new splash image

[c0ntr0lz]

what do yall think of the new image?

http://thectrlz.com/images/splashes/c0ntr0lz_photo1h.jpg

[amitnike]

i think its coool

[CDickinson]

I guess I want to know what exactly you going to do with it. As it stands, if its for advertising, you're going to attract a certain kind of client and not attract other ones. Depending on who you want to work with, its good or maybe not so good.....as I look at it, I see patriotic, cool cars (I"m hip), speed ( break the rules because they don't apply to me), open plains ( I don't like restrictions), photographer and possibly someone who is stubborn, a hard ass, and not into negotiating (ie, the font selection and black and white of a male who is not smiling...) The point being first, I"m interpretating with my own baggage (which everyone looking at it will do), and second, who are you trying to attract?

As for the image placements, its a pretty decent job. You have a good sense of colors and how they working on the page - diagonals of color and the center which is simple images.

C

[c0ntr0lz]

thanks amitnike

CDickinson, thanks for all the info, it's what i was looking for.
and i didn't see that much into all the images, they just kinda came together.
but if that's what you read out of them, then i think i hit the bulls eye.
i didn't want it to come off as, i don't give a damn about anything/anyone but i think it does it nicely.
thanks again for all the info, and the pic is me.
the rebel theme does show through in it doesn't it?

[CDickinson]

yes the rebel theme does show through quite a bit and being one myself, I think I can read it pretty well. The thing is, what kind of accounts are you going after? Who do you want to shoot for? Where is the money...ie, when you follow the money, and the amount of money, who is going to hire you? Do you want corporate accounts? Do you want the latest local punk band? Are you doing commercial work or art work?

All those things might determine the image you want to portray. I shoot a lot work and have clients who do not want my "rebel" in their business. They're not interested in it at all. They want straight up commercial work. And I want their money.....and that works for both my business as a photographer and my business as a website designer. I also have clients who want that rebel...they're willing to bend their image with me....and I have to be able to ride those lines of myself and stay in control of them.

I have a really decent eye for design and composition and I'm passionate about bending the rules of almost everything, but that doesn't necessarily mean my client does....and if he/she wants me to do something I know is not a great idea and I know that designwise or composition-wise, its not working for them, I still have to bend to their will, not mine. They want designs that are poor, they want to include photographs of themselves that are not flattering or have no photographic value other than their own attachment to their egos......And I really have to fight with myself for a while to not tell them to get over themselves and take a look at what I'm presenting. But thats business....so sometimes my work is all about me and sometimes its not at all. And sometimes its a compromise.

In consideration of what I use to present myself, its pretty straight up. I want those middle of the ground, "average joes" business as much as I want those people who let me go out on my edges....I have two different portfolios of photography work I"m putting together. And altho I'm always art-related and working from creative, I don't merge those two.

I used to work delivering downtown on a bike - and I was in every advertising agency in town and every graphic design studio and every photography studio. One thing I learned. The people doing ads for kelloggs did not go over any edges. And the people doing wrangler jeans ads were willing to do an ad that the photographer could not hire a stylist to do because they were all women and the ad contained some nudity that offended them. Same photographer shot for kellogg.....but his professional images for the studio were straight up, none-threatening images. Without that, he would not do kellogg or winnebago, etc.
So, I guess I'm getting longwinded....basically it boils down to money and who's paying your bills, and where you want your notorioty. You can be a rebel without wearing it on your sleeve......which may get you more work to live on.

C

[c0ntr0lz]

you are in the spot i'd like to be, but i've fallen from the web desing life cause it was not too easy for me. but photography is sooooo easy for me. The only probably is, am i only good at car/product photograhy or can i do more. That is something that i'll learn as i go. I'd hate to focus on one thing like you're saying, but i really really enjoy car/product photography and it comes easy to me.

I would love to get into more freelance work and maybe get into some magazines. I think that's where I'd really love to be, cause of my love for cars. know how i get into mags that's something i'm looking into and hopefully with more practice i can get an awesome portfolio together and get in.

so until that time i'm happy with just hitting up the car clubs and friends for a client base, cause that's what i can operate with at the moment.

now about my site, i seriously to get a friends help and get a nice portfolio site done.

thanks again for all the info and hopefully we can talk again.

[PhotosGuy]

I'd like to see a brighter yellow in the car. The landscape doesn't do much for me except for the spectacular sky. Maybe put that in the car shot background & then you'll have space for a "better" other pic? Yellow car + blue sky = complementary colors & could be very striking.
CDickinson has made some good points. Is this going to be a business card? A poster?

[c0ntr0lz]

i thought the same thing frank. putting that sky behind the car.
i may just do that.
this is just for the site
it's up there now.
thanks man

[ecobo]

As you're in this section of the forum, here's my critique:
1. The script in the center is not quite readable. remove these high "O" letters or make all the letters high.
2. I don't like the car's back. It's boring. Why don't you show the front?
3. The landscape is completely superfluous in the context of the car theme. Try to replace it with a car (red colored maybe)

[Moppie]

Your looking at the cars arse.

Turn it around so its facing you (invery it). :)

At the moment my follows the way your looking, sees the car, and follows they ways its pointing, then falls of the edge.
With the car turned around my eye would be directed back towards the center, and down to your lettering, and onto the landscape, then back accross to the camera close up.

[c0ntr0lz]

ecobo
1. i know the text is a bit unreadable and i am concerned with that and thinking of replacing it. the 'Os' are zeros, that's the nickname, just as you see in my handle here.
2. guess i'll have to find another car pic then, don't have the front of it. i like that you did point out that the direction of the car does lead you away from the image itself.
3. i think i know the car i will replace it with. thanks

moppie, gotcha thanks

[ecobo]

ecobo
1. i know the text is a bit unreadable and i am concerned with that and thinking of replacing it. the 'Os' are zeros, that's the nickname, just as you see in my handle here.


Nickname or not, it's the main (and the only one) text in the advetrising. It MUST be readable if you want your add to work well for you. It's a rule in the add graphic design.
I'll suggest a change: make another main text - f.e. "Car Photography", written with a bold, readable font and make the present text a subhead. The main text must be colored in a more contrasty color than the subhead (in this case wite and 25%grey or orange and a dark red can be a good choice of combinations).
Cheers!

[c0ntr0lz]

thanks
sounds good
i'll give it a try

[c0ntr0lz]

ok here is the remake with the corrections a few of yall offered.
i'm still working on the font i'm not sure if i like that one altho it's cool.
let me know what yall think.



http://thectrlz.com/images/splashes/c0ntr0lz_photo1j.jpg

[PhotosGuy]

Looking good! Nice job on the background of the car, but I'd still like to see the yellow 'pop' out more.

[mr.photoguy]

what do yall think of the new image?

http://thectrlz.com/images/splashes/c0ntr0lz_photo1h.jpg


I would keep this image and use the other car image, because of the sky difference. However if I could use this car angle with the other car's angle (blue saturated sky), and heavey white clouds. I would.

The 1st shots roadster angle works great. If it had the other angle (roadsters) clouds, combined with the plain field and saturated blue sky w/white clouds, it gives me this sense of mystery. I think this guy looks so serious in his portrait, yet his images are catchy..
I immediatley think, "This guy is serious about his work".

[Sharon P Johnson]

ok here is the remake with the corrections a few of yall offered.
i'm still working on the font i'm not sure if i like that one altho it's cool.
let me know what yall think.



http://thectrlz.com/images/splashes/c0ntr0lz_photo1j.jpg


This is much better. This is a good central image for the splash page, but you still need to consider where you will put the contact information, navigation components, and copyright statement. I am assuming that the copyright statement would go in the footer, the naviagtion could be a horizontal bar below (as long as your splash image is not more than 750 pixels x 375 pixels (you lose 50 for windows) the splash image. For most web development the norm is 800 pixels x 600 pixels (actually 750 x 400 due to the lost of window header, side, and bottom components). The contact information could go under the splash image.

You could also incorporate the navigation and add the contact information into the splash image with the copyright information below. I am working on something for a client and can show you what I mean soon.

If you really want all of the images, you could make one a Flash component with different images fading in. Then you could free up more space for the navigation. The coding for the Flash component could show a still image if the person does not have a Flash Player. You could also make the individual photo within the splash image be a link to a specific photo topic for certain types of clients (auto enthusiasts).

See http://www.baylor.edu/biology to see what I mean. This is one of my designs.

Just some quick thoughts.