Identity Design: IABC-Tucson
November 28th, 2007Quite often, identity design is a team sport. Take, for example, the creation of a new identity for the Tucson chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC).
In 2006, IABC-Tucson set about the task of redesigning its logo, which was incorporated into the chapter's new website. The new logo was created by Julie Ray, a local graphic designer who had just joined IABC.
The new IABC-Tucson site design was created by Raim and Associates. I was in charge of developing and helping to implement the XHTML/CSS template on which the website is now based.
During this phase of the identity design, I worked closely with Paul Tumarkin, a marketing copywriter who serves as the chapter's webmaster. Paul also wrote the copy that graces the new site.
The new IABC-Tucson identity is also being used in the chapter's annual Cactus Quill Awards program. We're in the process of announcing the 2008 competition. To this end, I did the photography and design for the Call for Entries postcard:
- View the 2008 Cactus Quill Call for Entries postcard (opens PDF file)
- View the 2007 Cactus Quill Call for Entries postcard (opens PDF file)
If you'd like to enter the Cactus Quills, the IABC-Tucson website will have everything you need.
Tip: You can view more graphic identity design projects in my portfolio.
Mark Your Calendars: Water Harvesting Open House
November 27th, 2007
On Saturday, December 1, Tucson's Watershed Management Group (WMG) will have an open house at the Ward 3 City Council office. The open house will showcase WMG's latest water harvesting demonstration site. Here are the specifics:
Water Harvesting Open House
Saturday, December 1
4:30-6:30 p.m.
Ward 3 City Council office
1510 East Grant Road, Tucson
This will include a site tour, slide presentations, and discussion on neighborhood water harvesting for flood control, rain water roof collection with a cistern, and native plant design. The ocotillo shown above is now part of the council office's water harvesting landscape.
One of the slide presentations will be mine. I was a participant in the workshops that built the Ward 3 City Council office's water harvesting system. I also photographed the construction process.
Among other things, my show will illustrate how cisterns are installed. Hint: The following photo shows one of the final steps. You'll see others at the open house on Saturday, and I hope to see you there too!
Tip: You can view more construction photography in my portfolio. I am also available for construction photography assignments in Tucson, Arizona, and elsewhere. To check availability and to request a proposal, please contact me.
Event Photography: All Souls Procession 2007
November 20th, 2007
Cross Mardi Gras with All Souls Day and what do you get? Tucson's All Souls Procession, that’s what!
This annual event is one of the largest parades in Arizona. It features thousands of costumed marchers who celebrate the universal experience of death.
The marchers are preceded by a giant urn (shown above), which gets burned at the end of the procession. Instead of freeze-framing the urn, I decided to try an extended exposure.
Talk about a photo op. Tucson's shooters were out in force. I even went so far as to stake out a position an hour before the procession started. I'm glad I did, because "my" space soon became quite crowded. (Such are the joys of event photography in public spaces.)
Tip: You can view more event photography in my portfolio. I am also available for event photography assignments in Tucson, Arizona, and elsewhere. To check availability and to request a proposal, please contact me.
Event Photography: Football from the Stands
November 19th, 2007
Alert readers will note that the above photo was not taken at this past Saturday's Michigan-Ohio State football game in Ann Arbor. We didn't get any touchdowns in that one, which the Buckeyes won (again) by a score of 14-3. Oh, well. With a new coach and a revitalized team, we may just get 'em next year.
The photo was actually from last month's Michigan-Purdue game, which we won, 48-21. Although I didn't score one of those coveted "M Photo" vests that the on-field shooters wear, I had an enjoyable afternoon of capturing the action from the stands.
Part of the challenge of shooting from the stands is that you're probably not going to get good images of the on-field action. You're just too far away. This is especially true in Michigan Stadium, where the playing field is the equivalent of one floor below the bottom row of seating.
I've found that it's best to keep my camera focused on what's happening in the stands while letting the "M Photo" people catch the game action.
Tip: You can view more event photography in my portfolio. I am also available for event photography assignments in Tucson, Arizona, and elsewhere. To check availability and to request a proposal, please contact me.
Event Photography: Make a Difference Day
November 19th, 2007Event photography can be as predictable as the schedule that the opening ceremony will follow, and as unpredictable as how people will react to your camera.
I prefer to do candid shots, but there are times when people simply insist on posing. In these cases, I just let 'em pose and take the photo. Or, as you'll see below, I'll create images that don't include faces.
During the October 27 Make A Difference Day: 1,000 Trees For Tucson event, there were plenty of opportunities for candid photography. For this event, Tucson Clean & Beautiful partnered with Tucson Electric Power and other sponsors toward the goal of planting of 1,000 native trees for Tucson. These new trees will:
- Create habitat
- Provide cleaner air
- Lower temperatures
Tree-planting volunteers worked at several locations, including Habitat for Humanity Tucson's Corazon del Pueblo (CDP) community. I wandered around CDP, snapping interesting things as I went along, including this young volunteer:
This photo is being used on the cover of Tucson Electric Power's nomination in the national Make a Difference Day awards competition.
After the tree planting was done, it was time for some construction photography. I headed down to southern edge of CDP, where Habitat is currently building eight houses. Inside one of the houses, I borrowed a ladder for some overhead shots of volunteers framing and interior wall:
Tip: You can view more event photography in my portfolio. I am also available for event photography assignments in Tucson, Arizona, and elsewhere. To check availability and to request a proposal, please contact me.
Identity Design: Science Teaching as a Profession
November 16th, 2007American students aren't the only ones dropping out of school. Their teachers are leaving too. Poor working conditions and low pay are the oft-cited reasons. The dropout problem among science teachers is especially critical because they are hard to replace.
The Science Teaching as a Profession (STP) project is working to elevate the status of secondary school science teachers. Funded by the Research Corporation, STP is co-directed by Sheila Tobias, a Tucson-based educational consultant who wrote the best-selling book, Overcoming Math Anxiety, and Anne Baffert, who chairs the science department at Tucson's Salpointe Catholic High School.
Sheila and Anne are co-authoring a book based on their interviews with science teachers throughout the United States.
I worked with Sheila and Anne to:
- Design the website's look and feel, including its logo.
- Implement the site's content management system and show Anne (the site's manager) how to use it.
- Create letterhead, envelopes, and business cards for Sheila and Anne to use at interviews with teachers and educational conferences.
In addition to the design work, I shot the website's home page photo and did another photo shoot in Anne's science classroom.
Tip: You can view more graphic identity design projects in my portfolio.
By way of introduction…
November 16th, 2007Welcome to the Project Update blog! My name is Martha Retallick, and I'm a graphic designer, photographer, and consultant in Tucson, Arizona.
In the graphic arena, I specialize in identity design. This includes at least three of the following elements:
- Logos
- Stationery systems (letterhead, business cards, envelopes)
- Posters, brochures, flyers, and other promotional materials
- Postcards and other direct mail pieces
- Clothing and other softgoods (tee shirts, hats, sports team jerseys, mousepads)
- Websites
- Blogs
- E-mail and printed newsletters
I'm also a commercial photographer. My specialties are:
- Construction photography
- Event photography
- Nature photography
- People photography
- Travel photography
This blog will keep you up to date on my latest Western Sky Communications studio projects.
