I think it’s fair to say that most designers have at least a little touch of OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder). I like my pages neat, clean, and with plenty of white space. I can tell if the leading (line spacing) is off by a point or two. It drives me insane, even if I know my client probably can’t tell the difference. “Only you would catch that…” I’ve heard it a million times.

Even though the final product is perfectly polished, the process is far from it. Here’s an inside peek at one of my current projects — photographing my work for a presentation I’m giving later this week:

The setup:

1. a pane of glass from my computer desk
2. white foam core and paper
3. 3 clamp lights and 100-watt bulbs (from Menards)
4. paper to diffuse the light (from Calumet Photographic)
5. 1 large table
6. 3 chairs (to hold the lights)
7. Canon PowerShot SX100IS (8 MP) camera

Not the most glamorous setup, but here’s a sample image that came out of my shoot tonight:

Hope you enjoyed this “behind-the-scenes” look at my process!

PS – Many thanks to the fabulous woman who helped me out at Calumet Photographic (Chicago) this morning. She answered all my questions and even sketched out the proper setup for me.