If you’ve tried to customize a blog header with one of your images, you know it aint easy. We are not used to making (or seeing) photographs as short, wide rectangles. Also, blog headers need to pop off the screen to arrest our attention, and yet not overwhelm the blog’s content. Most challenging: how to share our blog’s message into one, single image?
For her new 2 Good Things website, Judy Herrmann has succeeded in creating the best image for a blog header that I have ever seen. This rockin’ image draws us in, but it doesn’t overpower. Most important, it speaks wonderfully to both the content and the emotional thrust of the site. This is amazing branding with a single, 940 x 200 pixel image. (To better understand the message, see the site’s “Why 2 good things?” and “What’s up with the V sign?”)
See It In Context
Definitely head to 2 Good Things to see how this image works in conjunction with the blog’s layout. It looks better in context than it does on its own. And that’s how it should be: photograph and site design complimenting each other. The in-focus fingers draw us to the left, to the posts, while the out-of-focus face rests nicely above the categories and other links. The image has a surprising amount of depth for the restraints of its dimensions, and this welcomes us to the site, as does the positive energy from the out-of-focus face.
Where Did It Come From?
Having not yet spoken with Judy about the image, I can’t be sure that this is Judy we are seeing in the photograph, nor who made the photograph. (Perhaps it was captured by her life and business partner, Mike Starke). I suppose that this might even be a stock image, used very intelligently. But I doubt it. Even out of focus, this looks like Judy — the hair, the friendly energy in the eyes.
Less important than who the model is, I’m totally convinced that Judy orchestrated this image very specifically for this site. I can see her coming up with a strong concept and then playing around with captures until she got one that works just right for the space. This process would make sense. Judy is a commercial photographer dedicated to solving visual problems for her clients very specific needs. So why shouldn’t she do the same for her own blog?
So, Judy, am I right? Is this you, and did I envision your image-making process correctly. Any thoughts you want to share on making this best-ever blog header image?
