Aug 04 2017 Portland Business Spotlight: Janet Price, Makeup Artist Posted by: Janine Winters Posted in: Branding, Business, Friends, Logo Design, Portland Tagged brand development, branding, business branding, makeup artist, Portland Janet Price is a Portland-based professional makeup artist with over 13 years experience in film and television, as well as print, stage, and theatre makeup design. Janet Price grew up in Los Angeles during the reign of Mouseketeers and The Gong Show. As a kid, she felt surrounded by the entertainment industry — it was normal for people she knew to go in for auditions, and shows that she saw on TV were being produced right down the road. Her involvement in the industry felt natural. It wasn’t strange to think she’d grow up to be a Mouseketeer, because that’s what LA kids did. Janet Price at work. Photo credit: Gary Norman, www.garynormanphotography.com In 1984, Janet moved to Oregon with her family and got involved with high school drama productions. Fascinated by the parentally-forbidden art of makeup, she studied library books to teach herself how to work with theatrical makeup while secretly painting her face at school and making sure to arrive home before her dad did to wash off the evidence of her artistic rule-breaking. While Janet chose not to pursue makeup artistry as a career, she continued to expand her knowledge about new products and techniques as a hobby she couldn’t shake off. Some years later, Janet was flipping through a Northwest School of Film class catalog and found a 3-month intensive Makeup for Film + TV class and was excited to get formal education. The class instructor, Christina, began to casually mentor Janet after the class ended, no doubt seeing Janet’s talent for the work and her affinity for the industry. Christina was preparing to retire, so she gifted Janet makeup and tools that she wouldn’t need once she retired. Christina recommended Janet for her first job as an assistant makeup artist, on a Paramount Universal film that was shooting in Portland. It took just the one recommendation from a veteran artist, and Janet’s work as a makeup artist took off from there, booking jobs of all sizes in film, TV, theater, and studio settings. Janet Price Logotype by Upswept Creative, 2016. We worked with Janet in 2016 to create a new logotype, business card, and brochure website, which resides at http://www.janetpricemakeup.com/. She hoped to modernize her brand, and make her work easier to find. Now, when professionals in the film industry are planning Portland-based productions, they can easily find Janet’s work and contact her through her new website. That means less of her time spent looking for work, and more of her time spent doing the work. What is your passion? Whether it’s a side-hustle or your main gig, we’d love to help make your brand shine and spread the word about how awesome you are. Whether you want to revise your website, change your branding, build a strategy for marketing more effectively, or you’re not sure where to start, get in touch with us to schedule your FREE consultation, and we’ll use our extensive online experience to help you get clear on your next steps.
Jul 07 2017 Elements of Good Logo Design Posted by: Sarah Giffrow Posted in: Branding, Design, Logo Design, Portland Tagged branding, logo design, logos, patreon logo Logo design has come under a ton of scrutiny, thanks to increasing numbers of people using social media. Now, basically any well-known company who dares to update their brand assets open themselves to critique from the internet at large. (even I had some choice words about a big-name logo redesign, several years ago!) Patreon’s recent update to their logo was no exception, and it got me thinking about how design trends have evolved, and how some principles of logo design continue to ring true. What Are The Different Parts of a Logo? Some of you may already know these terms, but for those of you reading this who aren’t design professionals, here’s a quick look at different logos and parts: Logotype: also known as a “wordmark,” this is the choice of font, spacing, and styling used for the words in your logo. Icon or Mark: this is the visual icon designed to represent your brand. It can appear with the logotype, but ideally can also stand alone as a visual shorthand for your business. Combination Mark: this refers to usages of a logo where the Icon and Logotype appear together. Patreon’s new wordmark looks much cleaner than their old one. Good Type Design Can Make or Break Your Logo Something the new Patreon logo does well is bring clarity and focus to its logotype. Where the old logotype feels cramped and off-kilter, the new one feels more open and modern. Whether it’s creating a new logo or reimagining an existing one, I often see combination marks where an incredible amount of mental energy was spent on the icon, but the logotype feels like an afterthought. One example that comes to mind is the Multnomah County Library logo. Their announcement of their new logo went on at great length about the thinking behind their L mark, but the type received no mention. That alone tells me a lot about where the majority of their design process was focused. My biggest criticism of the Library logo is that the text doesn’t look like it’s designed with intention. The type looks generic and doesn’t seem designed to go with its icon, so it feels weak as a combination mark. Their update of the icon is a solid idea, but how much better could it be if the logotype was as well-designed as the icon? Color Can Separate Your Logo From The Pack Another good choice that Patreon made with their logo update was the updated color palette. Patreon chose salmon and navy as their key colors, which is a modern and distinctive update from their orange-and-black logo. And, they’re also colors that haven’t been so widely used among popular brands. As we saw in PayPal’s recent lawsuit against Pandora for their perhaps-too-similar blue “P” logos, similar ideas are bound to float up in design. And, in a world where logos may be hard to tell apart, your brand colors can save you from fading away with the competition. In fact, some high-profile brands have built enough strength in their color palette that their colors have become iconic even alone. (take a look at “Which Brands Own These Signature Colors?” for a few fun examples) Remember What You Want To Communicate Do you think this icon communicates what Patreon is about? Does it enhance or hinder their brand? A trend in logo design that’s gained traction is to make the logo iconic enough that it can be adapted or stylized with different colors or textures, depending on where they’re being used. Michael Bierut cited this approach in an episode of 99% Invisible, when talking about his work on Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign logo. Contemporary logo design trends seem to be leading us towards very abstract marks, which can easily end up confusing or weak. Communicating in subtle ways with shape is smart, and it leads to clever and long-lasting logo ideas, such as the FedEx logo and its hidden arrow. It’s also an approach that I use in my own work. In the mark I created for Marissa Sainz, the top-left point of the “M” is used as a teal arrow pointing towards the NorthWest. That calls back to Portland and the Northwest, and also to her roots as a realtor in the Pearl District in NW Portland. It’s easy to go too abstract, however, or to make design decisions that are so subtle they get lost. One comment about Patreon’s new icon says that the vertical bar is, “a subtle but proper nod to Patreon being the bridge between two things.” But really, would you see that nod if you weren’t told about it? Will their target audience see it? I appreciate subtle communication as much as any designer, but I’ve also seen long-winded explanations of too-subtle logo design concepts. If you have to devote paragraphs of explanation to make a design idea understood, then it’s probably not communicating well. A good icon should be able to stand alone, and abstract shapes may not carry enough weight to do that. It’s All About The Balance One of the toughest aspects of logo design is communicating volumes about a brand in a limited space. There’s very little room for fine details or artwork, and it needs to make an impression quickly. Above all else, a logo needs to be memorable, and it needs to communicate clearly. Finding that perfect balance between deep communication and abstract visuals is a tricky thing, but once you find that sweet spot, you’ll feel a boost of confidence in your brand, and you’ll stick in the memories of people who need your talents. If your business needs a refresh and you’re not sure where to begin, maybe it’s time for an assist from branding experts like us! Reach out to us about your design needs–we’d love to chat with you soon.
May 11 2017 DWP: Good Design Solves Problems Posted by: Josselyn Haldeman Posted in: Branding, Design, Events, Friends, Life at Upswept Tagged branding, design, design week portland, Events, Problem Solving On April 28th, Upswept Creative hosted a panel discussion at HQ as part of Design Week Portland. What started as a fun idea tossed to the group in one of our team meetings very quickly evolved into a fully realized, (and totally booked!) event. Creative Director and Benevolent Overlord Sarah had been thinking a lot about design, and what makes good design really work. So we assembled a diverse set of design professionals for our panel and happy hour, to help us explore the topic, “Good Design Solves Problems.” Our hope was to represent perspectives on design from multiple design disciplines, so panel consisted of Design Scientist and Innovative Strategist Stef Koehler, Architectural Designer Callie Coles, Apparel Designer and Founder of Hubris Apparel Rita Hudson-Evalt, and Upswept Creative’s very own Sarah Giffrow, who specializes in website design and branding. THE DISCUSSION Our wonderful panel, from right to left: Stef Koehler, Rita Hudson-Evalt, Callies Coles, Sarah Griffrow, and the moderator, Josselyn Haldeman. The panel dove right in, addressing the question at hand. How does good design solve problems? Kohler spoke on her practice of making the problem bigger, “see all the parts,” she said. “Look at it as a system. Don’t make it simple, complexify it.” A major piece of creating beautiful, problem-solving design is finding out exactly what a client’s problems are–and that can often be tricky. The panel agreed that most clients don’t have the language to communicate exactly what they want, and that means it’s a designer’s job to pull it out of them. “The client may not know what the problem is. Get ahead of the problem…Make the dress that lets them feel like themselves,” said Hudson-Evalt. Sarah chimed in with an approach all of the panelists could agree with: communicate with your client. “Have a conversation. Engage with the client to pull answers out.” As an architectural designer, Coles described how she will go into a space to observe how people use it. When do people start looking confused? Where do they look for direction? “[There is] no substitute for observing what people do real space,” said Coles. “[Create a] balance between ‘brand’ and what the user actually wants to get to. First impressions- big photos, catchy phrases- can get in the way of finding the pie or buying the shoes. What is the interaction the end-user wants?” said Giffrow. Professional name tags. So fancy! This touched on a major theme of the evening, empathy. To get inside the end user’s head, a designer has to be empathetic to that experience. Hudson-Evalt suggested, “Talk to people constantly, what they need from the dress/what they want. Realizing themselves in the mirror.” UNTIL NEXT TIME Team Upswept Creative had such a blast putting on the event, and we hope everybody who came out enjoyed themselves, too. Thank you to all of the panelists, Design Week Portland, and our lovely audience for braving the heat to make it out to our little event.
Jan 26 2017 What’s in a logo? Posted by: Josselyn Haldeman Posted in: Branding, Design, Pro Tips Tagged branding, creative, design, guide, logo, tip A logo is a key brand element for any company. Whether a new startup venture, or a well-established company, getting your logo design (or redesign!) nailed down feels good, and can help re-energize your company going into the new year. Approaching logo design can be a real challenge. A good logo design will fit the branding identity so well that it’s often hard to see which components make the design effective. Think about these elements of good logo design to examine how you really feel about yours. Contrast and sharp lines work well on the logo for women’s fashion designer Carolyn Hart. Keep it SIMPLE. Simplicity is key. Too often a design will try to communicate too much or be overly clever, resulting in a jumbled message that’s too difficult to remember. It’s important to remember that a logo doesn’t necessarily have to directly relate to what your company does. It is much more important that the design evokes a feeling that is consistent with the rest of your company’s marketing. Make it ADAPTABLE for maximum exposure. An adaptable design is also very important. The whole point of a logo is to slap it on everything relevant to your company’s brand presence: business cards, storefront, website, profile pictures, and so many more. The design should be scalable down to about 1×1 inches without losing detail, and be able to not lose impact when made large. The colors, font and clever layout are all part of the fun of this logo for this inclusive comic book shop. Choose a design that’s APPROPRIATE for your audience. Consider what kind of markets your company will be appealing to. A well-designed logo needs to appeal to those same audiences. A logo for a water park should be way more fun than a logo for an accounting firm, right? Beyond the Logo A lot of nuance and expertise goes into good logo design, but in broad strokes, the most important things are to keep it simple, adaptable, and appropriate for your target audience. There is, of course, a lot more that goes into developing a strong brand. If you’re interested in continuing to develop your brand sense, sign up to get exclusive access to our awesome (and free!) Branding Workbook. Just by signing up, you’ll also be the first to hear about more exciting things we have planned! Sign up by following the link below. Need more help understanding your brand? Our Finding Your Brand Center workbook is free, and here to help you build your brand foundation. >> Get Instant Access »
Apr 02 2015 When April Fool’s Jokes Become Smart Branding Posted by: Sarah Giffrow Posted in: Branding, Locals We Love Tagged april fool's day, branding, creating buzz, Portland, portland business, pranks Business branding may seem like an odd stage for pranks, but I can’t help appreciating the creativity that April Fool’s Day seems to bring out in some parts of the internet–especially now that businesses are taking part in clever ways. Instead of being a terror-inducing and mean-spirited occasion, it can become a neat project for the business and a smart move for their brand to have some harmless fun with an April Fool’s Day joke. Because we love Portland businesses here at Upswept, I’m taking a look at a few local, independent businesses who had a bit of extra fun with their April Fool’s Day. Ground Kontrol “Artisanal Artcade” This April Fool’s Day homepage shows what Ground Kontrol might be like if it got a makeover from the staff of Portlandia. Portland’s own “barcade” Ground Kontrol, normally offers you pints after 5pm, plenty of classic arcade games to keep you entertained, and a dramatic interior with gaming-inspired details. You’ll see sleek seating and tables with lighting elements inside, Pac-Man tiling in the bathroom, and a general atmosphere that makes you wonder if you’ve stumbled onto the set of TRON. On April Fool’s Day, however, Ground Kontrol unveiled a parody version of their web site with a sharp change in direction: “Ground Kontrol Artisanal Artcade” traded contrast-y, retro-modern design for wood grain textures and old-timey type, and their homepage copy boasted a fancy new menu and craft cocktail menu, and a “de-modeled” interior that rolled back their futuristic look to its original, 1900s-era architecture. Why it works for their brand: Ground Kontrol is one of the places that makes Portland unique, but much of what the world thinks of when they think of Portland is the opposite of what Ground Kontrol offers: people in flannel shirts, riding fixies, eating an artisanal vegan/gluten-free lunch from a food cart you probably haven’t heard of. 😉 Any good parody is born from a love of the thing being parodied, though, so this ends up being a clever way for GK to say, “no, really, Portland, we like being here.” Fort George Looks to Purchase Anheuser-Busch InBev I couldn’t help but giggle when we saw this April Fool’s Day press release from local beer crafters at Fort George Brewery. When Anheuser-Busch InBev recently purchased Elysian, another local brewery, there were plenty of alarmed and horrified reactions. With that in our recent collective memory, Fort George’s April Fool’s Day announcement that they were looking purchase InBev made an amusingly perfect response to the buyout of Elysian. The announcement shared quotable lines about their proposed buyout, such as, “‘Bud Light Lime-A-Rita would definitely fill a niche Fort George does not serve,’ explains Jack Harris, co-owner and brew master at Fort George.” Why it works for their brand: I’ve sampled many a Fort George brew in the past, and uniquely-delicious beers like their Hellcat Trippel prove their far-from-macro approach to brewing. With this fake announcement, Fort George gets to poke some fun at big corporate beers, and remind us that they’re happy being a smaller brewery, and committed to creating beers the best way they know how. Powell’s Discovers an Exciting New Author A look at Blue, Minnesota–a made-up book release from Powell’s Books. The folks at the world’s largest bookstore definitely planned ahead for this April Fool’s Day: if you were following Powell’s Books on social media yesterday, you saw multiple postings creating buzz and excitement surrounding a new book called Blue, Minnesota: reportedly the first novel ever written by an exciting new author, Todd Furlong. The team at Powell’s gradually unveiled the joke throughout the day, sharing photos of their staff enjoying the book, and even a Q&A with the author. As the day went on, things got weirder–the author photo featured a suit-and-bowtied body with a cat’s head, and pages of the book were revealed as being nothing but a series of meows. Finally, in the late-afternoon, the Powell’s Facebook page announced, “BREAKING: We’ve been catfished. Todd Furlong’s new novel Blue, Minnesota is in fact just a series of meows transcribed by his overzealous owner.” Why it works for their brand: Powell’s had a chance to play with the online buzz machine, by generating excitement about something goofy, silly, and 100% made-up. It’s a cute reminder of how easily we can get swept up in the “hottest” new Thing Of The Moment, but underneath that, Powell’s is also reminding us: they’re excited about books, and they want you to be excited about them, too. Even when they’re written by cats. 😉 These parking tickets held a surprise inside: a coupon for a free slice at Sizzle Pie! Sizzle Pie: Parking Tickets with a Surprise Portland purveyors of pizza deliciousness Sizzle Pie did a great job of taking a shocking prank and turning it into a happy ending. Little yellow envelopes that look nearly identical to the ones the City of Portland uses for parking citations appeared on cars parked near Sizzle Pie locations. Upon closer inspection, however, there are telltale signs that this is no ordinary parking ticket–like the, “Pizza Alert System Headquarters” address on the front. Pranked victims then pull out the citation, and see a slip of paper formatted like a City of Portland parking citation… but it’s actually a coupon for a free slice of pizza! Why it works for their brand: This might be my favorite prank of the day: it’s good exposure that will stick in the memories of locals, and it works because what looks to be bad luck turns out to be a good gift. Sizzle Pie won’t shy away from a bit of mischief, but really, they just want Portlanders to enjoy delicious pizza. The down side? We seriously hope those who were hit by this prank took the time to look at the ticket, rather than throwing it away in anger and missing out on the payoff.
Mar 27 2014 Your Brand is Something to Lean Against Posted by: Sarah Giffrow Posted in: Branding, Business, Design, Pro Tips Tagged brand, branding, Portland, startup, website Branding is an important part of running your own business, but it’s hard to do when you’re first starting out. Your vision might not be 100% in-place, but don’t let yourself believe that you’re “not big enough” to build an effective brand! There are plenty of reasons to start putting the pieces of your brand together sooner, rather than later. I had the privilege of sitting in on a talk by prominent designer Frank Chimero not long ago, and he briefly touched on the challenge of designing when you have no constraints, and how designing for particular platforms–such as tablet e-readers, in his case–can actually be helpful, because the constraints of those platforms can give you, “something to lean against.” It helps give you direction, when you otherwise might not have one. Your brand can be a lot like that, too. Branding is more than just design: it’s also how you talk about your business, how you communicate what’s unique about and important to you, and how you make sure that your potential client hears it and remembers it. It’s everything from color and style to the words you choose, and when you use them. Have you ever been asked about your work, and felt completely unsure of what to say about it? “Oh, I make bags, all kinds of bags, shoulder bags and also little clutch bags… oh, and I make them all with recycled materials, because I really believe in upcycling and making the most of all materials! And I’m at some shops around town, but I also have an Etsy store, and…” If you don’t have your brand outlined in your head, you might come out of it feeling scattered, and realize you haven’t even told them the name of your company, so they can actually find and buy your work! This is a time when having constraints can really help you, rather than hurt you. When you have too many options, it can be paralyzing, because there are so many directions to go in. Something as essential as a color choice on a flyer, or a 30-second elevator speech, can feel like stumbling through the dark blindfolded, when you have no constraints and nothing to frame your thinking with. By starting to outline your brand, you can identify the key issues that are important to you, and important to your client, and give yourself that Something To Lean Against. Even when you’re out of sorts, you’ll have those key points to fall back on, so you can share your work with someone effectively, even in hectic moments where you don’t feel 100% prepared for it. If you haven’t put much thought into your brand yet, now is the time to start! Then, whether you’re planning for your future, or spontaneously sharing what you do in the present, you’ll be able to rest a little easier–you’ll have something to lean against. Portland branding design – Portland web design – Upswept Creative
Feb 19 2014 Branding design for the WedBrilliant web site Posted by: Sarah Giffrow Posted in: Branding, Business, Design, Portland, Web Design, Websites Tagged branding, design, headshot, party, portland wedding photographer, wedbrilliant, wedding Logo design variations for the WedBrilliant brand. Branding for the wedding industry isn’t exactly new territory for us at Upswept. In my earlier days as a photographer, I photographed quite a few weddings, so I got a taste of the industry, worked some vendor events, encountered more than a few wedding brands and pinboards, and learned just how much planning, energy, and sentiment goes into making a wedding happen. It’s that intensity, emotion, and detail of wedding planning that sparked the idea for WedBrilliant! Founder and CEO Melissa Wilmot chose Upswept to bring her vision to life, and it was an honor to take her concept from the rough sketches in her mind to a fully-functioning brand and web site. Designing a Logo Melissa had done her homework, looking through a lot of different sources of wedding inspiration to find the styles that spoke to her–something we recommend all of our clients do. We wanted to create a brand that appealed to women, but didn’t necessarily exclude men, either, so popping shades of pink were right out! Business card design for Wedbrilliant. We ended up with a soft green and a deep navy blue as our primary colors, and dreamed up an elegant oval-shaped badge design, along with a circular version of the logo that would work great as a social media profile photo, or in other contexts where square dimensions would be a better fit. Once we did that, we designed business cards to match, with a rounded corner cut and an uncoated card stock, to let the paper’s natural texture come through. Keeping the design simple and elegant was the name of the game! Developing the Web Site: Not Your Average WordPress Theme! WedBrilliant has a lot of special functionality at work behind the scenes, which meant that we had to build it! Melissa hoped to make WedBrilliant into a unique way for engaged couples to interact with wedding vendors, so we created custom displays for user profiles, a searchable directory of Vendors, the ability for couples to request and receive bids from vendors in their area, and plenty of other features you won’t find in a standard WordPress install. Design for the WedBrilliant homepage Before we started development, however, we knew we needed to nail down the design aesthetic for the site. So, we dialed in a stellar homepage with callouts to important parts of the site, that showed off inspiring wedding photos from San Francisco wedding photographer Meghan Faith, so we could get couples excited to plan a beautiful wedding like the ones shown in the photos! We also chose typefaces that would bring some style and elegance to the site, without going crazy-over-the-top with script fonts and curlicues. After the design was locked in, it was a long several weeks of development, testing, and styling the web site to make it look good, function well, and make it easy for both couples and wedding vendors to find the information they wanted, and get involved in the WedBrilliant community. We just opened the site to vendor registrations earlier this month, and the community is starting to grow already, with wedding vendors signing on from across the country, and wedding couples starting to find out about it, too! We’re so excited and happy to have built Melissa’s vision for WedBrilliant from start to finish, and I’ve enjoyed watching the site grow and get interaction from real users. Both Melissa and I are already starting to look ahead to the future, so I’m sure we’ll be making the site even bigger and better before long! Portland branding design – Portland web design – Upswept Creative
Dec 31 2013 Looking back at 2013! Upswept Creative’s Year in Review Posted by: Sarah Giffrow Posted in: Branding, Business, Design, Photography, Photos, Portland, Websites, Workshops Tagged branding, camera, design week portland, intern, Portland, Professional Headshots, upswept creative, workshops It’s been a memorable year in a lot of ways! It feels like it’d be near-impossible to mention all of it, but we’ve had some fun, made a lot of pretty, and made some memories. In with the New in Old Town We opened 2013 settling into our new space on NW Couch St. in Portland’s Old Town, and it was quite a change from our old space in Southeast. It’s cozier than before, but the added character, new amenities, and awesome street-level location (complete with a sweet window display area!) more than made up for it! That also made the perfect opening for Petra to come on board! She hopped right into keeping the studio gears turning, and brought some extra magic to the mix with her styling prowess. She’s the wizard behind our window displays, and she started bringing her panache with floral and visual styling to our photoshoots, over the course of the year. And speaking of team additions, in the Fall we also added our first intern, Malee! She joined us and flexed her muscles doing some graphic design pieces, and honing her skills for designing and building web sites from the ground up in WordPress. Workshops! (?!) I have to admit, workshops weren’t the first thing that sprang to my mind when I thought about things I’d be doing. Public speaking isn’t exactly a thing that comes naturally to me! But, 2013 had me pushing myself on that front–first with the help of Shelby Rice Style in our co-led online class + photo session, Branding Your Style. We loved working together and we’re looking forward to offering the workshop again in 2014! After that, I found the inspiration to launch my first solo workshop through Upswept: Make The Camera Love You, which is all about being your best, most authentic self in photos. It was really fun and valuable time spent–enough so that we’re offering an expanded version of the workshop in January 2014! We’re adding live mini-photo-sessions to the workshop, so you can practice what you’ve learned and get some individual attention. You can get more information and register for our January 30th session. I also had the pleasure of presenting at the Siren Nation Festival with a workshop I called Getting To The Heart Of Your Brand. I did that presentation coming off of a nasty flu, but we had an amazing group of ladies who shared great discussions, and gave me a lot of inspiration to take forward. You might be seeing this one again in the future…! Rebranding: even tougher when it’s your own brand. After adding onto the team, and realizing that, hey, maybe this whole, “run a design and photography studio in Portland,” idea could be bigger than just me, the notion of re-branding started gnawing at my thoughts. The name had already been rattling around in the back of my brain for months, so in the fall, I finally decided to do the work and make it a reality. It was much more agonizing to make branding decisions about my own brand! Our minds, hearts, and emotions can get so tangled up in our own work that everything seems critical and dire. So, when I say that I know how our clients feel, I’m really not kidding, especially now. Upswept Creative became official in October, and the new name seems to fit like a glove so far. Best of all, we got to unveil our new name as part of Design Week Portland! We hosted an open house gathering together some awesome new collaborators, and chatted with a lot of awesome new people. And, we’re fairly certain that ours was the only Design Week Portland Open House with a pair of live steampunk heroines on-site. 😉 A Couple of Goodbyes We did have to say goodbye to a couple of people, towards the end of the year. Malee’s internship was for Fall Term, so after her 10 weeks were up, we bid her a fond farewell. But, who knows? You might be see her hand on some of our future projects–some goodbyes don’t last forever. 😉 December also saw our last photoshoot with Bonnie Thor Style, before she moves to California. I had the good fortune to meet her at a summer BBQ over a year ago, and she’s brought endless thought, creativity, and style into all of our sessions. When Bonnie asked about the possibility of squeezing in one last photoshoot, turning a one-look beauty shot into a three-look fashion session was the least I could do! It’s rare to find someone whom you respect and have fun working with, and who you enjoy as a person, too. I’m so, so grateful that we got to make so much pretty together! We’ll miss you, Bonnie! Looking ahead at 2014 What’s coming up in the new year? As I already mentioned, January 30th is our expanded Make The Camera Love You Workshop, and we’ll have more offerings in the coming weeks. We’ll have more pro tips and pretty photos coming at you on the blog, too! We have a few potential changes to make around the shop, and some exciting consultations already on the calendar, so there’s plenty to look forward to. If you’re looking to refresh your brand, we’d be so excited to help you! Get in touch with us, and let’s start talking about making you look awesome. THANK YOU for being a part of our adventure! <3, Sarah
Dec 19 2013 Why looking your best in photos has nothing to do with good looks Posted by: Sarah Giffrow Posted in: Headshots, Photography, Photos, Pro Tips Tagged branding, camera, make the camera love you, photography, Portland, Professional Headshots, workshop We all have feelings about having our photo taken: the camera might be your friend, or maybe it feels like a mortal enemy. How does looking at a photo make you feel? Do you smile at the memory of the time when it was taken? Or do you cringe and start mentally noting every flaw you can find? If you’re not happy with how you look in photos, you might be surpised to learn: it has nothing to do with your genes, and everything to do with your mindset. How you think influences how you look. You’re more than likely going through ups and downs from day to day, and when you look in the mirror, you might even be able to see those ups and downs. You might see happiness, or a glow, or tired eyes, or tension in your own face. How we’re feeling and thinking can affect how we look in noticeable ways. When you’re in front of a camera, do you tense up? Do you force a smile that looks fake? Do you think about how much you don’t want to have your picture taken? If you’re thinking negative thoughts, chances are they’re going to show in your photo. You might look stressed, or slouch more than usual, or look stiff and unnatural, when what you really want is to look relaxed, confident, and 100% yourself. How can you make things better? Be nice to yourself! When you’re out and about someone takes out their camera, turn off your critical mindset, and let go of the negative. Instead of forcing yourself to “try and look happy,” look for your relaxed mental space and just enjoy the moment you’re in. Similarly, just overthinking how you’re posing for a photo can make it look more stiff. You have beauty that’s begging to shine forward, and the best thing you can do for yourself is to relax into it. Don’t treat your appearance in photos as a puzzle to be solved: it’s just an opportunity to be yourself and feel good doing it. Get help with an awesome Portland photography workshop! We’re presenting Make The Camera Love You, a workshop that’s all about teaching you how to be your best, most authentic self in front of the camera. You’ll get great strategies to help you look and feel more awesome in photos, and then you’ll get to try them out! We’ll do a mini-shoot during the workshop with each of you, and you’ll get a copy of your best photo to keep! Space is limited, so register now and start Looking Awesome in the new year! You can also make your registration into an awesome gift for someone you like: sign up by December 22nd, and we can hook you up with a holiday card and certificate to give to a friend or family. REGISTER NOW » Here’s what you’ll get: admission to our live workshop individualized guidance during the session your own mini-shoot during the workshop a fully-edited digital copy of your best shot, e-mailed to you after the workshop
Nov 18 2013 Does Your Brand Design Make You Feel Something? Posted by: Sarah Giffrow Posted in: Branding, Design, Pro Tips Tagged brand, branding, Portland, Pro Tips, shopping More than anything, your brand should create a feeling. Whether it’s a sense of whimsy or lightness, bold confidence, trust and wisdom, your brand should make you, and your audience, feel something. That feeling is what makes your audience want what you have to offer. Which of these simple logos is more likely to make you think of high-quality, couture-type handbags? When you’re rebranding or building a new brand, make sure the feeling you’re creating is the feeling you want your audience to have! If the feeling you’re creating doesn’t line up with what you’re offering, your audience likely won’t “get” it, and they’ll move on to something else. For instance: if you want your brand to be very high-end, then you won’t want to use goofy handwriting fonts or cartoony artwork in your branding–that won’t create the rich, expensive, super-luxe feeling that your ideal clients are looking for. You need to create the feeling that connects with what you’re offering, AND with who you’re offering it to. This does not mean that you should hide yourself. If you’re a Giver or a Guide, you basically ARE the brand! People are choosing to work with you because they like the unique way that you do things. Let the client see that you are doing something you’re passionate about–they’ll see that you can put that passion to work for them, and you’ll earn their trust. For Makers, it’s a little different–when you’re creating a product, the brand can be more about the product than about you. You might be great at making a product for moms, even though you don’t have children of your own, so your personal self isn’t quite as important to that brand. Still, you can gain from letting parts of you shine through in your brand. Have you ever felt that extra bit of joy when you learn that the musician or actor you’ve had a crush on is also a totally wonderful human being in real life? The same principle works for your business: a client will buy a product they need, but they’ll LOVE buying it if it also supports someone that they like and can relate to! It may take a lot of time and thought for you to drill down to the feeling you actually want to create. Still, no matter what your message ends up being: be memorable, trustworthy, and genuine. Create a feeling that comes from a genuine place, and the rest will fall together. Portland branding design – Upswept Creative
