Nate Ludens • Creative Communications

If you’re in the creative industry, (unless you live under a rock) you have probably noticed in the last few years or so, most professional Graphic Designers have successfully adpoted the use of quality photography and the way it is utilized in advertising. We rarely see low-resolution photos in print anymore, and more often than not, the images are using correct exposure and beautiful depth of field, therefore lending great imagery to commercial projects.  Now, I’m issuing a challenge on behalf of designers: Photographers, its time to raise your design game.

This is the week the WPPI (Wedding & Portrait Photographers) Convention comes here to Vegas. It’s always a great show.  On behalf of my city, I’d like to welcome some of the best photographic talent in the world.

I have attended the last 3 or 4 WPPI conventions, and it’s clear that my email and mailing address has been cycled through several mailing lists.  Let me tell you – there’s something awry with much of this massive load of photo-promotions. It’s not just email marketing, either. Many of the trade publications, sites, signage, and mail pieces, too. Most of it’s really, really poor.

Look, typography is a science in itself, so don’t be surprised to learn that cute font that came with your wife’s Dell just doesn’t cut it. While you were in the darkroom, Designers were in their second semester of color theory. Look at the “big guys” at the trade show. They have beautiful booklets, great logos and packed booths. Not a coincidence.

Investing in porfessional design shouldn’t be hard to grasp for shutterbugs. And its certainly not meant to sound condescending or offensive. All of us creatives need to check our egos and take a critique from time to time. The experienced Designer’s mantra is identical to yours, Photographers: when your clients hire true, experienced professionals, they get top-notch results. Designers carry the same responsibilities as Photographers, too. Deliver results on behalf of your client, or your phone may not ring again for awhile. In this, the era of facebook and twitter… word gets out about poor service in a short moment.

I’m as aware as anyone of the financial challenges both industries face, so my advice is this: Buddy up. Professional photographers should seek partnerships with Professional Designers and vice versa.  Build it in the budget. Find a way. Work out trade deals, retainers, industry-rates…  hell, issue frequent flyer miles if you have to!

Tonight I had some fun playing with a logo redesign for a band. Good friends, Slow To Surface called last week to see if I could help with a shirt design based on their recent album, The Reason We Do This. (Available on iTunes- pick it up, you won’t be sorry). I designed the CD last spring for the band – see below. (For the record, I like their current logo, but it could use a little more “edge” to match their new style, in my opinion).

Pick up this album. It's damn good.

Here’s a sped-up version of the process. The first thing I did was (duh) put on the album. Then I started to search through my database of fonts from recent projects. Probably about 375 selections. Most are completely incompatible… but I narrow it down to a typeface that conveys their style of music – I settled on Dirty & Classic by one of my favorite artists and fontographers, Billy Argel. I tweaked it until it was easier to read at a smaller size (from a distance, in this particular application), but still gets across the “vibe” I was going for.

Check out this video I made using Jing (killer app!) and let me know what you think. Starts out a little slow (no pun intended).

Wow. My head is spinning with so much new info. It seems like Thursday’s sessions were a month ago.

I’ll keep this short, because I’m hardly an aficianado for BlogWorld09, it was my first year attending, after all. Personally, I went to bwe09 to learn about social trending, get some help with a few problems, and peek into what’s next for new media. Each of these were answered, and I think my company is on target for big success. Being a corporate blogger, with B to C (Business to Consumer) priority, there were few courses aimed at us – didn’t matter. My team was able to flex and see many other sides of our next phases into social networking. Moving ahead, I’m interested in trending for travel, retail, entertainment and gaming (Vegas, remember), and I got a great insight into some other areas, as well.

If there were any repeating trends, it’s a very positive report for consumers. Maybe because it has to be. Consumers hold a ton of power now that well, hasn’t been the case in recent memory. Conversational, Two-way marketing initiatives are the way to go, if your company isn’t doing it already. Getting to know your _________________ (insert: segment, demographic, target, guests, clients, customers, etc) is now easier than ever using blogs, facebook and twitter. It seems like the only big fat losers are the poor market research companies who do used to organize focus groups and get paid handsomely for it. Oh, and MySpace. (Who?)

What was missing? Not much. It would have been nice to see a keynote from Facebook or Twitter representatives. Perhaps it’s not the proper place. Maybe I just don’t know where that convention is yet. I would love to see a Facebook Damage Control panel, but that might make it seem okay to violate Facebook Policies.

I picked up a ton of new followers on Twitter this week, which I appreciate. I also picked up Chris Brogan’s book, Trust Agents, and I’m tearing through it this week. I’m only about 40 pages into it, and I can say this: Buy the damn book.

Here’s a fantastic recap of Brogan’s very inspiring Keynote Presentation at BWE09.

I’ll have a few more updates as soon as I can get to it. Hey, cut me some slack! I’m sorting through 29 pages of notes!

… If that’s not a testament to conference, I’m not sure what is.

For sale as a body or as a package. Email me for more information: info (at) blackdiamonddigital.com.

Here’s Canon’s Product Page for this awesome camera. It treated me well for 2 years, typically in a studio environment. Just bought the new 5D Mark II and had this cleaned by Canon Service Center in Irvine, CA. (I have the official paperwork to go with it). Has not been used since it’s return from Canon, except to pose for this shot.

Canon 5D Package

CS4 launch

It’s great to see the AIGA and Adobe teaming up again here in Vegas.  I highly recommend attending this event on February 25th. It’s at Town Square at the Chamber of Commerce.

Here’s the link to RSVP. Check out the JPG flyer attached, too.

See you there!

I’d like to thank Erika and the folks at Glaceau for calling me to shoot for them at VooDoo Friday night. Check out the link below to view the gallery photos. There are some silly ones, and some sexy ones, and probably some stuff that you might not want your co-workers to see… perfect ingredients for a good party!

Here’s the link to the web gallery.

Barack and McCain were there...

Check out this homage to the “Whassssssup” Bud Ads. With a contemporary twist that’s pretty hard-hitting. And don’t forget to vote on Tuesday.

Over the last year or so, my wife and I have built a pretty diverse vinyl collection, and right now, I’m loving these albums more than my CDs and mp3s, and close to as much as my SIRIUS subscription (but gaining on it)

My (super cheesy) top ten: 

10. Bouncing Souls – How I Spent My Summer Vacation. Anyone who likes punk should own this album.

9. Black Sabbath – Master of Reality. - Ozzy rules. “Children Of The Grave” at volume level 52 actually scares my dogs. 

8. Janis Joplin – Pearl – All of the current-day female vocalists combined have about as much true emotion than Janis’ big toe. She absolutely wails.

7. Rage Against The Machine – Evil Empire.  There are sounds in this record that I never heard in thousands of listens on CD and mp3. Tom Morello. ’nuff said.

6. Jimi Hendrix – Rainbow Bridge Soundtrack – Can’t get enough Jimi. So far ahead of his time.

5.  Bad Religion – How Could Hell Be Any Worse?  - Punk and brains unite!

4. The Clash – Sandinista! – There’s so much music on this (36 tracks), it’s actually a challenge to listen to all of it in one sitting. (but if you do, you’re glad you did).

3. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Show Your Bones – Music doesn’t have to be old to be awesome on vinyl.

2. Led Zeppelin – Houses Of The Holy – 2 words: Jimmy Page. 

1. AC/DC – Let There Be Rock – I think there needs to be an “AC/DC Day” worldwide holiday.

I read many blogs and sites every week, and occasionally, I’ll pick one up that makes me say… “no shit” or “hell yeah” or “duuuude” – in other words, a damn fine article.

This is one. Every photographer has run into the ISO dilemma, and said – why would I need to change my ISO, which used to be called film speed when I learned it. Hell, it was easy for me to figure out, because it was whatever my dad had on hand, or whatever my professor gave the class. Now that we’re all digital, what the hell would we need to care about film speed? Read this article from Digital Photography School’s website to find out.

I do. Love it. We use it to sync 3 macs at our studio every hour during the week. I love it. When I had a Treo 650 a while back, I never knew when or where my calendar events were, my mail was either old, new or nowhere to be found. Now, my iPhone, laptop, Mac Pro and Accounting iMac all sync seamlessly. So, why screw with it, I say, it’s working perfectly!

Uh, not quite sure about that now. Enter Apple.

.mac (dot mac) is changing to me.com very soon. As soon as tomorrow, some say. (new iPhones, and I assume a new iPhone software release). My prediction is grim. I think this little update is going to cost me thousands of dollars. You see, .mac is fine running on an older G3 or G4 iMac. MobileMe, not so much. My G3 800 iMac is about to become a very odd shaped jukebox. Well, I guess it had a good run.

Hey, hopefully I’m wrong. I’ll try everything first, before running out to Best Buy to pick up a new iMac. We need to sync in business, and if it means spending a little coin to do it, so be it.

Do yourself a favor if you’re on  - back your stuff up sooner than later. Read very carefully the system requirements before you do anything brave. I know I will.

EDIT: I upgraded on Sunday. So far, so good. I’ve read a lot of horror stories, but I have not had anything drastic occur. The “push” synchronization was a bit over hyped, and Apple recognized this. Here’s the letter I got from MobileMe this morning: 

“We have recently completed the transition from .Mac to MobileMe. Unfortunately, it was a lot rockier than we had hoped.