Blackheart Studio||Blog

Photography Inspiration

2009-11-21T20:04:45Z

I have not posted here for a good while. I think it is because I am think I am in need of some inspiration, I stumbled upon this video which I think is great inspiration to photographers.

A Walkthru with Kathleen Connally from squigglebooth on Vimeo.

Explain Your Invoices

2009-05-13T13:20:15Z

Just like when you get your car worked on and you ask the mechanic to explain the invoice, you should also provide some explanation as to what each individual item means.Today I received an email asking what it all meant and it dawned on me that itis not that the client doesn’t trust you, they just simply want to know what they are paying for.

Itemized Invoices

My invoice is structured as follows:

Design Research
Initial Drafts & Sketches
Design Revisions
Final PSD Production
XHTML/CSS Development
Server-Side Development
Testing & Debugging

An Explanation

A quick explanation of how I list all my services.

Design Research

An overall explanation for design research, is coming to a deeper understanding of what has to be designed and why for what kind of audience. It is also the stage where the importance of critical information are made to further promote a more deficient workflow and effective design.

Initial Drafts & Sketches

Time Spent on the actual drafting up of the first Design or Sketching a logo or wireframe.

Design Revisions

After the initial drafts and sketches are worked on, this estimate is provided for possible extended time spent on revisions, if the client doesn’t exceed the limit of initial revisions then this service is not charged for.

Final PSD Production

This is the finished and polished layered photoshop file which is the master copy used to code into a valid XHTML/CSS document. This step is important because it also provides allot of flexibility in the case the site ever needs a revision or a redesign in the future.

XHTML/CSS Development

This refers to the meat and potatoes of a website, the actual lines of code that make it up. First a semantic and valid strict XHTML index page is made keeping in mind a structure that makes sense, then a external cascading style sheet is created using the PSD master file for reference in duplicating all of the effects that photoshop has created. This step might also include any JavaScript coding also.

Server Side Development

This step is critical for sites that use web apps such as e-commerce sites or other database driven systems. Server Side Development might include working with Ruby on Rails, PHP, or a variation of such.

Testing and Debugging

Simply put this is where I test the site on four different operating systems, and over twenty different browsers and versions to make sure everyone is viewing the same or similar page no matter what system environment they are using. The only borwsers that are not tested are Internet Explorer 5, also it is not heavily debugged on IE 6, as these browsers are well past their sell by date.

Conclusion

Will these explanations suffice for everyone? Probably not, the important thing is to keep an open channel of communication with the client, and be extremely patient. Comment below on your own services and maybe how you price.

Urbex at Floyd Bennett Field

2009-05-13T13:24:05Z

Urbex is a great way to work with low lighting and great for capturing textures colors and all kinds of shapes and shadows, plus it is fun as hell. Here is a photo set from some of my first Urban exploration trips.

We begin with a little history

Floyd Bennett Field opened in 1931 as New York City’s first municipal airport. Building 1, as the Ryan Center was known then, served as the control tower and passenger terminal building.

During the 1930’s “Golden Age of Aviation” thousands gathered around Building 1 to watch as new aviation records were set by Howard Hughes, Wiley Post, Amelia Earhart, and Jacqueline Cochran. During this time there was significant beautification done to the building by the Works Progress Administration.

In June of 1941 Floyd Bennett Field was acquired by the U.S. Navy who designated it Naval Air Station New York. During World War II Floyd Bennett Field quickly became the most critical Naval Air Station on the East Coast serving as a supply hub, aircraft delivery staging ground, and the home for submarine- hunting and convoy protection squadrons. Its military service to the nation continued through the Korean War and the Vietnam War until the Naval Air Station was closed in 1972 and transferred to the National Park Service as part of the Gateway National Recreation Area.

I’m not going to go too much farther into the history except to say the previous presence of the Coast Guard, Naval air base, current and past police and various helipads and restoration projects spice up the place. Here is a map in which I have located the current abandoned buildings and highlighted them in yellow, the photos that I am showing today correspond to the red overlay. In the future I will explore the other buildings that are highlighted and post pictures also. (Stolen from this link and modified)

The main hangar room.

A hole always has its mysteries, although we chose not to explore this one….for now. (I am sure it is just pipes anyway)

Somebody has left me bright “green” garbage bags for a good shot and a hole in the roof to give the perfect light. Props also for the tire.

Just really love this old gas pump, although im sure its not as old as I like to think. I hope Ames was freed.

Not sure but I am going to take a guess it was the front of the Gas Tank, I just love how this metal looks like it is being eaten by the ground and returning to its natural Mineral State.

Complete carnage.

A old flight navigating map that we found in the dark, good old LED flashlight helped us find it.

White stuff I am going to assume(and maybe pretend) wasn’t asbestos, just the compound they use in plaster that drips everywhere after it rains a million times. Still Awesome that they formed stalactites.

Amazing find, I am sure these were used as show a little while back, or maybe only once a year.

Of course you were hoping I took a shot of the inside. There was an ignition key in the glove compartment and of course out of curiosity we tried to start it but the battery was probably not connected or non-existent. We left it alone for fear it might be a felony to even touch these relics.

Front of a navy seabeas WW2 utility truck.

If you look closely you can see the teddy-bears head ripped off.

Building 0, Trees 1

Almost looks like the chair Morpheus sat on in the first Matrix.

This was located in the abandoned Police Station, of course lucky stripe.

I swear I did not kill or maim the cat or even write that card, but it was a strange find in the last room at the police station.(ok we did place the card next to it, but we found it in the room)

Pixel vs Vector

2009-02-22T14:13:19Z

Pixels are great, actually photoshop would not exist if it wasn’t for pixel based images. Your camera for instance takes 8 mega pixel images with its CCD sensor, and when saved that picture is made of 8 million building block elements each having a certain color intensity mode. When viewed at 100% on a monitor every line (even if the picture is taken incorrectly) looks perfectly smooth and straight, when viewed up close the picture soon becomes distorted and you can see each individual element creating it. This becomes a problem with print as each picture has its own DPI or PPI , which will determine its size. Standard prints print at 360(or 300) DPI, which means any low resolution file that is blown up will reveal jagged lines.

When Math and Graphics Meet

How do we solve this? Well of course we combine math and graphics together (math is the answer to everything after all). When a graphics editor uses geometric calculations, we get something that is called a vector based image, in which lines and each geometric shape has its value stored instead of individual blocks. This brings one major benefit to the print and design world… scalability. At any size the geometric equations that make the image can be recalculated according to the ratio asked of it. So for an image that you made just for someones business card, you can have the same amount of detail if it were possibly made big enough for a billboard picture. This is why it is essential for designers to learn and pickup on vector based programs such as Adobe illustrator, especially when creating a logo or brand.

Get Started

To get you started in the world of illustrator visit: 50 Illustrator Tutorials Every Designer should see

And of course if you have a client who doesn’t understand why you cant put that 200×200 pixel GIF logo they pulled off their site on a billboard, here is a video from MacMerc tv explaining.

Twitter used for action-Twestival 2009

2009-02-03T21:29:58Z

I’m sure everyone has heard about twitter and all of the amazing ways to use it. Who knew such a simple micro blogging platform can have a million ways of being used, and that is what design is all about. Taking an original purpose and expanding it and crafting it for every possible use as a way to get a message across.

All across the world on February 12th 2009 through the use and power of twitter there will be an event that aims to raise money for the charity:water organization. By rallying together globally, under short timescales, for a single aim on the same day, the Twestival hopes to bring awareness to this global crisis. I live in NYC so I will be attending the event at M:2(open bar from 7:30 to 9, if you drink), details can be found here at the Twestival home page for an event in your area. And be sure to follow them on twitter- @twestival

Here is a video PSA about the organization

Jennifer Connelly in charity: water Public Service Announcement from charity: water on Vimeo.

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January Tutorial Roundup

2009-01-28T06:18:34Z

Every once in a while I find tutorials online that I bookmark as learn this later, as I find a different or faster method of accomplishing things. This week I will focus on four tutorials that I find very useful.

Create your own vector portrait.

If you are new to photoshop this tutorial will help you learn how to give a vector “look” to a photo, photoshop is actually a pixel by pixel editor and no true vectors are ever produced. After this tutorial if you would like to convert it into a true vector image, and have a working copy of Illustrator you may do so by opening it in photoshop and using “live trace”.You can find a Tutorial for it here.

Create a Photo Admin Site Using PHP and jQuery

Have you ever had a project that required the upload of pictures from its users? This tutorial is very simple and will show you how to get started and perhaps get you interested into the very useful world of PHP.

How to Setup a Dedicated Web Server for Free

If you have a old machine sitting around at home you can set it up as a testing platform for web development instead of having it temporarily piggy-back on your own web server. I wouldn’t actually suggest hosting a site on this machine unless your website is a only a couple of Kb/s or you have fiber optic speeds for upload.

A website checklist. 20 things to check before going live.

Never leave the home without your wallet or keys, and never leave your website project as finished without following this 20 point checklist.

Create a Furious Pink Panther Poster

This last one is just plain fun and might get you into digital painting if you have regular painting skills (or not) and a Wacom tablet handy.

A little thought on Speculative Work

2009-01-17T21:45:28Z

Consider this scenario:

Chris from creative fruit designs gets contacted by a new clothing store for a redesign of their logo that for the purpose of this scenario we will call “New Threads”. Chris who never really got any large clients like that gets excited about this job, furthermore New Threads informs Chris that this is a competition and whoever designs the best logo gets picked to redesign the logo. Chris designs something great and then gets rejected. Nine months later Chris is walking by a new clothing sore in the mall called New Threads and notices that their logo looks familiar and is in fact the same exact logo he designed for them. Now a nasty lawsuit has to ensue which leaves Chris with no more money and no clients who want to deal with him anymore.

That is speculative work. When one person contacts you but tells you that they have to see your design before they take you as a client. Do not do it, number one it is a waste of your time, number two it is a waste of your resources. Speculative work is in my opinion on the same border line as a scam, in which they trick you into giving a free design. Even if they do not steal your art work away, they should choose you based on your portfolio.

Warning signs of Spec work:

They do not want to talk money yet or do not ask you any price.
They set a deadline for when they want a concept, with no down payment.
Keep using unsure words about maybe you will work for them or “I want to see how your design is”.
Never ask to see your portfolio.

Possible things you can do:

Remind them that speculative work is heavily looked down upon by the design community.
Explain that their money and the effort for a new design would be better spent sitting down with one artist and working with them.
Your time is valuable and you have a portfolio if they want to see the kind of work that you do.
Present a contract.

The bottom line is no matter how slow your freelance business is going, speculative work is never a good idea, it is a waste of your talents and hurts the design community as a whole.

Visit this site to learn more NOSPEC

And a Link with a letter furthur explaining why spec work is bad for bussiness (PDF).

Essential Workflow Habits

2009-01-02T20:00:35Z

When you meet with a client for the first time, you might talk price and project specifics, and perhaps even a time frame for when the work is to be done. You go home or to your office, draft up a contract and receive the down payment. Now the clock is ticking, the creativity has to start flowing and you must start somewhere. This article is a general layout for one effective work flow habit that I follow as well as several tips from other people I have talked to. So whether you are a writer, designer, or developer, read on.

Setting the Playing Field with Behance

The start of an effective work-flow needs to begin at the first meeting or phone call with the client. Now if you generally use your laptop or computer to take notes when talking to a client, I highly suggest actually writing down thoughts, ideas and sketches in a notebook, for two main reasons.

It allows you to look more professional and attentive to the client.
It also allows them to pull the notebook over and sketch something they might want.

Recently to help me achieve effective note taking during these meetings Ive adopted Behance’s Action Method . The notebook I use is their Action Book, it has all the essential areas including writing to-do lists, paragraphs for descriptions and a dot grid area for sketches and jots. Also on Behance’s site they have an online version of the notebook as well, which is a fantastic web app, but I will demonstrate later why I don’t use this for my entire workflow process. This tool is best left to a collaborative project in my opinion.

Get All Your Ducks in a Row with Jott

Now that you have all your information from the meeting with your client, or from an email, or whatever the case may be, it is time to organize it effectively. This step may seem daunting but it is a big plus compared to overlooking a single important detail in any project that might cause you money or valuable time. The task management system I use in sorting everything out and putting it all on record in my computer is JOTT. Jott is a fantastic tool simply for one main reason. The reason being is it doesn’t just live inside my computer, or just floats out in the Internet, it lives wherever I can take my phone or have access to one for that matter. Jott, to me is the most versatile to-do list application because it has fantastic voice recognition, and that matters if you cant stop to type something, or write something down. It also beautifully integrates with Google calender (I can imagine at having read that your already trying it out now). If you ever had an idea spring into your head, Jott has been the fastest way for me to make sure it is recorded right away. Usually Jott works as the “master list” for the current project I am enthralled with.

See Whats Important Now with NowDoThis

Great now you have a huge list of things to accomplish. You open your browser to jott (or your own task list) and see the 8, 10, or 20 things to do. You might start skipping around or rush to do 5 things in one day. This is the mental part of staying on top of things. I have discovered nowdothis.com. The website is extremely plain and only has one option to edit you list and displays them one at a time in big bold letters, so you can stay focused on one thing at a time. Personally I suggest to always keep it visible, so if you are using Firefox, bookmark nowdothis.com and right click on the bookmark, go to properties and check off the box: Load this is the sidebar. Only put 3 tasks at a time. You will find a do less per day attitude will actually improve your work-flow allowing you spend more time on individual tasks doing them the right way the first time around.

Find Your Own Path

These are just a few programs that might help you get a little organized if you have no system in place already. Feel free to just integrate these into a system that work for you already. I can go into tons of other programs that are specific to each freelancer, but I will save that for another post. I will of course leave you off with a list of other programs/sites that will help simplify your work-flow.

Dropbox- You can read an article about it here-Dumbing Down the Cloud.

Typetester- If you can’t choose the right font this utility will help.

Html-Ipsum- For quick filler text.

Browser Shots- View your site in any browser on (almost) any OS, decreasing time for the testing phase.

Colour Lovers-The best I have seen so-far for finding quickcolour schemes .

Adobe Lightroom- The ultimate work flow program for photographers.

What are your own solutions?

All of these tips are all well and good, but I find everyone has their own unique way with dealing with workload, share you tips and secrets with us here below.

Tonal Project: Black and White Conversion

2008-12-16T07:49:31Z

This video tutorial is the first in my series on the tips techniques and theory applied behind tonal editing in photoshop. This first video covers a very well proven technique of converting color photo’s to black and white. Its a 10 minute quick video so go ahead and open up photoshop and follow along.

Alright, enough rambling. This video covers a technique which was first introduced by a digital artist named Russel Preston Brown. and has been proven to be one of the more effective techniques.

There are many different varieties of converting images to black and white, channel mixer being the most popular technique. The use of the channel mixer can be a complex procedure for those who wish to create a monochrome version. Essentially if used improperly it can destroy tonal information that is essential to making a photo a masterpiece.

Enjoy the video, any comments or questions, leave them after the jump.

Runtime:10 Minutes

Download Full Quicktime version here

Black and White Conversion Tutorial from Richard Eichele on Vimeo.

Disclaimer: Remember this an essentials video, which means it is the basics and you should tweak it to your liking, this is not the guide. Feel free to look up Russel Brown for a more in depth tutorial.