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Babs Armour’s entry into photography took place mid-career when she decided to leave her work as a teacher and return to the world of art, which had been a major focus when she was young. Babs was fortunate enough to study with a number of outstanding photographers and, in a short time, she was featured in shows and was winning awards. Today, her images are in corporate as well as private collections, and her work continues to grow and evolve!

Her signature “Store Windows”, her portfolio – which reflects the influence of her early years spent painting in New England towns and seaports – includes a series depicting Oyster farmers in Wellfleet, MA and images from New England to Paris.

Q&A with Babs Armour Photography

Q1: How would you describe the aesthetic of your website in three words?

BA: Clean, elegant, inviting.

Q2. How often do you typically update your website?

BA: Now that I have liveBooks, I find myself updating whenever I have new images, want to update a portfolio or decide to make a small change in the design of a page or the site. That’s what’s so great about the new format.

Q3. How do you choose the photos that you display on your homepage?

BA: I choose an image that is truly representative of my work and change it on a regular basis.

Q4. What is your favorite feature of liveBooks?

BA: The ease in uploading photos, creating galleries, and editing and tweaking design elements. It’s all just so user friendly!

Q5. What’s one piece of advice you’d offer to someone designing their website?

BA: Be clear about your priorities and choose images carefully keeping in mind the viewers you want to attract.

I’m really thrilled with liveBooks and feel that the ease of using it will mean that my site is not static, but will be constantly evolving as my work grows and evolves! See more of Babs Armour’s work here: www.babsarmour.com

Congratulations to liveBooks client, Stephen Guenther, for winning a Silver Award in the Graphis Photography Annual 2018!

This image was taking on the Bahama Island of Andros. Stephen describes the inspiration behind the image:

“I have alway been drawn to spectacular light and the Bahama light is just that. The truth is that the light many time will wake you in the morning, and I happened to grab my camera as I went out to find a cup of coffee. On the way back the path, this image simply presented itself., I am sure both the quality and color of the light only lasted a few minutes. This image has stayed with me and represents the best of a Bahamian landscape.”

Stephen’s photography functions in a few different genres: Travel, nonprofit and fine art. He has more than twenty years of creative direction in film, video, interactive and print. Functioning as Design Director, Film Director, Executive Producer and Creative Lead. He tries to inspire creativity in both his crew and clients, to function as a creative instigator.

Congratulations, Stephen! See more of Stephen’s work here.

Wendy Hope began with her photography background rooted in “music and celebrity” driven campaigns and advertorials. Eventually she segued those relationships and my body of work into “beauty and cosmetics” which is her current arena.

Wendy studied abroad and while in Paris she was introduced to a photographer who mentored Mark Seliger and at the time Mark was Chief Photographer of Rolling Stone Magazine and on contract. When she returned, she landed an internship with him! She learned the business & etiquette, lighting, cameras & film, and all things darkroom. Then, Wendy branched out and began assisting other photographers until she learned enough and was able to make the jump with my own identity.

Q&A with Wendy Hope Photography

Q1: How would you describe the aesthetic of your website?

WH: Clean and Chic.

Q2: How often do you typically update your website?

WH: That depends on how busy I am and the schedule and release dates of new published work. I try to update monthly however it’s more often a bigger overhaul bi-monthly.

Q3: How do you choose the photos that you display on your homepage?

WH: It depends which opening image looks modern & fresh and which is my favorite at that moment. I also consider where I am (NY vs. LA) and who I’m targeting at that time. Usually I look for something with whites so it works with my design and also has a bit of graphic punch for high impact.

Q4: What is your favorite feature of liveBooks?

WH: It’s easy to update manually with options to change fonts and design.

Q5: What’s one piece of advice you’d offer to someone designing their website?

WH: Keep your design clean so the focus remains on the content and the work itself. Keep in mind loading time as well, it’s important.

The short answer: yes. According to Forrester Research’s Dr. James McQuivey, “a minute of video is worth 1.8 million words.” Here are 3 reasons why you should add video content to your website.

1. Engages your audience. Video consumption is only growing in 2018, and by sharing videos to your website, you are capturing consumers’ attention and, in turn, driving higher engagement on your site.
2. Improves Google Rankings. You understand how to implement SEO best practices, but did you know that the amount of time consumers spend on your site also plays into Google Rankings? When you are capturing attention through an engaging video, you’re enticing users to stay on your website longer. Therefore, improving your Google Rankings.
3. Gives Your Brand Personality. Of course you can showcase your personality through your copy and images. Add another layer with video. When you feature a video of yourself you are humanizing your brand and creating a deeper connection with your visitors. This gives them a reason to come back to your website.

Wondering where to begin with uploading videos to your website? With liveBooks’ Video Galleries you have the option to add multiple videos on one page, in a pleasing manner. Adding a Video Gallery block to your page is simple, just follow these easy steps.