Free Photoshoot competition!

As i have now hit 1500 Likers on my facebook page http://www.facebook.com/darkslidephoto it is time to unveil  the details of the competition to win a Free photoshoot!

 

This includes a 2 hour shoot, and 20 edited images from the day for you to keep, plus 2x 8x10 prints of your choice, plus the opportunity to be featured on several photography blogs and websites.

 

To be in with a chance of winning, it is simple, send an email to andy@darkslidephotography.co.uk with your most zany, whacky idea for a photo shoot, this could be anything you wish! So go wild! Hows about a spooky ghostly shoot? Gothic and vamperic? Or something more glamorous like Hollywood pinup? Or maybe just some portrait shots for your family or loved ones? The only limits are your imagination!

 

You have a choice of having the shoot at my home studio in Walsall, West midlands, or on location, again within the Walsall / Birmingham area, so you will need to be able to travel or be local to enter.

The shoot will take place anytime between the start of July to end of August, and will be agreed on by both myself and the winner. You will also need your own clothing or outfit for the shoot itself and be able to do your own hair and makeup too.

Good luck!

 

Terms and conditions,

 1.       You must be over 18 to enter the competition

 2.       You can be male or female

 3.       Modelling experience is not needed.

 4.       Submissions will only be accepted by emailing directly on andy@darkslidephotography.co.uk

5.       You must be able to travel to the Walsall, West Midlands area

6.       Judging of the best idea will take place 1 week from the competition launch. Last entries must be submitted by Monday 20th June 2011 at Midnight.

7.       The prize is a maximum 2 hour photoshoot, on location or in a studio, and 20x edited high resolution images with a small Darkslide photography logo included, you will also receive 2x 8x10 prints of your choice which will be unbranded.

8.       If for any reason you cannot do the shoot or decide not to partake, the runner up will be selected as a replacement.

9.       You will agree to sign a model release form stating that the images can be used by Andy Simon / Darkslide Photography for media or publicity usage, including magazine or newspaper submission, online publication etc. 

A classic. Untouched.

A shot from approx 2007, taken with a Fuji s5500 Point and shoot camera,
sunset in the garden, Simple, yet beautiful.

The Piano

Our Piano sits proudly in the living room, it is dusty and played less than
it ought to be, but ever present and part of the families life.

The blue hue was a reflection off the window caused by the Television being
left on in standby by one of the children.

The Chest and the Shoes.

This is the chest the shoes are stored in at the bottom of our stairs. it is
old, shabby, smells like feet, but most importantly, it is beautiful.

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This is a test post.

Evolution of Design - Darkslide Photography Logo

So i thought it might be interesting, well maybe not interesting to you guys, but interesting to me! To show you the evolution of the Logo for ‘Darkslide Photography’ over the past few years.

In todays world, brand recognition is everything, from iconic logos such as Coca Cola, McDonalds, to supermarkets such as Asda, Tesco etc. We live in a visual world where even without words, people from all over the world, speaking a myriad of languages will all recognise a brand logo. So over the past few years since i decided to take the plunge into the world of professional photography it has been important to me to get a logo that ‘fits’. Not only recognisable so people  will look at it and say ‘Oh, thats Darkslide Photography!’ but also a logo that suits my individuality.

Up until recently i have tried myself to create various designs and logo branding, but nothing has ever jumped out at me. So after a lot of revisions, and feedback from colleagues, followers on my facebook page, Twitter, etc. I finally came up with a Logo design that i liked, it reflected me as a person and also suited the ‘Darkslide’ branding, and style of my work.  A simple image based around the aperture blades of a lens. This went through several revisions until finally it became something more ‘Me’. Then it was a case of finding a suitable font and layout for the overall logo, which thanks to  fellow photographer and jolly good chap indeed, Andy Woodhouse from ‘I-dophotos’ The final brand logo came about!

So they say that a picture says a thousand words. So instead of me waffling any longer, here is the Evolution of Design! From early concept, through many revisions to the final (for now!) logo

Original concept logo, simple, with part of an out of focus landscape image as the background. Used from around 2007.

A early attempt at using an aperture design, quickly replaced. The length simply did not work.

The logo that has stayed with me for quite some time. I really liked it at first, with the aperture blades and compact text, but it never really ‘wowed’ me and it was a bit too sterile to reflect myself and my work.

An early concept around the aperture blades idea. With a new key logo.

...and another.

..and another... This one a bit more messy and grungy, but still not quite right.

Still not there...

.. and then... WOW! A friend of mine had a mess with the design and layouts and came up with this concept! It instantly drew me into it, and worked in such a way that reflected not only my style as a photographer, but also as an individual.

A few subtle changes later and the final logo is born!

This works for me, not only on a personal level, but also in its flexibility, as not only is it instantly recognised with the aperture blades design, but it also works twofold as use as a transparency to watermark images also, plus it can be inverted if need be to suit a white background too.

Well i hope you enjoyed reading this new blog post and to see how my progression has come along over the past few years.

Andy

Self portrait

#selfportraitfriday