After I created an online print shop to debut the first series of my Around the Hat postcards last month, things have continued to move quickly. I've had a blast getting everything up and running, however after a few weeks I realized that I needed a more efficient system for people to browse and purchase the postcards I was designing. The result of all of this is my new Around the Hat shop on Etsy.
So, what's new with the shop, you ask? For starters, all postcards have now been grouped into sets of 5 for purchase. This has allowed me to reduce the cost of the cards from 4 for $10 to 5 for $10 because I won't be spending as much on transaction fees from individual sales. In each set I've also bundled related postcards together to showcase more of the series and highlight images that some may have missed the first time around.
By hosting my shop on Etsy I now have a much more user friendly layout that allows visitors to scan what's available more immediately. Details for each set are also more clearly listed now, and the shopping cart takes all of the manual work I was doing out of the sale (which is better for everyone).
You may have noticed the size of the shop has expanded with this renovation too. In addition to the remaining stock I had of the series 1 postcards, I've released a second series of cards featuring 65 new images from Around the Hat. This means the shop now features 105 unique postcards! Whether your mailing or framing them, there should be no shortage of options to choose from.
I'm also still selling custom prints by request, but as an added feature to my shop on Etsy I'm offering discounted print sets. I've organized sets of prints for locations like Medalta Potteries and the Monarch Theatre. This is just one more way of sharing the collection, providing more variety, and making it easier for visitors find things they like.
Let me know what you think, snap up a few of the limited postcard sets before they're gone, and share your requests if there are more prints you'd like to see in the future. Once again, I want to thank everyone who has supported this series and who is helping me to showcase these amazing locations. Explore the new shop here.
Earlier this month I announced that I was making custom postcards of 40 images from my Around the Hat photo series. Well, the wait is over. They're here, they look amazing, and I'm incredibly excited to finally share them. It's been about a week now that I've had the postcard shop open for preview, and thanks to pre-orders, several of the designs are already nearly out of stock with only a single card of some prints left.
You can make selections and order here.
It's exciting to share some of my work this way. Not only have I had a fascination with vintage postcards from Medicine Hat, but creating my own has made me realize that I'm capturing a piece of history too. Photographing these locations was never about tourism for me, but about showcasing the evolution of the place I grew up in and discovering some of the history behind it.
This photo series isn't merely a collection of beautiful images, it's a document of some lesser known treasures, some fading histories, and some distinctly iconic places in Medicine Hat. To my knowledge, there has been no other series more deliberate or thorough in documenting Medicine Hat's historic landmarks, and it's probably why interest has grown so rapidly. Frankly, this experience wouldn't be anywhere near as incredible if I weren't able to share it.
This first series of postcards is a test run really, and it will determine whether further postcards are ordered down the road. Don't get me wrong, they're fun to produce, but at this level they certainly aren't lucrative and are more about promoting the project. One thing is for certain though, it's likely that when (and if) a second series of postcards are made, they will feature different images, making these cards a bit rarer in the grand scheme of things. I keep telling myself how cool it would be to stumble onto one of my own postcards 50 years from now and be reminded of how this all started.
Ultimately, I just want to say thank you to those of you who have chosen to buy a postcard or two. The action is not only very humbling, but it's genuine encouragement for me to continue producing these original photo sets and features of some truly amazing (and highly underrated) places. Around the Hat has been shot and edited entirely on my own time, and money raised from this undertaking simply helps to justify further creative ambitions - like my desire to publish a photo book.
The archival and heritage value of what I feel I've been building is incredibly rare for Medicine Hat, and at the end of the day, this is just one step forward in discovering the potential that this project really has. Have a look at the collection and get in touch.
With a steady stream of questions and requests coming in, I figured it was about time I got my act together. I'm happy to announce that I'm now selling custom prints in a select list of standard sizes and prices. This applies to any image in my Around the Hat or Around Alberta photo sets. Full details below.
I've already done print tests for each size image, and the quality is brilliant. All photographs are printed on premium photo paper with a matte finish, and are ideal for framing in these standard sizes. If you'd like to request a larger print, don't hesitate to contact me for details.
Ordering is simple:
Send me a message here and let me know what images and sizes you're interested in. Updated prices are listed here. Feel free to make custom requests if you have something specific in mind. All transactions will be invoiced via paypal.
That's it! If you have any questions are concerns, message me and I'll do my best to help you out. This is a unique opportunity to share and own images from a variety of unique locales in and around Medicine Hat, the province, and of some of the hidden treasures I've recently explored.
Each print is made specifically for your order and will be signed and dated on the back. Orders will also be carefully packaged for shipping or local pickup can be arranged in Medicine Hat. I've done my best to keep costs down to make sharing this collection easy and affordable.
Thank you all for your continued support and patronage!
It kicked off late in 2009, but fizzled out by the end of 2010. Then it was back by late 2011, but still it wasn't quite right. Halfway through 2012 though, I think I've got it! My portfolio, version 3.0 is complete. These few years of trying to fine-tune what I wanted my portfolio site to be has really been a process of elimination.
I was always preaching simplicity for my portfolio, but I'd never really achieved it. A clean start always seemed to snowball into additional pages for new projects, galleries, and so on and so forth. My new business cards that I made for the new year were cool and straightforward, but my portfolio had quickly become a mass of self indulgence that held too much content to be a hub. Frankly, that's what this blog is for!
I completed the redesign over my staycation and I'm really pleased. Fandrix.com now consists only of a landing page and a network page that links to everything else. Simple, clean, easy to navigate, and ideal for self promotion when someone actually visits. It's what I should have done from the beginning. It's also what I'd been trying to do for so long with Editing Luke that I think I probably needed all of the trial and error to figure out what should finally be what.
Looking at my stats, traffic has gone up consistently every month so far this year, and my contact page has been getting a lot more use. It was the right time to finally address this constantly under-construction project. I also discovered that after not renewing editingluke.com in favor of fandrix.com, that original domain is now for sale for $1495. Type it in if you don't believe me. It's ridiculous! Ridiculously flattering.
But, enough of my long windedness, it's time you check out what I've been talking about and head over to Fandrix before I realize I need to start on version 4.0.
I was recently contacted by a member of the design team at Online Schools about sharing a new infographic they had created about student debt. I can certainly relate to the frustration of trying to keep your head above water, as I did have a loan for several years of film school and ended up back at my parent's place afterwards trying to pay it down. I consider myself fortunate in this situation, as it would have been much worse if I wouldn't have had my folks there while I was trying to get started. I did write about some of this while I was going through it in 2009.
I've since made a lot of progress in paying off one of my loans completely, getting out of the basement, and gaining traction with my career. It took a lot of work just to get to this point though, and while I'm fortunate that I'm able to work in positions focused on video and photography like I went to school for, money and growth opportunities are still very real concerns. The numbers stated in this infographic are surprising, but the reality unfortunately is not.
Welcome to the third installment of the Evolution of Editing Luke, where at a glance you can be reminded of some of the headers that have graced my site over the last year. As I've said in each of these posts, my goal has always been to refine and experiment with the look of my site as a way of keeping things fresh. They're not all gems, but then that's what keeps the evolution interesting.
A lot of my headers became more simplified this year and that actually had a lot to do with my content becoming more visual (lots of photo sets). I've still been playing with different ways of including my image in my headers as it's allowed me to become more a part of my brand, and in theme with everything I share, it's all a work in progress. Otherwise, this is really just a stroll down memory lane for those who have been along for the ride. Check out how things have evolved since the 2007 and 2009 recaps.
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| From March 2011 |
As of late I've been cleaning house (so to speak). I've been reorganizing my blog, creating photo sets on a new flickr account, rebuilding my reel, and casually working out ways of adding more punch to my portfolio site. All of this personal rebuffing may seem a bit indulgent, but I feel like it's already helping me expand in new ways.
Recently my Around the Hat photo series has helped me get a bit of local traction. When I kicked off the series with a set around Medalta Potteries, they were kind enough to give me a shout out on their facebook page. More in line with what I had been hoping the series might do, it actually gained me a new contact with prospects for future video/photography work. Work hasn't been in short supply these days either.
Last week I had to turn down a New York production company who contacted me to shoot some behind the scenes footage and photography of an event for Glenfiddich Whiskey in Calgary. It was a two day shoot and I just couldn't make it work with my schedule. Although, just getting the offer was pretty flattering considering that it came directly through my portfolio.
I feel like I'm at an interesting point in my career. I'm on the hunt for new challenges, and ways to reinvent or diversify my approach to the kinds of videos I'm already doing. While making more money is always nice, I think what I'm really striving for is even more freedom in my schedule and maintaining the variety in the projects that I undertake. Making some of these things a reality is going to require that I cast a bigger net, and I think that's what I've started to do.
If you're a blogger you should check out Wordle to instantly create custom word clouds with some of the most popular words used on your site. All you do is type in your URL and you can randomize numerous variations of word clouds like the ones I've posted below for Editing Luke. Now that I've seen them clumped together, I've got to say that I'm pretty happy with the words I use.
I also created word clouds for my other site, Jeeves and the Jaguar here.
In tribute to some of the finest animations ever created, Wonchan Lee took it upon himself to design a series of minimalist posters each highlighting a Pixar film with a single, but instantly recognizable, graphic. These feel reminiscent of the minimalist Oscar movie posters I shared last year. See more of Lee's Pixar posters here.
My portfolio at fandrix.com has been in swing for nearly a month now, and I thought it would be worthwhile to draw attention to my first round of featured blog posts. The goal with this page (and the basis for the design of the entire portfolio for that matter) has been to rotate content on a semi-regular basis. This is just a reminder to see what made the cut this first round. Visit my Featured Blog Post page to explore the links, and stay tuned for the next volume.
Arriving as planned, the brand new business cards I designed and had printed at Moo.com came just as my portfolio site @ fandrix.com went live last week. I opted to keep the look simple, using the infamous image I shot of downtown rooftops in my hometown of Medicine Hat. That image has graced this blog in countless variations and has introduced my various short films since 2007.
I have several friends who have really enjoyed using Moo and I can see why. I think my cards turned out great and the quality is exceptional. They'll make a strong first impression when I hand them out in the coming year as I continue to look for new ways to share my online experiences.
Several months of hard work have gone into designing and redesigning my (what was supposed to be) simple portfolio site. For the time being, I'm happy with the outcome and am proud to announce that my portfolio site, Fandrix.com is now officially live. That's not to say that there won't be some moderate tweaking as we approach the new year, but things are looking good.
The biggest change come this new year will be my ability to hand out promotional business cards to help drive traffic to my sites and showcase my online venues. From the beginning I've focused on creating an easily adaptable layout, which allows me to easily trade out the content or sites I want to feature. I think it will also be a great way of introducing new people to some of my content and highlighting work I'm most proud of. Another personal project (almost) complete!
Welcome Fandrix! Explore my new portfolio site here.
With my new portfolio site still looming in the background I've been taking the opportunity to update and refresh my various sites and platforms. I don't want everything to look exactly the same, but I certainly want them to feel stylized in a way that's cohesive and representative of my own look.
YouTube itself has recently received a subtle, but modern update and I felt the graphics I was using on my channel had been well worn. I opted to bring the color scheme down by switching in some black and gray tones and added a dark wood grain background (which is noticeably similar to that of Editing Luke). I then updated my profile icon with a new fandrix badge and rearranged my featured videos.
These simple changes have made a world of difference. My channel looks polished and a bit more modern without entirely ditching the retro video scrapbook vibe. I think this will stick for now. You can check out the changes yourself by visiting my channel HERE.
