Commercial Photography

By familiarizing myself with the client, the message and the audience, it is possible for a photograph to speak louder than words. It's not just about standing at the base of a building and taking a picture when the sun is shining, it's about what you want out of the picture after it's in your hands, and how much mileage you want out of it.

For example, anything that can date a photograph (signage, people's clothing, etc.) that was slated to be used for years will make it obsolete in a heartbeat. It's your money, I don't want you to waste it.

Commercial photography is a different kind of experience in that the subjects are rarely mobile and often need just the right lighting or external conditions to create a great photograph. This allows for time to shoot many different options for a client so they may make the most informed decision possible about how their product is presented. Or it can create a stripped-down, focused shoot with the creation of the desired photograph in a more efficient atmosphere.

Editorial, Documentary and Artistic Photography

Capturing events and everyday things we see around us is a constant thrill for me: to be able to tell a story in pictures and convey the emotions of that moment in time are the reasons I pick up my camera and point it at complete strangers in a crowd.

When it comes to artistic photos, I get a thrill out of creating something from an otherwise overlooked object or a scene that doesn't usually get a second look from others. Finding that perfect angle that reveals another side of a subject, or noticing something completely new when the lighting is just right is part of what I love about photography.

Desktop Publishing and Graphic Design

   

Taking an idea and turning it into a graphic element, logo, background image, or even fancy text with "special effects" added is, in itself, an art form. Think of it like small works of art that can make up a larger composite image or message. That's how I see the graphics I create.

Proofreading, Creative and Technical Writing

For over 20 years I have been throwing myself into the written word and how important it is to everyday communication. I have come across many pieces of creative or technical writing in marketing materials and the media that were poorly crafted, confusing, or buried the message altogether. Such examples of a lack of clarity or pointed message inspire me to always make a message as clear as possible and easy to understand.

My degree in English with a Writing Emphasis and years of writing experience have developed my critical eye, and enhanced my creative approach to writing. My background as a copy editor and managing editor at the Winona State University newspaper "The Winonan" provided invaluable experience and insight into creating important, thoughtful pieces, and showed me how positive marketing results are driven by audience response to the product's presentation and message.

When I tackle corporate pieces, such as the proposal section to the right, I rewrite descriptions, explanations, philosophy statements and the iike to get rid of outdated terms, cliches and pointless, run-on sentences.

For example, at one employer, I outlawed the use of the phrase "thinking outside the box" because there are always better ways to get a point across without using tired, overused phrases.

Click on the example to enlarge.