Digital Media – 500 x 500 pixels

These applications offer an instant way to connect, but the screen itself  can alter your beautiful face. The screen casts a green tone over you and washes out your colour, The result is that it makes you look flat and your hair gets a weird and messy silhouette.

Fortunately, there are few specific light and angle fixes that can make a world of a difference—along with a bit of hair and makeup strategy—that can make anyone appear more than perfect. Here, is my guide to a better FaceTime or Skype session:

(1) Position yourself so that you are facing a bright sunny window for the duration of your session. Warm lighting is always more flattering than cool lighting. If there isn’t a window nearby, or if it’s dark outside, choose a well-lit spot like the kitchen and make sure the main source of light is coming toward you at face level—not from above or below (hello blairewitch!). Those little white christmas lights work wonders for this!

(2) Make sure the camera on your computer is at eye level. One of the main reasons people look bad on-screen is that the computer is placed low on a desk or lap, so your head is tilted downward. Being shot from the chin upward is only going to give you a gruesome double chin. To Avoid this, take a stack of books and prop up your computer or iPad. My secret; crop your head right to the top of the screen.

(3) Look straight into the camera, (I know it’s hard not to check yourself out) This is particular important if you’re having a business meeting, interview or online audition.

(4) Leave hair loose around the face, it tends to be softer and more forgiving than going the ponytail route. Run a brush through your hair to ensure a smooth silhouette and use hair spray or serum to secure flyaways.

(5) Apply a little bit more makeup than usual, but don’t overdo it. You can always use your “online camera” as a mirror to apply it. This way you’ll be able to see exactly what it’s going to look like. If you tend to be shiny, you can dust a finely milled powder over the T-zone for good measure. And if possible, avoid wearing glasses.

Now you’re ready to put your best “online” face out there!

Let’s just say the first wasn’t so great…

Digital Media 500 x 500 pixels

Digital Media – 500 x 500 pixels

“The more creative you can be, while still focusing on the main goal of your site, the more attention you’ll gain.” (paragraph 1)

“Although it sounds simple, there are many questions and concerns that can arise, such as:

• What size should the photos be?
• Should I compress them at all?
• Should I use Flash or HTML5?
• Should I use an automatic slideshow?
• How many photos should I include?”

(bottom of second section under “Introduction”)

“3 details in common with all great portfolios:

• ONLY your best images.  Look for consistency.
• Contact area.  Make sure it is obvious.  Phone number possibly seen on EVERY page whether it is at the bottom with the copyright information or if it is a blog have it be on a side bar.
• High resolution images.”
  (3rd section under “The Common Thread: What do all great portfolios have in common?”)

“Your portfolio needs to reflect your target demographic, whether it is a couple looking for a wedding shoot, or an agency looking for a commercial shoot. If your portfolio gives off the wrong image, you won’t attract any of the clients you want.” (4th section First paragraph)

“If you want to attract wedding clients, you need your portfolio to resemble a wedding.”

“Separate photos by using categories or pages.” (4^th section, bullet #3, 3^rd paragraph)

“W3Schools reports that in January of 2011, 0.6% of users were still using a display resolution of 800 x 600. That means, if you want to cover all your bases, design your portfolio to fit into those dimensions. That way, users who are above 800 x 600 can still easily access your portfolio. For
users on tablets and smart phones you can resize your portfolio to fit their device.” (4^th section, bullet #6, first paragraph)

“When tasked with writing a literal essay, you organize your points in strategic order. You put the strongest points at either the beginning or the end of the essay and the leave the weaker points in the middle. By placing the strongest points at the beginning, you instantly draw in the viewer and grab their attention. By placing the stronger points at the end of the essay, you end on a high note, leaving the viewer with some strong points they won’t forget.” (4^th section, bullet #8, first paragraph)

“It’s usually a good idea if you can limit the user’s scrolling, no matter what device / resolution they are using.” (section 4, bullet 12, paragraph 2)

“When you do update, only update if the new content is stronger than the older content. It makes no sense to replace a strong image with a weaker one, regardless of if it’s more recent. You want to be always strengthening your skill set and your portfolio should reflect that.” (section 4, bullet 15, paragraph 3)

So there you have it! Thanks for stopping by Don’t forget to leave a comment!

• The Villages Listing System (VLS)
• TheVillages.com
• TheVillages.net
• The Villages Golf System
• The Villages Entertainment Office
• The Villages Charter School
• Careers In The Villages
• Prestige Properties Realty – (backend revamp)
• Colombia St. Mary’s Heart Secrets – Help section
• Kauffman Tire
• Tread Depot

Independent Projects

• Diabeticfeed Podcast

I recently planned and executed our Spring Fashion Show at Anthropologie and we had an absolute blast! I’ll post a few preview photos here, but be sure to check out the Events Page for the full post!

I am currently in the process of updating my portfolio for the next few months.

Please check back later, or simply drop me a line via email or twitter

xox, Sarah

Digital Media – 500 x 500 pixels

Stirred … not shaken

When reviewing destinations for a romantic weekend, I have to admit Regina would not usually come to mind — but this was no ordinary weekend away.

In fact, Regina was a convenient (almost) half-way point between my home in Alberta and my beau’s residence in North Dakota.

Regina was a destination new to both of us, and quite frankly sightseeing was not necessarily on the top of our list, but with both of us being optimistic and romantic by nature, we were determined to uncover Regina’s romantic side.

Continue reading

Today a friend sent me an invitation to join a website in its beta phase: www.pressfolios.com. After playing around with it for a few hours, I’m hooked. It’s an extremely user-friendly website that allows you to create an attractive online portfolio, something that is so important to have, especially when you’re applying for internships and jobs!

Click this link to check out the online portfolio I created – and if you’d like me to send you an invitation to try out the site, leave your email address in the comments!

His portfolio:

http://www.jamescmakeup.co/

Home page:

This home page also has a slide show that repeats a selection of his images.

His portfolio

I like the the small thumbnail images down the side and the larger images presented in the middle.

How many images do they have and what genres have they covered?

• Art projects – 8 images
• Fashion and beauty- 17 images
• Film, TV and character make-up -12 images
• Real women, real beauty – 5 images
• Behind the scenes- 10 images

What make-up techniques have they used?

James is a make-up artist that has show cased a good variety of techniques including:

• basic make-up application 
• causality special effects
• hair styling

How have they presented them – boarders/themes/titles etc

James has used a dark grey and black background with white and blue headings. The white headings are his name and job title which again stand out to draw attention to who’s work it is. The small thumbnail images have a black border around them but when enlarged they have no border but they do appear in a black box that gives the appearance of a border.

How do your rate their portfolio?

I rate this portfolio a 7 our of 10

I like the added album of behind the scenes showing how he works. There are not too many image in each album.

Her online portfolio:

http://www.lan-makeup.com/

The home page

The image on the front is a slideshow that rotates about 10 images.

One of the albums

Media page

Lan has a media portfolio as well that show video’s of her work that was recorded.

How many images do they have and what genres have they covered?

• Beauty
• Fashion
• Talent
• Media

All the different albums have around 70 images displayed in all of them which is quite a lot to go through.

What make-up techniques have they used?

Lan is a very experienced make-up artists who has covered most of the make-up techniques involved in beauty, fashion and editorial make-up.

• strong clean make-up application 
• hair styling
• application of eyelashes
• product knowledge
• color experimentation
• body make-up
• nail enamal application

How have they presented them – boarders/themes/titles etc

Lan’s portfolio is very clean looking and simple to use I believe that this is due to the black and white theme and the clear headings. None of the images have borders on but the background is white and shows through around the edges of the images so it could look too  busy with borders on.

How do your rate their portfolio?

I rate her portfolio 8 out of 10.

I like the bar she uses to move through the images on the albums and how easy the portfolio is to look through. Again the images are difficult to copy so her work cant be stolen as easily.

• Post the link on Facebook: You can get some great publicity for your OP for free by making use of the network you’ve already built! Further, when you first complete your OP, Facebook friends are a great way to get some free feedback on possible improvements that you could make.
• Add the link to your LinkedIn account: Many recruiters and hiring managers begin their search with LinkedIn. Seeing your Online Portfolio as a link on your profile could mean that they spend more time considering you as a candidate than someone who only has a LinkedIn profile.
• Put the link in your resume: An Online Portfolio can make for a great way to expand upon the information in your resume and really tell your own personal career story. You can even refer those who read your resume to the Online Portfolio for more in-depth position descriptions, or for supporting documentation of your success in previous positions.
• Add the Tinyurl to your business cards: The tinyurl generated by the Online Portfolio builder once you’ve completed your OP is perfect for business cards. You could even make yourself a QR code that will take those with a smartphone straight to your Online Portfolio.
• Share the link on Twitter: Some people have more twitter followers than friends on Facebook, so be sure to make use of all of your social networks!
• Tell your friends and family: Don’t forget to make use of the first (and sometimes most powerful) form of social media…face-to-face communication! Mention the Online Portfolio you make to your friends and loved ones, and they can help you to get the word out.

Reaching the final stage means I have an interview and presentation to the Damart representatives on the 7^th May and a chance to win the final prize! I am extremely excited and so shocked! Although winning the competition would be amazing, I am genuinely grateful to have reached this stage. This was something I had never even imagined as I am amongst many talented students who have produced fantastic pieces! I am really looking forward to speaking to Damart and all I can do is cross my fingers and hope for the best! .. Wish me luck!!

If you haven’t already, take a look at my development and final work on the link below [online portfolio] -

http://tanyawainwright.com/2013/03/14/damart-project-garment-technology/

Now you can check out my copywriting and visual storytelling projects online. Click on my Carbonmade portfolio site to see what skills and ideas I can bring to your company.* Please contact me at cpetronester@gmail.com regarding any freelance opportunities.

*Kudos if your company has a dog and/or pool table in the building.