Erik Paul Blog

Worldwide Tournament Darts Into Little Creek

March 5th, 2010 by Erik Paul under Business, Design, Informational. No Comments.

When it comes to casinos, or at least gambling in general, I really have never thought of darts as being a high stakes betting game… but I was wrong! This summer, June 25th – June 27th, Little Creek Casino Resort is hosting the 2010 Northwest League Finals. This three day tournament consists of champions from all over the world who will have already competed in the 2010 Spring League Finals taking place in Dayton, Ohio. I was very excited when I was asked by Little Creek’s Creative Manager, Brandi Peters, to design a visual image to represent Little Creek’s participation in this dart league. It’s rare I get to play with darts! I created the below visual which is for pre-teasing exposure of the event. This graphic will be displayed on flat screen TVs everywhere the dart league marketing company, Medalist advertises their upcoming tournaments. If you remember the Power To The Player campaign, you will see the visual similarities I tried to tie together… same concept, different hand model. By the way, if you’re as uninformed about dart tournaments (and professional darts) as I was, the dart in the guy’s hand is a soft tip dart (which has a flat nosed, rubber tip). If you have any graphic design needs that you want to hit the bulls-eye, please contact me… and let’s get started today!

Northwest League Finals “TV Marketing Frame” – Graphic Design by Erik Eikenberry

Tags:bulls-eye designer, dart tournament, Erik Eikenberry, graphic design, Little Creek Casino Resort, marketing, Medalist, Northwest League Finals, Olympia, Shelton, Thurston County, Tumwater.

Sand Abstracts at Sunset on the Shore

February 28th, 2010 by Erik Paul under Personal, Photography. No Comments.

Here are a few images I just couldn’t resist showcasing as their own post. These were taken on the same trip to Long Beach, WA [as this post describes], but admittedly I have never “studied” sand patterns on the beach, so I figured I’d share a handful of the results. Here you can see how sand interacts with water and they meet to form the shore… which simultaneously becomes an ever changing canvas. I have to say nature is almost as breath-taking close-up as it is seen from a distance. These images I am calling “Sand Abstracts” because they are just that, abstract and meaningless, yet a thousand words are not enough to describe the beauty they emanate… each grain interacting with highlights and shadows casted from miniscule valleys carved from a trickling water chisel. Hope you are as inspired as I was. Please enjoy!

Tags:Abstract Imagery, Long Beach, Personal Art, photography, Sand, Shallow Depth of Field, Sunset.

Royal Flush Receives A Royal Welcome

February 26th, 2010 by Erik Paul under Business, Design, Informational. No Comments.

For those of you who are poker fanatics in the South Sound, you might have already heard Royal Flush hit Little Creek Casino Resort last week. This could be one of the most fun and exciting games Little Creek has offered in recent years. It is being set up as a Game Show, where there is quite literally an announcer and contestants looking on as spectators in an audience would do. One huge intrigue about Royal Flush that will mesmerize many contestants is that multiple participants can win $250,000 (as opposed to only a single grand total winner). For me as well, this has been an exciting graphic design project with all the hype. With the newness of the game came new freedom to design a fun yet different style for Little Creek which allowed me to add some elements I would not have normally used. Below is an example of one of the many campaign posters (6′w x3′h Hallway Sign) that will hang in the main breeze way from Little Creek’s hotel lobby to their gaming floor. If you have any new promotions coming up for your business that require fun and different graphic design, or if you would prefer a refined and simple style, please contact me… and let’s get started today!

Little Creek Casino Resort “Royal Flush” Hallway Sign – Graphic Design by Erik Eikenberry

3/4/10 Update: Yesterday when I was at Little Creek Casino Resort I pulled out my point-and-shoot and tried to “sneak” a quick shot of the Royal Flush hallway sign (as cameras are instantly pounced on by security… no matter who you are)… so I shot this image below of the hallway sign that is posted and framed in the breezeway between the casino and the hotel. Unfortunately with all the windows, glass and reflections [and foot traffic] I wasn’t able to get a very good shot (also due to the time of day)… but figured I’d post what I was able to get.

Tags:Campaign, Design, Designer, Erik Paul Artistic Communication, graphic design, Hallway Sign, Lacey, Little Creek Casino Resort, Olympia, Promotion, Royal Flush, South Sound, Thurston County, Tumwater.

Long Beach WA Was Not A Disappointment

February 25th, 2010 by Erik Paul under Personal, Photography. No Comments.

Last weekend my family and I were fortunate enough to enjoy an extremely sunny and cloud-free weekend at Long Beach, WA. In case the weather threw you off, that was Washington, not California. My wife and I actually had visited Long Beach, WA last February 2009 and were amazed by the sunny, clear skies we experienced so we’re already talking about heading back for 2011. As I have mentioned in a few of my blog posts I try and keep my personal life out of my business blog, but I’m finding there are great reasons to blend the two. I brought my camera (and lenses) with me last weekend and found a ton of opportunities to use them. As you can see above, not only was the scenery breath-taking, but there was a lot of wildlife to photograph (specifically the eagle and raccoons were rarities). Now, for those of you who live in the western half of Washington, especially the South Sound area, I must recommend one of the highlights Long Beach offers… Cape Disappointment State Park. The name is very misleading as we were not disappointed by Cape Disappointment at all!  There are numerous sights to see whereas beaches such as West Port or Ocean Shores do not offer; a few light houses perched on cliffs, a vehicle free beach and for me the real clincher was gazing at the massive mouth of the Columbia River where it empties into the Pacific Ocean. I hope you enjoy the photos and I really hope you get a chance to take a day trip to Cape Disappointment and have great weather!

Tags:Cape Disappointment, Long Beach, Nature Photography, Personal Art, photography, Washington.

Continuation Shoot For CMC’s Directors

February 22nd, 2010 by Erik Paul under Business, Informational, Photography. No Comments.

Back in August ‘09 I was asked by Capital Medical Center’s Marketing Director, Renee Crotty, to photograph 16 of CMC’s Directors [click here to view that post], and due to unavailability and schedule conflict for a few others, it was known that more Directors would be photographed down the road… and now it can be said that Capital Medical Center has completed all 20 of their Directors portraits! The above images complete the set. All the Directors portraits will be displayed in the main entrance of the hospital lobby on the wall for public display (5×7 framed prints). I want to say it was an honor that Renee allowed me this rare opportunity to individually photograph so many business professionals in one, well technically, two sittings. It’s fun when adults are comparing being photographed to when they were in elementary school on picture day.

Now if you’re asking yourself, “Why does Erik Paul have the rather unsightly imagery of the equipment on the left side of this blog post?” allow me to explain. There are lots of dials, switches and buttons on the strobe equipment I use for set ups like these, so in order to return onto location (days, months or years later) and get the exact same lighting, I like to “record” the settings I used for each light. This might not be a profound concept, but it is one that I learned to be a huge benefit for me and even more so to my clients.  They appreciate that extra bit of detail come the next shoot that needs to be exact and consistent with the previous shoot.

Why did I bother writing this? To instill a sense of assurance in you that if you hire my photography services, not only will you be getting a professional photo you will be happy with, you can be certain that if you hire me again you will have consistent lighting from one image to the other. With that said, if you do have a need for a professional photographer, and a need for consistency and quality, please contact me… and let’s get started today!

Tags:2010 CMC Directors, Capital Medical Center, Erik Eikenberry, High Quality Photographs, Lacey, Mobile Studio, Olympia, Portrait Photography, Professional Photographer, Thurston County, Tumwater.

Classy, Classic Calligraphy and Art Online

February 14th, 2010 by Erik Paul under Business, Design, Informational. No Comments.

Recently I had the pleasure of meeting and working with one of the Northwest’s greatest artists in Calligraphy Art, Sally Penley. Letters and words are energized from the tips of her brushes (and pens) and transformed into a unique experience of expression and emotion. Words gain new meaning and shapes take on messages word cannot convey. I was blown away by the talent she radiates and the kindness she exudes… so, it was no surprise I was honored when she approached me to design a website for her that would showcase her artwork. With our artistic visions combined the process of creation clicked and flowed… and once we had all the necessary elements gathered up, quite literally, her website was up and alive in under three weeks. Admittedly, that was one of the faster websites I had designed and programmed recently, but the fast turnaround was for a very good reason… Sally’s art show was about to open (on February 12th) and my goal was to have it live online by the night of her show… and my goal was met and she was very thrilled! Which brings me to a nice segue of mentioning her art show is currently on exhibit in Maple Valley. It truly is amazing to see her art full scale, face-to-face. As impressed as I am with all of her pieces, I was blown away to see them as they deserved to be seen, framed and matted on a gallery wall. From the brush hair motions to the color saturations, from the surface fibers to the paper textures, seeing her artwork in person will add to the magic of her artwork.  If you are in the market for a website to be created so you can get yourself live and online, please contact me… and let’s get started today!

Sally Penley’s show is located at the Maple Valley Creative Arts Center, 23220 Maple Valley Highway Southeast. For more information visit www.maplevalleyarts.com or call the Arts Center at 425-432-0810.

Tags:art, calligraphics, calligraphy, Design, Erik Paul Artistic Communication, graphic design, Lacey, Olympia, Sally Penley, Thurston County, Tumwater, web design, web programming, Website, websites.

Cardiovascular Catheter Procedure at CMC

February 4th, 2010 by Erik Paul under Business, Informational, Personal. No Comments.

Last week I mentioned I’d be posting some photos from the cardio cath procedure and here they are!  So what is a cardio cath procedure and what are you looking at in these photos? Capital Medical Center uses the latest cardiac imaging technologies, one being echocardiography, a noninvasive diagnostic test that allows their specialized physicians to evaluate the status of heart valves and muscles. The information is displayed on four large monitors and the team is looking at the patient’s heart in HD. Upon pinpointing a troubled area (or areas), these specialists can repair tissue by going deep within the body by using small catheters and stents through a small hole made in the groin. This method of treatment reduces recovery time for the patient and greatly improves quality of life… and the best part about it from my point-of-view, there was very minimal blood. In fact, there wasn’t an open incision I could distinguish even after I observed the specialist use a scalpel. It was a very moving experience… to witness Capital Medical Center’s cardio team working together, orchestrating a network of small, thin tubes that sprouted out of, well, technically into, this patient (who was conscious during the entire procedure). He certainly was a good sport to allow me in the room to photograph him during this very real-life experience. It was quite the honor to have been the photographer for this shoot… knowing his life was literally in their hands and the quality of this shoot was in mine. If you have photography needs that require the skilled hands of a professional photographer, please contact me… and let’s get started today!

Tags:Capital Medical Center, Cardiovascular Catheter Procedure, Erik Eikenberry, Erik Paul Artistic Communication, Lacey, Olympia, photographer, photography, Professional, Thurston County, Tumwater.

Erik Paul Covers The Community Artistically

January 29th, 2010 by Erik Paul under Business, Design, Informational, Personal. No Comments.

If you’ve lived in Thurston County for some years now you are most likely familiar with Community Values Magazine. It’s a great local publication, owned by Lee and Babs Townsend, that features local discount coupons and information from quality businesses in the Olympia, Lacey & Tumwater area of Washington State.  One feature that really makes this monthly direct mail advertising magazine stand out is the cover. Community Values Magazine approaches local graphic designers, artists and photographers and asked them if they’d like to create a cover at no cost.  It’s a free plug for the artist to reach over 67,000 mail boxes and the opportunity for Community Values Magazine to have a cover that Lee himself must consider coffee table worthy. I was very fortunate and appreciative when Lee approached Erik Paul Artistic Communication a few months ago and asks if I’d like to create the cover for February 2010.  With a big “YES” I got my creative juices flowing and designed the below cover.  This idea has been a heavy concept in my mind to create… if many of us humans could replace our brain with our heart, there would be so much more warmth, kindness and love in this world… and universe. If you’d like to discuss graphical visuals that might bring love and light to your universe, please contact me... and let’s get started today!

February 2010 cover artwork for Community Values Magazine designed by Erik Eikenberry

Tags:Community Values Magazine, Coupons, Cover, Digital Paint, Direct Mail Advertising, Erik Eikenberry, Erik Paul Artistic Communication, graphic design, illustration, Lacey, Olympia, Thurston County, Tumwater.

Fearless Photographer For Hire

January 24th, 2010 by Erik Paul under Business, Personal, Photography. No Comments.

I never thought being a photographer could be a dangerous job when I began studying photography at California State University, Los Angeles 14 years ago. The most threatening part was breathing in all that developer, stop and fix in the dark room, but those days are ancient history.  With a camera in hand there’s a lot of safety looking through the lens… or so I thought, but it’s what one is photographing that can cause danger. I learned this when I was hired about six years ago as a ride along photographer for the Washington State Patrol.  I was very fortunate to have had such a rare opportunity like that, but the risk of the situation did not become apparent until I was told I had to wear a bullet proof vest the entire time. Before I put the bullet proof vest on I had to sign a consent form stating that I was voluntarily riding with Trooper Julie Mitchell.  There were lots of thrills; a high speed pursuit and even an arrest, but in the end I made it back safely.  I salute Trooper Mitchell and anyone that puts their life on the line every day to protect and serve the greater good of the community. Click here or click the collage above to see a few photos from that day on November 3rd, 2003. Jumping back to the present, last week I found myself once again realizing that there are risks I like taking as a photographer. Capital Medical Center hired me to photograph a cardiac procedure in their newly remodeled, state-of-the-art cath lab.  I would be shooting over the shoulders of one of the South Sound’s greatest cardiologist and his technical team (no pressure of course). Again I gave little thought to this shoot posing any threat to my health until the cardiac team told me right before this 7am photo shoot began that I needed to wear scrubs and then they loaded me up with a lead vest, lead neck wrap and a lead skirt. Again I realized once standing in the procedure room amongst fellow clad professionals, that the radiology equipment is seriously powerful and poses a risk to those who use it everyday to help those who need their medical artistry skills. After the photo shoot was finished, (both were a success… photos from the procedure to-be-posted soon), I asked Capital Medical Center’s Marketing Director, Renee Crotty, to take the below photo of me (to document my once in a lifetime photo shoot and my once in a lifetime garb).  If you have any photo shoots that require a fearless photographer, with a quick finger and a sharp eye, please contact me… and let’s get started today!

Tags:Action, Capital Medical Center, Cardio Cath Lab, documentary, Erik Eikenberry, Lacey, Olympia, photographer, photography, Professional, Thurston County, Tumwater, Washington State Patrol.

It All Starts With A Great Idea

January 17th, 2010 by Erik Paul under Business, Informational, Photography. No Comments.

It all starts with a great idea! If you think about that catch phrase too long you’re going to probably say to yourself, “that’s about as rudimentary of a concept as one can boast”… and that’s true.  But, if something is worth doing, then it should be done right. That is were an idea will lead to a concept.  That concept will lead to a message and that message must have strength, both linguistically and visually.  It should be backed up by appealing graphic design work, intriguing photography (or possibly illustration) and smart copy writing… hence you will have yourself a successful advertisement.  I see this too often, someone buys ad space and their ad content lacks any true concept… an idea was never started.  Running an advertisement on any medium without a developed message is getting the cart before the horse… which in the advertising world is the same thing as throwing money away.  Start with an idea and ask yourself, a co-workers, or ask an advertiser, what is the advertising idea?  Ask if there is a concept.  What is the message?  Is the message worth presenting to the public (and is the presentation worth spending the money for the space it will be on)?  In the ad business, most often when one creative person speaks to another creative person about a good (or great) ad they saw, they usually refer to it as a “smart ad.”  If you’d like to discuss some smart advertising ideas and concepts that can strengthen the messaging of your business, or if you need some graphic design or photography, please contact me… and let’s get started today!

Tags:Advertising, branding, Erik Paul Artistic Communication, freelance advertiser, graphic design, illustration, Lacey, marketing, Olympia, photography, Thurston County, Tumwater, web design.