tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16578549456586136682024-03-13T19:03:47.047-07:00Amy KingmanAmy Kingmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06319578862509390223noreply@blogger.comBlogger81125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657854945658613668.post-696173565376022282012-03-02T06:49:00.005-08:002012-03-02T07:33:52.671-08:00United Autosports Website<img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 273px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--a90QFUcM0Y/T1DeWxRzy9I/AAAAAAAABrI/T5zxFh3ZoLU/s400/UnitedAutosports.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5715312409899682770" />Happy to announce the new <a href="http://www.unitedautosports.com/">United Autosports</a> website launched this week. Great job all around by the team, including our client who was just wonderful to work with. United Autosports wanted a site that could demonstrate all of the excitement of their sport while also taking advantage of all of the social communication activity and media that they have to share.<div><br /></div><div>Here at The Basement, <a href="http://www.regannorton.com/">Regan</a> did such a fantastic job translating the design to something living and breathing and our partners on the project, Netmasons did a great job on the CMS. <div><br /></div><div>It's always fun to see a design go live. Looking forward to checking in from time to time to see what the UA Team is up to! </div></div>Amy Kingmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06319578862509390223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657854945658613668.post-87908619775427527712010-10-29T10:27:00.001-07:002010-10-29T10:27:39.150-07:00Updated Demo Reel<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/16257673" width="400" frameborder="0" height="265"></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/16257673">The Basement Design + Motion 2010 Reel Updated</a></p>Amy Kingmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06319578862509390223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657854945658613668.post-82149547461740278262010-10-27T09:09:00.000-07:002010-10-27T09:12:58.878-07:00Animation Fills<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dztr1-ddVq8EuzzzBE0iCC__YzPmDMScnQuz2w0QhYveAmRxE1wxTI4Dflvp_3VaSsqkozsJapt-ao49AVJQQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Here's the same scene filled in. Oh, and I wanted to give credit to <a href="http://theatomicbigwheelshow.thebasement.tv/2010/10/wip-animation-scene.html">Brian Phillips</a> for the work on character design and look/feel.Amy Kingmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06319578862509390223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657854945658613668.post-19646126024569201002010-10-27T08:13:00.000-07:002010-10-27T08:45:58.365-07:00Another Pencil Test<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyeoZYrUDsEGR0UHhY0q1UNItUx7LF45OkMvRh7p3A1eHJ0jIA7Wb4qCykm4nH6B5UJNeS8-XTnIYysftyAIw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br />Another pencil test for some work we're doing to remind college females to be careful about the information they post online. In this portion the girl is tweeting about how she's at the coffee shop and that she's bored because her roommates are out of town. In the background you can see our character Mr. Creeper (one of her many twitter followers) sneaking around the coffee shop up to no good. The idea is to attempt a more light hearted reminder as opposed to a preachy off putting approach.Amy Kingmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06319578862509390223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657854945658613668.post-84973911175436991862010-10-11T09:30:00.000-07:002010-10-11T09:31:04.234-07:00Just a quick pencil test<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzDYJV4B02sIjhhKVJb0ilPeyrerOjeIkCVGoIDRRE2AZH8T2Gd8457dCOkQ3iQvwmK8BwvxFRo5nVSCEl4' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Here's a quick pencil test for a new set of animations we're doing. I've been doing so much design work lately it's fun to get back into animating.Amy Kingmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06319578862509390223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657854945658613668.post-39261104253499708612010-06-17T08:47:00.001-07:002010-06-17T09:14:41.403-07:00Buckets For The CureThe last design that I worked on before I left for maternity leave was KFC's Buckets for the Cure Site. The purpose of the site was to accompany KFC's pink bucket campaign, during which a percentage of the sales from the pink buckets went to the Suzan G. Komen For the Cure Foundation. This site allowed people to read about and upload personal stories of breast cancer battles, get information on breast cancer, and donate to Susan G. Komen For the Cure. We worked with Creative Alliance, KFC, and Komen to create this site.<br /><br />Unfortunately, by the time I returned to work, the campaign had ended and the site was no longer hooked up to the system containing the stories and twitter feed. But you can get the general idea of what the site involved.<br /><br />We wanted to present the gallery of stories in a unique way that reinforced the KFC pink bucket campaign. To accomplish this we created a pink bucket formed by photo squares. The uploaded stories were pulled from a database and populated the squares. You could spin the bucket to see other stories or search for someone specific. Once you clicked on a photo all of the photo squares flipped over and filled in the cracks, then the story appeared on the bucket. <br /><br />Once you selected a story you could use the arrows to flip through additional stories or you could return to the bucket photo gallery and choose someone else. Our flash team did a fantastic job. I especially loved the work they did with the bucket using Papervision. Nice work guys!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/TBpDzf2-_XI/AAAAAAAABbM/0CRC_hWIXa4/s1600/Buckets+Screen+Cap+01.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 314px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/TBpDzf2-_XI/AAAAAAAABbM/0CRC_hWIXa4/s400/Buckets+Screen+Cap+01.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483770048281509234" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/TBpDz8B5lhI/AAAAAAAABbU/WAnxvJJnDqE/s1600/Buckets+Screen+Cap+02.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 314px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/TBpDz8B5lhI/AAAAAAAABbU/WAnxvJJnDqE/s400/Buckets+Screen+Cap+02.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483770055843485202" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/TBpD0WNWs4I/AAAAAAAABbc/bqsn_cKtHes/s1600/Buckets+Screen+Cap+03.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 314px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/TBpD0WNWs4I/AAAAAAAABbc/bqsn_cKtHes/s400/Buckets+Screen+Cap+03.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483770062870852482" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/TBpD0zoRK-I/AAAAAAAABbk/6xCXqkSR620/s1600/Buckets+Screen+Cap+04.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 314px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/TBpD0zoRK-I/AAAAAAAABbk/6xCXqkSR620/s400/Buckets+Screen+Cap+04.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483770070768364514" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/TBpD1VyDenI/AAAAAAAABbs/9X5OpfznaaY/s1600/Buckets+Screen+Cap+05.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 314px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/TBpD1VyDenI/AAAAAAAABbs/9X5OpfznaaY/s400/Buckets+Screen+Cap+05.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483770079936215666" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/TBpDz8B5lhI/AAAAAAAABbU/WAnxvJJnDqE/s1600/Buckets+Screen+Cap+02.jpg"><br /></a>Amy Kingmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06319578862509390223noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657854945658613668.post-86580879988603035132009-12-23T12:28:00.000-08:002009-12-23T12:57:20.472-08:00Augmented Reality Christmas Card<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://70.32.94.43/basement_christmas/index.html"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 258px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/SzJ-ZRmrSaI/AAAAAAAABV4/cif50a5BNhQ/s400/AR+Christmas+Card+01.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418532274367580578" border="0" /></a><a href="http://70.32.94.43/basement_christmas/index.html">View the greeting</a><br /></div><br />For the last couple months we here at the basement have been testing and experimenting with augmented reality. Boy can it be finicky!!! We've definitely learned a LOT as a team about the capabilities and limitations of AR.<br /><br />Today we are finally sending out our Holiday Greeting. If you have a webcam, it's a fun little thing to play with. Following the steps, print out the symbol and point your webcam at it. You should see a 3d stage and a couple characters pop up on top of the print out. You can move the print out around and look at the characters from all angles, or there are 3 songs that you can choose from and the characters will sing to you.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/SzJ-aFDuVaI/AAAAAAAABWI/tHK3ZgfA7Go/s1600-h/AR+Christmas+Card+03.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/SzJ-aFDuVaI/AAAAAAAABWI/tHK3ZgfA7Go/s400/AR+Christmas+Card+03.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418532288179623330" border="0" /></a><br />If you don't have a webcam, you can still see what the buzz is about by clicking on the link at the top of the page. It will take you to a video that will show you what we've done. There is so much more to write about this project, but no time for that now. Great work Basement Team! It's been a fun challenge!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://70.32.94.43/basement_christmas/ARVideo.html"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 258px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/SzJ-Zx7y0XI/AAAAAAAABWA/vBStuzdAFrg/s400/AR+Christmas+Card+02.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418532283046089074" border="0" /></a><a href="http://70.32.94.43/basement_christmas/ARVideo.html">View the video</a><br /></div><br />Merry Christmas everyone! Hope that your holidays are bright!Amy Kingmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06319578862509390223noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657854945658613668.post-90732511774378401882009-11-12T11:17:00.000-08:002009-11-12T11:21:18.778-08:00New Work Blog<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/Svxfc-IX9MI/AAAAAAAABUE/wZBvGpNKL0A/s1600-h/Work+Blog.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 285px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/Svxfc-IX9MI/AAAAAAAABUE/wZBvGpNKL0A/s400/Work+Blog.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403298604256851138" border="0" /></a>Welcome to the new work blog!<br /><br />After much thought and deliberation I have finally come to the conclusion that it's high time my blog was split in two. Now instead of one blog containing all things that I make, I will keep up one for more 'work' related posts and another for my various other past times. Of course since my hobbies and my work tend to overlap in many areas, there will be some crossover, but for the most part if someone in the industry is interested in my work I wanted to make it so they didn't have to wade through recipes and random arty projects.<br /><br />That being said, if you're more interested in the 'other' non-work related stuff I post about, you may want to follow <a href="http://drawingsinmotion.blogspot.com/">drawingsinmotion.blogspot.com</a> instead of this blog.<br /><br />I intend to keep a feed of work related stuff on the right hand side of my drawings in motion blog in case anyone over there is curious about my work life. Thanks for all your comments and support as this little space on the web has continued to grow!Amy Kingmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06319578862509390223noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657854945658613668.post-86949325201659390782009-11-04T07:10:00.000-08:002009-11-11T14:01:01.555-08:00PRIME: AIGA Indy Design Awards - Featuring One of My Designs<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://indianapolis.aiga.org/events/2009/11/35311049"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 135px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/SvGZ3G2_wpI/AAAAAAAABTg/ajpXMJ15QJw/s400/prime.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400266600207073938" border="0" /></a>The <a href="http://knozone.com/">Knozone.com</a> <span class="UIStory_Message">website has won an AIGA Prime design award. Congrats to our partner on this project Miles Design and to the rest of our talented team that worked on it here at The Basement!<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/SvGcJwyxJTI/AAAAAAAABTo/ez45AncF8L8/s1600-h/knozone.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 245px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/SvGcJwyxJTI/AAAAAAAABTo/ez45AncF8L8/s400/knozone.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400269119724528946" border="0" /></a><br /><span class="UIStory_Message">I'm going to head down and check out the gallery this Friday. I'm looking forward to checking out the other Indianapolis talent on display. Thanks to the AIGA for the nod! This will be my personal first interface design that has won any kind of award.<br /><br />If you're interested in popping in, let me know. I'll probably head down there around 7:00.<br /><br /></span><div class="summary"> <span class="date">Friday, November 6, 2009 </span> <span class="time"></span> <span class="location"><strong>Dean Johnson Gallery</strong><br />646 Massachusetts Avenue<br />Indianapolis, Indiana </span> <p class="addtional"><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=646+E+Massachusetts+Ave,+Indianapolis,+IN+46204&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=108.784124,112.324219&ie=UTF8&z=17&iwloc=A">View Map</a></p> </div>Amy Kingmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06319578862509390223noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657854945658613668.post-53348018624732753222009-09-23T11:52:00.000-07:002009-11-11T14:01:01.610-08:00Playing around with Biped animationI can't remember the last time I animated in 3D. A few weeks ago I opened 3d Studio up at work and played around with the biped animation to check it out. I chose two quick little dances to animate for fun and learn the tool. Obviously there's gobs of room for improvement, but I thought I'd share my first attempt.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxxDsoYdwROKaOUJCEgizPb_uCkwRGuKyfYgeQCNPbgcBlaZ3rFGIeGDJ7GaC0DT5J1-ZpWoPqrqrlOgAwHYg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz0a3gtkc6cgq7Oy7At16ELe67zeSNA2mwvR7UK6QHCv38Ss5awm82GII-2GwjcHvwXXQ413gJQT9Te-Mfj3w' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Amy Kingmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06319578862509390223noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657854945658613668.post-67756122481843110282009-09-23T11:13:00.000-07:002009-11-11T14:01:01.658-08:00The Basement Design + Motion launches new website<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://thebasement.tv/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 244px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/Srpl3TdzPvI/AAAAAAAABSY/n9xolon714c/s400/basement+home+page.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384728305267326706" border="0" /></a>This week <a href="http://thebasement.tv/">The Basement</a> launched our new website. Each section showcases a different style that we're capable of as a company, from 2d vector animation (the pipes on the 'Homepage' and birds in the 'Contact' section) 3d work (the 'Work' section) stellar hand drawn illustration (buildings on the 'Homepage'). And of course the portfolio, case study, and demo reel in the 'Work' section show off the work that we've done in the past including motion graphics work, microsite development, and online games.<br /><br />It was a team effort all the way with each member of our team tackling some element of the site. We're happy to see it launched and look forward to the opportunities that will follow.Amy Kingmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06319578862509390223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657854945658613668.post-27221367768212961162009-09-23T10:48:00.000-07:002009-11-11T14:01:01.642-08:00Hancock Fabrics: The Ultimate Prom Competition Webisodes and Style TipsThis is an old project I worked on earlier this year that I'd forgotten to post until I saw it in the portfolio section of our <a href="http://thebasement.tv/">new Basement website</a>.<br /><br />Advertising agency, Creative Alliance, recruited us to produce a microsite for a seasonal promotion with Hancock Fabrics and Seventeen Magazine. Hancock Fabrics was the official fabric sponsor of The Ultimate Prom 2009 competion. The microsite included fashion design tips and webisodes documenting three aspiring designers from New York's High School of Fashion Industries.<br /><br />For this design obviously fabric and fashion design were our overarching concepts to work with. We wanted fabric to be the biggest design element so I used some satin from the Hancock Fabrics prom line and added stitching, pins, tape, and pattern paper to pull it together.<br /><br />Being the only girl designer in the office it made sense for me to use my feminine sensibilities for this project. ;) Hopefully it came across as appealing to teen girls across the US and helped to portray Hancock Fabrics' as a more relevant brand for teens and younger women, and not a just store catering to their mothers and grandmothers.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/Srpf_hbEBBI/AAAAAAAABSA/v0FBCZlZvcE/s1600-h/Hancock+Fabrics+02.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 264px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/Srpf_hbEBBI/AAAAAAAABSA/v0FBCZlZvcE/s400/Hancock+Fabrics+02.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384721849383126034" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/SrpgAFuJukI/AAAAAAAABSI/bGOWWtLn2Qo/s1600-h/Hancock+Fabrics+01.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 264px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/SrpgAFuJukI/AAAAAAAABSI/bGOWWtLn2Qo/s400/Hancock+Fabrics+01.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384721859126868546" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/Srpf_FaNdqI/AAAAAAAABR4/4cYc5ZfDA1M/s1600-h/Hancock+Fabrics+03.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 264px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/Srpf_FaNdqI/AAAAAAAABR4/4cYc5ZfDA1M/s400/Hancock+Fabrics+03.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384721841863358114" border="0" /></a>Though this site has already launched and run it's course, there is still a test version of it up on our server you can check out <a href="http://70.32.94.43/clients/0037.020/progress.04.07.09/">here</a>.Amy Kingmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06319578862509390223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657854945658613668.post-71085003633330048242009-07-10T12:49:00.000-07:002009-11-11T14:01:01.779-08:00Dug up some old stuff...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aimabo/3707317311/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/SlecOJiRZkI/AAAAAAAABKw/c7Ogpdu_ww0/s400/Maia_comic_small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356922048672261698" border="0" /></a>Here's a Lichtenstein-esque version of my sis-in-law that I did a few years back. It was long forgotten, but somehow came into conversation recently so I dug it up and decided to throw it up on a post. I think she may end up using it as a facebook profile pic instead of an actual photo of herself if she decides to part ways with the stock icon they provide. We'll see. :) Well, happy Friday everyone!Amy Kingmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06319578862509390223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657854945658613668.post-52503037699349419632009-06-08T13:58:00.000-07:002009-11-11T14:01:01.632-08:00Timeline Animations In Flash are Fun!I love putting together a fun timeline animation in flash to add some bells and whistles to slick interface animation. You wouldn't want me animating the entire site, but I like to think of what I do as like the sprinkles on top of the cup cake. Tiny bits of amusement here and there to add a little fun. Here's a sneak peek at our new Basement website. We knew that we wanted the buttons in the 'who we are' section to have some personality so we came up with the concept of these pipes building a sign of sorts. I sketched the thought, drew it up in illustrator, then animated it in flash. This is a type of task that makes my day go by quickly because I have fun doing it. I'll be sure to post when we've got the site up and running! Until then!<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyB2xuvfkabSINLDAxoOzDFhoIxbrDrbZObV5f4hOHPf3eL1IIGIA6KxbZmFSaV3r7QwjGN0bHYMoRbMgEMZw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Amy Kingmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06319578862509390223noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657854945658613668.post-1717863084133257102009-05-05T06:17:00.000-07:002009-11-11T14:01:01.570-08:00Knozone's new site finally launches!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/SvGdfh5QELI/AAAAAAAABTw/iWRcXfFa5lU/s1600-h/knozone.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 245px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/SvGdfh5QELI/AAAAAAAABTw/iWRcXfFa5lU/s400/knozone.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400270593193939122" border="0" /></a><br />Over the past few months The Basement has been working with Miles Design to create the new look for Knozone, an organization championing Indy's clean air movement. Personally, I really enjoyed working on a site for a client like this. (Now, if only we could do the same for Indy's water quality!)<br /><br />On this site I wore several hats.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Art director</span> (oversaw motion, additional design needs such as charts and buttons, helped troubleshoot problem areas our interactive team faced)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lead designer</span> (main homepage and overall sub page look and feel)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Time line animator</span> (poofing clouds, balloon siren, air whisp animation)<br /><br />Miles developed the idea of the skyline and displaying content between buildings, and it was our job to figure out how to make it work. There were tons of challenges that our interactive team had to solve and they did an awesome job!<br /><br />I'm so happy to see it live! Nice work everyone!!! Check it out!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.cleanairmatters.org/">http://www.cleanairmatters.org/</a>Amy Kingmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06319578862509390223noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657854945658613668.post-43307848240777569642009-04-01T20:00:00.000-07:002009-11-11T14:01:02.054-08:00by hand<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aimabo/3406333060/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/SdQrJAFVu1I/AAAAAAAAA9A/fjphpOtRWvU/s400/Peerless+Cleaners.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319924493472611154" border="0" /></a>Designers, I'm sure you've scoured <a href="http://www.dafont.com/theme.php?cat=603">dafont.com</a> for the perfect handwritten font at SOME point or another. Some designs just call for something less structured and more alive. Not to mention the whole DIY look has been super trendy for a while now. I guess it's the charm of something created by hand and the flexibility of the digital world. It's nice.<br /><br />These handwritten fonts are nothing new. If you can't find something that you like on dafont, or you don't want to risk seeing the font you use on another design, there are hundreds of different ways to do create your own. I've known this was a possibility, but it wasn't until today that I finally took a moment to give it a try.<br /><br />I can't believe I hadn't done this before. It literally took 15 min. I created mine with the online font generator at www.yourfonts.com.<br /><br />Let me sum up:<br /><br />1. Go to <a href="http://www.yourfonts.com/">www.yourfonts.com</a> and print out the character template<br />2. Fill out the template in a thin black sharpie (or thick if that's your bag)<br />3. Scan the template you just filled in at 300 dpi<br />4. Upload it<br />5. Get custom handwritten font to install on your computer!<br /><br />Here's what my character template looked like all filled in:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/SdQwzt7mf6I/AAAAAAAAA9I/RV2K4MJ37mY/s1600-h/Amy_font.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 305px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/SdQwzt7mf6I/AAAAAAAAA9I/RV2K4MJ37mY/s400/Amy_font.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319930724892442530" border="0" /></a>In my haste, I did not pay as much attention to the hashmark guidelines as I should have, and as a result a couple characters (the lower case u and the . ) are either a little too high, or a little too low, but for the most part it worked out flawlessly.<br /><br />Even if you're not a designer, this could be a cool thing to play with. I can see scrapbookers getting some good use out of this, and maybe cooks who want to preserve recipes in their mom's handwriting but are a bit too much of a search junky/technophile to rely totally on recipe cards. I realize this is cheating, and it's no where near as close as a scan of the card or the real thing, but it could be better than straight up Arial. Just an idea.<br /><br />Any other ideas for how a custom handwritten font could be used?<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204); font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(The above photo was taken through the viewfinder of my kodak duaflex II camera with my Digital Canon Rebel. I processed the colors in photoshop and used my fancy new handwritten font to label it</span><span style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204); font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >. Talk about combining the digital with the DIY. Alex's grandfather worked at Peerless for nearly his entire life. This building has a special place in the hearts of his family. </span><span style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204); font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >It feels nice to have a picture of it.)</span>Amy Kingmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06319578862509390223noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657854945658613668.post-88469611590721659572009-02-04T11:39:00.000-08:002009-11-11T14:01:02.094-08:00Wednesday Desktop Background Freebie<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/SYnvR9F82nI/AAAAAAAAA7A/i8n_jqrfrus/s1600-h/Kodak+Duaflex+II+Photo+Desktop+1024X768.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/SYnvR9F82nI/AAAAAAAAA7A/i8n_jqrfrus/s400/Kodak+Duaflex+II+Photo+Desktop+1024X768.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299029528314436210" border="0" /></a>Select your screen resolution: <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/aimabo/3253234813/sizes/o/">1920 X 1200</a> | <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/aimabo/3254062682/sizes/o/in/photostream/">1280 X 960</a> | <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/aimabo/3253235157/sizes/o/in/photostream/">1024 X 768</a><br /><br />Who doesn't love free things!? I personally like to change my desktop backgrounds often. Sometimes I make my own, other times I really like having another artists work to look at.<br /><br />A week or so ago, I was playing around with the photo that I used in the <a href="http://drawingsinmotion.blogspot.com/2009/01/playing-with-mood-of-photo.html">processing tutorial</a> and created a simple desktop background with it. I got to thinking that if <span style="font-style: italic;">I</span> love free high-quality desktop backgrounds made by other artists, maybe I should contribute one of my own to the community. So here it is! Take it if you want it! Totally on the house.Amy Kingmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06319578862509390223noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657854945658613668.post-17454309715731270362009-02-04T09:27:00.000-08:002009-11-11T14:01:01.621-08:00Precise Path Robotics Site is Live!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.precisepath.com/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 254px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/SYnQX9o3FHI/AAAAAAAAA6o/s96pha0pyVc/s400/PP+Screenshot.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298995546679612530" border="0" /></a>We at <a href="http://thebasement.tv/">The Basement Design + Motion</a> have been working with a local robotics company, <a href="http://www.precisepath.com/">Precise Path Robotics</a>, for the past several months to create promotional and educational materials for their product the RG3, the worlds first robotic greens mower. It's been really neat to work on a project for such a ground breaking product!<br /><br />Today they're unveiling the mower at a trade show down in New Orleans. We produced video's that will play in their booth to help them explain what the mower can do and how it can benefit greens keepers. The mower is so new they needed to show it's capabilities through 3D animations. (Photos of the booth yet to come.)<br /><br />In addition to the videos, we produced an online experience where greens keepers can learn about the mower, get detailed spec information, and sign up for the newsletter and road show.<br /><br />We're very proud of the entire campaign! My role involved art directing the website from the ground up. I had a lot of fun. Each part of the process was an opportunity to learn, from the first meeting talking to the client about the image he'd like to project to working with a team of 3D artists, compositors, designers, and interactive developers to create the final product. Having access to such a talented and diverse pool of talent made my job a joy!<br /><br />So here it is, the unveiling of our latest project <a href="http://www.precisepath.com/">www.precisepath.com</a>.Amy Kingmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06319578862509390223noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657854945658613668.post-44582191060958284522009-01-28T17:14:00.000-08:002009-11-11T14:01:02.133-08:00Playing with the mood of a photo<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aimabo/3235033431/in/set-72157613064963109/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/SYEDRuJDw5I/AAAAAAAAA4o/DZKXIDZcv28/s400/Camera+With+greener+70s+filter.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296518239743099794" border="0" /></a>After looking through the images I took during my antique camera photo shoot, I thought it might be fun to pick one and try to play with the tone of the image. I wanted to keep the effect subtle, but still give it a bit of a mood. For this tone I chose to draw from the look of film developed in the 70's. Here's a tutorial of the techniques I used to achieve these results.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aimabo/3235033405/in/set-72157613064963109/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/SYEDjyMxtRI/AAAAAAAAA5g/XTphe_aUzkA/s400/Camera+Without+70s+filter.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296518550070080786" border="0" /></a>Here's the original photo<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aimabo/3235877714/in/set-72157613064963109/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 311px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/SYEDRzCn12I/AAAAAAAAA4w/ThwlSRgcQ6E/s400/70s+Photo+Effect_01.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296518241058281314" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aimabo/3235877748/in/set-72157613064963109/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 311px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/SYEDR9Stz9I/AAAAAAAAA44/hWqbKkx0bmE/s400/70s+Photo+Effect_02.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296518243810136018" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aimabo/3235877780/in/set-72157613064963109/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 311px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/SYEDR2xEXTI/AAAAAAAAA5A/vK4L5eQvh8w/s400/70s+Photo+Effect_03.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296518242058394930" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aimabo/3235877816/in/set-72157613064963109/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 311px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/SYEDjdhFjhI/AAAAAAAAA5I/zPuLZ4W4V0s/s400/70s+Photo+Effect_04.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296518544518123026" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aimabo/3235877866/in/set-72157613064963109/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 311px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/SYEDjlgNXSI/AAAAAAAAA5Q/84iNsm4OAqE/s400/70s+Photo+Effect_05.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296518546661924130" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aimabo/3235029955/in/set-72157613064963109/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 311px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/SYEDjrsfAVI/AAAAAAAAA5Y/7rogAaoZo88/s400/70s+Photo+Effect_06.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296518548324024658" border="0" /></a>Amy Kingmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06319578862509390223noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657854945658613668.post-33081113200621636942009-01-25T12:43:00.000-08:002009-11-11T14:01:02.143-08:00New 50 mm Prime Lens<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aimabo/3225735667/in/set-72157612981510614/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/SXzQUpF7LaI/AAAAAAAAA3w/ddMPoAC2S9k/s400/Polaroid+Front_BW.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295336314927525282" border="0" /></a>I can't believe what a HUGE difference this new 50 mm prime lens makes! I did a photo shoot of a couple antique cameras we have in the house today and was really excited to see the results. The cameras are so beautiful! I think I'm going to have to print out <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aimabo/sets/72157612981510614/">the series</a> and hang them all together somewhere. It might even be cool to see if there's a coffee shop or something that would be interested in the series as part of a local artist gallery of some sort. I'll have to look around. Thanks for the extra inspiration to make the purchase, <a href="http://whiteroomcolorfullife.blogspot.com/">Steph</a>! I love it!Amy Kingmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06319578862509390223noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657854945658613668.post-45749416693781938712009-01-16T12:33:00.000-08:002009-11-11T14:01:02.165-08:00Honored to be a guest blogger<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://shuttersisters.com/home/2009/1/16/fridays-featured-resource-shedding-a-little-light-on-the-sub.html"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 304px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/SXDxga8C0OI/AAAAAAAAA1o/ykrGIO1mc_U/s400/shuttersisterspost.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291995101449605346" border="0" /></a>Today I'm very honored for the opportunity to be guest blogging over at <a href="http://shuttersisters.com/home/2009/1/16/fridays-featured-resource-shedding-a-little-light-on-the-sub.html">Shutter Sisters</a> as a Friday Featured Resource. Thank you for allowing me to contribute a thought to such an inspirational and talented community of women, <a href="http://www.maypapers.blogspot.com/">Tracey</a>. Happy Friday everyone!Amy Kingmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06319578862509390223noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657854945658613668.post-57732603234839828332009-01-10T08:08:00.000-08:002009-11-11T14:01:02.073-08:00Shutter Sisters Inspiration<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aimabo/sets/72157612399248706/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/SWjS4iTs3II/AAAAAAAAA04/db3APZKfq0o/s400/eggnog+cupcake+diptych.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289709631070592130" border="0" /></a>I enjoy the daily bits of inspiration from <a href="http://shuttersisters.com/">Shutter Sisters</a>. Today's bit revolved around the clean slate of the new year.<br /><br />Sometimes it's tough for me to follow through with various creative assignments depending on what's going on in my life and whatnot but I just really liked this one so I thought I'd give it a shot. With all the chilly gray brown and white around us these days I felt like this would be a great opportunity to look a little closer for the colorful, the cheery, and the cozy. Here's <a href="http://shuttersisters.com/home/2009/1/10/jump-start.html">the assignment</a>:<br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">January Homework Assignment (Starting Monday):</span></span> <p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1) Take one photo <strong>everyday</strong> until Jan. 31st that is <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25138687@N06/3176665635/" target="_blank">colorful</a>, <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/verymom/3170950735/" target="_blank">cozy</a>, <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14811117@N02/3179746019/" target="_blank">cheerful</a> or just makes <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/burcuma/3182125689/" target="_blank">you</a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28442274@N07/3175776908/" target="_blank">smile</a>.</span> </p> <p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:85%;">2) Do something creative with your hands <strong>5 days a week</strong>. It could be drawing, painting, origami, </span><span style="font-size:85%;">scribbling, doodling, writing, or anything else. But it may <em>not</em> involve a camera or a computer.</span></p>I've decided that I'm going to count culinary exploits as '<span style="font-style: italic;">something creative with my hands</span>' as well. I'll be keeping a log of my photos, and photos of the things I make by hand up on <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aimabo/sets/72157612399248706/">my flickr page</a>. Let me know if you decide to join. I'd love to see your photos.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/SZGbfsnTixI/AAAAAAAAA7w/v9hOiZS6XLA/s1600-h/january.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 399px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/SZGbfsnTixI/AAAAAAAAA7w/v9hOiZS6XLA/s400/january.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301189205246053138" border="0" /></a><br /><span><span style="font-weight: bold;">PS:</span> The diptych above is of some awesome eggnog cupcakes. I got the recipe from <a href="http://annieseats.wordpress.com/2008/11/28/eggnog-cupcakes">Annie's Eats</a>. The cupcakes had a great flavor, were super moist and the icing was REALLY sweet. I don't </span><span>prefer the sugar icings as much as cream cheese variety, so I think next time I'll experiment </span><span>with a different icing.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aimabo/sets/72157612399248706/"><br /></a>Amy Kingmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06319578862509390223noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657854945658613668.post-11730760603743368242009-01-08T18:22:00.000-08:002009-11-11T14:01:02.213-08:00New Lights and Some Color<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/SWa1LCVsIUI/AAAAAAAAA0w/yoHp_MhPuHU/s1600-h/ShakerOnOrange.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/SWa1LCVsIUI/AAAAAAAAA0w/yoHp_MhPuHU/s400/ShakerOnOrange.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289114013604258114" border="0" /></a>Here is my new and improved light box photo. I found that my little desk lights weren't quite bright enough to show off my subject matter, so I got some clip lights and put in a daylight bulb so that all the colors were as true as could be. I also made sure to white balance my camera before shooting my subject and I added a nice patterned fabric beneath to make it pop.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/SWa1HO2SnMI/AAAAAAAAA0o/ThE0hkOFLzQ/s1600-h/New+Lights.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 392px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/SWa1HO2SnMI/AAAAAAAAA0o/ThE0hkOFLzQ/s400/New+Lights.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289113948242746562" border="0" /></a>The angle wasn't quite right when I clipped my lights to the sides of the box, but I didn't have any special light stands to fasten my lights to. To serve as stands, I tried clipping the lights to a couple bookends and it worked perfectly. They were easy to maneuver to get the lighting just right.Amy Kingmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06319578862509390223noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657854945658613668.post-22670977580358879502009-01-03T16:31:00.000-08:002009-11-11T14:01:02.203-08:00The Making of a Light boxA light box is something I've been meaning to construct for some time now. I get so frustrated when trying to take photos of things that I make in the winter time because of the lack of natural light. Everything looks dark and blah.<br /><br />After a conversation today with miss <a href="http://beantownbaker.blogspot.com/2009/01/fotography-friday.html">Jen</a> the Beantown Baker about techniques to improve her delicious food photography I decided to take on the challenge of creating an affordable, collapsible light box for people who may be short on space as well as cash. The problem I found with many of the affordable foam core light boxes is that every time you want to take it down you risk having the tape rip the walls apart. That in combination with the potentially frustrating assembly as one fumbles with the foam core like a house of cards lead me to the idea of a dove-tail like joint for the box.<br /><br />This light box design cost about $4 for the foam core and another $1 for the poster board that I use to create a seamless background. It's quick and easy to assemble, tear down, and store away. I still need to find brighter lighting, I used two dim desk lamps to test, but it definitely has potential!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aimabo/3164428603/in/set-72157612129794336/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/SWAE67kgQLI/AAAAAAAAA0E/g84kIpVWu4Q/s400/supplies_sm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287231373002686642" border="0" /></a>First I cut the foam core into 20"X20" panels. I then labeled each panel according to it's location on the box to keep myself from getting confused.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aimabo/3165260320/in/set-72157612129794336/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/SWAKm-CiLVI/AAAAAAAAA0M/mVrb1eeMFX0/s400/laid+out+01_sm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287237627137895762" border="0" /></a>After I labeled my 4 sides I measured a 1" thick margin where each joint connected. Then I laid out the panels according to where they connected to the 'back' panel. Imagine the sides and top folding up at each joint and you can visualize how the box will connect.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aimabo/3164428429/in/set-72157612129794336/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/SWAEz23ctVI/AAAAAAAAAz8/m6L_QsCU40g/s400/lining+up+notches_sm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287231251480884562" border="0" /></a>With the joints touching I measured out 3" notches and drew my line across both panels to ensure that everything would fit together nicely. For someone who is less than precise when it comes to measuring, this is a great technique to ensure a good fit. I then shaded in the notches that I wanted to cut out with my exacto knife. I did this to keep from cutting out the wrong notch accidentally.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aimabo/3165259824/in/set-72157612129794336/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/SWAEzuN31cI/AAAAAAAAAz0/8snR2F3nQso/s400/connectors_sm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287231249159017922" border="0" /></a>By tilting your panel up you can see where the notches fit into each other. The white ones, or tabs will fit into the shaded ones, the ones I cut out.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aimabo/3164427845/in/set-72157612129794336/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/SWAEzYH_vhI/AAAAAAAAAzs/PzwjrW9t6CQ/s400/close+up+notches_sm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287231243228790290" border="0" /></a>Once you cut out the shaded boxes to create your notches, you should be able to easily assemble the light box.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aimabo/3164428667/in/set-72157612129794336/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/SWAEyyPcPCI/AAAAAAAAAzk/KPUGhvxRGMQ/s400/assembled_sm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287231233059470370" border="0" /></a>Here's the light box assembled. This will create 3 nice white surfaces to bounce light off of to create a nice even light source for product photography. The final step is adding a strip of poster board to create a seamless backdrop for the product. Since the light box is 20" wide with a 1" margin on each side I needed to cut my poster board to be 18" wide.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aimabo/3164428291/in/set-72157612129794336/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/SWAEypvrLxI/AAAAAAAAAzc/jN4itxDHRGI/s400/posterboard+notches_sm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287231230778748690" border="0" /></a>Again, I did not want to use tape which could tear the box and the poster board, so I cut notches into the poster that fit into the tabs on the 'back' panel. I set the poster's notches into the 'back' panels, then laid the 'top' panel on top of it to hold it in place. It worked out great.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aimabo/3165260210/in/set-72157612129794336/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/SWAEXh_8v_I/AAAAAAAAAzU/BF42Rs2Be-I/s400/lightbox+setup+dark_sm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287230764843057138" border="0" /></a>Here are the 2 dim desk lamps I used to test the setup. I'd recommend getting a couple of those silver dome lamps with daylight bulbs to give brighter, better light. Here's a comparison of the light box set up vs. the flash on my camera.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aimabo/3164428495/in/set-72157612129794336/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/SWAEXrytUvI/AAAAAAAAAzM/IpLXGW1XuoY/s400/lightbox+product+shot_sm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287230767471874802" border="0" /></a>(For tips on making this shot more appealing see updated post on <a href="http://drawingsinmotion.blogspot.com/2009/01/new-lights-and-some-color.html">lighting and color</a>)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aimabo/3164428547/in/set-72157612129794336/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/SWAEXrF-VUI/AAAAAAAAAzE/sDXz6QzwQLM/s400/flash+product+shot_sm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287230767284245826" border="0" /></a>As you can see, the flash blows out the subject when you try to get close to it and creates a harsh shadow. It also flattens the image because the light source is only coming from one location straight on. The light box feels nice and soft and helps show off the contours of the subject by providing light from multiple angles.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aimabo/3164428243/in/set-72157612129794336/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/SWAEXTCIcGI/AAAAAAAAAy8/YdJPPqp23e0/s400/collapsed+lightbox+01_sm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287230760825679970" border="0" /></a>Once I finished with the light box you simply pulled it apart and all of the panels lay nice and flat so that you can store it easily til the next use!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aimabo/3165259230/in/set-72157612129794336/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/SWAEWmA2MtI/AAAAAAAAAy0/EF524iS4Jjs/s400/collapsed+lightbox_sm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287230748740694738" border="0" /></a>For other takes on the light box hack, check out:<br /><br /><a href="http://whiteroomcolorfullife.blogspot.com/2009/01/light-box-on-cheap.html">Steph's light box</a> which is made out of an old box, cloth, and poster board. This one diffuses light instead of bouncing it off the walls<br /><br />and<br /><br /><a href="http://lemonpluspepper.blogspot.com/2009/01/mini-photo-studio.html">Sara's mini photo studio</a> which is made out of pvc pipe, white sheets, and poster board.<br /><br />both turned out GREAT! Nice job ladies. :DAmy Kingmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06319578862509390223noreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657854945658613668.post-66235802825579216302008-12-08T19:25:00.000-08:002009-11-11T14:01:02.292-08:00Adding To The Shop<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.lagrisette.etsy.com/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 329px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JR1-PmlF6jk/ST3nOyhpBwI/AAAAAAAAApE/s2NgAtAN2zE/s400/EtsyShop.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277628579615147778" border="0" /></a>After a bit of research on archival quality printing, I've decided to add a couple more items to my <a href="http://www.lagrisette.etsy.com">shop</a> today. I chose to go with a few of the more interesting <a href="http://drawingsinmotion.blogspot.com/search/label/TtV%20-%20Through%20The%20Viewfinder">Ttv photos</a> and an unframed print of the <a href="http://drawingsinmotion.blogspot.com/2008/08/wishful-thinking.html">Wishful Thinking illustration</a>.<br /><br />I wanted to make sure that any prints that were purchased from me would resist fading and look nice and sharp. I'm looking mostly for prints that are guaranteed for 70+ years. From the bit that I've read, it's important to print on acid free paper to prevent yellowing, and use pigmented/archival ink to resist fading. I found a few online options that look promising. It took me a bit of time to sniff out these printers, so I thought I'd share them here to save anyone conducting a similar search some time. Here are my findings:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.mpix.com/" target="_blank">http://www.mpix.com/</a><br /><a href="http://www.iprintfromhome.com/" target="_blank">http://www.iprintfromhome.com/</a><br /><a href="http://www.imagekind.com/">http://www.imagekind.com/</a><br /><a href="http://finerworks.com/" target="_blank">http://finerworks.com/</a><br /><a href="http://www.giclee-factory.com/">http://www.giclee-factory.com</a><br /><br />I have yet to use any of these printers so I can't vouch for them. If you have used any of these printers, I'd love to hear your thoughts.<br /><br />I would really love to find a local printer to work with, I just am not sure where to start, especially if I'm not printing in bulk. If you're in the Indianapolis area, and you have any suggestions I'd love to hear them.<br /><br />I'll be sure to post any findings and reviews once I've discovered a printer I like! Yay for learning about print! It's a wide wide world and it's <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">SO</span> not dead.Amy Kingmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06319578862509390223noreply@blogger.com5