livebooks success stories

August 23rd, 2011

Jake Holt: Fun, spirited wedding photography

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In 2006, when I was searching for a designer to build my first high-end, professional website, liveBooks quickly jumped out of the (crowded) pack. Their elegant simplicity was a breath of fresh air compared to everything else that I was seeing at the time. The images, as they should, came first and foremost instead of the typical overly complicated intro pages and clumsily built navigation interfaces. The site they created back then was exactly what I asked for and expected – prominent, large images and intuitive, minimal, aesthetically pleasing navigation, with tons of user options. I loved it from day one and it served me well for over 4 years. As average desktop screen sizes grew larger and larger over the years, those large images were, well, no longer quite so large. As I began to look at my options for a redesign in spring 2011, liveBooks introduced their new Scaler sites (right on time!). My recently launched Scaler site has, once again, exceeded my expectations while keeping with the philosophy that brought me to liveBooks in the first place – BIG images, now big enough to fill even the largest screen, along with an elegant and clean navigation system that gets visitors where they want to go without excessive bells and whistles. The best portfolio websites are the ones that allow you to see big, sharp images up on the screen as simply as you can flip through a hard copy portfolio, and liveBooks delivers in spades.

If priority #1 for a portfolio site is to get your best images out there for the world to see with ease, next on the list is having a unique Bio/About page. A great bio is something that is so often overlooked and put off until later by photographers. For many of us, it’s second nature to shoot, shoot and shoot some more. We have a great desire to quickly share those images. However, when it comes to talking about ourselves and writing a few paragraphs about what we do, we often just toss up something generic about our education and qualifications and how “your special day” is so important to us, etc. This is a huge lost opportunity! Your About page is your chance to add a little extra personality to your work that will help you to stand out from your competition. Imagine, as a potential client, that you’re looking at a photographer for your wedding day – you’ve narrowed it down to 2 photographers with comparable talents at the same price range, but one has a boring, generic About page and the other shows some personality and makes you laugh. Who are you going to choose? Clients are getting more and more savvy every day, and with a generic bio you risk looking like someone merely going through the motions rather than a photographer full of ideas and energy who is ready to deliver amazing photos. Don’t be afraid of posting something a little silly and offbeat! With a sea of generic bios out there, a little something different is a breath of fresh air.

In addition, from a photographer’s standpoint, having a unique About page works great as an extra level of pre-qualification. We all know that the best, most rewarding shoots are the ones where the client shares our tastes and sensibilities and therefore trusts our vision and judgment. By having a unique About page, you will attract clients that see the world as you do and also weed out clients who may not be the best fit. I can safely say that people who mention my About page in their initial contact are almost always on the same page as me when it comes to stylistic choices for their shoot. In this age of fast, fast, and faster, with so many decisions being made based on what can be found online, a unique About page is critical to help you stand out from the masses.

Website: www.jakeholt.com

Jake’s work is unique. It is fun and classic at the same time. He captures the spirit of those he photographs. In addition, his About page is a grade A example of how you can use this section of your website to reveal your personality and style to potential clients. Jake is an active, award winning member of the international Wedding Photojournalist Association and has been voted “Best of Weddings” by The Knot readers for both 2010 and 2011.

Posted in **SCALER / Wedding Photographer and tagged with Interactive Homepage, North America, Scaler preDesign

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August 16th, 2011

French’s Point: Private estate weddings on the coast of Maine

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liveBooks went above and beyond for our new site and we couldn’t be happier! The design and support team were attentive and patient as we worked through the elements of the final product. We have already seen an increase in traffic from SEO and attribute that to the ease of use of the tools in the editSuite. Keep up the great work liveBooks!

Website: www.fpmaine.com

Maine wedding venue French’s Point is shaped by the sea. It is an exceptional private coastal estate to host extraordinary events. Located on the Penobscot Bay on the tip of a private peninsula surrounded by breaking waves, boreal waters and manicured gardens it offers everything you need to plan your big event. They have thought of everything… including having their online presence custom designed by liveBooks!

Posted in Wedding Venue and tagged with Companion Wordpress Blog, Integration: Video, North America, Slideshow Homepage

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August 10th, 2011

Jarryd Ross: Capturing images in the blink of an eye

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Being young in the photography industry isn’t easy. So, having a professional web presence is key. liveBooks offers professional websites that not only showcase your images beautifully, but increase website views and business. Now I am not just saying this because I can, I know from experience. After switching to liveBooks from my previous site, I noticed an increase in website traffic in a matter of hours!

If you think you can sign up for a free site to display your images on think again. Viewers will look at your site, and even before it is finished loading, they will leave because it looks cheap. Now that doesn’t mean your images are bad. They could be amazing, but they are just not presented well. liveBooks’ websites are based on presenting your images in the best way possible. Their sites will help you grow as a photographer and build your business… seriously!

Website: www.jarrydross.com

Jarryd Ross sees perfect picture opportunities everywhere he goes. His mind thinks photography and without it he’d go insane… well more insane than he already is! You’ll enjoy learning more about Jarryd from looking at his work and reading his bio. His bio is creative and fun. Take a look…