Dear readers and friends, First off: a much overdue Happy New Year to all of you!
In the spirit of starting anew, we're unrolling some changes at Aviary (and based upon our new editor, they're pretty darn nice); our approach to content and community is no different.
Over the course of the new few weeks, we'll start introducing you to the members of the team and giving you glimpses of the process behind the product. Plenty of users are familiar with Aviary's editor (in fact, you guys edited over ten million photos this past month), but we have a sneaky suspicion that you may not know much about the awesome people who built it. This year, we'd like to get to know you -- and we'd like you to get to know us.
It goes without saying that having a team enamored with the product they build is generally a good sign. A significant portion of the work that we do requires us to know our tool inside and out; naturally, we spend a lot of time using it.
I've asked Maya and Nam, two awesome members of our equally awesome team and the infamous duo behind Aviary's own Namaya Party Plannin‘, to explain the process behind their recent edits (unsurprisingly, their iPhones are essentially a fifth appendage). Both of them have pets that we feature regularly on Aviary; Maya's cat, Ethan, has graced the pages of FastCompany, and Nam's dog, Pubby, was a YouTube sensation.
Maya's photos
"I really think Ethan looks like a handsome little cat model. I used our blemish tool to blur out the area around him and hide the shoe box on top of him. I also slapped his name on there - he's named after a character in one of my all-time favorite movies, Slackers - and added the Ventura effect so you can see his cute little ears.
Nam's (obviously) a photogenic guy, so I didn't need to do much. I added one of my favorite Aviary effects, Aqua, to give him a nice vintage feel and make the door look a little scarier. That door leads to the terrifying rusty chain that holds up our elevator, and since the 'Danger' sign on the door got blown out by the sun I added it back in so Nam remembers to be careful next time he's up there."
Nam's photos
"Pubby, an angel-like creature, is one of my most treasured investments. With a perfect coat, impeccable paws, and a delightful jaw, it's almost impossible to enhance any photo of him.
BELIEVE IT OR NOT, I DID. Using auto-enhance, I was able to level out the colors (my bedroom has poor lighting!) and brighten up his little face (OMG CUTE RIGHT?). Step 2. Effects! I chose our Strato effect because I love the subtle retro feel it gives, not to mention it pearls up Pubby's googly eyes! Also, the timestamp on the corner means I'll never forget this moment!
OH I DID THE SAME THING TO MAYA TOO, but with the Singe effect! Is she from the 70's now?? I don't know! I think so!"
We always welcome suggestions for topics you'd like to read about, so feel free to share your ideas. You can also ask us anything! (Some questions that have floated our way: What nail polish is Maya wearing? What does your office look like? Can we see more pictures of Pubby?)
Here's a common one: Where can I edit my own photos?
Answer: Aviary's brand spankin' new Facebook app!
'Til next time, stay awesome.