Your Brand is Not Defined by a Color

Your brand. It is not defined by a color or even your website. But yes, colors and a website should move your brand forward.

Rinse and repeat. Your brand is NOT defined by a color or a site. As you search for the colors you are attracted to, explore the idea of WHY you’re attracted to them.

Pink, coral, nudes. These colors embody feminine to me. And sometimes you start with colors and it helps you connect the dots, or sometimes you start with the word (i.e. feminine) and ask how that can be translated into color. The point is that your brand should consist of what feelings people associate with you/your business! It is your promise. I want my clients to feel like they are dreaming, that they are empowered, and that I will articulate their style along with the confidence to display it.

And when you finally get to a place where there is clarity to your brand, something amazing happens. You connect with other artists whose work resonates with your brand. They connect to the core of who you are and your collaboration is taken to a level you couldn’t have done on your own.  That was this day. Christine Penny and I, Mignonne Handmade, and Angelberry Organics. But not just today, you guys, this past weekend, and this upcoming weekend, and the upcoming months.

I want to help you get closer to this place because it will be so liberating. Stay tuned and together we’ll take on the journey of discovering who you’re meant to be.

By Alejandra Vidal of Imaginale Design http://www.imaginaledesign.com

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ABOUT ALE:

Alejandra Vidal is the creator and founder of Imaginale Design, capturing motion and photography in a feminine, romantic, and magical form of story telling. Imaginale Design was created to inspire women to have self-love and imagination by embracing one’s individual style and building the confidence to exhibit it. Currently she is applying her cinematography to create promo reels for photographers, artists, and small business owners.

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Chic Critique is so giddy to have Brooke Davis of Blush Photography be one of our July Celebrity Photographers.

Sign up to get your images critiqued by Brooke Davis this June. Only 9 Spots Left!

Brooke is a lover of raw emotion and believes there is nothing more magical than everyday understated beauty. She is mostly known for her love of unique lighting, use of shadows and ability to sweep you away in a emotion drenched image. Along with being a full time wedding photographer Brooke has been successfully teaching workshops in the united states as well as the UK. Brookes work has been featured countless times on national and world wide blogs and was recently interviewed for Photo professional magazine on her Non wedding that really shook up the industry. Being honest to herself and always craving something new keeps Brookes work fresh and exciting.

Do you edit mostly in Photoshop or Lightroom?

Both!

Why do you think honest critique on your images is important?

What has been the most helpful critique you ever got on an image?

I rarely shoot from below, its never a flattering angle and if your clients don’t love how they look in the image, it doesn’t matter how amazing the setting was.

Where do you pull your inspiration from?

A lot of myself is left in my work, where I am in life, my goals and experiences. But I would say music is my biggest inspiration.

What is one specific way that you balance work and family?

I want my children to have memories worth keeping when they are older, I am always trying to create little adventures for us to go on. I work at night so I can spend as much time during the day with them.

Best biz/photo advice?

Try to not let props be the branding of your style, it should be the subjects and their story. If you have props it should belong to the client and important to the storytelling process for the shoot. That way its something they cherish and it will never fall in the trend category.

What have you learned the hard way?

Letting go of heavy Photoshop. I was spending so much time away from my children and loosing the natural beauty in the image.

How does your business deal with the rise in photographers. What have you done to standout and compete?

My best advice is to stay completely honest to yourself. If you focus on finding what makes you tick and creating images that reflect that you cannot lose. No one is better at being YOU than YOU.

Where have most of your 2011 clients come from (besides WOM)?

Word of mouth is my number one and I feel is the most important way to grow as a business but, I have found instagram and basic social networking to be really helpful for promoting yourself

What has been the best workshop or convention you’ve attended so far?

I do not attend a lot of workshop to be honest, although I did really enjoy Jesh De Rox beloved workshop.

What is your most popular product?

Flash drives and canvas prints.

Sign up to get your images critiqued by Brooke Davis this June. Only 10 Spots Left!

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Do you post on your blog only to hear crickets? Do you sometimes feel like you are talking to yourself (and maybe your Mom) on your blog? Do you need some LOVE?

Chic Critique is here for you, girl. In 2013, we are doing a weekly feature on our blog every Saturday called “BLOG LOVE” where you can showcase your  blog posts on Chic Critique for lots of love.

SWEET BENEFITS:

• Use this as motivation to blog at least once a week
• Boost your SEO: your thumbnail will link back to your own blog for lots of publicity and SEO lovin’!
• Get blog comments from our fans
• Show off your work
• Get published! One of your images might be featured in an upcoming issue of Chic Magazine

It’s so easy! HERE’S HOW IT WORKS:

You must be a member of Chic Critique forum to participate 

1. Post some pics on your own blog with a link back to Chic Critique
2. Every weekend, submit your permalink (not your main blog address) from your own blog post to the frog icon (see sample below) to our weekly Saturday “Blog Love” blog post
3. Your image will then show up as a thumbnail on OUR blog and allow our readers to click on your image to check out YOUR blog.

Need a reminder? We’ll help remind you in our weekly newsletter and on Facebook so be sure to become a fan and subscribe to our newsletter.

ENTER YOUR BLOG POST IMAGES FOR THIS WEEK BY CLICKING ON THE FROG BELOW:
Don’t forget to leave a comment on the other entries because that is half the fun! Also, submit your photo early since those seem to be the ones who receive the most comments.

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My next BonjOrganize Boot Camp is now open for registration! Intro pricing ends in one week! SIGN UP HERE

Check out some of Office Makeovers from Boot Camp Grads…

BEFORE:

AFTER:

BEFORE & AFTER:

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by Kelli France | Editor-in-Chief

It’s HERE!!! The Shimmer issue of Chic Magazine (Issue 6) is now available… and it goes perfectly with palm trees, Pina Coladas, & Cabana boys ;0)

This issue wouldn’t have happened without my amazing Creative Director, Megan Marlene of Megan Marlene Photography & Being Boutique, and also Callie Helm, my Contributor Director.

We also LOVE all the Contributors who shared their juicy secrets in Issue 6 including:

CHIC CONTRIBUTORS:
nikki closer | claire dam | elizabeth halford
heidi hope | tracy joy | leslie kerrigan
melissa love | megan marlene | kara may
brooke mclay | summer murdock | sarah o’connor
stephanie piscitelli | aimee pool | jamie schultz
jean smith | the beauty mark girls | jennifer tonetti-spellman
true atelier | angie warren | alexandra werhan
laura winslow | erin youngren

Oh and don’t forget the cover image from Cover Winner, Michelle Moore. Isn’t it a lovely image? She is now the proud owner of a camera bag from THEIT! Wanna enter our cover contest? Submit your image HERE

P.S. Chic Magazine is now available in print, PDF, and on mobile devices! So if you are a current Chic Member, go get your free digital copy HERE.

If you’re not a member, you’re missing out, girl! JOIN TODAY with our Free Trial

ISSUE 6 | THE SHIMMER ISSUE:                       

CHIC SNEAK PEAK {18 of the 140 pages}:

RAVES:

“So many magazines I get I just flip through and look at all the pictures (including the photography magazines I get). But I actually read, learned from, and totally enjoyed the articles in yours. That’s a big deal for me.” -Courtney Sacket

“Fantastic issue as always! Always has a wealth of information in it! I’m so excited for some new gym reading material!” -Trina Weingart 

Find out about advertising rates and how you can get a FREE,  full page ad in CHIC Magazine HERE

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Summer Murdock | Guest Contributor

I first saw an animated GIF a few years back on one of my favorite photographers blogs. I instantly thought it was pretty much one of the coolest things EVER so of course I wanted to learn how to do is ASAP.I was convinced it was going to be really complicated. After a little googling and YouTube watching, I realized animated GIF’s were pretty cool AND pretty easy to make. I love the life and personality it can add to a blog post. You wanna learn how? Watch my simple tutorial and you are on your way to animating your own photos….

A few things to consider when creating these animations.

3.  Make sure you size your GIF appropriately for your blog the first time you create it. Once your GIF is created, you cannot open it back up an make changes and re-save it. You will simply have to start from scratch and make a new one.

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