Take a Risk & Take a Picture (aka Photography with Purpose #2)

As the digital world turns even more social, knowing how to take a good photo is a great asset...well more like a must if you're aim is of a professional nature. Social media posts with photos get more clicks. I know you've heard that statement dozens of times by many bloggers and social media experts.  But what if you had more than the plain 'ol photo for your post or blog? Take a moment and imagine yourself as the author of one-of-a-kind photos no one can duplicate. Imagine how much more engaged your audience could be with your new found authenticity. In a previous post, I discussed photography with purpose where I was speaking to branding with photos and now I'm sharing the second part to that post, which is taking awesome photos. I will tell you why every entrepreneur, blogger and graphic designer needs to take steps to learn the basics of photography. I will divulge the little things I discovered on my little quest to improve my photography.

As a graduate of graphic design, I was required to take a photography course; but it was in high school that I had my first experience with a camera and developing in the darkroom. Since college, I hadn't been seriously interested in photography until I took a free photo class near my 9 to 5. After taking the class a few years ago, I bought my first digital camera, the NIKON 3100 and I'm glad I did.

My Experiment Starts Here

A few weeks ago, I decided to start one of my learning experiments to refresh my photography skills. I volunteered to photograph the talented blogger, Mercedes Sanchez, for her blog BeChicMag.com. My intention was to learn while giving and it worked. I have learned so much in a matter of weeks and here's how I did it.

Each week, I took 15 minutes out of my time to shoot Mercedes. The short amount of time helped me get much quicker at selecting my settings and starting to shoot. I could have stopped there and just do the same thing every following week, however, I wanted to improve. After each shoot, I evaluated the photographs, selected the best photos and retouched them using Photoshop. I've actually improved my Photoshop skills which was an added bonus of my experiment. I tried a variety different filters to make the photos pop as some were flat in the very beginning.

The Learning Curve

On my first day out, I decided to shoot outdoors by a park. Natural light is great and I will tell you that it is easier than lighting indoors. I learned that lighting under trees is unpredictable. I used a semi-automatic setting because it was easier to adjust given my time constraints and lighting difficulty. I completely recommend using aperture or shutter speed priority to those starting out.  I took pictures from high, low, and behind objects. I learned a lot about depth of field and how it affect how objects are photographed.

Outside of taking the photos, I was learning to be prepared for the next shoot. I freaking read the manual, not that I know it by heart, but I read it. I watched you tube videos on posing and read a million online articles about lighting. I took pictures every time I saw something interesting. It didn't matter whether it was good or bad but I did just to see the outcome. I practiced with my little family. Thankfully, they still love me.

You Can and Should Do This!

I can'tell you enough how much photography is important to your personal brand and getting your blog or business off the ground. Just take a look at your Instagram feed, paying close attention to the people you follow and try to evaluate their photography. Photos are especially important if you're not a celebrity. If your blog is your money-maker then photography matters. The more attention your photography gets, the more eyes you get, the more exposure and income you will have. For me, having this experiment has made an impact on how I see the world around me. As a graphic designer, it has opened my eyes. I can see the details even more than before. I can notice things in an instant. It's very helpful because it saves time and headaches. I know my faults though sometimes I accept them and move on because of time constraints. So take a risk and take a picture, it's worth it and you won't be disappointed.

See my progress on Instagram @may.wonders

Are you a professional photographer? Do you have any tips for me? I would appreciate your comments below.

My Illustrated Journey

With my son's birthday coming up soon, I decided to stop wondering for a minute to show you some work. My Chocolindo inspired a lot of the work I do including my recent obsession with drawing and illustration. I believe that drawing is key to creativity and activating that memory muscle in the brain. At the How Design Conference I attended recently, I tested my memory theory and I happen to have proved myself correct. I remembered twice as much information with my drawings. In celebration of my son's birthday I compiled a small lil video with how I reenergized and renewed my drawing skills.

6 Questions with Emerging UX Design Star Eny Hathaway

I wondered if I could learn more about user experience design so I engaged my cousin Eny Hathaway on my quest.

Late last year, I decided I wanted to learn more about user experience design so I contacted my cousin, Eny Hathaway, lead UX designer for Kronos. My little one was too young for me to travel back then but I recently had the opportunity to see her during my week at the How Design Conference. One day after a long day of conferencing, I met with her, we chatted and she told me everything I wanted to know about experience design. Here's a Q&A that answered many of my questions. 

What's your background in design?
I graduated from UMass Lowell with a BFA, Graphic Design in 2004 and after graduating created logos, branding libraries, data sheets, booth displays and anything that would support a marketing department. In 2005 or so, I started working on designing the visual language for GUIs, after I moved to designing Interactions for products. 

How did you get started as a UX designer?

After graduating, I landed an internship in a software company founded by MIT graduates. There I found a couple of mentors that advised me to move from print to digital design, since technology was changing and it was changing fast. They invited me to join them in helping them design the GUI/UI of the products they were developing. I have been collaborating with software developers since.

Why do you think UX design is so important? 

The success of a product has with the product's ease of use. In the past, products were defined by their features, however, today ease-of-use and emotional connection makes a product successful.

What do you like about your job?

The team players, the complex design challenges and the satisfaction I get when a product is launched. Let me tell you a bit more… the team players are product managers, software architects, visual designer, quality assurance, usability researchers, and other interaction designers. We come together with different skills and backgrounds; everyone has a unique way to solve a given problem and different concerns. In the end, we all have to agree to the given solution. Complex design challenges keep my mind occupied and allow me to dream. When I'm given a design problem the solution most often does not exist. I have to dig deep and come up with something, an idea, that might solve that problem. You present this idea--a dream--in the hopes that others will imagine it. I have the best feeling when a product is launched or a feature is added to product and then I say,…”Wow, this was once a sketch, a simple idea that came to life.” 

What challenges have you encountered? 

One of the early challenges in my career was learning how to utilize feedback and constructive criticism. I often internalized the comments and was hard on myself. Now, as a designer with 10+ years of experience, I comprehend that I’m not designing for myself, I’m designing for other people. Today, my biggest challenge is getting a diverse team to agree upon a proposed design solution.

What keeps you motivated/inspired? 

The tech marketplace keeps me motivated, my unique background inspires me and my son keeps me laughing. I love adding value to products through design. Well-designed products make a profit, and it's important to be aware of the impact you will make as a designer in any project. There is tremendous potential to be financially rewarded as a designer. My roots inspire me, I always look at my past experiences and history to help me solve design problems. My son brings me so much joy; his sense of humor is great his happiness makes me smile.

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I've found in life that the best place and people to learn from are those who are closest to us. Our mothers, fathers, and siblings have an indelible impact on what we learn and how we do so. I'm so thankful to have family such as mine and in particular this time for my cousin Eny. In an hour or two, she taught me so much. I do want to keep learning so she'll play a part in a future post and I will learn as we play.

Top 5 Lessons Learned at the HOW Design Conference

Fred Harrison, one of the conference speakers, gave the audience bags to explode. We're all record holders at recordsetter.com. One of the main messages of Sam Harrison's talk was to pay attention to surroundings.

I wondered if it was possible to actually learn something from everyone I encountered at the HOW Design 2014 Conference so I decided to take notes and see.

I love learning and although many people are turned off by conferences, I enjoy them. Going to the HOW Design Conference was a dream come true, not because I hadn't attended before, but because Stefan Sagmeister, designer rock star, was going to be there. I realized a dream and also learned quite a few lessons from everyone, but the five talks below made lasting impressions on me that will remain for a long time.


1. A Designed Life with Donovan/Green - This husband/wife team taught me that one can have better results working with the right clients.Their company grew and had a lot of success because they valued diversity of thought and hired those that were better than they were at their craft. But the most important lesson learned was to focus on what you want and to do what feels right.

2. Stanley Hainsworth's Stories of Success. Our most successful ideas can come after work hours. Infusing your passions into your work can yield great results. Everything you  do or have done,can inform your ideas and point you in the right direction.

3. Justin Ahrens Puts His Money Where His Heart Is. Mr. Ahrens is very passionate about helping the world through good. He devotes his time to charity and believes that passion brings out the best version of you. Ahrens thinks that we become what we repeatedly do so we must be aware of our habits. I was encouraged to listen to Drew Houston's commencement speech and it was the best advice. I'm paying it forward and have included it below:

4. Zing Zone with Sam Harrison - Our creativity ZONE can be achieved by following a five step process. The steps include Explore, Experiment, Exhale, Examine, Express.

5. Bob Gil on Ideation - This 83-year old reminded us that we're influenced by culture, but we should ignore it because trends are not ideas. Having a point of view brings out your best and most unique work.

I encourage everyone to go to this particular conference because you'll be surrounded by so many creatives that who knows... maybe you'll be the next Drew Houston!

Creativity: Skinning the Cat

NOTE: No Cats were actually harmed in this sketch.

I wondered if I could get out of a rut when my idea-sparking methods don't work so I researched creativity a bit.

Almost everyone knows that there's multiple ways to skin a cat, therefore, many creative ways to produce any given product or service. By definition creativity is the use of the imagination or original ideas in the production of an artistic work. But is there such a thing as original ideas? how does one achieve creativity and is it at all possible to be creative when you're not a "creative"? Before I delve, let's throw away the notion that creativity is an spontaneous act. Creativity requires work. Creating truly original and innovative work may require a day, a month or even years.

Rituals of the Creative

In my search, I started to read the book, Daily Rituals: How Artists Work, and so far I've noticed that most artists in the book have a method. As the name of the book suggests, artists have routines that help them be creative.There are some individuals whose creativity is sparked by their quiet environments, while others require chaotic organization, and there's even those who need liquor to get those creative juices flowing. I think that individuals that have a method are able to tap into their creative mind as quickly as their job requires.

Creativity for Everyone! 

Is there a method to the madness? Can everyone learn to approach creative problems and come up with creative solutions. Recently, I attended the Design Bootcamp at the The Design Gym which answered my questions. The design thinking process may be the key to unlocking everyone's creative side to create innovative products and services. The design thinking process is not a secret, it is a method employed by many. I searched to see if anyone else employs the method and found this tutorial video on Lynda.com. While, I knew some of the steps because I employ some of them, it was enlightening to see the full process.

How original is creative? 

Truly original work may not exist. Creativity is giving your own spin to any subject without copying. Austin Kleon writer of the book Steal Like An Artist, explains it best in the video below. As a creative, using inspiration is part of the process. And although you may think something is original, you may find that parts of it may be, though not everything.

My Own Creative Ritual and Process

By now you must be curious about me and my creativity process. Well, as for me, I'm an introverted collector. I collect inspiration. If you look at my Pinterest page, you will see that I have an affection for very particular things. As I mentioned on a previous post, I'm enamored with handdrawn typography and have collected many type specimen. I also own a bulletin board at home and clip inspiration from magazines I own. I go on Internet sprees. I go in search of particular subjects and find other things that inspire me on the way. I collect bookmarks.

I visit museums. I'm inspired by old works as well as new works by contemporary artists.

I go to flea markets. I'm inspired by the things people create from vintage objects.

At home, I surround myself with objects that inspire me. You wouldn't know it but everything in my home is something I handpicked not for its utility and its beauty.

I wonder. I ponder. I often just sit and think about things like this post for example.

Learning Hand Lettering

I wondered if I could be great at hand lettering so I tried it. As a designer, I often have to learn new software programs and keep up with new technologies. Learning to adapt quickly is a necessary requirement of my profession. I often attend workshops, talks, and take courses on design in order to keep learning.

Recently, I've grown obsessed with handdrawn type and illustration. My interest started long ago when my favorite designer of all time, Stefan Sagmeister, created the poster with the chicken without a head. I didn't start developing my own handdrawn type until 2005 when I took at class at SVA just to get re-inspired. My professor at SVA stressed the need to find your own voice by incorporating some sort of handmade aspect to whatever you desired to do; doing so adds something that cannot be duplicated. In the age of machines, everything looks the same except things we create with our own hands. Yes, it is quite imperfect but it also what makes you unique.

Here's my journey in pictures on hand lettering.

Although this attempt was very raw, I didn't know it at the time. Sometimes, it takes to keep trying to know.

Around 2011, I created a website www.myown9to5.com and basically wrote the text with my own handwriting. As you can tell, I wasn't really trying to be perfect or even close.

Above is more recent example of hand lettering you can see that my letters are choppy and too close together. It looks amateur.

I'm currently attending a class on hand lettering on Skillshare and learned some tips to improve my hand lettering skills. Here's a draft of a project I'm working on at the moment. As you can tell I'm much improved. I hope I can do a lot better in the coming year. I can still see some things than can be improved in the project below. But this is the life of graphic designer.