Yes, I'm crazy. Crazy to undertake two huge projects right smack in the middle of the busiest part of my season! Project 1: Re-branding and creating an identity (more on that to come later). Project 2: Building a new web site and updating the online galleries. So, after a couple months of super long days and nights where my eyes stared at images and the computer so much I started to feel like I was going to burn a hole right through the monitor (not to mention the days I stayed in my pajamas all day because I didn't have time to shower and change and the only thing I had to bear was my harried reflection in the computer...) I'm so excited to share my new web site!
Alison Yin Wedding Photography
The site is powered by Neon Sky, a popular choice among photographers in all different niches. My good friend Brandon has worked for them for several years, and I've always wanted a Neon Sky site, and so I'm really happy that I've finally made the jump!
Initially, I thought it would be fairly simple and straightforward to transfer my site, but then I started thinking that I've created so much new work that it would be silly to create a new site without updating the photos. Therein lies the craziness and the long hours. You literally can go around in circles reviewing and selecting images. I recommend enlisting the eyes and advice of just a few people (too many opinions is not helpful) and "sleeping" on your selections for a period of time. Although this isn't exactly eco-friendly, one of my photo teachers also suggests printing out photos and hanging them on the walls because if you can "live" with your images for awhile, you know they're keepers. Once I had my photo selections, then I was faced with the rather daunting task of sequencing the images.
A little more than four years ago, Brandon (the same Brandon from Neon Sky) and I were lucky enough to have breakfast with Pulitzer Prize Winner Kim Komenich at the Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill. During breakfast (which Kim treated!), Kim talked about the importance of sequencing photos. Essentially, you're trying to create a "symphonic, cinematic experience," and so the way images flow is almost just as important as the images themselves. See, I found my breakfast notes:
Even though we were talking about creating a photojournalism portfolio, the same message applies to pretty much any kind of photography. I tried to carefully sequence photos based on all different kinds of factors including composition, moment, color, graphic elements, content and light. So, here is my best attempt at creating my symphony:
Alison Yin Wedding Photography
In addition to new work and more tightly edited portfolios, the site also has more information about things like the photo booth, photo booth flip book, and albums. Plus, it's an entirely new (and cleaner!) layout! It's still a work in progress, but for now, I'm satisfied.
About a month ago, I was approached to put together an aspiring dancer's portfolio: Nikki Kellogg, 22, is planning to move to L.A. to audition and make a go at becoming a top dancer - she's aiming for Beyonce status so girlfriend needed some top notch photos to show around town. This was an entirely new project for me, and we spent quite a bit of time planning our shoots and what kind of photos she wanted to showcase her looks and talent. We did a combination of "studio-esque" shots with dancing in the street and more traditional head shots. Nikki was really wonderful to work with, which made my job a whole lot easier. Here are just a few of the photos that we made prints of for her final portfolio.
