Sometimes I hear people say photography has been commodified. Often it’s by someone trying to talk down the profession. It depends on what value you attach to photography. The way I see it commodities are objects that can be compared, often on price alone. When I buy table salt I can decide which offers the … Read more
When professional photographers make major changes to their equipment they don’t take the decision lightly. We depend on our gear and clients rely on us to deliver results. Apart from the significant capital expense there are the years of knowledge invested in the idiosyncratic characteristics of each camera and lens. Humans don’t like change The … Read more
Like many other professions a photographer solves problems for their client. We have the experience and skills to help businesses overcome issues allowing clients to concentrate on what they do best.
I’ve been commissioned to create image libraries for hundreds of education providers. Here are a few of the most common marketing strategies I’ve worked on for childcare centres. Every centre has a unique key message that differentiates itself from competitors. Those that are part of a larger chain will target the unique benefit that each … Read more
Life is full of relationships. Foremost are our personal relationships. In business we have a variety of relationships. Relationships are long term, at least for me. Clients and customers Writing this article my first thought was client relationships. Customers are the centre of business. In making business decisions I first consider how it affects clients. … Read more
Yes I know, historically photography started with Niepce in 1826. What I’m referring to is the intent of photography: to communicate. We’ve been conversing with one another visually since year dot. Once refined into a formal language, artists used imagery to convey messages by those who commissioned them. That same language is used by commercial … Read more
Success depends on how you measure it. For my commercial photography clients a successful photography shoot is one that illustrates their key messages through strong images. Delivering results within budget and not disrupting their core business is a given.
Propaganda is often considered in a negative light. Wikipedia describes it as: “Propaganda is communication that is used primarily to influence an audience and further an agenda” Millions Stand Behind Me, John Heartfield, 1932 Propaganda is frequently associated with political regimes, suggesting images of World War II or the Cold War. At uni I studied … Read more
Just two decades ago photographers would perform feats of magic. As alchemists they could magic up invisible images onto paper or a plastic substrate using chemicals. As a soothsayer a photographer could foresee an image, invisible to others, and move lights, camera, reflectors to create it. Many, many decades ago the photographic process involved a loud, … Read more
What is the value of using professionally created images in an age where everyone can create photos with their smartphone? Like many questions the answer is, “it depends!” That dependency is the photo buyers ROI and how much they care about their customers. Ask yourself what you’re trying to achieve with the images. Is it … Read more