Stuff and Junk. And Lots of Pictures.

Hey Gang! Okay I know it's been a bit quiet 'round these parts lately. Believe me it's not because I've been kicking it on my favorite couch watching Sopranos and drinking gin, although that does sound pretty awesome. No, it's partly because since wedding season ended I haven't had a lot of new work to show--but that doesn't mean I haven't been busy.  With what? Well... 

Like making my awesome new portfolio! 

 

One thing I know I've been missing is having a clear concise way to exhibit an expanded portfolio when I meet clients in person.  Most photographers show sample albums, which is a nice way to kill two birds with one stone (ie, showing both your album samples and samples of your work in one place) and I will certainly do as well...but I liked the idea of having an actual portfolio to show clients.  This thing is sweet--it's a big, huge 12x12 hardcover book with full images on the front and back and a bright yellow spine.  I think it Screams LORENZ PHOTOGRAPHY! I love love love book-making. I love designing the book, I love ordering the book I love checking FedEx tracking every 5 minutes to see when my book will arrive--and my favorite part--I love opening the book for the first time, and flipping through all the pages.  I love the way new books smell and feel and it's especially great when that new book is full of your work. So, yeah--yay :)

What else? Well, ordering products for clients, like my new proof books!

This is an example of a hard cover (left) and a soft cover (right) proofbook.  I love my new books because the design options for the cover and the inside is so much more extensive, allowing me to really customize each book for each client. Different fonts, different lay out etc....here's a few more examples:

 

This is Katie and Manny's 8x10 hardcover book. 

 

And this is Sarah and Nate's Soft Cover Proof Book

 

Real books--not spiral bound magazines. They feel great in your hand and are an awesome way to have a hard copy of all your pictures in one beautiful book. Yay! 

What else? Well...making friends with Photoshop!! Well, sorta. One of the big changes here at LP is that I'm switching to a new lab and moving away from Pictage. For me, Pictage was a great way to help me get started as they take care of everything for you.  And I mean everything: They make your proofbooks, they fulfill orders and print, and the thing that I liked the most was that they had album design software, which meant that I didn't have to screw around with Photoshop. And while Pictage is a great company, and many established photographers use them, I recently decided that I needed to move away from them.  I feel like I've really gotten the hang of almost every service that Pictage offers (ie, print fulfillment, proof book automation, etc...) except for album design.  As I've mentioned before I have a pretty rocky relationship with Photoshop (it tends to make me cry using only it's words), but I decided that if I'm going to make this work, we're going to have to set aside our differences and learn to get along. My first challenge: to design stationary for my new Baby and Maternity Service, Over the Moon Imagery (Blog coming soon!).  You remember Theo, right? 

See?? I did it! No crying or anything.  The font on the back wound up a tiny bit off center because I got confused about the cut-off lines, but it's barely noticeable.  The cards look BEAUTIFUL and they're printed on really pretty watercolor paper. Hooray! (Big thanks to Ruby Hazzard, Erin Carey and Caleb Cole--there was a lot of hand holding involved here...)

I also just finished a new album for Sarah and Nate, which I designed completely freehand in Photoshop, and I don't think it's too shabby if I do say so myself.  Once we get their design finalized I'll be sure to post it up here as well! 

Other than all this fun card/book business it's been a lot of behind the scenes biznezz.  I've been trying to set up an engagement session gallery for my website, been corresponding with some really awesome vendors with whom I worked last summer (that's a whole separate post!), and busily chatting away with clients about their wedding plans. I'm getting super excited for what's to come in 2010--and even though it's been a bit quiet around here, I have such hugely high hopes and expecations for this year.  I know it's going to be awesome.

So, in the meantime, I have a favor to ask of you dear readers, fans, friends, family or whatever the heck you are that brought you here: Blogging material. I needs it. Give it to me. What do you want me to write about? What do you want to know about me, my business, my process?  Any pictures you want to see more of?  Or do you want me to just shut up and go away now?

Until next time...muahaha!