girls and young Zapotecs of San Miguel del Valle, a district of Tlacolula in Oaxaca, when the harvest of an organic garden that participated in the global collective project “I Have a Dream” was made. The vegetables they carry as “crowns” are what they themselves planted, irrigated, tended and harvested with their parents. My intention is to raise awareness to all women that we are related to land and fertility. We feed our children who will carry this message to future generations. I consider it very important to rescue organic home gardens that help make a healthy and conscious society, obtaining a sustainable supply in this globalized world.