Can I Ramble On Illustration?

Yes I can! It probably stems from my childhood days, but I have always been drawn to a good illustration. Have you thought lately about using illustration as a medium to enhance your company's marketing efforts? In my opinion,  illustration does a heck of a job conveying a message. Photography has become the norm. Illustration is a way of breaking the clutter, as they simply look different. Did you know Illustration is a communication service that we offer here at h2o Creative Group? ...we sure do and proud of it. Like many mediums, illustration is executed in a unique style to express your company's mojo to your audience.

So, let's pick up a pen or pencil together!

John Daniel, creative director at h2o

Wet Photos

At our annual h2o company retreat we decided to break out the waterproof-housing for the camera and get a little creative. It's not too hard to have fun when you're staying at the St. Simons Carriage House, and by looking at these photos you can tell we certainly did!

Underwater photography can be tricky and it's almost all about proper lighting. Of course, actual lighting equipment for underwater use can get pricey, so most rely on the sun. A couple of tips we can share are to shoot in the shallow end, where the bottom of the pool is closer, allowing to act as a reflector. Also it helps to shoot wide if you can. Bright colors work well, standing out from the blue/green water.

Here are a few of our favorites from the weekend. Enjoy!

Print Designs

We were contacted by Atlantic Shore Dermatology on St. Simons Island to create a new brochure for their office. Right away we were inspired to redesign their logo.  The direction was clean, fresh, and professional.  We had a lot of fun with this project and came up with several different design options.  The client was excited about all of our ideas and ended up choosing this one.

We love the soft color palette combined with the bright images which really enhance the idea of bright skin. With the color choices in background and text, along with a matte finish and spot varnish accents, the pictures really stood out!  They liked the brochure so much that we also designed business cards to match...

For more information about Atlantic Shore Dermatology please visit atlanticshoredermatology.com!

Southern Soul BBQ Makes Us Proud

From a small smoker and a couple of butts back in 2006, all the way to nationally recognized BBQ and, just recently, the Best BBQ sauce in Georgia, Southern Soul BBQ here on St. Simons Island sure does make us proud. We'd like to say it's all because of the marketing, but who are we fooling? One bite of their pulled-pork and you'll find the Lord real quick.

h2o has been fortunate to be the marketing agency for Southern Soul since day one; from photography and graphic design, to web and videography. It sure is wonderful to see one of our own excel so well. So a big cheers to Griffin and Harrison!

Below are a couple of photos from the original SSBBQ location, back when it was located at Palm Coast Coffee shop in the village on St. Simons. Man that was a small kitchen! GO BUY THE AWARD-WINNING SAUCE NOW.

The Venetian Hotel, photographed by Harlan Hambright

The Venetian hotel in Las Vegas has two other hotels on-property–The Palazzo and The Venezia. They are connected by the Grand Canal with a major shopping center on one level and casinos and more shopping on another level. Combined, this is the largest 5 diamond resort in the world with nearly 8000 rooms. In anticipation of a proposed round of upgrades, H2O's Harlan Hambright was hired to photograph the entire property earlier in February. For five solid days and nights, with occasional stops to sleep and eat, he wandered the huge development photographing all aspects of the project. The five day assignment allowed ample time to make sure every angle was shot at the appropriate time of day to take full advantage of sun angles and other lighting conditions. He even shipped the 50' tall mast out to get interesting low level aerial shots. "Having been to the actual Venice, I was much impressed with the level of detail and architectural authenticity they incorporated into this place," he observed. Here are a few highlight images from the endeavor. Enjoy.

One of our clients, Southport Academy is offering Basic Self Defense class for kids!

Southport Academy, a Private Christian Preschool in Brunswick is hosting a Kids Self Defense Class at the school, 314 Southport Parkway adjacent to Satilla Marsh Elementary School, THIS SATURDAY February 25th...2 sessions. At 10am and again at 1pm. Classes will accept kids ages 3 and up and will teach basic self defense techniques to be able to protect themselves in a potential abduction scenario. Classes are taught by a trained Police officer and have been met with huge success. A small registration fee required and includes child's fingerprint kit. All children must be accompanied by an adult... For more information call Southport Academy @ 912-264-5554.

Friday Foto: Shrimp and Grits

As if award-winning photography, design, marketing, web and videography weren't enough, we at h2o are also chefs. From slow-smoked meats, to fire-roasted oysters, to our photo today; award-winning local shrimp and grits.

h2o patriarch Harlan Hambright created this recipe using ingredients entirely from Georgia, a plan no doubt in line with his recent book, The Idiat and The Odd-yssey. Harlan took his recipe to Jekyll Island's Shrimp and Grits Festival in 2011 and won! Last night he demoed his delights at Viola's Market, on St. Simons Island.

Our featured photo for the day, comes from said event. Two young and inspiring chefs look on as Harlan prepares.

Below are two more for your viewing pleasure.