Fresh from the Studio: Featuring Mira German’s Original Photography

Our studio is a name to reckon when it comes to finding new photographers and giving them platform to show their talent to the world.  Their latest find is too good not to share with everybody!

Meet Mira German, a bank clerk during the day and a relentless, passionate photographer in her spare time. Mira’s website is currently under construction but you can get a peek to some of her work here and many of her photos will be available to download from the Editor starting today.

Mira German’s Photography:

Hi Mira and welcome. We’re truly happy to have you here. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

- MG – Sure. I was born and raised in the former USSR, where I worked as professional photographer. I dabbed into almost any sort of photography you can imagine: actors and models, landscapes, artwork, doing gigs for publishing homes, I was truly out there, working as a busy bee up until 1989.

What happened in 1989?

- MG – Well, I decided to make Aliyah (immigrate) to Israel and that kind of turned the tables for me. I remember a conversation I had with a family relative, Lev Borodulin, a celebrated Russian photographer who had immigrated to Israel in the 70’s. I asked him how could I best go about establishing myself as a photographer in Israel, and I’ll never forget his reply: “go work at a bank” (laughing).

And you did.

- MG – Yes, I did. But I never stopped taking photos. I still pretty much live my life behind a lense. I have a friend from a local photography club, Shuki Sela, with whom I make adventure photo expeditions in Israel and overseas. Many of the photos I contributed to Wix are outputs of our joint travels. We spend most of our trips arguing and bickering about light and and angle but end up being happy with our outcomes.

What do you like taking pictures of most?

- MG – Fog is a real obsession with me. Which is funny, since Israel isn’t exactly a natural habitat for fog lovers. I have to travel to get my fog. I’ll never forget my first: I shot some incredible fog photos in upstate New York in 2005 and I haven’t been the same woman since. Fog simply fascinates me.

What are you up to today?

- MG – I’ve been recently in touch with Rechovot’s – my hometown – city hall and we’re putting together a photography workshop for underprivileged kids. My general world view is that a camera is a far more engaging and convincing tool of self-expression than a gun.

What do you dream of at night?

- MG – I dream of opening a photography academy here in Israel. We have photography schools here they don’t really provide budding artists with a platform and an opportunity to display their work. My vision is for an academy where talented photographers who aren’t supported by massive PR can still present their work and get the exposure they crave.

Thanks for being with us today. We wish you the best of luck and hope to see more of your work soon.

- MG – Thank you for uploading my photos to Wix. It makes me proud to know they’re out there, I can’t think of a better way to share with and reach out to people.

Austin, Texas – The HOW Design Conference came to a close today.  Attendees reconvened for the last workshops and the closing keynote: Mark Randall, “Design Ignites Change”.  We now look toward the future with the lessons learned this week; motivated, energized and full of new ideas.

As designers, we must find the order in chaos.  We must visually express abstract ideas in a clear and compelling fashion.  We must produce cutting edge work without losing sight of our intended audience.  We must take risks, push the limits, and test our personal boundaries.  We must keep the ideas we love, learn from the experience of others, and stay mindful of parts to repair.  At the end of the day, one final product is displayed to the world.  Make it the best it can be.

Wix.com has been proud to attend the HOW Design Conference this year.  In the weeks to come, we will be showcasing the many talented attendees on our HOW Conference Wix Collective.  Stay tuned!

Austin, Texas – Graphic designers from around the country have gathered to attend the HOW Design Conference; a jamboree of educational workshops, keynote speakers, and design-minded sponsors.  The HOW conference is an annual summit organized by HOW Magazine, a leading trade publication for the design community.

As Day 1 comes to an end, there’s an energy in the eyes of each attendee…   an energy that calls to mind Freshman week of University.  Some have barely unpacked their bags before stuffing pockets full of business cards and hitting the conference floor.  Exhibitors are putting the finishing touches on their display tables and prepping their swag.  “Is this your first HOW conference?” one attendee asks another.  “Yes, it is, and it’s the most excited I’ve been about design in years!”

It’s sure to be a great week.

This year, Wix is attending HOW as both a student of design and service to share.  We will be reporting on the trade secrets learned in the workshops.  Furthermore, we will be hosting a fantastic initiative for all HOW attendees- The HOW Conference Wix Collective.  It will be a place on Wix where all attendees can share their conference experience.  Check it out:

http://www.wix.com/designer/HOWDesign

Caterers often focus their energies in the areas that matter: providing food, service and an overall experience that surpasses the competition. Online marketing tends to be a lower priority, but is equally as vital as word-of-mouth references, for creating business growth.

Texas Prime Catering is a small catering business located in the Dallas area recognized the value of having a dynamic web presence in order to grow its business.

Terry Sullivan, co-owner of Texas Prime Catering, researched a number of web design options and found that Wix provided the easy-to-use design flexibility to develop an online brand that resonates in the marketplace.

With Wix, Mr. Sullivan was able to easily and quickly develop a dynamic web site that features photos of entrees, and plans on posting multiple videos from events that Texas Prime Catering hosts.

According to Terry, Wix has tremendously helped enhanced the company’s overall marketing efforts. Since they launched the Wix web site a few months ago, they have seen a 30-40 percent increase in traffic to the site, as well as a significant bump in the catering business. In addition, Terry has received many compliments on the overall professionalism of the web site.

Finally, Terry believes that his web presence is the most critical part of his marketing efforts, and Wix has played a major role in making his company successful.

To hear a podcast of Mr. Sullivan discussing why he chose Wix to make his site, check out the Small Company Big Image Blog.

SIERRA VETERINARY CARE ENHANCES MARKETING STRATEGY WITH WIX

When Jerad Moss, marketing manager for Sierra Veterinary Care, a veterinary hospital in Northern California, decided that the clinic needed to enhance its overall web presence, he searched for an application that allowed him to build a custom web site on his own – without needing to hire a designer, or know code.

“When I was assigned the task of building the website for Sierra Veterinary Care, I searched for a simple to use yet powerfully creative design software package that would implement our website quickly and without technical problems, and Wix certainly fit the bill for us,” said Moss.

Moss immediately found the Wix design options with and elements beyond impressive.

“These are hip, current design elements, not just filler or useless options. The Flash choices are very cool and tasteful. We operate a professional yet fun veterinary hospital and Wix’s Flash-based platform provided great options for us to express ourselves. It is so easy to upload logos, graphics and images – without the need to write code,” added Moss.

In addition, to remaining competitive in this marketplace, Moss credits a well-designed and informative web site as being a key part of the veterinary practice’s overall marketing strategy.

“We now educate our clients about our services, the equipment we use and basic veterinary medical advice with our new web site,” added Moss.