Logo research.

Here is a quick sample of the type of logos i referenced and took inspiration from in order to create my very own logo.

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VIDEO FOOTAGE.

Okay, so i came up with a plan last week, of which i have since passed by Dru Maasepp to ask for his feedback on.

My idea was to record video footage of each other whilst in Tasmania as part of the annual CIT photography students trip.

Not only can we record each other in a one-on-one way like an interview, but we can also record each other in the field as we work to capture some of the wonderful landscape settings we will be amongst whilst in Tasmania.

I look forward to giving this a go... stay tuned for some results/feedback.


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LOGO - design and development.

This blog entry is to explain how and why i have designed my company logo and how it can be used to help promote myself as a professional photographer.
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A corporate identity (logo) is without a doubt one of the most important things to have in business.. Having a recognisable and effective logo is another thing.

Below are a few snapshot images of the design and development of my very own logo. A logo that i feel works in a number of ways - of which i will also explain.

Initial brain-storming and sketches.

Having a background in Graphic Design, my thoughts were (and still are) to combine elements of photography and graphic design, as well as my name into my business logo. I felt it was important to include graphic elements and words to support this - hence the use of photo-design.

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I then began to refine my initial sketches by creating
a series of computer-generated versions.

I strongly felt the letters by themselves were to free and open, vulnerable if you like to become lost in other elements that may arise down the track that might overpower the impact i wanted my logo to have. So i started to contain them within strong shapes.

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Here is the design i chose to run with.

DESIGN:

I am happy with this design. It's vertical alignment/arrangement gives a real presence to it, a sense of importance if you like. The 'd' and other words are all clear and crisp to read. The small squares help to represent film sprocket holes as well as indicate a row of images. The 'd' incorporates not only a letter referring to my shortened name (Drew) but the centre dot also helps to represent an aperture of a camera lens. If you also look at it side-on it is also meant to represent the offset printing press, with the large circle being the drum a plate negative would atach to making contact with a flat surface as if it were transferring ink onto a sheet of paper.

Anyway, i may have lost you on that last part, so just take my word for it ay :]

COLOUR:

I purposely went for just a black and white logo design, because it dosen't distract the viewer's eye too much when use by itself or as a watermark on my images, or when used in marketing/promotional material for that matter.

FONT:

The font i chose speaks for itself. It is AvantGarde which is exactly what i hope to achieve through my images and design work.

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It has since seen a change in the wording; from
PHOTO-DESIGN to PHOTO-GRAFIC

AUDIO PODCAST project.

The aim of this project is to explore audio technologies and recording techniques that incorporate a variety of sources in the production of an audio track for electronic distribution.


Okay, so this is something i have never done before, so i am excited to give it a go and see what comes of it. The following piece of text is a sample of what i will use in conjunction with some music to produce my very own promotional podcast.

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PODCAST SCRIPT:

Hi. I’m Drew from d-photo-grafic and today I’m gonna give you a brief run-down on myself and my business, so sit back and tune in to what I have to tell you.

My initial profession was in Graphic Design, but I am now a freelance documentary and landscape photographer, based in Australia’s national capital city of Canberra.

Photography, for me, is the bee’s-knees of career choices, but also something that just satisfies me overall. It allows me to explore this fascinating planet, connect with people of every age, race and gender, challenge my creative abilities and increase my own knowledge and understanding of this thing called life. The thing I like most about photography is that it allows me to travel and experience the world for what it is, as it happens.

I believe there is a real power to photography, which, if used correctly, has the ability to detail a moment in time that words struggle to express.

My personal aim is to continue doing what I’m doing for now, for as long as I can I guess. I do aim to pursue a role lecturing in photography in my later years, so that I may give back to the profession through a new generation of enthusiastic photographers.

Oh man, giving a short answer on what inspires me is almost impossible. I get inspired by so much each and every day of my life. Sometimes it’s the simplest of things and other times it can be something so complex that my brain hurts just thinking about it.

As for which photographer/s inspires me. Again, this is another difficult question to answer, but I will say people like Christian Fletcher, Peter Lik, Joel Meyerwitz, Martin Parr, Trentn Parke, Scott Leggo and Frank Hurley, to name just a few from a very long list.

Thanks for listening!

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PROMOTIONAL VIDEO research.

This blog entry has been created to show examples of promotional videos that I have sourced as reference to help create one for myself (as part of my major assignment for this elective) and then combine it into my website - amongst other things.

Video is an interesting topic to consider, research and plan for yourself. A self-promotional video, i feel, is all that more important. I also feel it is an extremely powerful way to promote yourself these days, thanks to the explosion of social media and society's obsession to watch instead of read.

In saying this, I can take bits and pieces of inspiration away from the most lame videos, and nothing from the most fancy, it's a funny thing. It can be how the photographer refers to themself (1st, 2nd or 3rd person) the speed and clarity of the way they speak, the way they are videoed, how any graphical elements are incorporated etc etc..

The following links show some good examples:
(warning some are excessively American)

http://vimeo.com/41513497

http://vimeo.com/22964710

http://vimeo.com/62103352

http://vimeo.com/60835364

http://vimeo.com/17344581 

http://vimeo.com/37168265

http://vimeo.com/6794098  

http://vimeo.com/1632608 

http://vimeo.com/17284210

http://www.catherinehall.net/blog/2012/09/06/feel-the-experience-catherine-hall-promo-video/

EXCITING software to save for.

In the last few classes we have been exploring Final Cut Pro video editing software. It is quite an amazing tool to use to say the least.

In addition to Final Cut Pro, we will soon use Motion, both of which are products from Apple. I plan to look into both products more to see exactly what they have to offer me and if they are worth investing in (or not). Motion is currently very affordable and may just be all that i need, but time will tell i guess.


FINAL CUT PRO:
http://www.apple.com/au/finalcutpro/ 

MOTION:
 https://www.apple.com/au/finalcutpro/motion/

http://www.noiseindustries.com/blog/announcements/final-cut-pro-x-motion-compressor-and-fxfactory-2-6-released/

 

time-consuming, fun!

I am enjoying this Final Cut Pro video editing software application.

It gives you a great deal of creativity, a great deal more than i ever anticipated. I have only ever had prior experience in video editing with iMovie - an application that still does a decent job (for most people) but the additional power available with Final Cut Pro is down-right AWESOME.

http://www.apple.com/au/finalcutpro/


D.