Question:
How can a website accentuate the style of an advertising photographer without overpowering or taking focus away from the images?
Back Story:
Having recently graduated from college with an impressive portfolio built using both American and European models and locales; Quincy needed a highly visible online portfolio to showcase his work as he began to search for a permanent career. The site needed to express his style but be easily navigable by studio scouts and other photographers that may not have the time to appreciate a lot of bells and whistles.
Answer:
Find a means to capture the powerful, expresive feelings of Quincyís work. The unique aspect of portfolio sites is that they cater first and foremost to the artist and the viewer secondly. Similarly, the site must have a strong aesthetic presence but not take focus away from the work being shown. It was important to create a design that used the images as the focal point while the site architecture remained consistent in the background.
Execution:
Blend Studios created a site without static dimensions. Quincyís site loads each external image and adjusts the frame size according to the photo dimensions. Cool grays were used to maintain focus on the images and provide a clean, sexy interface for the site ñ perfectly complimenting Quincy Scottís work. With little-to-no text on the site, which uses thumbnails to preview images, the only thing the user sees is the photos.
Result:
A sleek portfolio site that accurately shows Quincy Scottís style was launched. The fluid movement of the site is a pleasant surprise for visitors without being too heavy or distracting. Upon completion in 2004 the site has continued to draw in regular traffic and help potential businesses and customers discover his talent. The unique, re-sizing portfolio helps separate his site from the competition, meaning more visitors and better feedback.
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