The funny story about this shot is that the lady who we chose for the shoot was not a full time model and certainly nobody is a full time “underwater model.” However, she failed to mention prior to arriving on set that she also couldn’t swim very well. Shooting underwater requires going down under the surface, waiting for the surface to stabalize so you get a perfect reflection off the surface (next time your underwater, look up and you will see what were talking about). Anyhow, long story short – out of a 4 hour shoot this was one of the only images where Charlene did not look like she was about to drown as the male model had to hold her down there!

Charlene we love you, and without your amazing red hair this look would not have worked. xoxo

Enter the Clear pH… working closely with Eric and his agent we were able to design something that was very sexy and yet easy to use. With large background images that can be updated at the drop of a dime and that creatively can change the whole look and feel of the site. It was a perfect design for a musician whose look changes whenever a new album is dropped.

Frequently on the road, Eric is able to update and maintain his schedule and tour dates right from his mobile devise. His twitter feed posts up to his home page giving fans a play by play of his busy touring lifestyle.

I immediately called Troy Plota and asked him to donate his time to something we thought could be just so beautiful. Knowing Troy’s underwater capabilities we wanted to create a mystical underwater world. The shoot as you can see in the images was not as some may think in the Aquarium tanks but actually in a controlled swimming pool.

There are so many elements that need to be right when shooting underwater. Water clarity, natural light, water temperature (which we didn’t quite have right due to the time of year and the necessity to execute the project quickly, hence Troy’s wet suit!), and stillness.

The models braved the chilly pool and we set to work. Water can bring surprises and our first attempt with a white wedding dress almost drowned our model! A quick change to the moody black outfits and we were feeling it.

Adam Daniels our go-to Photoshop re-toucher collaborated with our Creative Director and the final outcome as you can view below was an ADDY winner hands down for Digitally Enhanced Photography.

Our overall use of the image can be seen in our “Campaign”section.

Thanks to Troy and Adam for their commitment to the Arts in helping us give the Florida Aquarium an amazing result! The Gold ADDY Award for “Digital Image.”

Next the young owners were in need of signage, menus, window treatments and even assistance in creating logo treatments that would be etched into the concrete bar. We also did a faux stain glass window image for a giant back lit window inside the club.

The fun part came when we custom designed twelve different images for their VIP tables which included vintage Michael Jackson, Koi Fish and Homer Simpson… under the black lights of the club these images come to life.

Vintage Ultra Lounge Artwork

St. Petersburg, FL – February 16, 2010 – Hot on the heels of winning three ADDY Awards in 2009, Clear pH Design Studios, a three-year-old award-winning boutique ad agency located in St. Petersburg, continued its growth and winning streak by once again being recognized as the producer of superior creative work by the American Advertising Federation – Tampa Bay. The Addywood Awards Gala took place on Thursday, February 11th at the Historic Tampa Theatre.

Clear pH Design Studios won 8 Silver ADDY Awards, particularly dominating in the Brand and Identity categories.

“The win for the Three Birds Tavern, Consumer Flash Web Site was the second award in this category in as many years following last year’s Gold Award for LaFogata Restaurant,” said Jason Hutty, Director of Sales & Marketing.

The awards were for the following:

• Ocean2Trail – Stationery
• Pinnacle Property Solutions – Brochure
• Three Birds Tavern – Consumer Flash Website
• Three Birds Tavern – Illustration Campaign
• Seagrapes Photograph, Florida Aquarium – Photography
• Ocean2Trail – Logo
• Three Birds Tavern – Logo
• Vintage Ultra Lounge – Logo

“We pride ourselves on being a distinctly St Petersburg firm in both location and style, and love the growing art culture in our city. To stand out as the most successful St. Petersburg-based firm is a great feeling and we enjoy bringing our international experience to the local market. We are really proud of our work and more importantly proud of the results we have provided our clients through our work,” said the British-born Richard Hughes, Creative Director for Clear pH.

About the ADDYS

The American Advertising Federation ADDY Awards honor excellence in advertising and cultivate the highest creative standards in the industry. Every year, more than 60,000 entries are fielded through fifteen districts and the 200 member clubs. The competition is three-tiered with local, regional and national/international levels. The ADDY Awards represent the true spirit of creative excellence.

About Clear pH

Clear pH Design Studios (www.clearph.com) is an award-winning boutique advertising agency specializing in developing strategic design solutions that create strong brand identity through visual impact. Offering a wide-range of products and services such as packaging, photography, print and web-design, Clear pH drives brand success through creative vision, unconventional thought, and flawless execution and utilizes experience from London, Sydney, Dubai and New York. Clear pH – the clear balance between art & design.[/one_third_last]

Jim Parese of St Petersburg. We will be in touch in the next week to arrange your dinner Jim – congratulations.

We thank everyone who entered and came to see us. Please keep us in mind when you are thinking about how to help your business move forward with branding, advertising or web presence.

Our work with the 2008 festival was award winning work, something we aim for with every client but;

Business results for your company is our true goal.

LaFogata is a great place to eat if you’re a meat lover!!! Located in Gulfport, this client came to us from conception.
We created all their branding, menus, ad campaign, photography, print and flash web site.The site was created to represent the warm ambient atmosphere of the interior of the restaurant.
As with all the sites we create for restaurants, we always want to capture the same feeling you get when you’re actually there. We mixed illustration with photography in flash to bring the site to life!

click here for more info

Creating a Campaign can be really fun. This was no exception. The event has a “Platinum Chef’s Challenge.” Based around chefs fighting, we went to work custom illustrating two Samurai chefs fighting with a ladle and a whisk and created a series of Ad’s where glasses were exploding and being knocked over in this action-packed series.

Utilizing vibrant reds, blacks and rich oranges we strived to create a vibrant, eye catching theme whilst keeping the brand consistent. We even had the chefs on horses for the Steeple Chase Event book!

click here for more info