Klecka Naturals website design

Edie Stuber hired me to redesign her website a few years ago. It was cluttered and her products weren't selling. Edie creates WONDERFULLY scented massage oils and body sprays. Here's screen grab of the newly designed site.

This is option 2. They picked this instead of the version that included everything they asked for, including specific colors and a different logo. THAT version was visually noisy. That is the PC term web developers use instead of ugly. I knew clean design was the correct choice.

I gathered the data on the most viewed pages, most common search terms, and order information. After so many years designing front ends, user testing, studying best case usability, interpreting their needs and how users would navigate their site proved easy and quick.

Unfortunately the site is not currently live, due to an exciting transition in company branding. It had cool interactivity and some quirky illustrations. The Klecka Naturals website was an incredibly rewarding redesign. I'd love to do that sort of work again.

bragging, a tiny bit.

One of my photographs is about to turned into a 7 foot window display. WOW. The photograph was taken 2.5 years ago, in Raleigh, North Carolina for the furniture line Svan (sweet high chair on the right, which can be purchased at Land of Nod). It is sold by Scandinavian Child, who was one of my most favorite/best customers. The photo shoot was staged in an uber modern house (built by two architects) that featured corrugated metal walls, an asymmetrical fireplace, the most gorgeous walk in shower I have ever seen, and lots of perfect wood. I love photographing furniture. I love photographing kids. Especially when my final images are used in large and awesome ways. Yay!

cute baby!

I love babies. Love their little noses and fingers. Love super fine hair and tiny ears. And babies who have funny expressions and coo and giggle are most favorite! And plaid hats are adorable on all babies!Tanglewood Park, in North Carolina, has a few horse stables - and evidently horses like babies. Because right after I plopped Max down in front of the fence (4 month olds cannot hold themselves up), a HUGE curious brown horse trotted over to say hello.I mean, look how cute he is! Adorable.

super blonde Mr. G

I just want to say thanks to my North Carolina clients. Like the parents of MR. G. Just like when he was six months old, Mr. G is really fun to photograph - mostly because he is sweet and makes crazy facial expressions. The color photo below was taken about five minutes after we started our session and I was literally two feet from him asking him if he would look at the camera. And he said no. So, I asked him to show me his pouty lips. HE DID!Mr. G reminded me of a Sears flyer or Lands End catalog model taking off his sunglasses. I asked him to point at his watch (and gaze off to the left while arching his eyebrow) for me, but that puzzled him. I suppose 3 year olds do not wear watches...I love my NC clients. For being awesome and fun and easy EASY to work with!

Facebook, a year of photos

You blog readers love photos, so here is a slideshow of a few of my facebook images from 2009.

Happy new year everyone! I am officially off duty until January 15. I am busy working to create new client offerings including a new family portrait packages, canvas print specials, LARGE metallic print packages and repeat client saving programs. And this type of planning takes focus.

incredibly flattered; stamps

In the past week, I have received two letters with stamps created from MY PHOTOS. I am not sure why, but it is more exciting than seeing my photographs in a magazine, mostly because it is just crazy flattering. Like the invite for Mike and Julie's December wedding (upper right) where I had no idea that my hand holding image was being made into a stamp... Nina and Joon's wedding invitation envelope (lower right) from last June also had a Danielle Anthony Photo stamp, so, I grabbed the three envelopes and photographed them!

Thanks fantastic clients: You have made my day!

1 week in NC - girls portraits

Last week in North Carolina, I photographed 8 girls (2 newborns), 7 boys and 11 sets of parents over a span of six days. I learned a few things: Very little separates a 9 year old boy from his XBox (especially if photos with sister is the alternative) , pizza and ice cream are universal 'good listening' motivators, princess costumes must match slippers (even if they do not fit), I miss NC barbeque in a bad way, and Dora the Explorer bandaids have the power to make up for a pretty big fall (off a swing). Oh, I learned one other thing: escalators look really cool juxtaposed with fancy Christmas dresses and patent leather shoes!

Bar Mitzvah Photographer ?!?

Most of the time, I photograph babies, adults, products (furniture, shoes, toys) and pets. I have photographed a live birth and do (at most) six weddings per year. So, when I was asked by a good friend in Chapel Hill to photograph her son's Bar Mitzvah, I was surprised because live events are not my specialty. I have NEVER shot anything like that (technically, I hadn't even been inside a synagogue). But I absolutely wanted to do it.The food was absolutely amazing. Daisy Cakes did the sweets table and I loved shooting such delicious looking (and tasting) desserts.One of my most memorable moments from this event was being the only person present when the rabbi blessed Ben before his ceremony. Since photographers are not allowed in the sanctuary, she let me get these few shots, of him practicing and being blessed.

happy drooling snow white(s)

My client Ericka (whose daughter has now been photographed by me, six times, even though she is only six months old...) is nuts, & I mean nuts in a "you is awesome" kind of way. When Ericka got wind that I was flying to NC to do portraits, she begged me for an appointment (literally). Ericka p r e p a r e s for a portrait session. I love working with her, especially when she does things such as getting matching snow white outfits for baby and (Boston Terrier) Jasmine. She is the mom who wore high HIGH heels at eight months pregnant (so that her legs would look LONG and great)... and she brought 17 outfits to her newborn's first portrait session (which I shot mostly naked)!Let me tell you how much I love photographing tutus - they rock. Tutus might just be THE cutest little girl things ever...I just LOVE how fluffy this orange and black one is. And, Ericka ordered special bloomers embroidered on the bottom with the wordsTrick or Treat. Treat indeed. Thanks Ericka, my dear. Portrait sessions with you are always fun. So keep in mind (hint, hint), I visit North Carolina every other month... Update: I just edited this shot (in black and white) and I really REALLY love it. Maybe even better than the color version. What do you think?

dang, that is cute!

Ok, so one of the benefits of being a photographer that specializes in products for children is getting to work with REALLY cute kid models. This week, I am working for Lollipop Rascals, an online store that sells "storybook adventures" (basically, giftsets that carry the theme of a particular book). There are a range of adventures, including the "be an actress" set below, which include costumes (and tiaras)! (This costume included a witch hat, but I never mastered how to keep it on her head AND keep her happy...) I just LOVE her big toe and BIG black flower in her blonde hair in this shot!My job is to photograph the child enjoying the books/toys and show as much of the product as possible (without it looking hokey or staged). This is especially easy if the child LIKES the toy (Miss A, really LOVED this two sided doll and the book). Miss Mia, below, LOVES to read (evidently about Mexico) so she never even looked at the camera... she just kept turning pages. which was perfect.Sidenote: this little green alien (of the alien adventure set) nearly met his dimise (about two hours before the shoot) when Marvin yanked him out of the hall closet by his neck and toted him to the couch (since it is stuffed, I suppose Marvin assumed it was HIS for the taking)... Both moms liked the convenience of a complete gift set, so I recommend my client's site as an easy way to give a REALLY cool birthday present. AND each set is delivered already gift wrapped with tons of ribbon and colored raffia (Nancy, the owner, assembles them by hand...) VERY COOL.Finally, here are some outtakes from our photoshoots. T hese photos, are product free, full of personality and DANG, they are cute! Thanks to my awesome models Miss A and Mia!

baby blue eyes (are delicious)

Just a quick post, I am loving how cute this baby boy is with his , HUGE BLUE EYES! These were taken inside during this morning's portrait session with my first Oregonian family. I am pretty sure that laying on his belly was NOT his idea of a good time, I mean, he cracked me up with his expressions. Yummy.Will post more later, I promise!

my favorites: baby and kid portraits

Portrait. When I think of the word portrait, the (traditional style of) Olan Mills, JC Penny & Sears photographs come to my mind. Posed. Boring. A little, um, hokey. Hokey is SO not my style. Here's how I do portraits! First, outside the studio.And some Danielle-style studio portraits - often on a white backdrop:My two all-time favorite father & baby girl portraits:Now that I am in Oregon, I have to start over. New clients, new babies, hopefully some magazine work soon (I LOVE shooting for magazines). I am not scared. I just have to get my name out there ALL over again. No problem. If I had kids, I would want some non-traditional portraits. HUGE, all over my walls...