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Blueeyes Magazine
Blueeyes Magazine is an online magazine dedicated to publishing photo essays and long-term project work. Started in 2002 by photographer John Loomis, Blueeyes' commitment to excellence soon led to a need for more collaborators and an expanded site. John assembled an editorial board including design director Chris Vivion, and I was brought on as technical lead.
My primary goal in developing the new site was to come up with a robust content management solution that would both accommodate the magazine's archived collections and offer a range of possibilities going forward. I outlined key information areas at the issue, essay and individual image levels, and used this structure as the basis for a new Expression Engine-based CMS. Essays were re-assembled into XML files that both drive the viewing interface and allow flexible delivery of image/essay metadata throughout the site or to third party services.
For better browsing of Blueeyes' incredible imagery, I built a new visual interface in Flash. This hand-coded system completely automates the presentation process, determining image size and spacing, and dynamically generating thumbnails, caption and photographer data. It also allows for a number of transitions and layouts, including panoramic photos.
Finally, Blueeyes required a new editing interface to make selecting and publishing easier. In response, I scripted a PHP/Javascript system that allows drag-and-drop editing of photo collections while blending seamlessly with the Expression Engine back end. Editors can go from folder upload to full Flash preview in a small handful of steps, saving time for more creative duties.
Blueeyes continues to develop its role as one of the most respected online photo magazine's today, with new multimedia and collaborative features planned for 2007.
Components
- Javascript
- Flash/Actionscript
- PHP
- Content Management Systems
Collaborators
- Designer Chris Vivion
- Photographer John Loomis
Contact
2156 W Chicago Ave #3
Chicago, IL 60622
312.315.6350
Resume
PDF (71Kb)- Microsoft Word
- Plain Text
1
Created a business card for NYC-based private chef Eugene Edele.
Come 2008, I'll be working as head developer for ContentNext. ContentNext is an independent media and information company based in Santa Monica, covering the business of digital media. The company operates a number of award-winning sites including paidContent.org, mocoNews.net and contentSutra.com, all powered by Expression Engine.
Seth Bro (that's me) has relocated to Chicago. I love my new space in the Pilsen neighborhood so far, & am looking forward to many new opportunities and experiences. My old friend/new roommate Chris Keener & I plan on using the loft as a part-time gallery space as well, come spring and loosely titled "Cost of Living."
2
Have signed on to re-develop the website for Cine-file.info—a non-profit online guide to the Chicago independent film scene. Cine-file plans to expand coverage to New York City in the near future.
Blueeyes Issue #16 is out. Besides the usual collection of world-class photo essays, this month features the debut of our new "Document" section. Document looks to create discussion about issues in photojournalism, & we start by publishing an excerpt from Jim LoSalvo's new book, who has shot for U.S. News & World Report over 15 years. NYT online's design director Khoi Vinh contributed some design, as well as some kind words about the site.
Built a simple XML-driven Flash image viewer for photographer John Loomis' new site: JLPFL.
3
With designer Chris Vivion, signed on to redevelop and combine the professional sites of freelance photographers Eric Larson and Jenny Larson. The new site will feature custom integration with Photoshelter.
With photographer Colin Webb, have agreed to develop a website for the Missouri Photojournalism Hall of Fame, based in Washington, MO.
Put together the album art for Grass is Greener—the new album from Columbia hip hop favorites The 40 Thieves.
4
Began development on a time tracking widget for the Yahoo! Widget Engine. I'm terribly dissatisfied with the time tracking software out there. My program aims for an extremely simple, punch clock interface, but with versatile export and reporting options.
Blueeyes has been awarded first place in the News Photo Gallery category by the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA). The Best of Photojournalism 2007 contest honored us for "The Naked King", an essay on the revolt against the monarchy in Nepal. The photo galleries' ease of use was specifically mentioned in the judges' comments.