Thanks. Yes, as you can tell...card design is not my forte.
Actually, I think I will go with my web address. People can email me from my website and it will ensure that more people see the site. That will be in my next revision.
About the bottom text, good point. After I switched them, I wasn't sure it was balanced as well, but I thought I'd see what other people thought about it. I hadn't realized the sun's role in relation to that text. I was trying to balance the top text with the bottom. I'm really global and have to really force myself to pay attention to the details, sometimes.
IMO, this is your best version yet! Is there a reason you've opted for email address over web address? I'm interested to hear what the more experienced card designers say.
EDIT: I do wonder about switching those bottom two items back though...the sun in your picture was peeking out just between them before, which was kinda nice.
Trying this again, after having found the posting tips. My revised business card, using the C&C provided. So far, it's a general concept thing, still a work in progress, obviously. But, I think i'm getting closer to the concept.
Use your web address, switch sides with the phone number, and you got it.
Sam
Hi Sam!
Yep, I just finished and was about to post when I saw your last post. Great minds...
Thanks everyone, for your help! I think I will go with this version. (plus the real phone number, of course) Gee, I hope I don't send it off to the printer with all those 000's.
Yep, I just finished and was about to post when I saw your last post. Great minds...
Thanks everyone, for your help! I think I will go with this version. (plus the real phone number, of course) Gee, I hope I don't send it off to the printer with all those 000's.
I think you've got a winner!
Elaine
Comments and constructive critique always welcome!
Hi Dusty, I saw your card earlier and since I see that you haven't gotten a response so I'll go ahead and give it a go...
For now I'm going to focus only on the front of your card.
I think that with a name like "Dusty Dog" you're right in featuring a big dog related logo. Dusty Dog sounds fun but your card doesn't look that fun. What I mean is that besides the business name the only other obviously fun thing is the font you chose. The dog silhouette certainly ties back to the business name but the style of art you chose sseems a bit stuffy to me. It has a bit of an embossed look to it which is usually meant to look elegant or old-fashioned, but certainly not playful. The border around everything also makes your card look stuffy. I guess what I'm saying is the look of the card and the name of the business aren't matching up (for me) yet.
If you are really gunning for the "fun canine/pets" kind of theme (I'm assuming you are since Dusty Dog is a fantastic name for a "Fun" and "canine/pet oriented" business then maybe you need to push the dog thing farther. I just took a quick glance at myfonts.com and searched "dog fonts" and found a whole bunch of them - some have very stylized dog silhouettes, others feature letters inside of dog paw prints, etc. yes they cost money, but most of these fonts can be had for under $30. Take a look you might loke one of the things you see. Of course if you go too far with the animal theme the card might end up looking like a vets and we don't want that.
If you choose to stay with what you've got then I suggest:
a. lose the border
b. pull the top two lines of text upward so that the imaginary line that runs across the top of "Dusty Dog" lines up with the tip of one of the dogs ears - you'll have to play with it to see which ear works best the important thing is to get some visual relationships working in there.
c. pull the remaining lines of text downward so that the imaginary line that runs across the bottom of your email lines up with the extended paw.
d. Lose some of the dog fur - there are too many tiny lines in that dog logo.
e. experiment with other playful type of fonts, what you have might be fine, other Dgrinners might be of more with specific font suggestions.
f. lose the word "phone" - we know what those digits mean.
Trying this again, after having found the posting tips. My revised business card, using the C&C provided. So far, it's a general concept thing, still a work in progress, obviously. But, I think i'm getting closer to the concept.
Seeing the vast range of comments, and very helpful feedback. Can I get some feedback to this:
Appreciate all feedback.
~ Suchit
Centering the text makes it look incohesive. You did well with contrast and alignment. Repitition could use a boost. Why not use the same font that you used for the sideways Suchit Nanda Photography for the "Transforming light into expressions of emotions" text? And, do you really need to have that "transforming light blah blah blah" repeated twice on your card?
As far as alignment goes, I'd right justify everything. Give the viewer a nice hard right edge since they've got several on the left. And, don't be afraid to have the sideways Suchit Nanda Photography sit on one line and line up with the bottom and top of the other text on your card.
Also, does your web server have email capabilities? It'd be better to have your email address be sn@suchit.in or info@suchitnanda.com then the generic and seemingly unrelated email address you've got on there.
Hope that helps.
Y'all don't want to hear me, you just want to dance.
Trying this again, after having found the posting tips. My revised business card, using the C&C provided. So far, it's a general concept thing, still a work in progress, obviously. But, I think i'm getting closer to the concept.
Back:
ArchiTexas already gave you some feedback on the front, so let me jump to the back. I like the mosaic better than the single impage you were using before, and the words do communicate the type of photography that you do - but it took me a minute before I figured that out. (OK, OK, sometimes I must be a little thick!) I guess I don't like the words in the blank space between the photos. I'd like to see "Pets, Portraits, Nature" across the top (not on top of the photos, but in a blank space...) with the photos below the words. Showcase the photos without the interruption of words.
Seeing the vast range of comments, and very helpful feedback. Can I get some feedback to this:
Appreciate all feedback.
~ Suchit
I like the overall design of your card.
Some suggestions: I don't think you need to have both the quote and the photo website on there twice though. Maybe you could put one quote along the edge of the pictures, traveling vertically like the name. Don't know how it will look, but it's a suggestion. Also I would let your pictures on the left go uncovered. Your name is prominent in the text area, so I don't see a need to detract from your pictures by putting it over them as well. I agree with Mike about the right-justification. :
Thanks so much, ArchiTexas, for your input. Sure sent me back to the drawing board. I think I have to rethink the entire image I'm using for the front. I really don't like the way the tree line in the background intersects with her snout. But, I feel like I need to use an image of her on the front. She was my Zuki, my dusty dog. We rescued eachother. She's the reason for my site name. And, my tribute to her is this. Goddess knows, I miss her so much. But, I digress....... :cry Here's the card:
Thanks so much, ArchiTexas, for your input. Sure sent me back to the drawing board. I think I have to rethink the entire image I'm using for the front. I really don't like the way the tree line in the background intersects with her snout. But, I feel like I need to use an image of her on the front. She was my Zuki, my dusty dog. We rescued eachother. She's the reason for my site name. And, my tribute to her is this. Goddess knows, I miss her so much. But, I digress....... :cry Here's the card:
...
And, here's my reworked back:
...
Hi there!
I do like this version better. I'm wondering if this is to be a "standard" business card size, about 2"x3.5"? If so, I'd zoom out in photoshop 'till the card equals the printed size on the screen and see if the five pics on the back will still be nicely visible.
Elaine
Comments and constructive critique always welcome!
I do like this version better. I'm wondering if this is to be a "standard" business card size, about 2"x3.5"? If so, I'd zoom out in photoshop 'till the card equals the printed size on the screen and see if the five pics on the back will still be nicely visible.
Thanks, Elaine. Yes, I did check the sizes against a business card. And, it's clear enough and bright enough to work. I like this much better, also. It's more playful.
So, how do you like that portrait in the center? That's my grandson, and I love that portrait of him. I converted it to b&w, because his hands were so filthy. But, it worked well. Hehehehehe...... had to mention it.
Your welcome Dusty. I agree w/ Elaine, this card looks better. I also agree w/ you about the tree line being a distraction. maybe darken up the Dusty the German Shepard image on the front and erase the tree line out? The back is more difficult to critique since you have so many images there, but here goes:
a. You seem to have more white along the right border than the left, try scooting the German Shepard and the flowers a tiny bit to the right.
b. Since it appears you are going for a "random photos on a table top" look to the back why not rotate your grandson a bit clockwise (about half the angle that you used on the cat, or less) rather than having him perfectly centered as he is now. While you're at it experiment with moving him downward a bit rather than having him perfectly centered - I'll tell you why next.
c. If you move your grandchild downwards (upwards might also work) you will have a larger open area where you could place all of your text: "Pets, Portraits, Nature" instead of having the words scattered among the page. if you group the words you might stagger them to match the angle of the right edge of the cat photo, like this:
Pets
_Portraits
__Nature
d. Finally, if you went ahead and skewed your grandson's photo a bit then you might want to experiment with rotating the stork so that it is not angled at all but rather orthagonal with the card, in this way at least one photo is not rotated and at least one of the four corners of your card is not bracketing a triangle of open space (currently all four corners do this.)
Honestly, the only way to be sure if any of my suggestions will help is to actually lay it out and see. It could be that none of them will pan out for the better. It's difficult to make design recommendations using only text and without the benefit of having the original materials to work with.
Good Luck and keep posting your card as it develops.
ERF
My latest iteration, based on all your comments (and, of course, my artistic abilities ) Thanks for looking.
Front - This took some major image editing from the original image to remove the tree line away from the dog's muzzle. Then, I opted to make it about 50% transparent for text clarity. In both iterations, I extended the canvas to the right. But, do you think that this image shows it too badly? Or, doesn't it make a difference? I'm thinking not, but I want your opinions.
Back - Lots and LOTS of rotating, moving, tweaking. I think I'm about there.
Alrighty...I guess it's my turn!
I've been reading The Non-Designer's Design Book and feel like I can apply the principles when looking at someone else's card, but not on my own!
I'm going for something very simple
I only want the web address on the card
I'm trying to visually tie it to my site
My concerns:
lack of color (and maybe some oomph!)
fonts...
does it speak for itself...that I'm interested in capturing moments with people?
front:
back:
I also had a version that was black on the back with lighter script (which matches my site well), but I thought that would eliminate any possibility of writing any more info on the card, if the moment called for it.
Thoughts?
Elaine
Comments and constructive critique always welcome!
What do you guys think of using a front only business card vs. a front and back one? I can't really think of any other information that I need to put on the card.
Website isn't actually up yet, but it will be soon.
What do you guys think of using a front only business card vs. a front and back one? I can't really think of any other information that I need to put on the card.
Website isn't actually up yet, but it will be soon.
I'm not an expert by any stretch, but two things come immediately to my mind. First, this card clearly states what kind of photography you do. No question, it's all there, up front and in plain sight.
Second, however, is my concern tht you're way too close to the card edges. It's my understanding that bleeding to the edge is OK if any info that may be lost in the printing process isn't important. In your case, you've got all your importatnt stuff right to the edge. I would maybe rethink this.
Thanks for the tips. I'll move the text a little further away from the edges. Also, the website consists of a friend and I, I'm the only one that shoots sports which is why I put that after my name. I figured it would maybe help the customer when they goto the website looking for information.
What do you guys think of using a front only business card vs. a front and back one? I can't really think of any other information that I need to put on the card.
Website isn't actually up yet, but it will be soon.
I do like the colors, but it's kind of busy for my tastes and I don't care for the drop shadows/embossing. I wouldn't use the "gmail" e-mail. Use your own e-mail, such as info@CMVisioals.net if you could.
Thanks, Elaine. Yes, I did check the sizes against a business card. And, it's clear enough and bright enough to work. I like this much better, also. It's more playful.
So, how do you like that portrait in the center? That's my grandson, and I love that portrait of him. I converted it to b&w, because his hands were so filthy. But, it worked well. Hehehehehe...... had to mention it.
Any specific thoughts on the front image?
Hey! That's a very fun shot of your grandson and it looks great in B&W!
I noticed there seems to be a copyright signature on the shot of the bird, but at that size on a business card, it probably won't be readable, and none of the other shots have one. Your two pics on the far right seem to be lined up at the same angle which seems to link them visually, yet they don't go together. IMO, perhaps three shots would work better...one pet, one portrait, one nature. I think I would try it without the cat and flower because the other shots speak to me more, but that's just me.
I like seeing the color pic of your dog on the front. In this version, the far right side does seem to be more blurred, but at business-card size, I'm not sure it would be all that noticeable. Clearing the trees out around the snout was effective. I think your text alignment looks good. Is the phone number the same size font as the words above it? It looks larger, but just barely larger. May be just my eyes.
Elaine
Comments and constructive critique always welcome!
Some suggestions: I don't think you need to have both the quote and the photo website on there twice though. Maybe you could put one quote along the edge of the pictures, traveling vertically like the name. Don't know how it will look, but it's a suggestion. Also I would let your pictures on the left go uncovered. Your name is prominent in the text area, so I don't see a need to detract from your pictures by putting it over them as well. I agree with Mike about the right-justification. :
I agree! There is a lot of text packed into a small space here, so it seems a bit cluttered at first glance. But I think the overall look is nice!
Elaine
Comments and constructive critique always welcome!
does it speak for itself...that I'm interested in capturing moments with people?
I like the image but the URL running across the bottom doesn't work for me. Have you considered using the pure image - no text - on one side of your card and moving your URL to the back of the card along with your name?
I think simple is good, but I do wonder if this will push the potential clients you are looking for to you. Is your focus going to be people shots in interesting spots? If it is, then this photo works for me.
Is there a reason why you aren't including an email address? Yes, if someone goes to your site they can find it, but either an email address or a phone seems like it would be a good piece of information for your card.
I like the image but the URL running across the bottom doesn't work for me. Have you considered using the pure image - no text - on one side of your card and moving your URL to the back of the card along with your name?
I think simple is good, but I do wonder if this will push the potential clients you are looking for to you. Is your focus going to be people shots in interesting spots? If it is, then this photo works for me.
Is there a reason why you aren't including an email address? Yes, if someone goes to your site they can find it, but either an email address or a phone seems like it would be a good piece of information for your card.
--- Denise
Thanks, Denise!
My first attempts included all the text on one side with the pic on the other. For now, I'd like to use the Elaine Heasley Photography text as is because it matches my site. My problem comes in trying to wrangle that grouping of text with any more text and having it look good. I gave up and moved the URL to the other side. I'm certainly willing to have all the text together; I just haven't found a nice looking way to do it yet. I'm open to suggestions.
Your question about "people shots in interesting spots" was exactly what I was concerned about. I'm certainly willing to go to the beach, but I live in Oregon (sunny, warm beach shots can be rare) and the beach is an hour away, so that would not be standard fare. To be honest, I just like this pic and figured the crop and B&W were well-suited for a card. And since I am doing portraits, I figured a picture on the card was better than no picture and just text.
I guess I'm not anxious to pass my email address around...just because. And I'm certainly not comfortable advertising my phone number. I'd rather someone took a look at my site before making the next level of contact. I could be persuaded otherwise, but right now, that's just my gut feeling. These cards would probably go mostly to people I know, with the understanding that they could share them with people they know. They could check out the site and see if they're interested, then contact me.
Thanks so much for your feedback! I really appreciate it and I'll give this another go.
Elaine
Comments and constructive critique always welcome!
I guess I'm not anxious to pass my email address around...just because. And I'm certainly not comfortable advertising my phone number. I'd rather someone took a look at my site before making the next level of contact. I could be persuaded otherwise, but right now, that's just my gut feeling. These cards would probably go mostly to people I know, with the understanding that they could share them with people they know. They could check out the site and see if they're interested, then contact me.
I can understand not wanting your email address or phone number floating around. If you're not going to include either on your card, then I'd recommend adding a "contact me" link on your home page. Yes, there is one in your guestbook, but I had to look for that. Maybe you could add one to your footer? I'm just afraid that a potential client wouldn't find the link in your guestbook - somehow a guestbook doesn't feel like the first place I would look for contact information.
I can understand not wanting your email address or phone number floating around. If you're not going to include either on your card, then I'd recommend adding a "contact me" link on your home page. Yes, there is one in your guestbook, but I had to look for that. Maybe you could add one to your footer? I'm just afraid that a potential client wouldn't find the link in your guestbook - somehow a guestbook doesn't feel like the first place I would look for contact information.
--- Denise
Thanks! Yes, the footer is a good idea.
Elaine
Comments and constructive critique always welcome!
Hey! That's a very fun shot of your grandson and it looks great in B&W!
I noticed there seems to be a copyright signature on the shot of the bird, but at that size on a business card, it probably won't be readable, and none of the other shots have one. Your two pics on the far right seem to be lined up at the same angle which seems to link them visually, yet they don't go together. IMO, perhaps three shots would work better...one pet, one portrait, one nature. I think I would try it without the cat and flower because the other shots speak to me more, but that's just me.
I like seeing the color pic of your dog on the front. In this version, the far right side does seem to be more blurred, but at business-card size, I'm not sure it would be all that noticeable. Clearing the trees out around the snout was effective. I think your text alignment looks good. Is the phone number the same size font as the words above it? It looks larger, but just barely larger. May be just my eyes.
In response..........
I know the copyright is on the image at the left bottom, but I didn't have the energy at the moment to do away with it. I will in the final version.
I also noticed right after I posted it that the two right images are lined up. How did I miss that one. Yup, it's already fixed.
Phone number is the same font. Yup, it's your eyes.
Hmmmmmmm......... hadn't thought about reducing it to only three images. I wanted to include the cat, because cats aren't considered as much as dogs when we talk about "pet" portraits. I think it speaks to the issue that cat portraits are every bit as relevant as dog portraits. Or bird portraits, Or horse portraits. But, I don't do fish portraits. And, I wanted to include the flower because people ask me quite frequently to photograph their flowers. In fact, I was just asked this evening to do some flowers in the spring when the irises bloom. I've done all kinds of garden portraits, orchid portraits, weed portraits, etc. I think I'm gonna stick with the five images. Maybe that will change when I do my next batch of cards. I dunno. Depends how I feel.
And, thanks SO MUCH for your input. It means so much to me to get such excellent feedback. This site rocks. And, thanks for mentioning by grandson's portrait. I love that shot. I love that kid.
My problem comes in trying to wrangle that grouping of text with any more text and having it look good. I gave up and moved the URL to the other side. I'm certainly willing to have all the text together; I just haven't found a nice looking way to do it yet. I'm open to suggestions.
I guess I'm not anxious to pass my email address around...just because. And I'm certainly not comfortable advertising my phone number. I'd rather someone took a look at my site before making the next level of contact.
Regarding the text, if all you are going to have is the URL, I agree it would look pretty stark all by itself. But if you do add other information, the one piece of advice I can give you is to stick to one font, or font family.
RE: the contact info, if the purpose of this is simply to say to your friends "go here to see my pictures", then OK. If you are trying to use it as a business development tool, then I strongly believe you need some sort of contact information on the card. Preferably e-mail and phone, but e-mail alone is better than nothing.
It seems your domain hosting service provides unlimited e-mail accounts. So set one up for your photography work only. It appears to be free and all you have to do is remember to check it. Plus you don't have to use one of those goofy gmail, aol, yahoo accounts that come across as less than professional.
"Don't ask me what I think of you, I might not give the answer that you want me to. Oh well."
-Fleetwood Mac
Comments
Actually, I think I will go with my web address. People can email me from my website and it will ensure that more people see the site. That will be in my next revision.
About the bottom text, good point. After I switched them, I wasn't sure it was balanced as well, but I thought I'd see what other people thought about it. I hadn't realized the sun's role in relation to that text. I was trying to balance the top text with the bottom. I'm really global and have to really force myself to pay attention to the details, sometimes.
Worshipping the Creator and capturing His awesome creation!
Front:
Back:
Dusty Dog Digital
NWPLI
NANPA
Use your web address, switch sides with the phone number, and you got it.
Sam
Hi Sam!
Yep, I just finished and was about to post when I saw your last post. Great minds...
Thanks everyone, for your help! I think I will go with this version. (plus the real phone number, of course) Gee, I hope I don't send it off to the printer with all those 000's.
Worshipping the Creator and capturing His awesome creation!
I think you've got a winner!
Comments and constructive critique always welcome!
Elaine Heasley Photography
For now I'm going to focus only on the front of your card.
I think that with a name like "Dusty Dog" you're right in featuring a big dog related logo. Dusty Dog sounds fun but your card doesn't look that fun. What I mean is that besides the business name the only other obviously fun thing is the font you chose. The dog silhouette certainly ties back to the business name but the style of art you chose sseems a bit stuffy to me. It has a bit of an embossed look to it which is usually meant to look elegant or old-fashioned, but certainly not playful. The border around everything also makes your card look stuffy. I guess what I'm saying is the look of the card and the name of the business aren't matching up (for me) yet.
If you are really gunning for the "fun canine/pets" kind of theme (I'm assuming you are since Dusty Dog is a fantastic name for a "Fun" and "canine/pet oriented" business then maybe you need to push the dog thing farther. I just took a quick glance at myfonts.com and searched "dog fonts" and found a whole bunch of them - some have very stylized dog silhouettes, others feature letters inside of dog paw prints, etc. yes they cost money, but most of these fonts can be had for under $30. Take a look you might loke one of the things you see. Of course if you go too far with the animal theme the card might end up looking like a vets and we don't want that.
If you choose to stay with what you've got then I suggest:
a. lose the border
b. pull the top two lines of text upward so that the imaginary line that runs across the top of "Dusty Dog" lines up with the tip of one of the dogs ears - you'll have to play with it to see which ear works best the important thing is to get some visual relationships working in there.
c. pull the remaining lines of text downward so that the imaginary line that runs across the bottom of your email lines up with the extended paw.
d. Lose some of the dog fur - there are too many tiny lines in that dog logo.
e. experiment with other playful type of fonts, what you have might be fine, other Dgrinners might be of more with specific font suggestions.
f. lose the word "phone" - we know what those digits mean.
Thats it - just my opinion. Thanks for posting.
Olympus E510 and Gigapan mount
Appreciate all feedback.
~ Suchit
http://photos.suchit.in/ http://suchitnanda.org/
Transforming light into expressions of emotions.
As far as alignment goes, I'd right justify everything. Give the viewer a nice hard right edge since they've got several on the left. And, don't be afraid to have the sideways Suchit Nanda Photography sit on one line and line up with the bottom and top of the other text on your card.
Also, does your web server have email capabilities? It'd be better to have your email address be sn@suchit.in or info@suchitnanda.com then the generic and seemingly unrelated email address you've got on there.
Hope that helps.
http://photos.mikelanestudios.com/
--- Denise
Musings & ramblings at https://denisegoldberg.blogspot.com
I like the overall design of your card.
Some suggestions: I don't think you need to have both the quote and the photo website on there twice though. Maybe you could put one quote along the edge of the pictures, traveling vertically like the name. Don't know how it will look, but it's a suggestion. Also I would let your pictures on the left go uncovered. Your name is prominent in the text area, so I don't see a need to detract from your pictures by putting it over them as well. I agree with Mike about the right-justification.
Gallery of mine...caution, it's under CONSTANT construction! | Photo Journal
In the right light, at the right time, everything is extraordinary. ~Aaron Rose
And, here's my reworked back:
Dusty Dog Digital
NWPLI
NANPA
Hi there!
I do like this version better. I'm wondering if this is to be a "standard" business card size, about 2"x3.5"? If so, I'd zoom out in photoshop 'till the card equals the printed size on the screen and see if the five pics on the back will still be nicely visible.
Comments and constructive critique always welcome!
Elaine Heasley Photography
Thanks, Elaine. Yes, I did check the sizes against a business card. And, it's clear enough and bright enough to work. I like this much better, also. It's more playful.
So, how do you like that portrait in the center? That's my grandson, and I love that portrait of him. I converted it to b&w, because his hands were so filthy. But, it worked well. Hehehehehe...... had to mention it.
Any specific thoughts on the front image?
Dusty Dog Digital
NWPLI
NANPA
Your welcome Dusty. I agree w/ Elaine, this card looks better. I also agree w/ you about the tree line being a distraction. maybe darken up the Dusty the German Shepard image on the front and erase the tree line out? The back is more difficult to critique since you have so many images there, but here goes:
a. You seem to have more white along the right border than the left, try scooting the German Shepard and the flowers a tiny bit to the right.
b. Since it appears you are going for a "random photos on a table top" look to the back why not rotate your grandson a bit clockwise (about half the angle that you used on the cat, or less) rather than having him perfectly centered as he is now. While you're at it experiment with moving him downward a bit rather than having him perfectly centered - I'll tell you why next.
c. If you move your grandchild downwards (upwards might also work) you will have a larger open area where you could place all of your text: "Pets, Portraits, Nature" instead of having the words scattered among the page. if you group the words you might stagger them to match the angle of the right edge of the cat photo, like this:
Pets
_Portraits
__Nature
d. Finally, if you went ahead and skewed your grandson's photo a bit then you might want to experiment with rotating the stork so that it is not angled at all but rather orthagonal with the card, in this way at least one photo is not rotated and at least one of the four corners of your card is not bracketing a triangle of open space (currently all four corners do this.)
Honestly, the only way to be sure if any of my suggestions will help is to actually lay it out and see. It could be that none of them will pan out for the better. It's difficult to make design recommendations using only text and without the benefit of having the original materials to work with.
Good Luck and keep posting your card as it develops.
ERF
Olympus E510 and Gigapan mount
Front - This took some major image editing from the original image to remove the tree line away from the dog's muzzle. Then, I opted to make it about 50% transparent for text clarity. In both iterations, I extended the canvas to the right. But, do you think that this image shows it too badly? Or, doesn't it make a difference? I'm thinking not, but I want your opinions.
Back - Lots and LOTS of rotating, moving, tweaking. I think I'm about there.
Dusty Dog Digital
NWPLI
NANPA
I've been reading The Non-Designer's Design Book and feel like I can apply the principles when looking at someone else's card, but not on my own!
- I'm going for something very simple
- I only want the web address on the card
- I'm trying to visually tie it to my site
My concerns:- lack of color (and maybe some oomph!)
- fonts...
- does it speak for itself...that I'm interested in capturing moments with people?
front:back:
I also had a version that was black on the back with lighter script (which matches my site well), but I thought that would eliminate any possibility of writing any more info on the card, if the moment called for it.
Thoughts?
Comments and constructive critique always welcome!
Elaine Heasley Photography
What do you guys think of using a front only business card vs. a front and back one? I can't really think of any other information that I need to put on the card.
Website isn't actually up yet, but it will be soon.
I'm not an expert by any stretch, but two things come immediately to my mind. First, this card clearly states what kind of photography you do. No question, it's all there, up front and in plain sight.
Second, however, is my concern tht you're way too close to the card edges. It's my understanding that bleeding to the edge is OK if any info that may be lost in the printing process isn't important. In your case, you've got all your importatnt stuff right to the edge. I would maybe rethink this.
Hope this helps.
Dusty Dog Digital
NWPLI
NANPA
I do like the colors, but it's kind of busy for my tastes and I don't care for the drop shadows/embossing. I wouldn't use the "gmail" e-mail. Use your own e-mail, such as info@CMVisioals.net if you could.
Images in the Backcountry
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Hey! That's a very fun shot of your grandson and it looks great in B&W!
I noticed there seems to be a copyright signature on the shot of the bird, but at that size on a business card, it probably won't be readable, and none of the other shots have one. Your two pics on the far right seem to be lined up at the same angle which seems to link them visually, yet they don't go together. IMO, perhaps three shots would work better...one pet, one portrait, one nature. I think I would try it without the cat and flower because the other shots speak to me more, but that's just me.
I like seeing the color pic of your dog on the front. In this version, the far right side does seem to be more blurred, but at business-card size, I'm not sure it would be all that noticeable. Clearing the trees out around the snout was effective. I think your text alignment looks good. Is the phone number the same size font as the words above it? It looks larger, but just barely larger. May be just my eyes.
Comments and constructive critique always welcome!
Elaine Heasley Photography
I agree! There is a lot of text packed into a small space here, so it seems a bit cluttered at first glance. But I think the overall look is nice!
Comments and constructive critique always welcome!
Elaine Heasley Photography
I think simple is good, but I do wonder if this will push the potential clients you are looking for to you. Is your focus going to be people shots in interesting spots? If it is, then this photo works for me.
Is there a reason why you aren't including an email address? Yes, if someone goes to your site they can find it, but either an email address or a phone seems like it would be a good piece of information for your card.
--- Denise
Musings & ramblings at https://denisegoldberg.blogspot.com
Thanks, Denise!
My first attempts included all the text on one side with the pic on the other. For now, I'd like to use the Elaine Heasley Photography text as is because it matches my site. My problem comes in trying to wrangle that grouping of text with any more text and having it look good.
Your question about "people shots in interesting spots" was exactly what I was concerned about. I'm certainly willing to go to the beach, but I live in Oregon (sunny, warm beach shots can be rare) and the beach is an hour away, so that would not be standard fare. To be honest, I just like this pic and figured the crop and B&W were well-suited for a card. And since I am doing portraits, I figured a picture on the card was better than no picture and just text.
I guess I'm not anxious to pass my email address around...just because. And I'm certainly not comfortable advertising my phone number. I'd rather someone took a look at my site before making the next level of contact. I could be persuaded otherwise, but right now, that's just my gut feeling. These cards would probably go mostly to people I know, with the understanding that they could share them with people they know. They could check out the site and see if they're interested, then contact me.
Thanks so much for your feedback! I really appreciate it and I'll give this another go.
Comments and constructive critique always welcome!
Elaine Heasley Photography
--- Denise
Musings & ramblings at https://denisegoldberg.blogspot.com
Thanks! Yes, the footer is a good idea.
Comments and constructive critique always welcome!
Elaine Heasley Photography
In response..........
I know the copyright is on the image at the left bottom, but I didn't have the energy at the moment to do away with it. I will in the final version.
I also noticed right after I posted it that the two right images are lined up. How did I miss that one. Yup, it's already fixed.
Phone number is the same font. Yup, it's your eyes.
Hmmmmmmm......... hadn't thought about reducing it to only three images. I wanted to include the cat, because cats aren't considered as much as dogs when we talk about "pet" portraits. I think it speaks to the issue that cat portraits are every bit as relevant as dog portraits. Or bird portraits, Or horse portraits. But, I don't do fish portraits.
And, thanks SO MUCH for your input. It means so much to me to get such excellent feedback. This site rocks. And, thanks for mentioning by grandson's portrait. I love that shot. I love that kid.
Di
Dusty Dog Digital
NWPLI
NANPA
Just to be clear...I did ask if it was the same size font.
That's neat that you get requests to do flower portraits! More power to ya!
Comments and constructive critique always welcome!
Elaine Heasley Photography
Regarding the text, if all you are going to have is the URL, I agree it would look pretty stark all by itself. But if you do add other information, the one piece of advice I can give you is to stick to one font, or font family.
RE: the contact info, if the purpose of this is simply to say to your friends "go here to see my pictures", then OK. If you are trying to use it as a business development tool, then I strongly believe you need some sort of contact information on the card. Preferably e-mail and phone, but e-mail alone is better than nothing.
It seems your domain hosting service provides unlimited e-mail accounts. So set one up for your photography work only. It appears to be free and all you have to do is remember to check it. Plus you don't have to use one of those goofy gmail, aol, yahoo accounts that come across as less than professional.
-Fleetwood Mac
Tell me what you think--I haven't printed these yet, just messing around with the idea. Feedback would be appreciated! Thanks!
Canon 2 x 5D, 24-70L, 70-200 2.8IS, 50 f1.4, 580EXII, 2 x 550EX, CP-E4