I have long been a fan of photography, in fact, I dabble a bit. I enjoy it, but if I am honest, it’s not often that another persons photograph makes me stop and say “Wow, I wish I had taken that!” That is why when Laurens work makes me say that to myself time and time over, I know that there is something special there.
I jumped at the chance to help Lauren define herself as a professional and create an identity for her business. Working with Lauren was great, every time I came up with a hair-brained idea for her new brand, she was always enthusiastic and trusting, she really let me do whatever I wanted … within reason.
Early on in the design process I spent time talking with Lauren, trying to discover just what it is that makes her style so unique and attractive. I even asked Lauren do my wife’s maternity photos, which was a great opportunity to watch her work and try to get inside her process and personality.
The main thing that sets Lauren’s work apart is that she uses daylight to give life and warmth to her photographs. Her work often comes across as very nostalgic and thoughtful. It is clear that Lauren is inspired by a vintage-esque aesthetic. We translated this warm-vintage vibe into a color pallet, capturing the right mood.
I don’t usually start a branding package with a color pallet, but in this case it seemed right. After doing so, I realized that to actually include the pallet in the mark would distract, and possibly take away from the photographs that would most likely accompany the logo in any marketing materials. Opting for a typographical treatment, I felt that the neutrality achieved by not using a glyph or any color (we used an 80% black tint) allowed her photographic work to be the actual “identity” of the brand.
Setting a strict rule that the brand colors could only be used when there were no photographic assets in proximity, the design of materials such as business cards, letterhead, pricing guides and others were a great venue to reinforce the feel of the brand through the wide color palate.
Selecting Minion Pro as the official typeface for Lauren, I was able to reinforce the nostalgic-vintage appeal by using the fonts extended character-set, and its many classical ornaments.
The website that I built for Lauren uses a “magazine” as a metaphor for the way she displays her work. Each post is now an “issue” containing 5 “pages.” Her archive acts as a back issue catalogue. The issues can be tagged into subjects like “baby” or “couples” and in this way, organized into a gallery. The best part about this metaphor is that it allows Lauren to maintain a unique and personal narrative as she showcases her work.
Lauren now has a professional and unique brand identity. The result of this branding process is an increase in her perceived value. Lauren will now stand out more clearly in the minds of her customers and clients.
This process has been one of the most enjoyable for me as I was allowed to really start from scratch and Lauren freed me to follow my instincts and discover where they lead. As a result, her brand is fresh, distinct, and memorable.
If you are as impressed by Lauren’s work as I am, let her know. Hire her to take your picture or the picture of someone you love — I did!
» Phone // 702.465.2983
» www.LaurenCastoPhotography.com
» Hello@LaurenCastoPhotography.com
» facebook.com/LaurenCastoPhotography
» flickr.com/LaurenCasto
From an early age Travis could be found with a sketch pad trying to capture the beauty and structure in the world around him. This desire to engage and create stayed with him. In his Adolescence he was able to find solid footing for his childhood passion by creating posters, flyers, web sites, t-shirts and album covers for his and other local bands. It was during this time that Travis decided on the direction of his life’s work.
As a Creative Director, Travis has been recognized by the American Federation of Advertisers, the International Association of Business Communicators and the Association of American Marketing. His designs have been featured in national magazines, branding textbooks and influential design websites. In his role at BRAINtrust Marketing he is responsible for all design and creative direction for the client portfolios. From websites and advertisements to annual reports and brochures, Travis brings his creativity and fine eye for design to produce world-class commercial art.
He is married to the love of his life, and in his spare time he tells jokes that are only moderately funny.
Name: Travis Neilson
Email: travisneilson@gmail.com
URL: www.travisneilson.com
AIM: travishappy
Behance: Profile / Portfolio
Twitter: travisneilson
Facebook: Profile
i am in love with the website, travis! thanks to your brilliance. can’t wait to get some shots of little parker on there soon.