Case Study 001: Documentary & Commercial Cinematographer Daniel Hollis Diamond
Daniel Hollis Diamond’s work as a cinematographer spans narrative, commercial, and unscripted storytelling — each project marked by a signature sense of atmosphere, intimacy, and light. His previous website, however, didn’t reflect that cinematic impact. It was dated, offering little sense of the emotional depth or visual continuity in his work.
Our goal was to create a site that feels like Daniel’s films — modern, immersive, and visually striking, while remaining effortless to navigate.
Key Services Provided:
A complete redesign in Squarespace — modern, cinematic, and responsive across devices
3x curated portfolio reels — highlighting his strongest work across Unscripted, Branded, and Commercial projects
24x individual project reels — each one edited and embedded for seamless viewing
250+ hand-curated stills across all 24 projects — transformed into gallery layouts that showcase his eye for composition and tone
A thoughtful narrative flow — projects organized and titled for maximum clarity, rhythm, and emotional resonance
Streamlined industry positioning — including updated bio, press archive, credits list, and a new professional headshot
Optimized SEO and metadata — focused on creative industry keywords.
Custom email setup and domain relaunch
Modernized client experience — cohesive, fast-loading, and fully mobile-optimized
Detailed Services:
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Daniel’s old site undersold the emotional impact and technical sophistication of his cinematography. I rebuilt the portfolio around three curated reel categories—Unscripted, Branded, and Commercial—each designed to immerse viewers in his visual world.
Within each category, projects were reordered by cinematic strength and recognition value, ensuring that his most visually striking and prestigious titles appear first. The result is a site that feels cohesive, intentional, and distinctly his.
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To showcase Daniel’s range and precision as a cinematographer, I created:
3x master portfolio reels across his primary disciplines
24x individual project reels, edited and embedded for seamless playback
250+ hand-curated stills, color-corrected and organized into dynamic galleries that reveal composition, tone, and storytelling at a glance
This dual motion-and-still approach gives viewers an immediate sense of both Daniel’s technical craft and artistic eye.
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To ensure the site’s design felt cinematic across every browser, I implemented a suite of custom CSS enhancements:
Created full-screen homepage and portfolio experiences, removing the default Squarespace footer and extending imagery edge-to-edge across Chrome, Safari, and Brave.
Optimized layout behavior for consistent aspect ratios and seamless scaling on all devices.
Added Daniel’s signature brand highlight color sitewide—appearing subtly on hover states for links, buttons, and icons to unify the visual system and create an elevated, interactive feel.
These refinements give the site a polished, immersive look that mirrors the precision of Daniel’s cinematography.
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Built on Squarespace 7.1, the redesign prioritizes scale, contrast, and visual rhythm. The minimalist interface, large-format galleries, and consistent spacing evoke the pacing of a film reel—quietly framing the work without distraction.
Every element was tested for mobile and desktop responsiveness, with smooth transitions and optimized load performance, so Daniel’s visuals retain their power across every device and viewing context.
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I refined Daniel’s bio to reflect both his creative vision and collaborative presence on set—balancing artistry with professionalism. An updated headshot, a reorganized press archive, and a clean credits section provide a well-rounded and credible portrait of his career.
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Each page, gallery, and embedded reel was optimized with strategic metadata and image alt text to improve search visibility for cinematographer, Los Angeles DP, branded content director of photography, and related creative keywords. These optimizations help his portfolio reach agencies, producers, and collaborators searching for cinematic visual talent.
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I linked Daniel’s new domain (danielhollisdiamond.com) and set up a branded Google Workspace email (hi@danielhollisdiamond.com) for consistent, professional communication. His previous domain (danielhollis.com) now forwards seamlessly to the new site, and I combined both his old and new email addresses into a single Workspace account—with the old address configured as an alias—so all correspondence can be accessed from one unified inbox. Together, these updates create a cohesive digital ecosystem that streamlines his communication and reinforces his professional identity.
The Result
The finished site is cinematic, responsive, and deeply personal—showcasing Daniel’s ability to capture light, emotion, and texture in every frame. It functions as both a gallery and a calling card, bringing his visual storytelling to life in a way that’s seamless, elevated, and unforgettable.
