Photo editing is one of those tasks that really takes me back to where this all began. Periodically that happens – someone will hire us to complete a design job that is just a bit different than what we work on daily… and it’s nostalgic.
Take for instance the photo edits & design work shown below.
Many times in the past I’ve mentioned that I got my start in design and web development in a dorm room. My band was broke (aren’t all bands?) and we needed a website. We had literally no money. What we did have was awesome timing and rhythm – but you can’t “build an internets” with that.
Quite the conundrum.
I had a lot of free time between nursing hangovers and I figured anyone could do this web stuff – so I dove in. I started working on our site in said dorm, then on websites for other bands, and that progressed to where I was making literally tens of dollars on a monthly basis!
“What is this SEO you speak of? Sounds like work for chumps! I’ll just skip that garbage…“
Clearly, this was a sign from the heavens that I needed to stop studying philosophy and be a man. So, I *cough* moved back in with my parents *cough* right after graduating, set up a computer in the dining room, and much to their dismay continued to play metal and work on websites into the wee morning hours. Fortunately, I was able to get my uncle’s attention and snag a job at a real print shop: River Street Press in Aurora.
It was here that I really got a chance to cut my teeth. I was able to work with professional camera equipment, on professional machines, complete professional photo edits for professional brochures… ALL WHILE WORKING WITH OTHER PROFESSIONALS.
This experience was invaluable. Not only was it extremely educational, but it was so beautifully innocent. I was playing in a band, working in design by day, developing websites in the evenings and SOMEHOW saving enough money to marry my high school sweetheart. I had it ALL man.
(… not “all” in the sense that there was enough money to pay any real bills… but that would come in time…)
Anyway, I wanted to add a bit more to this post than what I would write for the typical portfolio piece or video example. While I was working on this project all of these great memories came flooding back to me. It was a powerful thing.
Please note I’m NOT bringing this up because I don’t like what I do on a daily basis now – I LOVE what I do now. SEO and Marketing, Consulting, Web Design, Website Development, Branding – you name it. However, there is just a bit more pressure when you’re dealing with high dollar accounts compared to working on a “killer new EP design” for Joe and the Metal Burritos.
Sidenote: I also did a ton of custom MySpace pages back then. There. I just dated myself.
Photo Edits for Todd Anthony Joos:
So, what brought this all back you ask? Recently we were commissioned by Todd Anthony Joos & The Revelators to complete the full jacket design for their 2017 release: The Burden. This is a prime example of what can be done with a quality photograph shot in RAW and modified with Photoshop. Our goal was to take the original photo and turn it into something that would visually convey the trials the artist was going through during the recording of this album. It’s not called “The Burden” because it sounds cool…
Check out these before and after photos for the front and back cover:
As you can see in these examples we’ve made the image much “colder” and more intense. The original photos look like glamour shots taken at the dining room table when compared to the end result. What’s great is that from this we were able to finish the full sleeve (jacket) layout:
We were also able to whip up some additional assets for Facebook and their other social sites:
Proper photo editing can take a normal image and turn it into a powerful statement. You can learn more about Todd Anthony Joos & The Revelators at their site: RevelatorsRock.com
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