Squarespace vs Wordpress and why I chose to specialise in Squarespace website design

When I first started blogging, I set myself up on Blogger (to all the other bloggers out there reading this, remember those good old days?!) and all was right in the world. Blogger (which is sort of where the term ‘being a Blogger’ came from) was how I started dipping my toe into the world of graphic design (I used PicMonkey at the time to create banners and blog graphics) and it’s also where I first started learning about coding & custom CSS.

Once I started becoming frustrated with the limitations of Blogger, I started a separate blog on Wordpress. I tried both the self hosted and the hosted options, but I just found the whole platform to be VERY clunky. I also ended up with a million and one widgets that continually needed updating and at least once a month there would be some sort of plugin that I was using that would ‘break’ my site. And I’d end up spending hours trying to figure out which one it was, only to realise the person who had designed it hadn’t made an update for it and so it no longer worked for my site. It was soooo frustrating, and I felt as though I was just never able to make my site look like the picture in my head. And for me, I just wanted a pretty place to blog from, and one that I could control the look and feel of without having to spend hours searching for coding tutorials or having to rely on graphics and other design elements.

This is also when I delved into Wix, but this didn’t last long either as I found the interface even more confusing that Wordpress. And finally, when I came across Squarespace I just knew, even from my very first day of their free 2 week trial period, that this was the platform for me.

Everything was (and still is!) just SO beautiful!

And the best part about the platform, and the main reason why I use it to design websites for my clients, is just how easy and intuitive it is for my clients to be able to take over and make changes and updates themselves (yay!). This means it’s a win-win for both designer & client, because as a designer I’m able to ‘sign off’ a project and I know, that while I am available to ask questions and help, my clients will probably be able to solve most of their questions themselves. They are able to swop out images, update text, create more pages and work out how to do this in relatively small amount of time. Wordpress on the otherhand, while being an incredibly powerful content management system, has a MUCH steeper learning curve. If you know what you’re doing and are familiar with the platform, the options for creating beautiful websites are endless! But, when it comes to clients being able to make changes themselves (especially when it comes to blogging and writing posts), in my opinion (and this seems to be the general opinion of everyone I ask about it) it’s just not an easy platform to understand and learn how to make basic edits.

This also brings me to the next tick for Squarespace…their help forum is amazing! They have an incredible archive of tutorials that are laid out systematically and most importantly, easy to navigate! There is nothing worse than spending hours looking for a tutorial for the most basic of basic questions. And they have a forum where you can pretty much find the answer to anything and everything. And if you can’t, they customer service is pretty fantastic. When I made the move from Blogger to Squarespace, I had over 500 blog posts (can you even!!!) and comments on those posts and moving everything was pretty straight forward. I was (and am still) using DISQUS for my comment management system though, so this posed a few issues and I ended up loosing a whole bunch of comments because of URL re-directs failing etc. BUT it was less of a hassle than I thought it would be.

So now that you’ve heard from my personal experience, here are some of the other important (and more technical) reasons why I believe it to be the best website platform for the types of small businesses I work with:

• Mobile Responsive Design:

Squarespace templates are beautifully designed and have built in & unique mobile experiences that match the overall style of your website. This means your content will look great on every device, every time. Squarespace is design-driven, user-friendly, and performance-focused (doesn’t that sound fancy!).

• Simple User Interface

The back-end of Squarespace's platform is extremely intuitive and simple to use, even for complete technophobes! This means it's super easy to make edits yourself without having to get a developer/designer involved to help with small tweaks. Squarespace was designed with the do-it-yourself user in mind, making it easy for clients to maintain, update, and monitor their websites on their own. Building pages is a matter of dragging and dropping blocks in a page editor, and backend tasks are a snap with clearly labeled menus and panels.

• Peace of mind

Squarespace is a self-contained platform that works seamlessly and is fully managed from top to bottom. This means there’s never any need to update software, plugins, or widgets; patch security vulnerabilities; or worry that changing one component might break something else. It also means there’s rarely any need to investigate or pay for third-party apps or plugins since most functionality is native to Squarespace. I have only now (nearly 6 years down the line) had to implement any coding. You can pretty much figure out how to do just about anything your heart desires with regards to your site design, without having to know any coding.

• Free SSL Certificates

All Squarespace websites are given free SSL certificates, which means everyone can enjoy a secure connection throughout your whole website. This became a necessity in 2018, when some browsers started marking non-secure websites as a threat to users! Google also shows a preference to secure sites in their rankings.

• Built-in search engine optimization (SEO) capabilities

Every Squarespace website is equipped with all the elements needed for a strong SEO strategy. Site descriptions, page titles, custom URLs, search-friendly formatting, and other key elements are all easily managed. Each site also generates a sitemap automatically that helps Google crawl, understand, and rank a website. So all of those Wordpress who tell you otherwise, simply don’t know what they are talking about ;)

• Simple Pricing Structure

Squarespace's pricing is transparent and simple; you can pay monthly or yearly (from $12 per month when you pay annually for their basic plan…this is what I use…and $26 per month for large online store option) which includes absolutely everything you need. You can buy your domain within Squarespace, and this cost includes your hosting too - there are no extra costs! You can also purchase a custom email with Gsuite right in your Squarespace dashboard, so all of your billing is all contained in one easy place.

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So, if after reading all of this you’re interested in working with me, click below to find out more about my packages and how it all works to hire me for your website project.

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The top 5 tools I use to run my online business

I’ve been at this online thing for a good many years now, starting with blogging, then photography (I also sell my photos online through Creative Market) and where I am now, a website designer. In the process I’ve used loads and loads of different tools to help make my life easier, and now I want to share my favourites with you. These are the tools and resources I use all the time, and while there are a lot more than 5 (I might do another post on all of them!) these are the ones I use just about every day.

{This is an honest, unsponsored post but affiliate links have been used. What this means is that if you do choose to sign up through one of the links in this post, then I receive a small commission. This helps me maintain this blog and keep it running with your support & it means you also get a discount…it’s a win-win! Please know I only ever share brands and businesses that I use and love.}

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Email Marketing - Flodesk

When I first started blogging (way back when in 2010), I began my journey into email marketing with Mailchimp. At the time, it was the best platform for beginners, and while it had & has a lot of pros to it, I made the move to Convertkit once I really started to take my blogging seriously. Convertkit is an incredibly powerful platform, and AMAZING for anyone wanting to sell info products online, but it became too costly for me and my list of 2500 people.

I have since moved over to Flodesk, and I LOVE IT! Beautiful emails, seamless integration with Squarespace and a very user friendly dashboard mean that I’m spending less time trying to make my emails look pretty, and more time actually writing. They have gorgeous templates (and FYI having lots of images in the body isn’t affecting open rates) so now us creatives can have our cake and eat it!

It’s been a real game changer (and just a little heads up, here is a link that will get you 50% off their monthly plan, and you’ll be locking in that price for life…no matter how many subscribers you have!). I’ll be writing a full post on my move from Convertkit to Flodesk, as well as a post on what the Fodesk platform is like, so stay tuned for that.

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Have you received an email from me lately? What did you think?

If you would like to see what my emails look like & join my list, you can sign up here:

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Invoicing - Wave

When it comes to book keeping, I do wish I was a bit more of a wizz when it comes to accounts, but alas, numbers aren’t exactly my strong suite. I started off creating my own quotes and invoices in InDesign, mostly because I wanted to have complete control over how they looked, so that I could keep them as pretty as can be. But it became a huge pain keeping up with invoice numbers, making changes, and then as my service offerings changed, my invoices just got all muddled. Wave is amazing (and its FREE!) and I’m able to keep track of outstanding invoices, part payments, send reminders and their latest feature, email statements with amounts outstanding. Its super easy to use, and syncs with my bank accounts (something I can’t quote decide whether I like or not) but either way, its fantastic and simple, and perfect for small businesses.

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Blogging & Website Design - Squarespace

Oh the amount of good things I could say about Squarepace…it’s the reason I actually got into website design in the first place. I started off on Blogger, dabbled in Wix, spend a good chunk of time on Wordpress (both versions) and then jumped to Squarespace and have never looked back! It’s beautiful, user-friendly, and did I mention beautiful? It’s a wonderful platform to work with, and the best part is once I hand over a site to my client, they are able to make changes and updates themselves, really easily. Click here to find out more about working with me, and to see some of the sites I’ve designed.

I run this site on Squarespace, and have been blogging with the platform since 2015. There are an infinite number of customisations that can be done to each template they provide. Without having to know any coding, you’re able to take one of the templates and really make it your own. Squarespace offers a free two-week trial so you can really dig into to the platform without having to commit.

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Client File Management - Gsuite & Google Drive

It’s taken me a little while to figure out a good system for keeping track of my clients’ files & documents, but I like Google Drive for this. I have separate folders for my photography & website clients, and then I order them by year, the month their project starts, and then by name. I also add a colour to their folder if I’ve wrapped up their project. It’s a nice visual way to staying organised. I share their personal link with them so that we both have access, and then there is less back and forth of sending files. I signed up with Gsuite through Squarespace, which means I get a custom email address, as well as storage space for Google Drive, and while I know I could be doing a LOT more with it as it’s very powerful, I’m enjoying it so far. I have a few Google drive accounts; the ones I use the most are my personal one…this is how I upload and access my photos on my phone and my business one.

I am always tempted by Asana, Dubsado and Trello, but it’s been a big enough learning curve for my clients to use Google Drive (and most of them know or have experience using Google) and so I worry the extra step of understanding how to use a very new platform just to communicate with me might be off putting. But I might be wrong! Please let me know if you use a business management tool for client communication & staying organised that you love!

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Quick Social Media Graphics - Canva

I can’t believe I turned my nose up at this fantastic design app all those years ago. I liked to think I was a real ‘design pro’ having taught myself photoshop (I only really knew the basics!) and I was too good for the free app that claimed to help you make beautiful graphics, for free! Well, I certainly ate my words when I finally ended up trying it out for the first time, and now I use it just about every day.

You can make anything from posters, to Instagram Story templates, Zoom Virtual Backgrounds, Logos and Blog Banners & graphics…the list goes on and on. Oh, and did I mention you can do all the above for FREE! Their paid plan allows you to upload your own branding (logos, colours and fonts) and lots more.

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So there you have it. My top 5 business tools that I use to run my online business.

What I haven’t mentioned above, but for anyone interested:

• Camera: Nikon D750

• Computer: Macbook Pro 15”

• Photo editing Software of Choice: Lightroom

• What I use to actually speak to my clients: Whatsapp Video Chat/Zoom/Facetime

Is there anything that I’m missing? Are there any tools that you can’t live without? Is there anything else you’d like to know about how I run my business? Leave me a comment below and I’ll get back to you right away…I’m always happy to share my ‘secrets’.

Beautify Your Blog - my free gift to you to help you up skill during the stay-home period.

A few years ago I launched an online course called BeautifyYourBlog. I can’t tell you the number of hours of work I poured into it, as well as all the knowledge I shared. It was really well received, but I didn’t give marketing it the right attention (I’m going to be honest and say the fear of failure is what stopped me from going full force with it) but I learned a lot and I loved sharing my blogging journey.

Because most of us are at home (or we should be! Apart from those essential service providers whom we don’t give enough credit and support to), now is the perfect time to up skill and work on all the projects you’ve had on your to-do list for like, forever. If you come out of this time without having leaned a new skill, without having accomplished a good chunk of things on your to-do list, then you only have yourself to blame because YOU HAD THE TIME. A lot of us are trying to juggle working from home with little ones and staying on top of housework, while it’s hard & challenging (on ALL the levels) it’s not impossible to carve out some time for yourself to work on your goals.

Along with the online course, I created a workbook to be used alongside the course content. It sums up nicely everything that was inside the course, giving you the building blocks to take your blog to the next level. Full disclosure, there are one or two spelling errors (my followers will nod their heads because they know JUST how bad I am when it comes to spellcheck…but there are only a few…I think haha) and I did create this a few years ago. This means that there are a few tiny things that have changed, but the meat of it all is still 100% relevant. And I believe this is the perfect time to actually start a blog, if it’s been something that has been on your heart for a while.

I could launch into a million different reasons as to why blogging isn’t dead, and if you think it is then you probably wouldn’t be here reading my blog, so I won’t go into that. But if you are here, and you’ve often thought that you’d like to start a blog; then this post is just for you! Whether you' want to use this time to document your family’s every day adventures so Granny and Aunty Eileen can see what you get up to everyday, or whether you’ve really been battling with the isolation and writing down your thoughts and feelings would really help you to work through them, blogging is an incredible tool that gives a creative outlet and can be a jumping board for so many things. And if you’re just here for the free things, that’s okay too.

MAKING YOUR BLOG LOOK IT'S SHINY BEST CAN BE A DIFFICULT PROCESS...BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE.

When I first started blogging, I wish I had had someone show me the ins and outs of branding and what it means to build a brand around your blog. I fumbled my way through my first 5 years of blogging, making so many changes and wasting so much time creating graphics for my blog that really didn't fit my style.

If someone had given me this when I first started blogging (10 years ago now), it would have saved me so much frustration, not to mention time.  This handbook goes through the how's and the why's of branding your blog and most importantly, it shows you how you can do it yourself.

THIS HANDBOOK WALKS YOU THROUGH ALL THE STEPS YOU NEED TO TURN YOUR BLOG IN A BEAUTIFUL, COHESIVE AND VISUALLY APPEALING SPACE THAT YOU CAN BE PROUD OF.

Perhaps your current corner of the web isn't what you hoped and dreamed it would be, and you're not sure how to make it stand out from the other millions of blogs.

Or perhaps, you've been putting off starting a blog because you have no idea how to make it look good; how to make it a place you can be proud of.

Inside I share with you super valuable secrets, tips and tricks that you will be able to implement immediately to beautify your blog, all by yourself. 

WHAT'S IN THE HANDBOOK?

• Lesson 1: Blog Branding - logo, fonts, colours & style guides

• Lesson 2: Blog Layout - how to stand out and show off your content

• Lesson 3: Blog Photos - how to take better blog photos

• Lesson 4: Home, About & Contact Pages - the most important pages for your blog and how to use the space effectively

• Lesson 5: Social Media Accounts - keeping your profile images & bio's consistent so you are instantly recognisable across all your social media platforms

• Lesson 6: Branding for Pinterest - branding images/graphics for Pinterest

My goal when I created the Beautify Your Blog Handbook wasn’t to throw out a bunch of complicated theories and fancy sounding blogging terminology but rather to show you the best & most effective strategies for bloggers that will help you take actionable steps towards creating a better, more beautiful blog.

It’s jam packed with information you can make use of today, and all of that information is laid out in a logical, simple to understand way. I had planned to launch it as it’s own E-book (and I might still do this!) when I get the inspiration back to re-launch the course, but for the time being I would like this to be my gift to you. Pop your email adress in the form below, and the handbook will be on it’s way to you.

Here’s to creating beautiful things together.

Art & Soul Creative Retreat 17th - 18th November 2018 in Creighton, KZN

Hosting retreats has been something on my heart for years and years, and when Farmboy and I got married here on the farm all those years ago, I just knew that the farm would make the perfect place. After all the renovations we just completed at Bedford (click here to see our beautiful self catering guesthouse), it has become the perfect setting to finally make my dreams of hosting retreats come true.

Here are some photos of Bedford…

And now onto the exciting news! I’m hosting my first every retreats with Durban based artist Terry Angelos, whom I met last year while attending one her art therapy workshops. I then bumped into her at our local Creighton Aloe Festival and I mentioned that we had just completed renovations at Bedford and then the topic of hosting a retreat came up.

The rest as they say, is history!

The 2Day1Night retreat is happening from Saturday 17th November to Sunday 18th November and will be here on Bedford Farm in Creighton. We still have a couple of spaces open if you’d like to book your spot!

Here’s a little more of what’s on offer during the 2 day 1 night stay:

Saturday
Arrive anytime during the morning from 9am
🌿11am - art session / introduction and techniques for relaxing through art & art journaling
🌿1pm - lunch & free time
🌿3pm - art session - aloes and country botanicals
🌿5.60/6pm gin sundowners (I’ll be serving my famous Lavender & Grapefruit Gin Cocktail!)
🌿7.30/8pm - Dinner

Sunday
🌿9am - 10am picnic brunch
🌿10am - 12pm “Pleinair” painting - country landscapes
🌿12pm - free time. You are welcome to explore the area, find a lovely lunch spot on your way home or chill at the farmhouse till you are ready to leave.
Depart farmhouse by 3pm.

If you’re looking for a break away from reality and the opportunity to be creative in a beautiful countryside setting, this retreat is just for you.

Cost: R1850pp including all meals, accommodation and art supplies.

Rooms are sharing (private rooms are available at R200 extra) and there is also the option of spending the Friday night here (an extra R350pp) if you’d like to extend your stay.

Message or comment below with your email address or email terry directly to book your spot today: terryangelosart@gmail.com

Terry and I are so excited to host this retreat, and I’m sure it will be the first of many to come!

Previous Client Work: Brand Photography for Inkgesteld

A little while ago, I had the pleasure of working with the dynamic duo; Chantelle & Louis from INKgesteld Studio in Pretoria. Chantelle found me on Instagram, and after a few informal chats over social media, she told me her husband and her were in need of professional portraits for their brand. As Chantelle and Louis are based in Pretoria and I am in KZN, we had to work on our schedules a bit to find the next available time I was in Joburg They didn’t need to wait to long, as I am often there visiting family, and so we set up a time and I headed to their home based studio for their shoot.

We spent a wonderful morning together, capturing the essence of their unique brand. I set about creating a mixture of styled lifestyle shots, flatlays, and also took some headshots of each of them, as well as of the two of them together.

All of the above forms part of my Creative Head Package (click here to find out more about this package) and I always enjoy mixing all of the elements together to create brand imagery for a range of different uses.

The INKgested brand is sophisticated, edgy and modern, and quite different to brands I had worked with before. Because of this, I was so excited to meet them both and see their home based studio. This was also my first time working with a couple, as I had only worked with individuals before, and I just had the best time with them both. Their home was absolutely gorgeous, like something out of a magazine, and the moment I stepped foot in their studio I was beside myself with excitement and would have spent the entire day there photographing every single centimetre of the place.

Below are a selection of the images I created exclusively for INKgesteld.

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If you're interested in finding out more about my headshot packages, then please feel free to get in touch. Each package includes a good mixture of styled stock type images as well as pretty portraits.

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I spent such a great a morning with Chantelle & Louis, and I've loved working with fellow creatives in helping them create a professional, but unique look for their brands.

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Here are some kind words from Chantelle about our time spent working together:

“My sweet Roxy, from a professional point of view I want to commend you for your brilliant communication with us. For getting to know us in such a short time and then capturing us with our message in mind. Thank you for taking control but still remaining creatively free to get the best out of us. You were completely aware of my fear but managed to make that disappear so effortlessly – only a master could do that. And that is what you are. Thank you for editing and finalising the images in such a short time, we appreciate the hours you spent in front of your computer to put your final touches on each image. I wish you great success and happiness in everything you do.

From a personal level thank you soooooo very much for ALL THE EXTRA WORK you gave so freely. It was such a wonderful experience for Louis and myself and especially Amelie. I want you to know that you are always welcome here…your husband and daughter too! We would love to see you any time that you have available to share with us. We owe you a tour….we owe you so much more than that.

I can’t wait to see the pictures!!! Take care of yourself. I will be in touch. You are one on my favourite persons in this world!” Chantelle - INKgesteld

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Find out more about working with me on your own brand images by clicking the button below. I'm so looking forward to hearing from you!

 Want to see more of my previous client work? I've worked with florists, skincare product designers, copyrighters, yoga enthusiasts, life coaches, bloggers and just about everyone in between. Click here to see more of my previous work.

Watercolour Heart - Fine Art, Illustration & Design {A creative Business Feature}

Although I have yet to meet Jess in real life, I feel like we are old friends. This is one of my absolute favourite things about blogging & social media, and although it may seem strange to older members of my family, I think it's just wonderful.  

Jess, pictured above looking so lovely in her recently updated studio space, is the beauty and brains (as well as the illustrator & designer) behind Watercolour Heart. Jess specialises in wedding stationery design, custom illustration & design projects, small business branding & personalised gifting. The latter of these is really showcased with the images I'm sharing with you today.

To celebrate the launch of her own, newly updated branding, Jess sent out beautiful packages to business owners who have inspired her in her own business journey. What a wonderful surprise to be a recipient of a beautifully put together collection of stationery goodies.

If my package is anything to go by, I can only imagine that the personalised gifting service Jess offers will wow and delight each and every person lucky enough to receive a gift put together by Watercolour Heart.

Thank you Jess for the incredibly thoughtful note that accompanied my package, your words meant more to me than I can say.

You can find Watercolour Heart in the following places

• Website: wwww.watercolourheart.com
• Facebook: @watercolourheart
• Instagram: @watercolour_heart_illustration

Previous Client Work: Brand Photography for Whisky of the Week

A little while ago, I had the pleasure of working with the fabulous Jeanette from the whisky & lifestyle blog, Whisky Of The Week. Jeanette was in need of some updated brand imagery for her blog, and we spent a great afternoon together capturing the essence of her brand. I created a mixture of styled lifestyle shots, flatlays, and also took some updated headshots for Jeanette to use on her social media channels.

All of the above forms part of my Creative Head Package (click here to find out more about this package) and I always so enjoy mixing all of the elements together to create brand imagery for a range of different uses.

The WhiskyOfTheWeek brand is sophisticated, but still down to earth and fun. The main readership has been male, but Jeanette wanted to show women how whisky can also be a ladies drink. She also blogs about whisky pairings with food, from pairings with cheese to chocolate, and also whisky cocktails.

For her brand photoshoot, she was after something different to the generic 'whisky & cigar look' that is common amongst whisky bloggers. She also didn't want to alienate men, but rather, to appeal to both.

Below are a selection of the images I created exclusively for Whisky Of The Week. 

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If you're interested in finding out more about my headshot packages, then please feel free to get in touch. Each package includes a good mixture of styled stock type images as well as pretty portraits.

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Jeanette and her husband have been collecting whisky for over 9 years, and both are truly passionate about the drink.

They have an incredible whisky tasting room in their home, where they keep their vast collection of whiskies. It's also where to spend most of their Friday evenings, tasting a new whisky and relaxing after a long week. I knew we had to get some great shots there too. 

I had such a great time with Jeanette, and I've loved working with fellow bloggers and helping them create a professional, but pretty look for their brands. It's one of the biggest reasons I started my business and it has been a dream of mine to work with more bloggers.

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Here are some very kind words from Jeanette about our time together:

"I met Roxy at one of the Blogger #Jozimeetups after having followed her journey to the East online.  She had a slot as a speaker and her way of looking at the world around her made an impression.  They had just returned to SA and I jumped at the opportunity of working with her. I needed updated profile photos and header photos for my blog and also some guidance on how to creatively take photos of bottles.  It was towards the end of the year and I also asked Roxy to take a few photos of me and my little one so that I can give it as a gift for the grannies over Christmas.

We had a few Skype calls to chat about my requirements and I voiced my frustration at my struggles of taking photos of glass bottles.  Roxy arrived with loads of ideas of how to position bottles with props and used this to create beautiful header photos for my blog. The best of all was she gave me so much inspiration and ideas on how to take my own photos for blog posts.   Roxy also took amazing profile photos.  It was so easy to work with her and to be comfortable in front of the camera with her chatting and giving guidance.  The true skill came out in her photos of my daughter which captured her wonderful nature perfectly.  These photos made very special gifts for the grannies.

Working with Roxy was an amazing experience which enhanced my blog with professional photos.  She is creative and wonderful to work with." Jeanette - Whisky Of The Week  

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Find out more about working with me on your own brand images by clicking the button below. I'm so looking forward to hearing from you!

Want to see more of my previous client work? I've worked with florists, skincare product designers, copyrighters, yoga enthusiasts, life coaches, bloggers and just about everyone in between. Click here to see more of my previous work.

Sprout SA Kids Clothing - Brand & Product Photoshoot

A few weeks ago the lovely duo behind Sprout dropped by the farm for a morning of styled photographs for their kiddies fashion label. 

I had been in touch with Luke for the past week or so over Instagram, and we eventually found a date that suited us all to get together and start snapping and styling their gorgeous items. 

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A little more about the brand...

Proudly located in the heart of leafy Glenwood, Durban, Sprout is a kiddies fashion label offering an adorable, yet functional, range of kids apparel and sleepy sacks. Founded by Sarah Dalton in 2013,  the label exploded with the arrival of their little girl, Mae, in February 2016.

Sprout products are all made locally. The cotton fabrics, produced in local mills, use cotton grown from South African soil. Luke & Sarah believe in producing quality goods and spending hard earned cash locally to keep people in jobs, food on tables, and transforming harebrained dreams into realities.

They value originality. They don't do mass produced. All of their items are produced in small quantities to maintain the integrity and exclusivity of the brand.

Above all, Sprout is run by a pair of parents, who are doing our best to make a difference in their little girls’ life everyday.

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I first came across the Sprout brand over on Instagram, and it was their famous range of sleepy sacks which first caught my eye. From there I was introduced to their beautiful rompers, and their most recent additions...leggings and T-shirts.

Each item is carefully and thoughtfully created, and their fabric designs are just beautiful...see for yourself:

With my own little girl on the way, I was delighted to get really hands on the styling and photographing of each of their beautiful items. I had a wonderful time getting to know both Luke and Sarah and their sweet little Mae, who really had fun meeting all our our farm creatures.

To Luke and Sarah, you are both such kind and creative people, and I wish you nothing but the best for Sprout. I can't wait to see all that lies in store for your wonderful brand!

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If you are looking to update your brand photographs, then please get in touch! I've worked with product & service based brands to create an updated look and feel for their businesses using my camera, and I'd love to do the same for you!

Scroll through & click the posts below to see the brands and businesses I've worked with:

If you're still wondering what brand photography is and why you need it, here's a blog post that you might enjoy reading...What is Brand Photography and why you need it to grow your business.

Shauna Neill Jewellery #AW17 Collection - Brand & Product Shoot

Earlier this year I had the pleasure of working with Shauna Neill to create the look and feel for her Autumn & Winter collection of jewellery.

All Shauna Neill pieces are handmade in Durban, South Africa by a small team of previously unemployed women, who have trained in the art of jewellery making and general business skills. The range of necklaces, earrings, rings, and bangles is available online and in stores throughout South Africa, as well as in France, Italy, Austria, Namibia, Mauritius, Australia, the Seychelles, and the UK.

The Shauna Neill brand ethos is deeply rooted in the desire to create pieces which appeal to the contemporary woman wanting something unique and considered, that not everyone else is wearing.

Thank you to each and every one of the following creatives for working so hard to bring Shauna's dream to life, and for making my job oh-so-easy:

• Venue: Talloula
• Stylist: Lynne McMaster of Dress By Lynn
• Hair & Makeup: Santana Hair and Marianne Visagie
• Models: Paige Behn & Wendy Ka-MaMkhize Mabizela
• Jewellery: Shauna Neill
• Photographer: Roxy Hutton of CGScreative (that's me!)

Here are some of my favourite photographs from the day.

P.S. If you're looking to update your brand with your own new high res images, please get in touch today! I specialise in creative headshots & styled brand photography and work with both product and service based businesses, helping them showcase their brands in the most beautiful way possible (click here to find out more). 

Click here to get to touch to book your brand shoot today!

Introducing the Stock With Heart Shop for all your feminine styled stock photo needs

I am so excited to officially announce the opening of the new Stock With Heart online store.

Stock With Heart has been created to cater for all your feminine styled stock photo needs whether you're a blogger, web designer, illustrator or online coach, there really is something for everyone. 

I set up shop on Creative Market sometime last year, and have spent the past few months getting aquatinted with the platform, and I am now ready to share it will you all.

If you haven't heard of Creative Market, let me share a little more about the platform:

Creative Market is a platform for handcrafted, mousemade design content from independent creatives around the world. We're passionate about making beautiful design simple and accessible to everyone!

On Creative Market, you can buy digital design goods to use in your personal or commercial projects. We offer the following product types:

• Photos
• Graphics
• Templates
• Website Themes
• Fonts
• Add-ons
• 3D Models

Products offered included in these category range from installable fonts, icons, website themes, to clipart, UI kits, Photoshop brushes, stock photographs, 3D models, and much more. If you need a digital design asset, you’re in the right place!

The goods in our marketplace are unique designs that are created and sold by independent creative professionals around the world. They bring the awesome, and we provide the platform.

Pretty cool, right?

I have really enjoyed using them as a platform for selling my photos, mainly because of how easy it is for customers to buy. You can use your PayPal account to purchase items, as well as credit to use later. The whole platform is also very easy to navigate and browse, making it much easier for you to find what you're looking form. 

Without further ado, here is a sample of some of the prettiness you'll find over in my store:

If you'd like to be the first to know when new images are added to my store, click here to follow me over on Creative Market. 

Free Stock Photos for Bloggers, Creatives & Business Owners

We are nearing the end of the first quarter of 2017 and to make your life a little easier when it comes to your blog & social media graphics, I've just released a new set of feminine styled stock photographs just for you.

If you're new around these parts, you might not know about the CGScreative Resource library; a treasure trove of resources for Bloggers, Creatives & Business Owners. 

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The CGScreative resource library is a FREE online space filled with blogging worksheets, business resources & helpful printables.

It's also filled with what has made my library famous; my unique selection of styled & natural stock imagery.

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Here's a little sneak peek into what's inside:

The CGScreative resource library is a pretty space for bloggers, creatives & business owners & is  designed to be a place that helps you grow your blog or business and a place to visit to feel inspired.

And now I'm sure you're probably wondering how you can gain access. To keep the library exclusive (and to make sure that only serious creatives have access) you only need  pop your email in the little space below.

Join the CGScreative Resource & Stock Photo Library!

* indicates required

First Name

Email Address *

By popping your email address above you'll be joining the  CGScreative mailing list. From there I'll be sending you the password for the resource library will allow you to log in.

You'll be able to download any and all of the resources and you can rest easy with regards to image copyright as my photographs are licensed under a creative commons license.  This means you can use the photos for all non-commercial purposes i.e you can use them for anything related to your blog or business that you are not intending to sell.

Feel free to crop the photos, add text to them or layer them with other images and graphics to create the perfect visuals for your site.

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Here's a pretty Pin to add to Pinterest so you can ave this post & come back later. Simply hover your mouse over the image and then click the little red Pinterest button in the top left corner.

I add new items to the library every month, so the content always stays fresh. I hope you find these resources useful to you in your blogging or business journey and I look forward to seeing how you use them.

If you do enjoy them, post a photo on Instagram of your experience with these resources and use the hashtag #CGScreative. I would love to share your images on my social media accounts (with your permission of course!) for extra exposure to your blog or business.

Join the CGScreative Resource & Stock Photo Library!

* indicates required

First Name

Email Address *

Happy blogging friends!

Previous Client Work: Bespoke Brand Photography for Travel Blog - Live Learn Venture

Just before finishing up our final year in South Korea, I had the pleasure of working with Natasha, the lady behind the popular travel blog Live Learn Venture.

Natasha had gotten in touch with me to work on her brand photography for her travel blog, and was in the middle of a rebrand. She needed beautiful, high resolution images for her to use on her blog posts, as part of graphics for the main layout of her website and also wanted some updated headshots. All of what she needed forms part of Creative Headshot package (click here for more info) and we got started straight away on the planning stage of her shoot.

I also worked alongside my stylist friend Samantha (find her over at There She Goes Again) who is incredible at what she does. I've worked on lots of styled shoots with Sam and always love the energy and creativity she brings to shoots. 

The Live Learn Venture brand is feminine and fun, but Natasha wasn't sure what her brand colours would end up being, and so we used the shoot to determine that for her. Using the backgrounds and textures of the various locations we shot at, it was very clear that shades of peach, grey and brown would form a big part of her new brand.  A big part of my work is ensuring my clients feel 100% comfortable in front of my camera, and this is how I am able to ensure I capture the personality and essence of each client and their brand. I loved working with Natasha, and I have loved seeing her brand develop and evolve since this shoot. She has put all of her new brand images to use on her new website, and it's incredible how the images have helped  her develop a wonderful cohesive style.

Below are a selection of the images I created exclusively for Live Learn Venture. If you're interested in finding out more about my headshot packages, then please feel free to get in touch. Each package includes a good mixture of styled stock type images as well as pretty portraits.

Enjoy!

x

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Find out more about working with me on your own brand images by clicking the button below. I'm so looking forward to hearing from you!

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Want to see more of my previous client work? I've worked with florists, skincare product designers, copyrighters, yoga enthusiasts, life coaches, bloggers and just about everyone in between. Click here to see more of my previous work.

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Wondering whether you need brand photography and how you would even use it?

Click below to find out more:

Beautiful & Free Feminine Styled Stock Photos for Bloggers, Creatives & Business Owners

It's the start of a new year (even though we are already heading towards the end of January...how is this possibe?) and make your life a little easier when it comes to your blog & social media, I've created a set of feminine styled stock photographs just for you.

If you're new around these parts, you might not know about the CGScreative Resource library; a treasure trove of resources for bloggers, creatives & business owners. 

---

The CGScreative resource library is a FREE online space filled with blogging worksheets, business resources & helpful printables.

It's also filled with what has made my library famous; my unique selection of styled & natural stock imagery.

---

Here's a little sneak peek into what's inside:

The CGScreative resource library is a pretty space for bloggers, creatives & business owners & is  designed to be a place that helps you grow your blog or business and a place to visit to feel inspired.

And now I'm sure you're probably wondering how you can gain access. To keep the library exclusive (and to make sure that only serious creatives have access) you only need  pop your email in the little space below.

Join the CGScreative Resource & Stock Photo Library!

* indicates required

First Name

Email Address *

By popping your email address above you'll be joining the  CGScreative mailing list. From there I'll be sending you the password for the resource library will allow you to log in.

You'll be able to download any and all of the resources and you can rest easy with regards to image copyright as my photographs are licensed under a creative commons license.  This means you can use the photos for all non-commercial purposes i.e you can use them for anything related to your blog or business that you are not intending to sell.

Feel free to crop the photos, add text to them or layer them with other images and graphics to create the perfect visuals for your site.

---

Here's a pretty Pin to add to Pinterest so you can ave this post & come back later. Simply hover your mouse over the image and then click the little red Pinterest button in the top left corner.

---

I add new items to the library every month, so the content always stays fresh. I hope you find these resources useful to you in your blogging or business journey and I look forward to seeing how you use them.

If you do enjoy them, post a photo on Instagram of your experience with these resources and use the hashtag #CGScreative. I would love to share your images on my social media accounts (with your permission of course!) for extra exposure to your blog or business.

Happy blogging friends!

Join the CGScreative Resource & Stock Photo Library!

* indicates required

First Name

Email Address *

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