A little bit about me

Three decades of shocking pixels into shape.
Stephen Harrell
A Brief History

I've been designing graphics, logos, websites and print/marketing material for thirty years. I started creating web sites while working for the former online service Prodigy (AOL's former competition) in 1994 while attending college as a graphic design major with an emphasis on Illustration. I've been involved/employed with five different Internet marketing start-up companies in East Tennessee, Chicago, Nashville and Little Rock over the last three decades. For most of my career, I've led design teams and directed art departments.

I have a well-rounded set of skills that I use in nearly every project I create. At the foundation of every design is my experience in traditional art. Many of my design projects start with an actual sketch using my trusty Wacom tablet or using the Apple Pencil with an iPad. The way I create designs is practically impossible to separate from my roles as a photographer and illustrator. I believe combining those skills gives you the maximum firepower to create the best images possible for any client.

The Expected Skills

I practice all the expected duties you would assume a traditional graphic designer would utilize. I design logos, digital marketing media, and print designs for any output size required. This can range from a small digital banner or business card to other extremes such as billboards, trade show booth designs, and vehicle wraps. I can work comfortably using vector or rasterized image formats. I use the full suite of Adobe products for most of my design work. This includes Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and Dreamweaver. I also utilize other image generating software such as Affinity Designer and Affinity Photo. I also use my iPad pro for production work using apps such as Procreate, Bez, and Sketchbook. I work with various print facilities in the local Little Rock area and can supply production ready media suitable for any professional print house.

Commercial Photography

I shoot whatever photography is required for my design work. While most of my photography involves headshots or specific images of people used in marketing material, I can also capture photos needed for products, client business locations, corporate photos, or even local event photography as needed. I shoot on the Sony Alpha full-frame platform  with the A7RV camera,  and use lenses from Sony, Sigma, and Tamron. I use Godox speedlights and strobes for exposure, and Adorama Glow products for light modification (softboxes, beauty dishes, umbrellas, etc). I supply clients with any photography associated with the final project as Sony ARW (raw) and JPG formats for ease of use.

Video Production

Unlike many graphic designers, I create a lot of video projects. While most of these projects are basic video editing (timeline editing and color grading), many also include motion graphics elements. This can include logos, intros, lower-thirds graphics, elaborate transitions, and sometimes even 3D models being animated. I use a combination of software to achieve these results which includes Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe After Effects, and Blender. Most of the video products I create are used as promotional material on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. I have also created some television commercials for local clients.

Audio Production

I have a huge amount of experience in the world of pro audio production. That history includes over a decade of home recording and four years mixing audio while employed for three major radio stations in the Little Rock area. These skills are constantly utilized for any video project I create. I also mix commercial multi-track podcast episodes and can create video versions for easy viewing on YouTube/Facebook. I utilize industry broadcast standards for every project that involves sound. I believe that professional sounding audio is essential for any video project, and cannot be neglected. I use a hybrid system for audio production that includes software and hardware. I use hardware products from Focusrite and Warm Audio for preamps, parametric EQs, and compressors. I'm also very familair with audio production software including Cockos Reaper, Ableton Live, and Adobe Audition. I'm also fluent using various mixing plug-ins such as the Slate Digital and Fabfilter range of products. When filming audio, I capture audio using microphones from Rhode, Audio-Technica, and Shure.

I Love New Projects!

I'm excited to help with your next project! Please drop by my portfolio for plenty of examples of what I create. If you have any questions, or wish to bounce some ideas around for what's possible, don't hesitate to contact me. Thanks for visiting my website!