There’s a time and place for everything and thus was the case for Little Creek Casino Resort’s logo in their most recent outdoor advertising campaign. As with any business, the logo will always be an ongoing topic of discussion as to placement and size in advertisements. This is a good discussion to continuously have for the business’s sake and the public’s sake. If a logo is too often “overstated” it can overpower the message and take away from the effectiveness… the same being true if a logo is too small, then the message may have no impact or might lack context. For many years Little Creek has delicately wrestled with this logo-to-message balance and finally decided it was time to go for the bold with a “logo message.” By definition “logo message” is a bit of a paradox as that really is not a message, so many industry buffs and advertisers will call this style of advertising “logo branding”… which is just that; placing a business’s logo onto as much media as possible and immersing that media into as much of the target market as possible. Recognition and acknowledgement… be it through conscious reception or subliminal absorption, the public becomes better informed of a business’s presence. With all the bold messaging Little Creek has continuously posted in their outdoor media campaigns, their logo was not the star performer until now. In outdoor advertising, the bigger an element is, the bolder that element is, and when Little Creek asked that I design this campaign with the logo as the forerunner, I made sure it was the biggest element. To add a visual splash of just one of their many gaming, lodging, dining and entertainment amenities, Black Jack seemed like a quick read as to them being the winning casino that they are [Voted the South Sound's Best Casino five years in a row]. If you’re thinking it’s time to brand your logo on a broad reaching outdoor campaign or through various formats of personal print or online advertising, please contact me, Erik Eikenberry at Erik Paul Artistic Communication… and let’s get started today!
PLEASE NOTE:The above images are “proof of performance” photos provided by Clear Channel Outdoor and are intended to show that the client’s advertisement has been posted on the specific medium. The media is not photographed for graphic designers to use as portfolio pieces such as I am doing here on my blog [meaning I have the right use these images, but they were not shot with the intention of being a "great" photo].
Recently Capital Medical Center’s Marketing Director, Renee Crotty, called me up and said it’s time to head on over for another round of professional portraits for new staff members and staff updates. So without delay, I loaded up my mobile portrait studio and made haste to Capital Medical Center’s conference room and began setting up a fully equipped photography headquarters. After a short while the Erik Paul Mobile Portrait Studio was ready to start clicking away at these professional’s pearly whites. One of the nice things I was told by a staff member was how she enjoyed seeing her portraits appear on my laptop [positioned right next to my camera] so she could not only see what I was seeing; she could pick her favorite image before she left the room. Another staff member told me how convenient it was for her to run down to the conference room between appointments for a portrait instead of the need to go to a studio across town… time is just too precious and I am glad I can oblige. One thing I have noticed over the years is how amazed people are by the quickness of a shoot. Some people have commented how fast it was as I think the misnomer is a portrait can take hours. Once the person sits down in front of the camera, I usually can guarantee them that they’ll be on their way in five to ten minutes; back to work, lunch, home… wherever. I know people have more important places to be and better things to do rather than spend too much time having a portrait taken. As well, all these people can expect to have their digital file and prints in their hands within days after the shoot… but the best thing they can be certain of is they will get a professional quality portrait they’ll be proud of. I can be pretty much anywhere in the Olympia, Tumwater, Lacey area within a few hours for those last minute rush occasions and can arrive early in the morning or drop by late… whatever is convenient for you and your staff. If you need a sophisticated portrait for a new staff member or simply want an updated portrait, please contact me, Erik Eikenberry at Erik Paul Artistic Communication… and let’s get started today!
Capital Medical Center June 2010 Staff Portraits – Photography by Erik Eikenberry
With all the amazing photographers out there who inspire me and have achieved a successful name (and niche) for themselves, one who recently comes to mind is Anne Geddes. She does adorable work and is incredibly talented with her infant compositions, stagings and props… but I wish I could ask her one thing… how does she consistently get those newborns to always be so sound asleep? Granted that is a rhetorical question, but one that would have welcomed an answer when I photographed three week old Kylie Ann [above]. I have had the fortune of photographing infants sound asleep, such as this shot here, but Kylie Ann was feisty. I’m sure the trick is to photograph these new born babies with full bellies right after they go down for a nap, but that technique wasn’t so helpful with Kylie Ann.Once the first round of strobes fired, she was wide awake and didn’t want to close her eyes the entire session. I could have ditched the flash units and gone with a time exposure, but with the low light and the way this girl was dancing around in her mother’s arms, she would have been one big blur (or I should say one little blur). In the end her mother and I feel we got a beautiful image of Kylie Ann that captures her inquisitive stare… kinda stoic and serious. We both agree that by Kylie Ann having her eyes open we get to see her as “herself” and not just “another sleeping baby.” We weeded through more than 100 photos to find the final one… there were so many cute shots it made it hard to decide, but I think the above winner will be a timeless piece to cherish. This one here is actually one of my favorites… I think it’s appropriate to call it an “outtake” as it wasn’t intended to be for layout; I just happened to snap it when her mother was repositioning Kylie Ann and she was staring into my lens. If you’ve recently birthed a bundle of joy who you want photographed by a photographer with over 13 years of experience and is much more affordable than Anne Geddes, please contact me, Erik Eikenberry… and let’s get started today!
Not everyone will get to step into the Cash Cube and wiggle, wriggle and flail about, but those that do will be a little bit richer once they step out. Yes, Little Creek Casino Resort has added yet another exciting, interactive game that is sure to draw just as big of an audience as it will gamers trying to become participants. Who wouldn’t want a chance to make this mad dash for cash inside a glass cube no bigger than a phone booth (with money whirling around every square inch)? I saw the above miscellaneous video on YouTube and thought it was a great display of what this game is about and how it works. Talking about work, I can’t think of too many other games where contestants literally have to “work” for their money. If you’re lucky enough to step into the Cash Cube, make sure you stretch first and don’t wear silky clothes. When Little Creek asked me to work on a logo for this fun-filled promotion, I just couldn’t get the below design out of my head. I guess it was an obvious visual solution, but none the less, I think it was a solid solution for a solid game… a game that will get positive feedback from patrons for years after the promotion has been retired. If you’re in need of visual solutions for your graphic design or want a solid logo that’ll get positive feedback for your business, please contact me, Erik Eikenberry at Erik Paul Artistic Communication… and let’s get started today!
As a photographer, I use my camera as I would a paint brush and the subject I am photographing I see as a blank canvas. There really isn’t much difference in the two mediums other than the process to achieve the final piece of art. I feel that art captures emotion and releases expression, or vise versa, but above all it should be personal and honest, or “true art.” “True art” can be raw and gritty (but as well it can be offensive and disturbing to the viewer or an audience as a whole). Art in general is subjective. I think most anyone will agree on that. There are those who say art should be visually pleasing and built on a foundation of experience and skill. This can lead to labels of commercial art or labels of “craft art” (very different but based on the same constructs)… commercial art and “craft art” lack real emotion or personal expression (ever seen a beautifully painted bowl of fruit? I’d call that “craft art”). I suppose if all the loose definitions of art could be combined to create a label that might be “agreed upon” as to define art universally, I think it would be called “safe art.” Not to diverge too far off the topic as I love discussing art and it’s perimeters in general, but I feel that landscape (and cityscape) photography enters that realm of “safe art.” It’s hard to offend the masses due to the lack of personal content, and with a beautiful subject, it’s easy to please many when it is shot from a view that is uncommonly appreciated. This brings me to my point of panoramic photography.
I think one of the best things about panoramic photography is that it must be appreciated in pieces. By this I mean the viewer has to “read” the photo from left to right (or right to left) to absorb the entire photo just as they would need to do if they had been standing where the photo was taken from…. no panoramic can be viewed in a quick glance, it must be studied to be appreciated. So why do I bring up panoramic photography now when I have been doing panoramics for over 10 years? I think as many artists will tell you, some really good artwork gets “shelved” due to other works of art that are being created simultaneously at that time… just like the above panoramic of a small rock island (taken on the Monterey Peninsula) and the below panoramic I shot of downtown Los Angeles (taken from Thomas St. & Tree Ave). This is the first time I’ve ever presented either image to the public due to them getting “shelved.”
The below view of the South Sound looking towards downtown Olympia was taken over 5 years ago, but in contrast to this being personal art, this was actually one of many multiple panoramic photographs I shot for a local real estate company who used the images as their website header. These extremely wide views would scroll horizontally to give a concise view of the Olympia cityscape while adding appeal and visual interest to their website. As a photographer and a designer, I highly recommend some sort of appeal and visual interest be integrated into your website, as stagnant, content-cluttered sites are turn-offs to the majority of onliners.
Now to one of the key inspirations that re-sparked my panoramic interest and motivation to share previous panoramic photographs… the Seattle Skyline (seen below). When I was at Alki Point the other night, I could not resist the gorgeous view. I am a city boy so there’s no shame in admiring a city for its massive sprawl and powerful presence. I think what sets this photo off as being so different from my other panoramic photos isn’t that it was shot at night, but that there is basically no foreground information other than the blackened Seattle Harbor… just a distant level of lights and a colorful glimmer intensely radiating above. Only from this particular vantage point at Alki can the true skyline “floating” on the Puget Sound be captured.
Not all businesses need panoramics, but I believe all businesses can benefit from strong photo images… be it for print ads or online advertising, websites or print collateral, even for a lobby or conference room, powerful photography will only add to a message and its environment. If you have recently been inspired to want photography work that is massive and wide, or small and narrow, please contact me, Erik Eikenberry… and let’s get started today!
If you can remember when the newly remodeled Starlight opened for New Years Eve 2007 at Little Creek Casino Resort, then you can most likely remember the previous design of its predecessor, the Starlight Lounge. Starlight was a huge step up in style and size compared to the previous floor plan. The older layout was relatively small and had a stage elevated above the bar that would allow for a single performer or a very small band to entertain what was a small audience by capacity. When the new Starlight opened it had twice the room as the older lounge and came with a stage that doubled in size. It went from a dark, retro-lounge to a neon, sporty-lounge that became much lighter and warm. One feature that was very unique to the remodeled architecture was that there wasn’t much of a ceiling… just a huge open space that created a balcony around the perimeter of Starlight and gave way to viewing the slot machines from below, and the entertainment from above. As Little Creek’s property is always growing and expanding to accommodate for so many devoted patrons and daily newcomers,once again Starlight has taken another transformation… the open area which I think could be called a large, stylish hole in the ceiling has been covered up. Now the slot players overhead won’t be drowned out by the live music and the performers won’t have their act synchronized with all the jackpot bells and whistles. So what’s with the bright light below? When Starlight opened on New Years Eve 2007, I was the privileged designer who was asked to design the new logo. It was simple, yet elegant as requested. Now with the renewed appearance of Starlight on the inside, I felt it was appropriate to give Starlight’s logo a brighter appearance on the outside for some of their upcoming promotions and advertisements. If you’re interested about brightening up your logo, not necessarily with light, but excited for a fresh, new design and some tasteful pizzaz to give your logo more life, then please contact me, Erik Eikenberry… and let’s get started today!
As I have mentioned time and time again, not only is photography a passion of mine but it’s essential to effective advertising… and I don’t just mean an image placed amongst lots of hip words and hype slogans, I mean projecting yourself and your business in the best “light” possible to the public. You need to look like the professional you want to be portrayed as and when Jeffrey Erwin of Jensen | Kokis | Erwin in Olympia contacted me, he let me know it was time to update his online web photo. I was very excited to get started for him and hurried down to J|K|E’s conference room where I began setting up… converting the brightly lit, historically designed room into the Erik Paul Artistic Communication mobile portrait studio. Windows blacked out with opaque sheets, strobes and soft boxes surrounding their large table… and then we were ready to begin. Though Jeffrey has a wonderful smile and a friendly demeanor to accompany it, in the below image we wanted to emit the sense of sophistication and seriousness that he gives to all his clients and their cases. I thought it was a nice touch he added by requesting we work in the Bill of Rights into this layout… and there couldn’t have been a more appropriate prop to suit his profession as his career revolves around that one priceless article. If you’re thinking it might be time to update your image, then it probably is… be it a photograph or graphic design, please contact me… and let’s get started today!
It’s not often I post many small advertisements on my blog, but I felt this quarter page ad for the Western Gambling Journal was one of my more simple designs, yet still a fun ad to present… and, as well, I figured this was a great opportunity to get the word out about the June Poker Tournaments happening at Little Creek Casino Resort. Little Creek has been voted the “Best Casino” in the South Sound for five years in a row now and it’s no surprise! They are well known for having the largest poker room and offering the widest variety of poker games in the South Sound… not to mention a continuous expansion and never ending selection of the newest and hottest slots and multimedia games. Over the years I’ve seen Little Creek expand their poker tables from their locations on the main gaming floor to building a huge poker room. Speaking of years, the previous poker advertisements for Little Creek [click for example] were always designed with some type of photography, lots of textures and graphic elements. After using a heavily designed look for almost five years, Little Creek finally decided it was a good time to pull back and tone down the design… and though I am a huge advocate of photography in advertising and I think textures with graphic elements can almost always be effective when done correctly, I am very pleased with this new, refined design. If you have advertising and graphic design needs in the Olympia, Tumwater, Lacey area, please contact me, Erik Eikenberry at Erik Paul Artistic Communication… and let’s get started today!
A few months ago I wrote a blog post called “Kid-To-Be Brings Out The Kid-In-Me” in which I shared a butterfly illustration my wife had asked me to sketch for Kylie, our daughter [to-be]… I then turned that sketch into a full-blown graphic art piece. Well, since then, I have put some extended purpose into that sketch and have illustrated and painted a full-scale wall mural in our [soon-to-arrive] daughter’s nursery. As you will see in the photographs above and the video tour below, every wall and even the ceiling have been thoroughly painted.I can’t take all the credit as this was by far a collaborative project with my wife and her efforts were very instrumental in completing the final piece. I will say it was quite the process when we started from a bare-walled room (seen here), then onto painting the entire room blue, adding green hills for the horizon, then illustrating with pencil (seen here) the butterfly characters, the sun and rainbow, daisy-like flowers, clouds, ancillary butterflies and even some other ancillary, “filler” flowers. I will admit after all the pencilling process was completed, I realized this mural was going to be more than just a kid’s nursery, it was going to be even more than just a large-scale painting on a five sided canvas… this was going to be an art piece(complete with many emotions and lots and lots of sweat)!I won’t mention the exact amount of time that was taken to create this nursery because many family and friends I have told either can’t comprehend or think I’m exaggerating, but I will say it’s quantifiable to measure in weeks. Now that we are finished and all is said and done, my wife and I are very pleased with the final outcome… let’s just hope Kylie likes butterflies and clouds! If you have a full-blown artistic dream that requires a full-fledged, graphic professional to achieve, please contact me… and let’s get started today!
If you’re asking yourself “banjo” and “bluegrass” by Steve Martin? THE Steve Martin? I have to admit, I’m just as surprised! The man who is immortalized as one of my favorite actors from his movies The Jerk, The Man With Two Brains, Three Amigos and Planes, Trains & Automobiles, is now a touring musician who picks a mean banjo. I listened to his songs here because I had to hear it to believe it… and, though I’ve never really embraced the banjo as the lead instrument to my choice of groovy tunes, he sounds like he has found his niche as he’s really good! And he has a great voice too! He still brings some humor into his lyrics, but from what I heard, his focus seems to be more on the instrumental vibe than vocal messaging. So where do I come into this twist of Steve Martin?On June 18th he’s bringing his five string style, along with the Steep Canyon Rangers, to Little Creek Casino Resort’s Skookum Creek Event Center… and I was very tickled to be asked to pluck away at his outdoor advertising media campaign. If you’re wondering where the image of Steve Martin is, we felt that once again, our hand model was appropriate to hold that message in front of the public eye all around Thurston, Mason and Lewis County… kind of reminiscent to the visual style of Power To The Player and the Peter Frampton outdoor campaigns. If you have an unknown talent that you feel is surprisingly good and should be in the public eye with effective advertising and impacting graphic design, please contact me… and let’s get started today!
![June 2010 Poker [Quarter Page] Ad - Designed by Erik Eikenberry](http://erikpaul.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/June10_Poker_WGJ_517px.jpg "June 2010 Poker Ad [Quarter Page] - Designed by Erik Eikenberry")
