Organizational Excellence
Across 43 Chapters Internationally
I was approached by a friend of mine, Dante, who's father-in-law, Mr. Carlyle Holder, had been looking for someone to help with web development for his personal website. It was through this connection that I had the privilege of working with the NABCJ for over 10 years as their senior web developer and design consult.
The goal was to improve their current website, their conference listings, and the way that others purchased conference tickets and paraphernalia. This resulted in multiple deliverables, including a new store with custom photography, 3 versions of a website, member photography, and technical and design assistance of the main office in North Carolina. As with any exploration, some of the ideation around the logo wasn't accepted, and that lies in the beholders' eye.
The Design and Development of
The Website
Through many different considerations and iterations, the site was one of the crowning achievements of my career, with a deep browsable history and many different problems worked through. Responsive, orderly, and featured areas throughout the site allowed the visitor to learn more about the NABCJ's efforts and partners, and the CTA's called for future members to join something bigger than themselves.
Capturing An Essence,
Preserving The History
They say pictures are worth a Thousand Words, but to me they are much more. This picture set proved that portraiture is much more important than any one individual, it is a representation of us all: Humanity. It was a defining moment in my career to snap photos that left me in awe because of the embodiment of a culture. It took me a minute to see how important knowing how to grade the value of darker tones vs lighter, and how the fashion industry is just coming around to that even though we've had representation for years. It isn't until you get involved that you really see the depth and gravity of something like this. It's why I started vistior.com, a promise I made with my dad after being able to attend one of the NABCJ's conferences after working with them nearly 10 years. These are just some of the representatives that were able to make the shoot from across the nation.
Having fun with
Product Photography
I think this was the most fun I've had shooting product, as it was original and authentic in its own right. I didn't have much to work with at the time, so finding a way to make the shots seem genuine enough for others to get the context of what they'd be purchasing was a task in itself. Searching for things around the house to complement some of the products and actually finding them was an experience that taught me the basics of trusting what you already have and rolling with it. Also, make sure your cleaning products are stocked up and you have gloves to handle them for that extra sparkle in post.
