@marthadimeoA Portrait of An Artist—For Print and Digital Media
When I photographed Gloucester, MA, artist Melody Phaneuf on the bridge at Good Harbor Beach, my goal was to create an editorial-style portrait that reflected both a sense of place and a sense of her personality.
Melody is affectionately known as ‘The Little Cropper’—a painter going about her day finding beautiful compositions to paint. So posing her on the bridge, with croppers in hand, is a real and authentic vignette of her life as a painter. Even though it was a planned photoshoot, it could easily have been a candid shot. If you happen to cross paths with Melody while she is out landscape painting, you’re likely to find her as she is pictured in the photograph.
Hero Image For A Website Homepage
The portrait instantly conveys who Melody is—an artist deeply connected to the landscape she paints. The full-figure composition, with her canvas bag and painting easel, tells her story at a glance, making it a perfect choice for a homepage hero image.
In the original capture, I left plenty of negative space—breathing room—around the subject to allow flexibility in the page layout.
For the homepage of MelodyTheArtist.com (as seen in the screenshot below), the photo was cropped to a strong vertical composition. This crop allowed the web designer to create a well-balanced block by placing text to the right, spanning the full height of the image.
The Printed-Page—Discover Gloucester Travel Guide
When the same image was chosen for Discover Gloucester travel guide magazine, it was given a new composition. Cropped to a horizontal, it anchors the top of the layout. The composition focuses on Melody while suggesting the broader landscape.
These two very different applications—a webpage design and a print layout—illustrate how a strong, narrative image can be cropped effectively to meet different design needs.
The Retouching
Before the image was delivered to the designers, I shifted from photographer to retoucher, turning my attention to post-processing and retouching.
The retouching markup shows the edits are subtle yet fully considered. Color and lighting are refined, and adjustments are made to the hair and clothing.
After & Before
The color and lighting adjustments are most fully appreciated when you use the interactive slider to compare the before-and-after.
My favorite adjustment is the dabbling of light on the canvas bag and painting easel. It’s a nuanced touch—a play of light—that subtly perfects the image.
The Takeaway
At every stage—capture, retouching, and layout—the through-line was composition: seeing structure, balance, and story within the frame. Just as ‘The Little Cropper’ searches for harmony in the landscape, this portrait evolved through the same discipline of framing and refinement. It’s the shared language of artist, photographer, and designer alike.
Photography & Retouching: © Martha DiMeo
Postscript
About the Designer
The Discover Gloucester travel guide magazine is designed by John Hall Design Group, a print publication and website design studio based in Beverly, MA. The studio has designed and art directed Discover Gloucester annually for the past six years.
John and I both share an appreciation for publication and magazine design.
> View more of John’s magazine design work.
> View my Book Cover & Magazine portfolio.
Explore more examples of design collaboration where photography, retouching, and editorial excellence come together seamlessly.
Visit Gloucester, Massachusetts, America’s Oldest Seaport
You can find the Discover Gloucester guide at Massachusetts tourist information centers or order a print copy here. A digital copy of the publication can be viewed here.
Melody Phaneuf welcomes visitors to her studio and gallery on or off-season. Conveniently, the studio and gallery is located just a few steps from the Gloucester Fisherman’s Memorial and famous Man at the Wheel statue. Visit MelodyTheArtist.com for more details.
Back to Page Design Articles >