Today I came home and found box near our door. I love “Box-days”
As I post earlier, I use Loktah for my DVD presentation since last year. I adore their products!!!
When I saw their new Super Sampler Kit with boxes, cases and photo folios I make an order immediately! Each item looks sooooo cute and stylish and organic… I am excited to send my photographs and DVD packed in Loktah to my lovely clients this year.
2 people comment this postrichJune 4th, 2009
those are REALLY nice boxes!! side question - where do you hire models from when you do your hi-fashion work?
Yuka photo artJune 4th, 2009
To Rich :: I am a member of Model mayhem ( http://www.modelmayhem.com/). This is amazing online place where you can find a lot of talents! I am sure you will enjoy this place!
If you are not “easy-to-work-with-action” person, I will show you how to create dark corners on your photograph….I just love this effect…it make you focused on main object on the picture.
I know, I know, most of you are photoshop-monsters and can create own actions or have ready actions on DVD, but if not, I think my example can be useful for you
Here are step by step lesson:
1- Open photograph in Photoshop.
I picked one of my fav from last season:
2- Create new layer . Go to “Layer” > “New Layer”
2- Pick “Rectangular Marquee tool” and make selection.
3- Go to “Select” > “Inverse”
3- Pick “Paint Bucket tool” and fill this selection by black color
4- Go to “Select” > “Deselect”
5- Go to “Filter “ > “Blur ” > “Gaussian Blur” . Play with “Radius”
6- Go to “Layer” > “Flatten Image”
We’re done! Enjoy!
Branding.. I love this word ….and it’s meaning…
For the first time I heard about branding when I was a Student of European University of Management and Business…But theory is nothing in comparing with reality. Now having my own business I can ‘feel it, touch it and create it’. For me branding is “all about you, your service and your personality”
As I remember myself I always loved boxes, packaging paper, bows, ribbons….I discovered that sometimes I admire packing even if it is an empty box…Really! (This is not transfer on people…..here inside side is more important….)
Once, Lyosha sent me a book which provides lessons how to pack up gifts.. Literally I could sleep with this book! In Ukraine we never saw such things…Yes, my husband always knows what makes me happy
Anyway back to branding: Clients are the most important in our business and I love my clients. They inspire me to do what I do.
I always aspire to provide to my clients great service, unique product and present it in a high end packing. And they love it!
My readers know how I obsessed with coffee and chocolate from “Chow chocolat” place. I am so excited to present to my clients cute chocolates with my logo.
Wow! and another news I am rushing to deliver – I have got my business cards! I am a happy owner of new business cards from creative team of mother and daughter http://invitedink.com/ . Please , let me know what do you think?
7 people comment this postAnita PaulusMay 13th, 2009
Ahh! What an awesome idea! Now I'm in the mood for something sweet :p~
KatiaMay 13th, 2009
Love them :)
nickel city studiosMay 14th, 2009
Those are really cute! We just found out the local letterpress company (well, it's just one woman, but she's great!) we were using for notecards, etc is leaving Buffalo for NYC :( I went over to her studio and shot some stuff of her working so I could do a blog post and maybe get her some more business and she says, "Oh yeah, we'll be moving next month"...so no blog post and no more letterpress locally....I'll have to check out the company you mention!
Veronika Ter-IonesyanMay 14th, 2009
looks very good! i love it
denise karisMay 14th, 2009
this is so creative! Thanks for posting this - I love the subject of branding. The cards are really eye catching!
sally annMay 15th, 2009
Yuliya, I love the chocolates, they are done really nicely and look yummy!!! I also love the pictures, especially the last one, the crinkle paper looks so cool in the picture :o) Thank You!
CristiMay 22nd, 2009
where are you located? i wanna book you so i can get a box of chocolates :) awesome awesome idea!
2 people comment this postElenaMay 1st, 2009
Thanks so much! Definitely will use this lesson. I even know already of a photo I'd like to use it on.
ElaineMay 2nd, 2009
Thank you so much for you!!! Your work is wonderful and the fact that you are willing to share the enhancements is so so so VERY thoughtful and helpful.
2 people comment this postannaApril 19th, 2009
ah, so beautiful! breathtaking..
ElenaApril 20th, 2009
So beautiful! I especially love the one in the theatre.
Today
- Spring is in the air! I can see it, small it and feel it!
- I and Anna started with our first shoot for our new project (coming soon on my blog!)
- I realized AGAIN- I cannot cook fish….In our family this privilege just for Lyosha.
- I ‘v got my Canon 50 mm, 1.2 lens! It was my dream for a looong time and now I finally have it! I love this lens because it gives greatest sharp, wide aperture, soft light and it fit to my hands (what I cannot say it about my favorite Canon 70-200) !
- I have got one surprising e-mail… I cross the fingers and wait for the great news!
*Today I simply happy because I live, I love and I do what I love to do!
4 people comment this postElenaMarch 18th, 2009
I've been in the same mood lately! :) Congratulations on your new Lens!!! As I start to understand things in photography, I can see why are you so excited!!! :)
HeatherMarch 21st, 2009
am lusting over that lens. I have the 1.4 and really love it but would prefer more glass. Congrats to you!
rozana angeloMarch 21st, 2009
OMG i love you! your pics are all so amazing.. i havent been on the site in forever... anyway baby #2 is due in a couple days! i hope all is well with you and yours :) , ps... i love all the holiday cards you have sent us .. :) thanks
Stephanie WilliamsApril 2nd, 2009
Congrats! awesome, awesome lens - have fun with it!
New Year, new Home, new Clients, new ideas, new hair cut (coming this Saturday!) ….New Branding.
I love refreshing and moving things to a new level in my life! The same thing I incorporate in my photography business. Today my goal #1 is branding. Branding is a one of the most important parts in my business and I always try to invest in it.
Not too long ago, I started to think about my NEW LOGO! My first logo for my company I draw by myself. It was not a finest idea, but for that period of time it was the best.
My new logo was made by very-very-very talented designer Sergey. And I just in love with it!
Sergey, THANK YOU SO MUCH for your creativeness and kindness. You are so artistic and I absolutely love all what you designed! It was soooo hard to choose only one logo design! Maybe I should think about my new project for blog “new logo for every day of week” Really!
For those, who just started to think about new logo below some ideas which helped me in my challenge: how to prepare “instructions” for a designer:
1- Company name
2- Concept description
3- Define how many words should be in logo and if it is important to make logo readable
4- Describe the style you like and include example of logos of the different companies which you really love (scans or links). And make a notice –what exactly you like in every logo.
{I spent hours in Barnes and Noble researching books about logo and design}
5- Provide colors for logo
6- At the end, when your logo is designed and approved ask designer to send you color and b/w files, preferably in vector
7- Be a happy owner of your lovely logo!
*Special thank you to my friend Elena for the exclusive reference!
* Thank you to my friends and Lyosha for patience…All this time you helping me to be sure I on the right way.
2 people comment this postMichael Alan BielatMarch 13th, 2009
That is an awesome logo. Well done.
New home? Where did you guys move to?
Will you be at the BuffaloWedding.com Pearl Street get together like last year? I am up in the air if I will be attending.
Take care.
Yuka photo artMarch 13th, 2009
Thank you Michael, yes we live on Grand Island now :-)
I am VERY excited to share with you my new studio sample from Leather Craftsmen (a copy of client’s wedding album). I have got it a few days ago and I adore it–the color of the cover, the size, the colors and quality! Love it!
Sometimes I am not sure what I love more- to capture wedding day or to design wedding album……
Question!!!
I will appreciate if you help me with this question- which bag do you use for portfolio presentation? This question is for photographers, who do not have their own studio
I love my JILL-E CAMERA BAG but right now it became too small to keep all my portfolios.
I hope it can be interesting for some of you….
I am always excited when other professionals show their tricks. It can be anything from receipt of favorite salad to instruction how to make client to feel more comfortable before the camera…..If I like the result I like to see backstage…
3 people comment this postHeather KincaidJanuary 31st, 2009
Wow. This is so very fabulous to see. Thanks for sharing this!! Beautiful...
lucyFebruary 2nd, 2009
cool
Cathy CrawleyFebruary 8th, 2009
You are so cleaver! Well done and thanks for sharing!
When I started my photography career my thought process was: “It is about my ideas + camera +people+ Photoshop and happiness from mixing it all.” Yes, I was right, but in reality, everything I mentioned above cannot be successful enough without everyday’s routine – ton of e-mails, paper work (contracts, invoices…etc) postproduction, branding and MARKETING. I studied marketing in university, but now it is completely different…I have my own company and I should market myself and my brand in order to be competitive in this world. I always think about what makes my client happy. Sometimes having a beautiful portfolio is not enough to get the clients to sign up for services… I want to share with you what other steps I make in order to attract my clients. I want to show my “Christmas cards” and “Promo cards” which I design for my clients and partners… By the way, here is the small secret – My “Valentines cards” are almost ready and I will show you ehhhh… you know when …
This year I am planning to offer a lot of new widgets for my brides and grooms. My most important marketing tool – “give more then you offer!”
It is always interesting for me, what other little tricks photographers do to make their business successful. So please share with me your thoughts tricks and ideas.
6 people comment this postJollenceJanuary 24th, 2009
Wow! that is a great marketing strategy. My friend do almost the same thing but on the Chinese Red Packet Hong Pao for Chinese New Year. Very good idea.
lucyJanuary 26th, 2009
So these are photocards of them? You give them a photocard of them? Or just a favorite image?
They look beautiful by the way.
Yuka photo artJanuary 26th, 2009
lucy : No, I use my favorite photograph. But this is great idea to print couple's best image as a card for anniversary....
Adrienne GundeJanuary 27th, 2009
Great concept and beautiful cards!
SuwaneeJanuary 27th, 2009
Yuka, I'm right in the middle of it all with trying to market myself in a new area/market/and from portraits to weddings. It's overwhelming, but I'm networking with other photographers, vendors, and anyone in the biz. (I'm giving my vendors 5x7 boxes (from pottery barns) print images of their products along with a disc of the images for them to use to market their business. Thanks for sharing this post, perfect timing.
kella MacPheeFebruary 23rd, 2009
these are great! love the image you chose too!