From the Real World to Photography

I had an inspiring Saturday at a photography seminar organized by Barry J Brady's Institute of Digital Photography. I had learned about the seminar through his Meetup groups and was intrigued by the speakers that were going to be presenting; David duChemin, Dan Carr, Corwin Heibert, and Barry J Brady himself. I was also interested in the topic these gents were going to be speaking about; How to take the leap from the real world to photography. 

I've been a designer for many years and while I enjoy expressing a message through visual problem solving for a client with specific needs and wants, there is a huge part of my heart and soul that has a burning passion for photography. Growing up having a dad that loved photography, I was exposed to it at a young age and grew up always having an interest in it. With him being passed away now, I can't help but wonder if that's one of the reasons why I have such an emotional connection to the photographic world more-so now than ever.

The other part might be the fact I don't do it for a pay cheque or to meet a clients needs. I photograph for the pure joy of it. I love taking a well known subject or place and turning it on its head to show the audience a different perspective. I enjoy telling a story through a photo, just as much (if not more) than I do through a logo or type. I am uninhibited in this sense and all I'm really after when I shoot a photo is to grab one that captures the 'feeling' of that moment.

That's not to say that if this ever turns into a career for me that it will be sunshine and rainbows. I have no doubt it too has it's fair share of clients, deadlines, and creative blocks. I guess the point I'm trying to make is that one has to pursue a career with heart. You have to be able to be alone with it and nurture it when it's not serving a function. And while I have dabbled in some personal 'design' projects, I tend to be all about the client a lot of the time which can sometimes drain my creative energy. Photography seems to revive me in this way.

As David duChemin states in his book "The Print and The Process", 'pursuing personal projects several times a year is what keeps us sane, stirs the paint, and allows us to give our best to our clients.' I think that rings true for anyone in a creative role. You have to feed your creative beast as much as your feed your clients or you really won't have much to give.

The question on my mind is whether or not photography will continue to be a passionate hobby (a personal project to feed the creative beast) or will it become a new avenue I pursue? One can never tell where life's path will take you and now that David has a copy of my travel book, we will see what comes to light and if I have what it takes to turn this into something more.

So it's been awhile...

Yes, I've broken a crucial blogging rule since it's been about a year and some since I last wrote but I ain't apologizing for it. I retreated for good reason and now that I have had that time to reflect, I am coming back with a new set of dreams, goals, and direction.

You see my personal world was rocked by an unexpected happening shortly after my last blog post and I had a difficult time finding my footing again so rather than continue on the path I was going, I decided to use the opportunity for a little soul searching; I took a few trips to still my mind and gain some perspective and upon my return I changed neighbourhoods, found a new circle of great people, and rediscovered my creative spirit. It's been an interesting ride and the scenery has been to die for! ;)

Since my return I've been working on a book which is finally ready for the world to see and I am excited to finally be able to share it with you.

It's a book that showcases my travels through Europe capturing my experiences through photographs and snippets from blog and journal entries I wrote along the way. My design approach was to take my audience on a 'journey' through the book as if they were travelling with me through Europe; Moving, experiencing, discovering, and uncovering. To achieve this, I kept the design clean and simple so the focus was on the large photographs and journal entries. Can't forget the lovely white space I weaved in there and the supporting quotes to further inspire a potential journey of the reader.

Creating this one has inspired me to create more photobooks that capture a more unique perspective of life so we'll see what other editions I decide to put out there in 2013.

You can also check out the blog that inspired the book - and one that will hopefully inspire other books in the future.

Enjoy!
http://www.blurb.ca/bookstore/detail/3831883

Travels of a Free Spirit - Europe 2012 (hardcover) by Amanda Weedmark | Make Your Own Book

Monopoly-themed Wedding Invitations

Just recently, I finished these wedding invitations for a couple looking to throw a Monopoly-themed wedding.

Property cards were chosen as the concept for the invitations due to their linkage in the game to location or destination. The key to making these invites a success was to ensure that they weren't an exact replication of the Monopoly graphic style but were simply inspired by it. Black outlines, black text, one solid colour, and lots of white space were elements used to make the cards recognizable to the game while flourishes and accents were added to portray the formality and elegance the couple were looking for.

The RSVP cards reflected the Chance cards from the game to indicate an opportunity to respond.

These invites were featured on Design Edge magazine and it was definitely a proud day for the bride and groom as well as myself. With this came a little bit of drama on the comment boards but it has been exciting to see so many people conversing about them. Not to mention all the tweets, re-tweets, and Likes I received from it all.

My client are esctatic with these invites and their guests are using them as keepsakes for the occasion so in my mind, these were an official success and a job well done.

Congrats guys!