Bringing your product into sharp focus
Everyday things are not always the way they appear; May’s Puzzle picture may well be something you look at often but don’t really notice.
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Photography is often perceived as a glamour occupation but most of the time it can be sheer hard work just trying to make a living, but every so often opportunities arise which go a little way to confirm the perception.
Last night I was asked to photograph the opening of a new eponymous restaurant called “Shaun Dickens at the Boathouse in Henley”, this request followed a successful food and product shoot for their launch website which I undertook a few weeks ago.
However, none of this would have happened without social media and specifically Twitter.
The power of social media never ceases to amaze me by producing the most unexpected and exciting results. Knowing that the time spent online talking with people whose interest may never require your service can seem wasteful, but when it works it can produce spectacular results.
I first met Shaun when he was head chef at Fallowfields Country House Hotel, whose owner, Anthony Lloyd was one of my Twitter friends and where he prepared a magnificent array of dishes to be photographed, but I had no idea how the future would develop.
When I discovered on Twitter and Facebook that Shaun was leaving Fallowfields, I really didn’t give it much thought, until a direct message dropped into my Twitter feed from Shaun asking me if I’d shoot some pictures to illustrate his website for Shaun Dickens at the Boathouse in Henley, his new restaurant, which I readily agreed to do.
Opening a new business is always fraught with delays and obstacles and true to form, despite having an opening date set, the legal completion was delayed, so our first scheduled shoot was deferred over a weekend, but even on Monday morning very little was ready for photography and the kitchens were certainly not ready to be pictured, let alone have food prepared in them.
Shaun, Abi Hough the website designer and I were in agreement that the only way we were going to get the website up and running by the opening date was to shoot what we could on that day and arrange a further session the following Friday.
The change was dramatic the kitchens were sparkling and the food spectacular which meant we could get all the remaining shots done for Abi to start working on and despite having a holiday booked she managed to get the site up in plenty of time.
So last night the culmination of everyone’s hard work produced the glamorous moment when special culinary, celebrity guest Raymond Blanc owner of Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons officially opened Shaun’s new venture and began what we all hope will be new and exciting place to eat and be seen in Henley on Thames.
If you have a new product or venture you need photographing, I’d be delighted to help build your glamour moment so call me at info@mikesamuelsphotography.co.uk
April’s Puzzle picture illustrates how easy it is to overlook the obvious.
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What is this?
This month’s picture should be more of a challenge. For the answer click on the close-up image.
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One Rotten Apple can ruin you
The incredible power of electronic media for recommendation or condemnation can easily make or break a business.
Being a commercial photographer based inWest Berkshire, I understand how important visual impressions are, but these are secondary to the perceptions people get from other sources about the way companies support and assist their customers.
Following my post about British Gas and how they didn’t react to my comments on Twitter, I have since discovered they do have a social media awareness and they do monitor it.
Soon after my ‘tweet’ about them not following up on telephone complaints and asking if anyone knew if British Gas were active on Twitter they ‘tweeted’ me asking how they could help and that if I followed them and sent a Direct Message (DM) with the details of my complaint they would look into it.
Bearing in mind I had waited days to no avail for a telephone call from the British Gas call centre I realised how quickly criticism launched on a public social media platform evoked a reaction.
Now, I’m delighted that with Twitter’s intervention I’ve been able to get my complaint dealt with satisfactorily and agreed a settlement for my lost time, but I have concerns that anyone in business who isn’t keeping their finger on the social media pulse could find their reputation being damaged without them knowing.
If you’re not on Twitter, Facebook or Linkedin or don’t have a social media presence , you may never know what people are saying about you on the internet, yet wonder why your product or service isn’t selling and customers seem to be avoiding you.
For this reason alone it’s essential that you monitor key words about your business, even if it’s only the company name, otherwise you could be the last person to know something’s wrong.
We all love recommendation and positive reviews but we must also be aware of malicious comments that can destroy a reputation. How many restaurants and hotels have suffered as a result of bad reviews on sites like Trip Advisor?
We should never forget that as individuals all our tastes are different and what we think is good may be someone else’s worst nightmare; but without knowing what’s being said, what steps can you take to correct any problems. This is why it’s essential that any business that relies on word of mouth recommendation understands and acknowledges the power of electronic media and no matter how large or small has an active policy of monitoring what’s being said about their company.
The greatest photo in the world showing the most fantastic product or service cannot overcome negative perceptions created by words so always listen to what others are saying about you and know how any people working for you are handling complaints.
Image is not just a picture it’s all about looking after your business and caring for your customers.
MacKenzie with his new book
They say a picture paints a thousand words, but when it comes to books full of well-intentioned words, anyone who knows me well will tell you about my aversion to reading fiction.
It’s probably a hang back from school days when we were expected to read a certain number of fiction books during the holidays and the resulting detentions when you couldn’t answer questions on them once term had restarted.
I can confidently say that the last fiction I read was the third Harry Potter book, which I read to my younger daughter at bed-time.
So when Nigel Morgan of Berkshire’s leading public relations and social media consultancy Morgan PR approached me to take pictures of Mackenzie Smith to promote his new book “Who pays the Piper” an SAS novel, I was delighted to help him, however I also thought: “So what? – It’s just another story book!”
After I’d agreed to take the commission, Nigel sent me various background materials about the author, and invited me to download the first chapter of Who Pays the Piper for free from the author’s website.
Now I happen to believe that, being a commercial photographer it is essential to know about the product I’m photographing and on this occasion, who, I’m working with.
MacKenzie Smith on the sofa
Establishing a comfortable relationship with them is vital, if you really want to achieve the best and most relaxed photographs and of course building that essential ingredient – the magic of rapport.
To this end and in the interest of research, I decided I must put my prejudice about fiction aside and find out what this book is all about, so I began reading the first chapter, which was included in my brief.
After the first few sentences my imagination was sparked by the visual and sometimes graphic descriptions which appeal to my rather right-brained mind and I soon found myself abruptly halted by the end of the chapter and wanting to know more. So much so, that even without meeting the client, I have ‘liked’ the book on Amazon and pre-ordered it ahead of the September launch.
When I eventually met Mackenzie, it was obvious that he was going to make a great subject, but like so many people before him, he didn’t feel particularly comfortable being photographed and while he is destined to become a much photographed best-selling author, for now it was all new to him.
MacKenzie starting to enjoy himself
The greatest secrets of getting good pictures of anyone is not to be rushed, Nigel had allowed plenty of time to get these pictures, and also to try and take them in their own environment, whether it’s their office or home, these really are key.
My technique is simple, I get my subject to talk to me, while I fire off pictures, inevitably, there will be some bizarre expressions, which you can sometimes share with the client before deleting, although this can be risky as they may react badly and destroy their confidence.
After about half an hour the whole atmosphere changed, relaxation took over and the pictures improved. The plan had been to do some indoor shots and then try and get some exterior shots by the local river but when we arrived at Mackenzie’s office, it had been pouring with rain.
Now fully relaxed
The sky having cleared, we had the opportunity to start some outside pictures, and that heralded an almost Eureka moment; where he had been hesitant about the camera, suddenly, both Nigel and I noticed a change, Mackenzie was starting to enjoy being photographed and even stopped talking to pose, which ended the session with some really great shots which he has started to share on the Facebook page for Who Pays the Piper – you can also follow Mackenzie Smith on Twitter via @MSmith_Author.
The Steersman installed on Rob's yacht, "Justine"
The British have always been at the forefront of invention, this ingenuity, fascination and curiosity that drives so many designers, engineers and craftsmen to take the challenge of trying to provide an answer to a problem by producing an invention is unique.
One such inventor is Rob Chicken of Combe Products in Hungerford,West Berkshire.
A keen yachtsman, Rob noticed a need that single handed or night-time sailors had, to enable them to control the boat when they couldn’t man the helm constantly.
Although there are already systems available they rely on electronics, which need battery power and the greater the needed for the device the more power it uses. Consequently, in bad weather the importance of navigation lights and other essential electrical resources can be compromised by using this automatic steering system.
As a trained engineer, Rob devised a mechanical answer to the problem, which not only addressed the need but produced a far more responsive solution.
After working on the initial designs he produced full working plans and began the tortuous route required to protect his intellectual
Final Adjustments
property rights and ensure the design was covered by the necessary patents, registrations and trademarks. Eventually a working prototype was created and after much testing and development, Rob started putting together a group of fabricators who would produce the final product.
With a finished demonstration unit and having registered the name “The Steersman”, Rob started to consider how to market this invention and at this point I became involved in his enterprise.
As a commercial photographer from Newbury, just up the road from Rob’s base in Hungerford he asked me to go and spend a day photographing “The Steersman” being assembled on his 30 foot yacht “Justine” and to take some pictures to be used in a yachting magazine advert, timed to appear at the Southampton Boat Show in September, where he will be manning a stand.
Fortunately, the weather on the river Hamble was kind and we managed to get some great pictures including some useful stock shots for my own personal library.
For any inventor producing something novel, one of the greatest problems is communicating how it works and what it looks like, this can be a massive challenge and the skill of a photographer will often be essential in doing this.
The importance of getting good clear photographs of a product should never be underestimated and using a specialist in this type of commercial photography is a worthwhile investment.
Rob Chicken
While we were shooting, I also convinced Rob of the importance of having a good corporate portrait or headshot, to accompany any press releases he may send out and with any editorial space he may be given. This would also be invaluable for the increasingly essential social media networking that businesses are becoming involved with and of course the ever important website.
If you are an inventor building a good relationship with a commercial photographer can be invaluable in getting your idea promoted.
Not all photographers do weddings!
Anyone in business who spends time networking and meeting new people will know that one of the first questions you will be asked is “what do you do”?
As a photographer from Newbury in West Berkshire, I’ve discovered over the years that just saying, “I’m a commercial photographer”, is almost guaranteed to elicit the same reaction – “Oh, you do weddings and family portraits”.
“Well no – actually I don’t!”
This public perception that all photographers do the same thing isn’t that surprising, given that most peoples’ only connection with a professional photographer will be at a wedding or when they go as a family to have their pictures taken, to celebrate some significant lifestyle event. But in fact photographic skills cover such a vast variety of uses, from press to forensics, including some extraordinary niche applications.
I currently photograph products and corporate headshots for press releases and websites and my business is helping clients promote and improve the image they present to their customers.
But by qualification and training I am a registered medical photographer.
The extensive experience I gained during my 45 year career has given me the opportunity to sample many of these skills from extreme close up pictures, event photography including Royal Visits, corporate style portraiture of Nobel Prizewinners, scientific glassware and instruments, sometimes recording the most harrowing and distressing times as well as the happiest moments of life and working with the most vulnerable members of the community.
Probably the most important aspect of my work is closely shared with the wedding and portrait photographer and that is the ability to build rapport, with people of all backgrounds, which in a way is as crucial in putting people at ease, as the photographic skills
For this reason I have made a clear decision of where my photographic interests lie and although I still continue my niche clinical service helping diagnose skin cancer at an early stage using photography and photographing personal injuries for use in legal and insurance claims, I am now equally selective in my commercial interests.
I believe that photographing weddings and families is as specialist as any other branch of photography and I acknowledge and admire those choosing to work in these areas.
Unfortunately, with more and more camera owners turning to photography to supplement their incomes, it is essential that the professional specialist is recognised.
For this reason when someone asks what I do, I start by telling them what I don’t do – Weddings and Family Portraits.
Of course, if they’re disappointed that I can’t help them, I have a select list of highly skilled professionals that do, and will happily recommend them.
Graham Hill talks to Hayley Ryan on his ancient phone
We all know how to answer a telephone and let’s face it there’s not too much you can do wrong. Or is there?
If you have a small business your phone line can be your vital link with your customers either to take orders, discuss projects or the calls nobody wants, complaints.
Whatever the call, it will be important to your business, and if it’s not you probably don’t want to receive it anyway.
As a commercial photographer in Newbury, I know the importance of being available to clients, prospective, existing and past, but even with mobile phones it’s not always possible.
In these times of austerity, it’s just not practical to employ staff to do this, so when one of my fellow members of the Newbury Business Group, Hayley Ryan from Verbatim offered me the chance to look around their facility I felt it was worth investigating.
Some of the Verbatim Team
Greeted by Hayley and owner Graham Hill, I was surprised how they look after 500 clients from such a relatively small centre in Newbury.
In an attempt to understand more about the business I joined Ann Davidson one of the call answering staff and listened in to some of the calls.
With every client having a dedicated telephone line which brings up specific detail about their business on a computer screen when it rings, the appearance of a seamless communication is established, even down to what the personalised greeting should be.
They even make notes about special, or as they’re known VIP customers, so that the client can maintain that special rapport with their most important contacts.
If your company sells online, Verbatim receptionists will place orders on the client’s website from telephone customers who maybe unhappy about using the internet.
To complete the process clients can choose how the referred calls are passed on either redirected by phone, faxed or emailed.
What Alexander Graham Bell who invented this seemingly magic instrument, called the telephone, would make of the way it has revolutionised the world, and become such an essential tool in our day to day lives, I can only guess.
But I suspect the memory of this invention is probably why Graham Hill of Verbatim gives pride of place to his antique ‘candlestick’ phone in the reception area.
My visit was quite an eye-opener into the world of the telephone answering service.
Digital camera graveyard
In a blog by Canoe.ca, they say that according to Flickr and PC World the compact digital camera will be going the way of Sony’s Betamax!
This has to be excellent news for professional photographers, since the compact, point and shoot digital cameras have been the bane of their lives.
They also report that WirelessGoodness.com say “While there’s no question that DSLRs and micro 4/3 cameras have found a space at the higher end of the consumer photography market, I wouldn’t be surprised if growth in the low end of the consumer digital camera market slows to a crawl over the next few years.”
With many businesses using these cameras for press releases or product shots they have openly competed with the professional, but without the knowledge, experience and in many instances, the talent.
Despite Apple’s Steve Jobs’s claim that the iPhone4 camera is a higher quality specification than any other “smartphone”, with larger pixel size and the ability to work in lower light conditions, trying to use even the most gadget enhanced mobile phone to take anything approaching professional quality will be unlikely.
The lens on a purpose built camera will always outperform the tiny piece of glass or plastic in the mobile and the reliance on digital zoom to change the focal length of the lens will always be inferior to that of an optical system.
The popular use of mobile devices for quick uploads to social media and websites is obvious and these new phones will fit this market need perfectly, but try and use them where a polished well composed and professional looking photo is needed and you will fail.
This will re-open the door for the trusty professional with the right equipment lenses, lighting and experience.
Yes, it’s true that it’s the photographer and not the camera, that makes a photograph great, but show me a true photographer that would compromise an image by using a mobile phone.
As a commercial photographer in West Berkshire, I for one will not be mourning the demise of the digital compact camera and neither, I suspect, will the majority of photographic professionals.
