To be perfectly honest, I did not really care about the fact that a new iPhone would be introduced this year when I bought my 3Gs in March of this year. I was perfectly happy with the fact that I just had an iPhone! I was blown away by how amazing it was in every aspect. This was a big deal!
Well then. It’s great you are interested in this field! There is lots for a graphic designer to do out there and it ranges quite widely. Basically, I’ve found there are just a few basic forms of graphic design and the consist of either working exclusively in-house for a company/institution, for an advertising agency, or for a print shop. You can also work for yourself, but that is a little difficult and you are always working. I specialize in print design and make a lot of different things ranging from Annual Reports and magazines to big displays and complex brochures. We also do branding and even web work.
As far as education goes, I wish I had more of an artistic background with a degree in art. But, I have almost 7 years of experience now, so that trades off as comparable. It is a major asset to know how to solve problems in different ways.
There are lots of great things about this, though! If you do a good job, you can get a result you can be very proud of! This is my favorite part. I love doing a good job and seeing a great end-result that is both stimulating and impressive. It’s also great when you win awards for your work.
It’s funny. When bad weather comes rolling in everyone seems to put their gear away saying “Oh it’s going to ruin my gear…nothing good can come of this!”. But this is when some of the best photos are made! There is better, softer lighting and if you are ready at sunset or sunrise, you can get some pretty dramatic shadows. Take a peek at the photo below, this was taken in the evening during the onset of a light shower just outside of Calgary.
Exposure: 0.005 sec (1/200) Aperture: f/7.1 Focal Length: 35 mm Focal Length: 35.6 mm ISO Speed: 400 Exposure Bias: -1 EV
Great colors, fantastic mood and tone and it makes for a wonderfully warm setting. It really helps to capture how beautiful it was that night…not entirely, but it helps.
So remember…don’t put your gear away when you see dark clouds coming. Take it all out and fire it up! This is the best time for the most interesting pictures!
Have you ever dealt with a frustrated client before? I know I have. There have been a few times where a client asks me to make them something pretty, I work for hours to make it for them only to see them say “But that doesn’t really do what we want it to.” I then proceed to hit my head against the wall very firmly. Yes, we have all dealt with this problem, hopefully nearer the start of our careers instead of later.
When you’re dealing with a design project, it’s vital to write a detailed list of expectations at the very beginning. There are two main reasons for this:
This is called a Creative Brief.
Yes, summer is now gone. It’s cold. Day’s of running around with your beloved camera are over. No more fun. I definitely feel this way sometimes, and I find it hard to get into the mood to go shooting and then I feel terrible because I am not taking pictures. Here are some quick ideas to help change all that!
Create a photo project for yourself – Pick a theme and only shoot only that theme for the day, week or month. (if you choose the color red, only shoot things that have red as their color, communicate red or is the focal point in some way….get creative!) Go for lots of Photowalks, keeping your theme in mind. Here are a few to spark your imagination. Colors, shapes, objects, motion, age, texture, character, reflections.
Go to the thrift store and buy a cheap film camera to experiment with – Ever shoot with film? Try it with a $3 camera and check out your results!
Join photo groups on Flickr, Facebook and the likes - You can showcase your work very easily here as well as learn a thing or two. Don’t look for levels of expertise. Instead, look for shared interests and experiences. Don’t stick with your own age group—the best clubs have a wonderful mix of young and mature individuals.
Enter photo contests – Local and online. Check your newspapers and camera shops for anything. Here in Calgary, Vistek, The Camera Store and Saneal all offer seasonal contests.
Take a photo course – Check out your local college or university for a once-per week class and expand your knowledge!
365 pictures – Take one photo every single day of the year. Or you can do 30 in one month.
Take your camera with you-everywhere – I find I find pictures everywhere I go….when I leave my camera at home. You can bring it, just choose a small lens. I love my Nikkor 35mm on my D40x. Or take a small camera with you instead.