Say it with images
Say it with images
06.15.2021

Say it with images

The proliferation of everyday images–think Instagram!–has exploded over the last 20 years. The bar for high-quality, differentiated photography is huge, and we are fortunate to have the talented Gigi de Manio on our team.

I suspect readers might wonder why a photograph of Bill and Chelsea Clinton is included in this article. It’s here because the photo was taken by our very own Genevieve (Gigi) de Manio, D&CO’s photographer and my wife. Since I founded Design & Co. in 2001, Gigi has been integral to D&CO’s success. Beyond her work with D&CO, Gigi has a successful wedding photography business. And yes, she was the principal photographer at the Chelsea Clinton/Marc Mezvinsky wedding in 2010. https://demaniophotography.com/

While the hero shots of buildings at dawn and dusk remain an important aspect of any AEC firm’s portfolio, it is often the detail shots that provide character and intimacy. This image of a precast concrete bridge is strong in composition and subtle in texture, belying its humble, prefabricated origins.

This early project for Pembroke Real Estate remains a favorite. The 255 State Street brochure was conceived, photographed, designed and printed in six days. The day after we were hired, D&CO photographer Gigi de Manio and I were on site at dawn shooting images of the building. The idea that the building sits at the interface between the city and its harbor – an insight unknown to the client beforehand – was captured by a single photograph that featured prominently in all promotional materials.

When I began D&CO in 2001, formal photography was the norm. Increasingly, with smart-phone cameras ready to shoot every moment of our image-centered lives, we’ve come to expect – and respond to – images that don’t feel staged or canned. Candid photographs allow viewers to better understand culture and context authentically. D&CO photographer Gigi de Manio is a master of the candid photograph, capturing clients’ culture and providing richness to D&CO projects.

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