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Friday 12 July 2013
Wednesday 3 July 2013
Billboard Advert
So I have been planning a little low key stint of publicity and here it is!
Marketing and promotion is a tricky animal and you can never be sure what you do is going to give the hoped for results. Being a full time working photographer is about a number of things and the photos are only one ingredient. As with any business, promotion and name awareness are paramount so I have been putting some effort in to that side of things.
The last few months have seen 6000 leaflets distributed around Farnham with the Farnham Connect Magazine, a series of adverts taken in Round & About Magazine which goes to over 22,000 homes in the Farnham area, Frensham Faye and Farnham Carnival Fayre displays and I have just taken a page in the MOD Bordon Services Guide. I have also been promoting myself and my work on a day to day basis and now the billboard.
I know its low key and unobtrusive but if you do see it I hope it brings a smile. And if you want to talk to me about having some photographs done I'd be delighted to hear from you!
Marketing and promotion is a tricky animal and you can never be sure what you do is going to give the hoped for results. Being a full time working photographer is about a number of things and the photos are only one ingredient. As with any business, promotion and name awareness are paramount so I have been putting some effort in to that side of things.
The last few months have seen 6000 leaflets distributed around Farnham with the Farnham Connect Magazine, a series of adverts taken in Round & About Magazine which goes to over 22,000 homes in the Farnham area, Frensham Faye and Farnham Carnival Fayre displays and I have just taken a page in the MOD Bordon Services Guide. I have also been promoting myself and my work on a day to day basis and now the billboard.
I know its low key and unobtrusive but if you do see it I hope it brings a smile. And if you want to talk to me about having some photographs done I'd be delighted to hear from you!
Tuesday 4 June 2013
Corporate Portraits - Not Mugshots
Latest set of corporate portraits completed from the weekend. Bruce Southey is a designer with a lot of experience in the automotive industry and didn't want his images to look like 'mugshots'. They still needed to portray his professionalism but not to appear boring. We tried for a few distinct styles and these are a few samples from the shoot.
Saturday 1 June 2013
Estate Agents should banish HDR.
HDR has its place and is a legitimate technique for creating images, but it has started to leak into the photography that estate agents use to market houses. In my opinion this is wrong and should be banished. It doesn’t enhance a property and frankly, I think it reflects poorly on the estate agent.
High Dynamic Range, or HDR, is when a photographer will take a series of photos at different exposure settings, say 5, and then combine them to create one final image. The purpose is to show detail in the photo which would otherwise be lost due to deep shadows or very bright areas in the scene.
Cameras have a dynamic range which is typically less than the human eye, in other words, as you look at a scene you are able to identify detail in the dark areas and the light areas to a much higher degree and range than a camera. You may be familiar with seeing in your photos areas which are completely ‘blown’, white patches with no detail at all. This is sometimes the price you pay to clearly see detail in the darker areas.
For exterior photos this is most commonly seen with the sky, typically lighter than the ground and house. Photographers generally work to find a perfect exposure, an acceptable balance, use graduated filters on their lenses, or a little 'dodge' and 'burn' in post production.
I have been known to blend skies from other photos with photos of houses, so as to create a more balanced image and I hope that in each case where I have done this anybody viewing the final image would not know. I have seen some woefully obvious, awful looking examples in local papers, online and in property brochures.
In fact I once saw a full page of adverts for an estate agent in Guildford where every house had a blue sky, with each one done terribly and to top it off it was the same blue sky in half the photos. This technique, done poorly or well, is not HDR but it is a way to create a better image if necessary. I think that is as far as it should go because done properly it will look like a legitimately shot photo.
The problem with HDR is that it is an unreal image and extremely difficult to employ and make the final image look genuine. Photographers that specialise in HDR or tinker with it often look to create a final image that screams HDR, in other words they play entirely to the techniques strengths, using the results as an artistic style in it’s own right.
There are some rotten examples but also some which are quite mind blowingly brilliant.
The question is whether or not it is right for estate agents, and in my opinion I think it is wrong.
Especially as I have seen several examples recently where HDR has been used to create interior images. This trend really bothers me. The other day I saw a set of property details from a high end agent for an expensive house, with HDR used for the exterior and interior images. They looked like CGI images. They looked plastic. They just looked wrong. I don't think they reflected well on the house or the estate agent.
I remember reading an article a couple of years ago by an American photographer, where he was holding HDR up as the future for property photography. He argued that there was no longer any need for lights and that practically anyone could do it, almost announcing the passing of the professional interiors photographer. You just need a tripod, camera and HDR software. Well I disagreed at the time and I still do.
Creating good interior photos takes time, patience, lighting skills and an eye for what should and shouldn't be in the room, as well as the way things are positioned. Ideally, if flash is used the idea is to not show that it has been used. The end results should be great photos that show off the rooms to their best and look natural.
HDR does not create a natural, enhancing viewing experience appropriate for property marketing photos. It looks fake and I would be delighted if estate agents and homeowners refused to accept it as an appropriate photo option.
Monday 27 May 2013
Business Portraits Should Not Be Sidelined
This week there has been a catalyst to me writing this blog.
I thought I would be writing about estate agents and homeowners in relation to property photography. That now is for another day, however it was an estate agent that performed the role of catalyst. My local paper, the Farnham Herald, has a significant property section, as do most local papers and this week a full page was taken by a local estate agent, not advertising homes but rather the staff.
There is nothing wrong with the idea, in fact it can be quite productive as it introduces the personalities to the public. The advert was designed to basically introduce the team and employed the expected head and shoulders mugshot. Which is where I pull up short and start ranting at the advert. I found myself talking to myself out loud, which to be fair is quite common these days!
What I really struggle with, is why people invest so much time and money into aspects of a project and then seem to bolt the photography on as an afterthought. I still look around the internet and see well planned and executed websites for, say, accountants and solicitors, only to be let down by personnel photos that look like something from Crimewatch. Often it extends to all the photography including the facilities interiors, products and general viewing photos but why do staff still seem happy to look so 'last minute'?
For most things and I'll accept I am biased, the photography should be the starting point. In this day and age photos are king. Photo sharing media sites sell for billions of dollars or have valuations high in the atmosphere like: tumblr, Instragam, flickr and facebook which is as much a photo sharing site as anything else. The prolification of personal social photography and the instant migration of those photos across the web, coupled with advertising, PR and marketing campaigns centred around strong photography, prove that photos are the medium which lead the story.
So, why does an estate agent offer up a page full of under par mugshots?
I honestly don't know.
It isn't a painful experience to organise a set of good, clean, engaging portraits of the staff. There is a choice as to the style and type of photos you have done and a range of photographers to choose from, according to the approach you want.
They can be done environmentally, essentially in your place of work/setting, which puts you and your job in context or in a studio (which can incidentally come to you). You can have individual photos done or go for the team photo or a mix of both.
The point is these images say a lot to your customers. Get it wrong and the overall message you are trying to get out there is corrupted, in fact get it wrong and your advert might just do the opposite to what you intended.
Your customers might think that if you can't present the team well in the photographs, or indeed any other aspect of you company, you might not present well in other areas. This means that if you decide to photograph your staff as a means to promote your business, apply high standards and don't succumb to the 'point and shoot', 'in house' option.
The portrait below was done for a client, Chris Lane (www.chrislane.co.uk) wanting a set for his website. We worked on a variety of images changing the pose and clothes but this is a clean and straight forward example.
The following two photos were done in the same style as above, but for a different client. These are samples of the individual photos with the one following these two, the whole team (Market Focus Research Ltd www.casme.com)
If you are looking to promote your staff a group photo can suggest unity and teamwork, with the emphasis given to highlighting the company as a whole.
This portrait was taken within a large set illustrating a The Pilates Suite in Farnham (www.thepilatessuite.co.uk). The photoshoot produced photos of the equipment being used by models as well as the owner, Kirsten Harle, in her environmental setting.
And here we have an estate agent, Ian James with Strutt & Parker in Odiham! Nothing to do with the catalyst mentioned above but hopefully a clean engaging portrait.
Even photographers sometimes need promotional photos. This is not me I hasten to add, but sometimes photographers have to photograph photographers! Peter Wright, an outstanding house photographer with whom I often collaborate. (www.peterwrightphotography.co.uk)
And last but not least I did a selection of portraits for a PR firm, Spotlight Communications (www.spotlightcomms.co.uk) and this is one of the bosses, Lesley Bennett. The whole team came to the studio and we used the studio to emulate an office environment.
So, if you have read through this and you fancy now getting some portraits done of yourself and your staff, my diary is waiting!
I thought I would be writing about estate agents and homeowners in relation to property photography. That now is for another day, however it was an estate agent that performed the role of catalyst. My local paper, the Farnham Herald, has a significant property section, as do most local papers and this week a full page was taken by a local estate agent, not advertising homes but rather the staff.
There is nothing wrong with the idea, in fact it can be quite productive as it introduces the personalities to the public. The advert was designed to basically introduce the team and employed the expected head and shoulders mugshot. Which is where I pull up short and start ranting at the advert. I found myself talking to myself out loud, which to be fair is quite common these days!
What I really struggle with, is why people invest so much time and money into aspects of a project and then seem to bolt the photography on as an afterthought. I still look around the internet and see well planned and executed websites for, say, accountants and solicitors, only to be let down by personnel photos that look like something from Crimewatch. Often it extends to all the photography including the facilities interiors, products and general viewing photos but why do staff still seem happy to look so 'last minute'?
For most things and I'll accept I am biased, the photography should be the starting point. In this day and age photos are king. Photo sharing media sites sell for billions of dollars or have valuations high in the atmosphere like: tumblr, Instragam, flickr and facebook which is as much a photo sharing site as anything else. The prolification of personal social photography and the instant migration of those photos across the web, coupled with advertising, PR and marketing campaigns centred around strong photography, prove that photos are the medium which lead the story.
So, why does an estate agent offer up a page full of under par mugshots?
I honestly don't know.
It isn't a painful experience to organise a set of good, clean, engaging portraits of the staff. There is a choice as to the style and type of photos you have done and a range of photographers to choose from, according to the approach you want.
They can be done environmentally, essentially in your place of work/setting, which puts you and your job in context or in a studio (which can incidentally come to you). You can have individual photos done or go for the team photo or a mix of both.
The point is these images say a lot to your customers. Get it wrong and the overall message you are trying to get out there is corrupted, in fact get it wrong and your advert might just do the opposite to what you intended.
Your customers might think that if you can't present the team well in the photographs, or indeed any other aspect of you company, you might not present well in other areas. This means that if you decide to photograph your staff as a means to promote your business, apply high standards and don't succumb to the 'point and shoot', 'in house' option.
The portrait below was done for a client, Chris Lane (www.chrislane.co.uk) wanting a set for his website. We worked on a variety of images changing the pose and clothes but this is a clean and straight forward example.
The following two photos were done in the same style as above, but for a different client. These are samples of the individual photos with the one following these two, the whole team (Market Focus Research Ltd www.casme.com)
If you are looking to promote your staff a group photo can suggest unity and teamwork, with the emphasis given to highlighting the company as a whole.
And here we have an estate agent, Ian James with Strutt & Parker in Odiham! Nothing to do with the catalyst mentioned above but hopefully a clean engaging portrait.
Even photographers sometimes need promotional photos. This is not me I hasten to add, but sometimes photographers have to photograph photographers! Peter Wright, an outstanding house photographer with whom I often collaborate. (www.peterwrightphotography.co.uk)
And last but not least I did a selection of portraits for a PR firm, Spotlight Communications (www.spotlightcomms.co.uk) and this is one of the bosses, Lesley Bennett. The whole team came to the studio and we used the studio to emulate an office environment.
So, if you have read through this and you fancy now getting some portraits done of yourself and your staff, my diary is waiting!
Saturday 25 May 2013
Friday 24 May 2013
Pet Portrait sample
Most recent pet shoot was a beautifully behaved dog who immediately won everyone over. She is lovely and I'll put a few more up soon but for now....
Wednesday 15 May 2013
The Studio Photographed
Having decided to take some advertising space in Round & About magazine, four months worth in the Farnham area and a month in Haslemere to start with, I finally got around to photographing the studio. The advert was the catalyst and the push I needed to clear the desk for a short spell. Although I have a wide lens, it still needed a series of images stitched together to showcase the space. There is a bit of distortion but this is what my studio looks like...
It is a comfortable space and the double doors on the left allow me to get in larger stuff. I have a tentative booking for a motorbike and the other day I found myself dicussing the possibility of getting a horse in here!
Well, I've already had a snake, bearded dragons and ferrets in here so I might was well look at the other end of the scale!
Well, I've already had a snake, bearded dragons and ferrets in here so I might was well look at the other end of the scale!
Sunday 5 May 2013
Pack up the Package
I have been mildly obsessed recently with the idea of packages. This obsession stems from looking at other photographers websites and trying to compete with the idea of 'what I offer'. So I have been making up options to include sitting fees and then various choices of canvas and frame, artbox, acrylic, books, prints and Facebook prepped files. But when you start on this road it's never ending! There are so many permutations and you can never be sure that the package will be what people want.
So it's been driving me nuts and then I read an article which appeared via LinkedIn. The basis of the article covered old ground, but it was good to read again about the basics which can so easily get buried under loads of packing cardboard.
What it made me realise is that whichever way I package it, the fact is photography is an entirely bespoke service. Photographers don't make a retail product as such, mostly every time we work we look to create something unique, regardless of the field in which we work and this is always the case with portraits.
We do offer fixed products like the canvas and the print, but these are secondary considerations made once the photos are viewed and different photos call for different choices of presentation.
So there are reasons why 'the package' is nonsensical. You can't select a package before the photos are created, because you can't be sure how the photos will look and translate to different presentation choices. I can't really calculate a package because every customer is different and wants something suited to them personally.
Most enquiries have included asking about buying photos in a way not specifically packaged on my website or for products I haven't yet even offered. So this only goes to shore up the bespoke element of what I do and given that when I opened the studio I set out to avoid copying a rigid format seen on the High Street, I am going to pack the package up.
When customers come to me I shall get in first and ask what they want, I won't try and pre-visualise their desires, rather I will look to tailor what I offer to each customer. Which was always the aim frankly but I found myself sucked into the 'package'.
So it's bespoke all the way.
So it's been driving me nuts and then I read an article which appeared via LinkedIn. The basis of the article covered old ground, but it was good to read again about the basics which can so easily get buried under loads of packing cardboard.
What it made me realise is that whichever way I package it, the fact is photography is an entirely bespoke service. Photographers don't make a retail product as such, mostly every time we work we look to create something unique, regardless of the field in which we work and this is always the case with portraits.
We do offer fixed products like the canvas and the print, but these are secondary considerations made once the photos are viewed and different photos call for different choices of presentation.
So there are reasons why 'the package' is nonsensical. You can't select a package before the photos are created, because you can't be sure how the photos will look and translate to different presentation choices. I can't really calculate a package because every customer is different and wants something suited to them personally.
Most enquiries have included asking about buying photos in a way not specifically packaged on my website or for products I haven't yet even offered. So this only goes to shore up the bespoke element of what I do and given that when I opened the studio I set out to avoid copying a rigid format seen on the High Street, I am going to pack the package up.
When customers come to me I shall get in first and ask what they want, I won't try and pre-visualise their desires, rather I will look to tailor what I offer to each customer. Which was always the aim frankly but I found myself sucked into the 'package'.
So it's bespoke all the way.
Wednesday 10 April 2013
Sunday 7 April 2013
Thursday 4 April 2013
Wednesday 3 April 2013
A mix of images....
Design and layout is a bit erratic but here is another set of samples. To be fair these are all on my website so I am duplicating a bit but it hopefully will start to build a picture of what I do. Obvioulsy these are portraits and the earlier post covers pets. I work in differing fields so there are property interiors, school prospectus photos, school events, commercial works photography and elevated to just mention some.
I'll try to get a focus to this blog soon!
I'll try to get a focus to this blog soon!
Monday 25 March 2013
6000 leaflets
So 6000 leaflets have started to descend on Farnham! A local campaign looking for local clients which I hope will work, or at least start to get my name out there. Working out an international campaign now, maybe 6 million leaflets!
Sunday 24 March 2013
A starting point
OK. Here's the start of a blog, for which at the moment I have no real direction. Most likely it will ramble until it finds some focus, if it ever does, but we'll see.
The idea is to talk about what I do, the way I do it and see if that makes for anything interesting as a written record. I suppose initially it will centre around the studio but again, we'll see.
The idea is to talk about what I do, the way I do it and see if that makes for anything interesting as a written record. I suppose initially it will centre around the studio but again, we'll see.
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