I hope you don’t mind me asking… how are those designs working out for you?  Sure it’s “something” to hand out, email or submit to the local magazine. But does the design represent the quality of your product or service? If not, you may not be doing what’s best for your business, and you could be hurting it.

I know, I know… graphic designers are way too expensive right? Wrong.

There is no denying, hiring a professional graphic designer is an expense—but they’re educated professionals with the tools they need to get the job done right. The power of great design can be a valuable asset to your business, and should be treated that way. The benefits of hiring a graphic designer can be far greater than the cost, especially if you build an ongoing relationship. Your designs won’t just be better, over time you’ll start building an image for your brand. So forget those flyers printed on fluorescent pink paper, your business deserves better.

To prove my point I’d like to share an ad with you from Ovacome USA, a Tampa non-profit trying raise awareness for Ovarian Cancer. They didn’t have a huge marketing budget, so they designed the ad themselves and submit it to to run in VERTICAL Tampa Bay, an upscale lifestyle magazine.

When I received the file, I knew this ad wasn’t strong enough to entice readers to stop and really take it in. Ovacome USA’s message is far to important to be missed—so I offered them a redesign. With their permission, I took the content from the ad and created a new design that better communicated their message with a look that would interest readers. When creating the design I took several things into consideration, like: who was reading the publication, how I could appeal to them enough to notice the ad, and how could I show this was a positive message, keeping true to the Ovarian Cancer branded ribbon and color.

From that, Fireleaf created the design below:

I just wanted to take a moment and say THANK YOU!! I have to say that this ad brought tears to my eyes.  It is so beautiful. You did a wonderful job and I really appreciate it.

That was the response I received from Ovacome USA President,  Kimberly Snyder. The new design was something she could be proud of and look forward to seeing published in VERTICAL.

It must have cost them a fortune though… right? Actually it didn’t. We typically charge about $200 for a half page ad design.

Now that you have seen the difference hiring a designer can make, I encourage you to seek out a professional graphic designer for your next project. Even if it’s as simple as a business card design or as in depth as a logo design, hiring a graphic designer can help you take your company and your brand to another level.

Ok so I bet you really want to know who won…. well, you’re going to have to watch this hokey video we made to find out!

Winners will be hearing from imageMEDIA next week with all the information you need to get your business cards printed.

Congratulations to the winners!

You have two ways to enter and you may use both to increase your chances to win!

The Prize

Two winners will each receive 1000 printed business cards* to start the new year off right!

Card details:
Size and weight: 3×2.5″, Heavy 16pt. card stock
Color and trim options: 4 color front and back (4/4), round corners available.
Special Finishing Options: UV both sides or spot UV 

*Does not include design.

The Rules

No purchase necessary to enter or win. You must be 18 years or older to enter.

TWITTER
1. You must be following Fireleaf Design (http://www.twitter.com/fireleafdesign) and imageMEDIA on twitter (http://www.twitter.com/imagemedia)
2. You must send out the above tweet EXACTLY as it appears. (if you choose Entry Method 1)
3. Anyone using multiple twitter accounts is subject to disqualification.
4. Standard shipping is included via UPS/FEDEX or USPS.
5. The winner will be announced via twitter on Friday January 6, 2012. Prizes must be claimed within 7 days or an alternate winner will be chosen.

COMMENTS
1. You must leave a comment below answering the question in entry method 2.
2. Anyone posting multiple comments is subject to disqualification.
3. Standard shipping is included via UPS/FEDEX or USPS.
4. The winner will be announced on our blog on Friday January 6, 2012. Prizes must be claimed within 7 days or an alternate winner will be chosen.

Fireleaf Design will select one winner at random from the twitter entries and one winner from the comments that makes us laugh, cry, or otherwise demonstrates creativity. Sorry, but we cannot answer ANY questions about the contest on Twitter or via e-mail.

Note: Fireleaf Design will not be designing your card for you but you may opt to hire us.
Winners will be contacted with full details of what file formats are accepted and how to submit them.

We’re very excited to be working with imageMEDIA of Tarpon Springs, FL. Established in 1998 they quickly emerged as an industry leader for fast, affordable, online printing. The printing industry has been transformed with the help of their easy online ordering process and quality customer service. They are a relationship driven business assures that you are not only getting the highest quality available, but at the best price as well.

The Fellowship Open was the first, of what we hope to be many benefit golf tournaments. Not only was the event able to bring in nearly $12000, it helped to raise awareness for The Dry Dock Center and their mission:

To provide a safe, secure and anonymous place for anyone attempting to recover from any addiction. A place where all are welcomed and willing to assist each individual on their personal road to recovery without passing judgement. Over the last 20 years they have changed the lives of so many people and helped them to experience life in a whole new way — joyous, happy and free.

Thank you to everyone that participated. You were all a part of something great. For more information about The Fellowship Open, visit the website at thefellowshipopen.org. I hope to see you there for next year’s event!

Click here to read more about our participation and the event!

Missing out

Over the last several years I have been fortunate enough to work with some seriously amazing photographers, actually I am pretty much surrounded by them. But I had always been on the other side, creating websites and designing logos. I wasn’t out shooting, or a part of meetup groups like Tampa’s Strobist and Photoshop Collective. There are so many photographers out there, I wondered what would I shoot that hadn’t already been done?

The Change

My attitude quickly changed this past September at Photoshop World in Las Vegas. A friend let me borrow his D300. Before the keynote he gave me a quick rundown and some basic tips to get started, at the time I didn’t realize how valuable that conversation was going to be. Later that morning we headed down to the keynote presentation. As the band rocked the stage I captured the image that changed my entire outlook on photography. Check it out!

Not bad for a noob right? That’s Scott Kelby, president of NAPP by day and hardcore rockstar by night. Seriously though, I couldn’t have captured that shot without a great teacher… the friend who gave me the tips wasn’t just any old photographer with an extra camera. It was Kelby Training Instructor and Photoshop Guy, RC Concepcion. He reminded me it didn’t matter that I wasn’t a professional or that I didn’t have a D3S. What mattered was I was having fun and finding a new talent. Did I mention I took about 400 images at that keynote — that image above is the only one I’ll be posting…

After the conference I was able to keep the camera for a couple months. It’s a good thing, I had become addicted. I tried to shoot as often as possible and get the most out of my short time with it. Here are a couple of the images I was able to capture, you can see more on the Fireleaf Design Flickr page.

Had to Give it Back

I couldn’t keep RC’s camera forever and as a designer I have other toys err… expenses that just made getting an expensive camera out of the question. Then it seemed like as soon I returned it, the planet shifted and every amazing shot that could possibly exist was right in front of me. It only took a few weeks of triple rainbows and Bigfoot sightings to drive me crazy. I had to get a camera of my own.

Enter the P7000

After reading the reviews for Nikon’s new P7000 I had to have it. A point and shoot with many similar features to a DSLR that I could easily work into the budget. Fortunately I could get it for under $500! A quick search on Amazon and before I knew it I was off shooting again. Even though it’s definitely not  a DSLR, this little camera can capture some great images. Here are a couple for you to check out. And there are a few more on our Flickr page.

So What is Your Story?

Well there you have it, the abridged version of my photography story. I’d love to hear how you got started, leave a comment or send me a message to share what made you want to live life from behind the lens.

Of course to gain access to such an awesome party you had to pay a cover, non-perishable food items or a $5 donation. That’s right, we turned the Ultimate Mixer into a food drive and by the end of the night had collected 654 pounds of food and about $300, all of which is on its way to Feeding America — Tampa Bay, a non-profit organization. Every 13 pounds of food collected provides 10 meals for those in need across 10 Florida counties!

Highlights

In addition to helping an amazing organization, the night included live music and giveaways donated by each organization.  And these weren’t your average giveaways — Adobe’s Lightroom Tampa Bay Group gave away a ticket to attend Photoshop World Orlando, a 3-day conference for photographers and graphic designers valued at $599. Other great prizes like gift cards, theater tickets, books and spa treatments were also taken home by some lucky attendees.

All in all I think it was a pretty awesome night. There are a few pictures below, please have a look.

Thank You

We’re very happy to have been a part of this awesome event. Thank you to all those involved in the planning, the Green Iguana for supplying the venue and an interesting assortment of appetizers and all of the associations and groups that made the event such a great success:

This month’s issue was different though. I wasn’t just a reader anymore, and featured on the cover is an article I wrote, “Your Most Important Client is You.” In the article I encourage readers to start treating their own business just like their very best client. If you own a small business there are some important basics to remember for your marketing efforts to be successful. My hope is that this article will provide you with some innovative ideas to help you build a stronger business. You can read the intro and more about the article below.

Who is your most important client?

The answer is simple but most people will get it wrong. Most will tell you it’s the client that pays on time or requires your services on a more frequent basis. But the correct answer is your business. Sounds crazy, right? Let me explain.

More often than not, we forget to put ourselves first; this is as true in business as it is in life. We all get caught up in the daily grind of emails pouring in, the call of social media alerts, and not to mention the actual work we’re doing for our clients. With only 24 hours in a day, managing a business and keeping clients happy is a delicate balance. Unfortunately, your own business is probably getting the short end of the stick. You’re probably asking, “How could I possibly make time to put my business first?”

You need to make the time to build, brand, and market your business. Stop putting it off and start treating your business like one of your clients, a VIP no less. When you have this mentality you’ll get more done. It’s too easy to put things off when the only person waiting for it is you. You’re not going to fire yourself, send angry emails, or even give a bad review. But in the end, you will hurt your business.

How often have you told yourself you really need some new business cards, or even a new website? Maybe you’ve been considering starting a blog. Somehow these things manage to fall to the bottom of our to-do lists, when in fact they need to be at the top. Now, you don’t necessarily need to do it all at once: choose one project at a time and tackle it! Once you start clearing off that lingering to-do list, not only will you feel accomplished, your business will thank you for it.

Tutorials

In the article I also share a couple easy ways to give your portfolio a different look. Making the images and designs that you have created appear as if they’re standing up on a reflective surface is a great way to show off your work to potential clients. I also show you how to take it to another level using the perspective transformation tools in Photoshop to make it look as if it’s standing in a three-dimensional space. See the example below.

A different approach to printing

The article also has information on printing sustainably. Going green isn’t just a trend; it’s an important change that can help our planet. But don’t think going green limits your possibilities: you can find just about any paper stock produced from recycled material; soy-based inks provide beautiful, vibrant color; and nonpetroleum-based UV coatings are just as beautiful. Some full-service printers like greenerprinter.com are completely carbon-neutral and others like 4over.com have taken the initiative to become more environmentally friendly. When you’re ready to print, I urge you to take the environment into account and incorporate sustainable printing.

Get your copy

Photoshop User Magazine is delivered to NAPP  members around the world 10 times a year. If you’re not a member and you’d like to learn more about NAPP, click here. Otherwise, Photoshop User is on newsstands now and may be available at your local book store. Thanks for stopping by and remember to put your business first.

Myself, The Photoshop Guys from Kelby Media, David Rogers, Erik Valind and more than thirty other volunteers joined  Dr. Michael Sheehan at Operation PAR in Clearwater, FL. Operation PAR is a residential addiction treatment center that does something very unique. It allows women in treatment to live with their children. A truly special program that promotes recovery and helps keep families together.

It’s Friday night, December 3rd, 7:00 p.m and we’ve gathered to construct five studio setups, six retouching stations and three Epson 3880 printers. The following day we were to have more than fifty women and their children here. Each would visit hair and make-up and then head to the studio setups where some amazing Tampa Bay area photographers would be capturing their portraits. Here’s RC Concepcion and Dr. Michael Sheehan to walk you through everything and tell you a little more about Operation PAR.

Thank you to Kelby Media Group and their awesome staff for creating this video.

Saturday, December 4th, 7:30 a.m. everyone is back after a restless night. Bagels and coffee in hand we started our day remembering why we’re here — it’s their day. The women living at Operation PAR. In the next seven hours, ten photographers and five retouchers will shoot, post and print hundreds of portraits. Then at 3:00 p.m. there is something special planned — the portraits will be delivered by Santa himself.

As I walk among the flashing lights and organized chaos, I hear stories of troubled pasts looking to brighter futures and heartfelt expressions of gratitude from both the women and the volunteers. It seems everyone is happy to be here today.

9:00 a.m. the images start to arrive at the retouching station. Matt Kloskowski, Corey Barker, Brad Moore, David Rogers and myself were set with Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop ready to go. It seems as fast as we could get the images sent to print we had more ready for post. With three Epson 3880′s running at max capacity we were determined to get the images done. Fortunately we had the help of Matt’s two sons, who worked to trim and package each set of portraits. At 2:45 we still had some work ahead of us.

By 4:30 p.m. the final images are coming off the printers. Although the retouching crew may have missed Santa, we got to experience the delivery in a different way. We walked the last group of images to a part of the facility known as The Village, this is the home of all the women and children we met today. As we entered The Village we were greeted with friendly wave’s and smiley thank you’s. An experience I’ll not soon forget.

Help Portrait is an amazing thing. It’s not charity, it’s sharing your talents with the people that appreciate it the most. Special thanks to Dr. Michael Sheehan for bringing this event to Operation PAR, to Kelby Media Group, Tampa Bay Strobist & Photoshop Collective and an amazing group of volunteers making this event such a wonderful success.

For more information about Help Portrait, please visit Help-Portrait.com.

So just the other day, I received a shout out via twitter by a friend, Mike Wiacek. He was thanking Fireleaf for creating his new logo. In response I mentioned that it was a great start in helping to establish his brand, which I feel is important, especially for photographers. Well my response drummed up quite a discussion that played out live on twitter. There were so many great questions that came from this, even the suggestion of a class on the basics of establishing a brand, and needless to say, my next post topic was decided.

What is a brand anyway?

Simply put, a brand is the identity and personality of your business, product, or service. If done properly and used consistently it becomes a way for people to easily identify your work.

I have been asked, “Aren’t my images my brand?” My answer is, yes, but only a part of it. Are your images and shooting style so well known that no matter where you post it I can look at it and say, “Now that’s an RC Concepcion image!” Probably not. That’s where branding steps in. Your brand is a combination of everything: your shots, your service, your logo… everything. It’s what people will come to know you for.

When you go to McDonalds, you know what to expect, an edible burger and fries for under ten bucks. The same can be said for Outback, but you’re going to be expecting a lot more, and you’ll pay for it. Think of your brand the same way, do you have a value meal or a thick steak and baked potato?

If you want to be known as a guy with a camera, that’s fine, use a different watermark on every image, use a templated business card and design your website in Microsoft Word. But that’s what you’ll become known for, that becomes your brand. Clients will ask themselves if they’re not putting effort into representing themselves, what effort are they going to put into my shoot?

If you want to be known as an expert in wildlife photography, a master of lighting or the must-have wedding photographer, you need to create that brand for yourself and build recognition. Take great photos but also have a great website, a well-designed logo, and a nice set of business cards. So no matter how someone finds you they can immediately see the quality of your work. For some people a brand comes naturally, especially if they are in the public eye. For others it takes time, dedication and consistency.

Take a look at your website and business cards. Do they look as beautiful, as compelling, as amazing as that last image you captured? If not, how will people know you’re a better photographer than you are a designer? You’re already having to prove yourself, let’s hope they take time to look at your images.

So how do you establish a brand?

The first step in establishing a brand is the product, without a product, you have nothing to brand. Since this post is directed towards photographers the product would be images. Next we need to identify a niche, what is it that you want to be known for? Could be wedding photography, sports, portrait, fine art, you get the idea. Once you figure this out, run with it!

Then comes creating a logo. This is what people will come to recognize, the brand you establish becomes known for the services you provide. Don’t feel like you have to create this awesome logo with everything you do incorporated, it needs to represent you, not everything you’re capable of. This is the part most people get hung up on, trying to incorporate all of their services, does this sound familiar? You don’t need to do that, just look at these examples:

Yahoo and Google -  not a mention of search engines, online marketing, or anything.
Target, Apple and Shell – you know these without thinking… That’s successful branding.

You may be a photographer, writer, teacher and gardener but you don’t need to include that in your logo. Now with all that being said… think, clean, simple, memorable for your logo. Nothing too crazy, just something people can easily recognize.

Next we have the “been there done that.” Common things you’ll see in almost all photographer logos: a shutter, camera body, abstract camera, lens, an old camera and my all time favorite, a silhouette of me with a camera. Just Google image search “photographer logo” and you’ll see what I mean. Besides capturing the image, how much do those things really have to do with being a photographer? It takes more than having a camera to be a photographer, right?

Then comes the service. In order to be successful in any business you have to provide great service. Treat your clients like they are the only one you have, talk to them, give advice, and accept criticism. No matter how good of a photographer you are, or how many jobs you do, if you become known as “the grump that didn’t care about what I really wanted,” you’ll never get the referral, or that second job from me. I can just ask Google who to use. Always leave your clients thinking “Wow, that was a great experience!”

Build recognition!

Now that we have established a product, created a logo and are providing an amazing customer experience we need to tell the world. Start with a business card. Find a designer, (hint hint) and come up with something cool, so when you hand it to someone they look twice and say “hey, nice cards!” You’ll smile every time. Print double what you normally would and give them to everybody! Business cards don’t do you any good sitting in the box or your camera bag, hand them out. You can get some great cards from Moo, I get mine from GreenerPrinter.

Next is your website, personally I recommend WordPress. You’ll need something that has a portfolio, a blog section and a way for people to easily contact you. WordPress makes this almost too easy. Remember to keep your design consistent. Your business cards, website and social media pages should all have the same look.

Once you have the logo done, business cards printed and the website up, tweet about it, share it on facebook, call your mom, do anything you can do to let people know where you are.

If you’re a photographer, chances are you’re also a MAC person and have added this “magical and revolutionary device” to your list of must-haves. Unfortunately as a photographer, you probably also have website portfolio that is completely Flash. Too bad… you just lost all of those opportunities. That’s right, the iPad™ doesn’t support Flash. So when people go to visit your site on an iPad™ it’s rendered pretty much useless. Oh and don’t forget iPhones, another Apple® favorite, which has also left Flash behind.

Photographer and President of NAPP (National Association of Photoshop Professionals), Scott Kelby just so happened to be one of those photographers using a flash based portfolio and he wasn’t about to let the iPad™ prevent his photography from being seen. So what did he do? Called in reinforcements.

Sometime in the early evening just a few days before the iPad™ release, I received a call from good friend, and photographer Rafael “RC” Concepcion. This call wasn’t about a friendly hello, or guys night out. He needed to come up with a solution for Scott, and fast. Knowing I had never been a “flash guy” and that I often use jquery as an alternate to Flash, I was the right person to call.

We needed to create something that would not only ensure Scott’s portfolio worked on the iPad, but it had to look awesome too. With it’s high-resolution, 9.7-inch LED-backlit display, the iPad™ is great  way for photographers to showcase their portfolio online. So we had to come up with something that would take advantage of every beautiful pixel.

If you would like to try our solution for your portfolio
you can download it here FREE!

…it’s about the best showcase you can possibly give your photos on a screen.    – Scott Kelby

Now since we only had about 48 hours before the iPad™ was released, we had to move quickly. We decided the best way would be to start with the jquery plug-in, Galleria, as a base and take it from there. I designed a series of new layouts for Scott’s portfolio using CSS (download the black skin now).  Keeping the screen size in mind and scaling standard camera dimensions, we were able to create a pretty cool way to show off the images. And since we knew Scott wasn’t looking for some quick fix, we included some pretty cool features like a top navigation, subtle next & previous buttons and finger swipe capability. In a couple alternate layouts we even included thumbnails. All in all I think we were and able to create a great looking alternative to Flash. Click here to see a demo!

If you would like to try our solution for your portfolio
you can download it here FREE!

And make sure you check out Scott’s blog post!