New Blog Series for Self-Publishing Authors

We’ve enjoyed amazing experiences designing award-winning covers for celebrity and independent authors and publishers. Lives have been changed as well as dreams fulfilled by giving authors a competitive edge in the marketplace with an effective book cover.

As a result, we receive non-stop queries regarding various aspects of the book cover design process. We do our best to respond, but it’s become overwhelming to keep up. This new blog series will speak on the top topics that are trending from authors. Send us your questions and we’ll curate those that make the blog to help the most authors.

Not gonna do a lot of talking in this intro post. Just letting folks know what’s up as we get down with the facts. The Book Cover Get Down will be to the point and professionally honest.

Diaspora of a People

From 2009 to 2015, I had the pleasure of working with a dynamic ambassador for Leimert Park Village -- "The Harlem of the West Coast."  Amaechina Anyanwu introduced me to a wonderful world that is complex, gifted, intense, talented, entrepreneu…

From 2009 to 2015, I had the pleasure of working with a dynamic ambassador for Leimert Park Village -- "The Harlem of the West Coast."  Amaechina Anyanwu introduced me to a wonderful world that is complex, gifted, intense, talented, entrepreneurial and faithful people that fueled a conscious community of people that most of the nation knows little about.

Historically, Leimert Park diversity ranges from African drum circle, replete with an infamous 24 hr ganja aroma all the way to the world headquarters of conservative pundit, Tavis Smiley to Papillon Gallery to the African Art and Music Festival.  The most significant such festival west of the Chicago.  I served as the official photographic essayist and honorary co-producer.

The festival took place on Labor Day Weekend, embraced an average of 5-10,000 people over 3 days. The menagerie of art, music, fashion, food, beauty, family, comedy, encouragement, social and religious politics, infused with gender and age diversity from infants to centenarians, famous to emerging to the unknown.  The music genres displayed from Senegal, Brazil, deep southern rhythms to hip hop, jazz, gospel, folk, doo wop, funk, hymnals and all of the nuances of the blues.

Armed with my ALL ACCESS credentials covered the main stage as well as the audience and behind the scenes for 9 hours each day.  It was exhausting and exhilarating simultaneously.  This first suite of images is the tip of over 50,000 images captured over 6 years.

Enjoy.

Thank You Mr. President

Just a moment to honor the finest public servant leader that I have ever experienced, Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States..

I admit that I first heard the name Barack Obama from a tent campaigner ... at a park ... collecting signatures.  I smiled politely, my first thought was he'll never make it, but glad to see him dreaming.  I admit that I gave my signature and info solely because he was Black, accepted the flyer with the cool logo ...  and moved on.  I never gave it another thought ... until the news broke about the Rev. Wright matter in Chicago.  I was transfixed with how he handled the media barrage of negativity.  Then during his speech on race, the power of his convictions vs a nation of question marks.  Awesome.  It was a wrap. I was IN.

He was articulate, measured and masterful crafting of the convergence of old and new, popular and infamous, stiff and open minded.  From that moment until now I have been a fan and involved with the political process.  My only regret it that I didn't try to work with him as a brand specialist along the way -- he needed it badly.

Thank you President Obama for being the smartest, classiest, sharpest, most scandal-free and respectful husband/father/friend and gentleman to ever hold the office.  We've never met, but I'm gonna miss you sir in 'that seat' in 'that office' passionately doing 'the work' for All Americans.  You are the best of who WE are.

Enjoy what ever you choose to be involved in going forward Sir.

Onward.

Watercolor ... Back to Basics.

 For the last few months I've been exploring one of my original illustration techniques ... watercolor.  When I first realized that I am an artist, I was exposed to a new creative medium per week for two semesters at Milwaukee Trade and Technic…

 

For the last few months I've been exploring one of my original illustration techniques ... watercolor.  When I first realized that I am an artist, I was exposed to a new creative medium per week for two semesters at Milwaukee Trade and Technical High School.  So, at 13 I was infused into a curriculum that allowed me the opportunity to play with metal, glass, wood, fabrics, photography, sculpture, drawing in charcoal, pencil, conté crayon, painting in all its forms -- oil, acrylic and watercolor.

While I enjoyed all of the mediums and I loved painting, it was too messy -- I'm not a fan of the sloppiness of the painting process and getting my nails and hands all cruddy.  So, next in line were pencils -- they offered just as many colors with the ability to deliver images that I could control with a subtle texture.  Of all the drawing materials that I discovered in class, I gravitated to Prismacolor pencils and Canson rag paper.  It began my life's work of creativity by selling my first piece of art at 13.  Then fashion illustration exploded into my world. Wow.  Then medical illustration ... but I had to attend a 4-year and then med school ... ah hem, nah!  Illustration evolved into graphic design and ultimately advertising.  Over time I even became impatient with the pencil drawing process, so digital illustration dominated my rendering passions.

Then I was introduced to watercolor pencils a few months ago while researching a project, hmmmmm.  These new tools blew my mind.  Aquash water pencils by Pentel and Staedtler watercolor pencils, when combined, gave me what I needed to get back into drawing and painting.  Full color options, fast and expressive in ways that my digital illustration work is --- and no mess.  Nice.

Now, decades later, I can explore watercolor in a way that I dig and it is filtered though a lifetime of ideas that emote freely. I'm revisiting beauty for now.  Back to basics.

100 MEALS 100 SOULS™

As a creative service professional, I take on all sorts of assignments that involve a wide variety of graphics, imagery, design, etc.  I problem solve for measurable results.  I've spent a career doing this strategic quantitative and quali…


As a creative service professional, I take on all sorts of assignments that involve a wide variety of graphics, imagery, design, etc.  I problem solve for measurable results.  I've spent a career doing this strategic quantitative and qualitative work of mine.  Well, a few weeks ago on a rainy Saturday afternoon all of that my skillset was expanded in ways I could not anticipate.

I headed out to a client meeting on MetroLink for the 75 mile trip into the city for an initial client briefing for his nonprofit, Oil Fields Ministry.  After about 2 leisurely hours prepping for my meeting through the mountains, into downtown Los Angeles and South Los Angeles, I arrived.  What I walked into was a complete buzz of activity with people, food aromas, packaging and stacking, organizing and lots of laughter.  At the center of it all was Pastor George, the gregarious leader of this fledgling nonprofit that serves the spiritually overlooked and under served of metro LA.

Members of his group were putting the finishing touches on what turned out to be a mission to rebuild lives.  Oil Fields had received a food donation from Fleming's Prime Steakhouse of Beverly Hills.  The contribution of premium food items were being packed into 100 containers and loaded into the trunks of vehicles, shepherded by this ‘faithful hit squad.’  They fully intending to touch at least 100 souls in one of the largest homeless enclaves in the nation -- Los Angeles Skid Row.

Within minutes we were deep into ‘The Row’ as I became the official photo journalist with my Samsung S6.  I was feet from selfless moments of serving humanity in it’s most raw form -- fulfilling a need ... with provision ... to encourage living.  As we made multiple pit stops, residents appeared from under wet tarps that served as roofing for makeshift curbed abodes, constructed of discarded pieces of life.

As rapidly as they began ... they had completed their task.  A meal and bottle of water with a little dignity had soothed the pain of being without, if only for a few moments.  A soul grinned at the harshness of their reality and was sustained by Pastor George and his band of the faith focused prospectors of Oil Fields Ministries, who themselves were homeless at one time.  It was my honor to be present and witness the acts of love that I hope ignites the rebuilding of lives -- of both the served and the servers.

About PASTOR GEORGE SELMAN, Los Angeles, 2016:  He's been one of the top fashion photographers in the nation for years.  He accepted the calling for ministry in 2008 and committed to serve others with everything he has in him.  His intensity is infectious as he touches lives in non-traditional formats all over Los Angeles.  His activities include ministering for a Korean ministry, LoveLA, on selected Sundays in the parking lot of The Union Rescue Mission, where he ministers at the URM Chapel as well.  Pastor George teaches mid week Bible Study, supports World Impact Ministries retreats at The Oaks in Lake Hughes, CA and now he is endeavoring to find ways to rebuild lives through 100 MEALS 100 SOULS™. 

CONTACTS:  T 323 472-7625E    E GSel100@gmail.com

'Lady L Designs' Product Photo Session

Lady L Designs, a Midwestern accessories start-up needed images for a magazine editorial spread. There was no budget to send a team to produce a shoot, so the client shipped me the materials and trusted me to deliver a solid suite of images for thei…

Lady L Designs, a Midwestern accessories start-up needed images for a magazine editorial spread. There was no budget to send a team to produce a shoot, so the client shipped me the materials and trusted me to deliver a solid suite of images for their first media essay.  A week later a heavy box arrived, filled with a * bounty of textures, hues and shapes.

The myriad of diverse looks inspired my creative juices.  So, on an austere set in my studio I styled some dark distressed linen and placed it in mid-morning natural light.  With the help of a few light reflectors, I was able to add just the right configurations of highlights and shadows.  Alone on set, I was able to take my time and make adjustments until I was completely happy ... more like art than a commercial assignment.

Since most of the artist's materials exude a core of warmth, I allowed the blue of daylight to wash the scenes with a subtle coolness, just as a contrast to the natural emotional essence of each piece.  

All in all, I enjoyed the experience of working with the jewelry ... ambient light ... my equipment ... all to display the expression of an artisan 1,500 miles away.  The magazine article is reported to have been one of the publications best ... ever.

* See more images from the session here.

Coke Brand Photo Session Experience

Chianne Aubrey is half of The Aubrey Twins.  With her sister, Chania, we've been planning a print shoot all year, but schedules kept intruding.  We finally worked out the details and approached the shoot as a Pop Up this past Monday, Dec 5…

Chianne Aubrey is half of The Aubrey Twins.  With her sister, Chania, we've been planning a print shoot all year, but schedules kept intruding.  We finally worked out the details and approached the shoot as a Pop Up this past Monday, Dec 5th.  No permits or PA's, curb parking, on-camera diffused light source, etc.

On location outside of the local art museum in Lancaster, CA, we had a gorgeous charcoal slate exterior wall, which served as the perfect backdrop for this ad.  All of the elements worked against us right off the bat -- the ambient light was decaying rapidly, the wind picked-up as we stepped onto set, the temperature began dropping noticeably ... such is a non-studio shoot.  However, the twins were troopers, they listened to my directions well and performed with an intuitive shorthand that allowed me to keep shooting. They gave option after option throughout the session.

We did three set-ups: interaction between them, then separate solo portraits -- the image in this COMP ad is from the solo session with Chianne.  We had to shoot in between gusts of wind and intermittent traffic.  Chania was quickly tweaking sister's hair and wardrobe, turning the prop can to feature the Coca-Cola® ZERO brand, even positioning Chianne's fingers.

An hour later we wrapped. My hands were stiff from cold, they were both shivering, yet smiling and then ... their true creative fervor shined. They did their own 5 minute pop-up fashion shoot displaying Chianne's full wardrobe -- with a Samsung phone! -- their tool of choice -- gangsta.  I jumped in the truck to bring on the heat!

I look forward to working with them more as they discover their creative voice.  In fact, look for them as photogs/art directors for an upcoming national book release.