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DESIGN FAQ
Think of it like a first date, minus the awkwardness. We will get to know one another and ask each other questions to better understand what it will be like to work together. I’ll learn all about your grand ideas and we can talk about how I can fit into the picture as your design guru slash sidekick.
When you decide that we are the perfect fit, I’ll send you a questionnaire to fill out for more information and an estimate with the scope of the project, price, and rough timeline lined out. Then you sign the dotted line, and that’s when the magic happens, of course!
Once I get a good idea of the project scope after our initial design consultation, I will draw custom sketches by hand, narrow them down to the top designs, and then bring those into the computer to create rough drafts with design software.
I will provide multiple unique options for you to choose from. When you see the drafts, we can talk about what’s working and decide which direction to go. Do you like certain things about one design and other aspects of another? Do you love all of them so much you just can’t decide? This point in the process is the perfect opportunity to let me know!
Once you decide which design to move forward with, I will refine and build the work based on your feedback. After refinement, you’ll have one final chance to let me know of any further revisions you’d like before signing off on the final design.
From project to project, timeframes and investment differ significantly. It mostly depends on if you want the fireworks or the laser light show. Contact me about your vision and the scope of your project and we can talk numbers more specifically.
I also can be hired on retainer for monthly website updates, newsletters, blogging, and social media content creation, social media management, and more. A payment plan can be set up for ongoing work.
In a rush? Need it by a certain date? Make that known right away and we can discuss what is needed to get things done on time and whether a rush fee will be incurred.
Content is the key to success! Before I begin designing, I’ll need all content finalized and complete with all assets present. This includes all text and photos required for the project.
Need help with content writing and editing? I’m happy to help– I do that too! Contact me about copywriting and content creation.
Don’t have photos? No worries, you came to the right place. I provide bundled packages with photography and design services all in one. Let’s talk about your needs and how we can get you from where you are to where you want to be.
Generally speaking, you will receive at least 3 different rough drafts, sketches, or layouts.
This will be a curated collection of the top design ideas that I’ve come up with, narrowed down from countless ideas I create during the sketching phase of my process.
There will be two opportunities during the design process to make as many changes or edits to the design as you want. Anything past that will incur additional fees as that is outside of the scope of the project proposal.
Do you design custom websites?
YOU BET!
Do you offer photography Services?
YES!
Can you manage my online presence?
TOTALLY.
I am a commercial photographer, which means that I mainly take photos for other businesses. Depending on the business, this can include a whole number of styles and lighting and subject matter.
this includes:
Lifestyle Photography
Portraits & Headshots
Fashion Shoots & Lookbooks
Product Photography
Landscape, Architecture, & Spaces
Website, Branding, and Social Media Content
and more!
To sum it up, if I can aim my camera at it, chances are I can photograph it!
I shoot both film and digital!
I have a deep love for the soft and dreamy qualities of analog photography just as much as the crisp, sharpness of digital photography. I have been shooting 35mm film since I was just starting out in my freshman high school photography class. Even when I shoot film, I shoot digital at the same time, acting as the backups for film. Each format is beautiful in its own way and they both have their own strengths and aesthetics. If you’re interested in the differences between film and digital photography and which is right for you, we can discuss options.
I edit all of the digital photographs I take. Just like a baker won’t deliver a cake without frosting & decorating, I won’t deliver unedited images. Half of the artistry of photography is in the edit, so please do not alter, edit, or manipulate my images after they are delivered. If you’d like something edited differently, let me know and I’ll get you what you need!
Film photography is the exception to this because the medium itself provides such rich and unique colors, and I don’t like to lose the authentic, gritty quality with an edit.
I happily will photoshop any photos for you. There are so many artistic and unique things I can do to photos in post production! Editing can include any number of creative effects including color correcting, skin softening, photo manipulation, retouching, and photo restoration to name a few. The possibilities are endless. Let’s chat about your vision! Please note: I have a strict “do no harm” rule. Altering body shape and size is something I don’t do.
I do not edit other photographers’ work unless the photographer states in writing that I may do so. If the photographer gives the go ahead, I am more than happy to edit, retouch, and color correct to your specifications.
The timeline is based on the number of images, however I do manage to get photos back fairly quickly. The standard turnaround time is 3-5 weeks, but often it ends up being less. I don’t batch edit and I give every single image the time it deserves. So editing and culling images takes time, but it is time well spent!
I don’t limit the number of images provided. I edit and deliver all viable images from the photoshoot.
This comes down to quality and value. The perceived value of your business is based off of the quality of the content you are showing. When someone sees photos they could’ve taken themselves, it distracts from the messages you want those images to deliver. Photography is an incredibly strong tool to supporting the value your target audience sees in your brand.
Stock photography images, regardless of whether they are free or paid for, can create a disconnect with your target market and you can lose valuable trust and potentially lose customers. This is because what you are advertising in your images is not actually yours to advertise.
Imagine you go to a car dealership to buy a Toyota Tacoma, and after you sign the dotted line and put money down, they hand you the keys to a Ford F150. The trucks are similar in some ways, but they just aren’t the same. Stock photography is like that.
Real, authentic photography is the key to building trust so your customers know what to expect. Surprises are awesome when it comes to birthday parties, but not so much with business.
A cohesive, strong brand is seamless and unique. Build trust with strong photography that speaks volumes about what you offer. That is where I come in!
PHOTOGRAPHY FAQ
Do you shoot video?
YEP!
Can you design custom fonts?
YES I CAN!
Can you make animations?
YOU KNOW IT!
TECHNICAL FAQ
Image files like JPGs and PNGs are comprised of pixels, or squares of color. The resolution of an image is how many of those colored pixels take up an inch of space, also called PPI or pixels per inch. There are only so many pixels in an image or graphic, so when an image is increased in size (inches), the pixels per inch goes down and the image can look pixelated. For this reason, PNGs and JPGs are not ideal file formats for scaling up.
Here is an example:
The size of an image is often written in pixels (px). Let’s use an image with the dimensions of 1200 x 1500 pixels, for this example. If the resolution is set to 300ppi (remember- pixels per inch!), the size of the image will be 4″ x 5″. To display the same image at a larger size, 8″x10″, the resolution will go down to 150ppi, and the image may look more pixelated (because each pixel takes up more space).
It is important to understand these definitions because if a photo is showing up blurry, you know why. This also will allow you to better understand what printers need. Images have a set number of pixels, so higher quality images can be scaled better because they have more pixels.
JPG
A JPG is a widely used file format for images and graphics in print materials, social media, and websites. If a graphic doesn’t fill the entire rectangle of space (think logos) the background behind the graphic will show up white, which isn’t ideal in some cases.
PNG
An example of when you may want a graphic with a transparent background is for a logo. This is when PNG’s come in handy. A PNG is a useful file format with the option for a transparent background so that whatever the graphic is placed on surrounds it seamlessly.
SVG
SVG stands for scalable vector graphic. This is exactly what it sounds like. This file format is for graphics (only graphics, not photos), and those graphics are easily scalable to any size without pixelation. They can also be editable. So it’s a good idea to keep the SVG of a logo design in case you need it edited by another designer later on.
TTF & OTF
Both TTF and OTF are font files. You can install a font to your computer so that you can use that font on your website and throughout your branding. Double click an OTF or a TTF to install the font on your computer, but keep the file just in case you need to install it on a different computer later.
A style guide is a compilation of branding information with colors, fonts, and other pertinent style information. When creating imagery of any kind for your business, use these design elements in the ways explained in the style guide to remain cohesive and true to your brand. It also gives general guidelines for how to use colors and typography throughout your brand. This can be used during training for new employees to make sure that across the board, the brand appears as a single entity.
Images can either be shown in an RGB color space or a CMYK color space. Color spaces are the different languages that screens and printers use to understand colors.
Screens speak in RGB– not to be confused with Notorious RBG (Ruth Bader Ginsberg), may she rest in power. RGB stands for Red Green Blue, which are the colors of light that mingle in various combinations to create colors on screens. Yes, every color we see on our phones, computers, and TVs are made of tons of little lights with those three colors mixing. Crazy, right? When posting an image or graphic online, make sure the file is saved in the RGB color space so that colors show up accurately and consistently on screens in the intended way.
Printers, on the other hand, speak in CMYK, which stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Key (Key is Black). Printers use these four colors of ink to make little dots and layer them to mix different colors. So when you send a photo to print, make sure the file is in the CMYK color space so the colors look how you want them to.
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