Rebranding, A New Website Design 2.0, A New Blog 5.0

I’ve spent the last week and a half re-editing and rebranding my work. I needed something new and fresh. I also needed to focus my scope so other images would not drown out others. Some images old, some new, some old never really been shown, re-edits and slight tweaks can be seen throughout.

Logos are the last thing I was thinking about but I found one that I think sticks and has punch to it. I shoot bold so I thought something blocky would help convey that theme. Hope you enjoy. Here are some variants.

Next was finding the right web site portfolio to house my images. I really was on the cusp of going with Photoshelter because they are an industry leader and they had the unlimited online storage – something I haven’t seen with anyone else – and solid support. BUT I didn’t like the design of their templates, clunky back end and a touch dated feel (no knock to friends who are with them, just wasn’t my flavor). I also figured Backblaze for online storage. After researching I finally found a good fit. The company is known but was unknown to me. I’ve seen their sites for awhile but never inquired who they were. I wanted a Flash feel but HTML5 future. In the end I chose APhotoFolio. They sold me on their back end ease of use, custom designing, tutorials, live chat support (of which I used when I went live) and they answered all questions along the way. With SEVERAL speakers over the years saying Flash is dead, I ignored. However, with the advent of Chrome unable to support the Adobe product, I finally listened. So I said goodbye to NeonSky the Flash-based website. Hopefully this new site can be the last site I belong to – probably not, but let’s hope. NeonSky is awesome BUT month-to-month $45 was draining. They lead the way with LiveBooks and a few others when options were few in the mid-late 2000s. However, as other design sites have populated the digital landscape, and competition for web portfolios fierce, I finally jumped ship.

The hardest part was organizing 12 years of work. I loved/hated every minute of it. Loved seeing patterns of how I shoot and how it has evolved but hated sitting in a chair for 10 days. I wanted to look at everything, I mean I went into every toned image I have ever touched just to make sure I wasn’t missing anything – and besides everyday you get better at editing and fresh eyes can look at old work and be like, “Why didn’t I see this on the editing table back then?”  It was so much to wrap my head around.

I think what I learned most about looking at so many images was looking at what works and doesn’t. It gives me optimism how I want to push into the future. Thanks for hanging with me, the support and looking. If you reached this far, you are appreciated. If not I still love you anyway 🙂

Best,

Corey