Why I love my job…

I took the below screengrab from my website. Now, whilst this may seem like self-promotion stick with me on this (because it isn’t – much).

Being a photographer gives you an element of your career anyone would want – variety. In one week I can be on a shoot with a couple blissfully celebrating their wedding, creating a video for an airline and capturing that ideal corporate head shot to keep you head and shoulders above the rest of your firm.

What I’m trying to express is that one of the reasons I love my job so much is because I get to do so much within one role. I’m able to get out and explore the countryside which I live in whilst at the same time earning an income – sounds pretty great to me.

And, with variety comes networking. Throughout my job I couldn’t guess the amount of people I’ve had the pleasure of meeting, or list the friends I’ve made along the way. The social aspect of my job is what’s helped me keep going for so long – to be motivated about what you do is a huge help in ensuring you’ve got a long term career.

Well – long may it last. I love my job and can’t think of a better way to spend my time when I’m ‘working’!

Photograph or return ticket?

I’ve heard this saying before and think it really sums up what I do. Capturing special moments for people and providing them with prints that they can look back on with fond memories is, in essence, like giving them a return ticket to a particular moment in time.

Anyone who has been reading and following my blog will know that I love portrait photography – they really are my favourite type of shoot (if any of my corporate clients are reading this, don’t worry – I still love working with you!) However, on a portrait shoot I get invited into a special moment with a group of people and am able to share this with them, documenting it at the same time. Not only does this make my job an awful lot easier (albeit, sometimes even the most well behaved children can be camera shy) but it also makes it really enjoyable!

Recently I joined a lovely family staying in Aldeburgh for a shoot, which is partly why I’m reflecting on it for this blog post. It really reminded me that actually, photography can bring people together. I’m lucky also that the area I operate in is full of natural beauty – from the coastline at Thorpeness, Orford and Southwold to the forest in Rendlesham, I have a fantastic backdrop which ensures any portraits I shoot have an impressive backdrop.

The whole aim of portrait photography is to capture personality by using effective lighting, backdrops, and poses (or at least, it was when I last looked). But, its not quite that simple – these 4 tactics are ones I swear by to try and make shoots as enjoyable as possible, particularly with young children!

Wear clothes you’re comfortable in
Bring children’s favourite toys and teddies
Juice, milk and sweeties are always helpful
Be prepared to have fun!

If, after reading this you’re considering booking a shoot or would like to know more, please do drop me a line – even if it’s just to ask a question, I’m more than happy to help!

How much do you know…

… about video?

You might think you know rather a lot, or at least enough – but that’s what I thought. I always knew video was an important tool, but recently my eyes have been opened to just how much impact these clips can have for your business.

Let’s start with an example… the video below, titled ‘Riding the waves’ which I’m sure you’ll have seen on my social media channels (if not you can view it by clicking the image below!) reached an impressive 7,000 views within a week. Now, here is where I have to come clean; I did use Facebook Boost to help with these figures, but the below stats taken from a Guardian article should help reiterate my point that video can be really effective at driving more engagement for businesses online.

In 2015, Cisco predicted that by 2017 video content would account for 69% of all internet traffic
In early 2017 the firm shifted their prediction to say that video content would account for 74% of internet traffic
They project that by 2019 global internet traffic from videos will make up 80% of all internet traffic
4x as many consumers would prefer to watch a video about a product/place/service rather than read about it
More than 60% of small business owners said they planned to increase investment in video marketing in 2017
Using the word “video” in an email subject line boosts open rates by 19% and click-through rates by 65%

This means that any local business interested in creating short, impactful and engaging stories through videography would be foolish not to contact me – I can help you provide beautiful, professional and eye-catching videos that will really work for you.

Using another example, my promotional video of ‘Orford – a beautiful place’ earned 2,000 views on social media in just 48 hours.

Although I’ve just started my venture into video, I’m really excited to see where it goes, and am extremely passionate about creating videos that promote the breath-taking Suffolk countryside we live in – watch this space!

Shooting into the New Year…

Wow, where has 2017 gone?!

It doesn’t feel like 5 minutes since I was sat in this same space last January (albeit now a little older, wiser and more experienced of course) – last year I shot 58 corporate PR jobs for large and small companies, including both Stansted and Gatwick airports, BT and EDF as well as some holiday home interior commissions, plus 22 family portrait shoots and some corporate videos too – so it was quite a big one!

I always like to think that the New Year should allow some time for reflection, and so writing this has definitely reminded me of how much I love taking a step back and thinking about shoots I’ve loved during the year, or work that I’ve done for corporate companies I’ve particularly enjoyed.

Living in the midst of the Suffolk countryside, with Aldeburgh, Thorpeness and Dunwich just on the doorstep possibly lands me to being one of the luckiest photographers around. I get to photograph families in their home environment, enjoying the beautiful surroundings we live in but most importantly having fun – it gives me that real feel-good factor that stays with me for the rest of the day!

So, this year is definitely a time for me to focus on devoting more time to the portrait side of the business (if you’re reading this and are thinking of booking a slot please do drop me a line), as well as continuing to work on my corporate offerings.

Towards the end of 2017, I commissioned some short cinematic style videos as examples of the work I can do for businesses. I love this type of work, and know there’s real growth opportunities here for companies to drive their social media engagement and in turn drive more interest towards their businesses.

Here’s an example of a personal version I created…

https://www.facebook.com/TonyPickPhotography/videos/1559147900841533/

Next week I’ll let you know how this video performed, as I really enjoy reflecting on my own work and using my blog as a platform to open up and express my views… stay tuned!

What goes up when rain comes down…

Family portraits at Iken in Suffolk by Tony Pick photography — Lifestyle portraits at Iken, Suffolk by Tony Pick photography

… my umbrella (sorry, bad joke!)

As I was sitting at my desk this morning, warm cup of coffee firmly in hand and glancing out of the window at the droplets on the glass, I couldn’t help but think of how lucky I am that the weather can actually aid my job rather than hinder it.

My last blog post was also about the conditions outside, but it’s evident to me that even shooting in the rain can be fun! I pride myself on creating memorable experiences for families when they have their portraits done, and sometimes the adverse weather conditions make the activity even better!

Whether it be snow or rain, the lighting that comes with this time of year and its weather creates the most beautiful photographs, and in Suffolk we have some of the most wonderful landscapes that make photography a dream!

The dramatic coastline at Dunwich or Thorpeness can be a brilliant locations for family portrait shoots, and even when it’s raining the images we capture with groups never cease to put a smile on our clients’ faces!

In the lead up to Christmas it can be hard to find the time (or motivation) to leave the house for anything, let alone a photoshoot with the extended family, but with me at Tony Pick Photography your images are guaranteed to brighten up any rainy day.

That being said, as much as I love using the Suffolk landscape to my advantage, sometimes there’s no better feeling than inviting someone into your home to photograph those special moments, which is why I am always open to clients’ location suggestions!

If you’re unsure of what someone may be comfortable with but want to gift them a special experience this Christmas, why not present them with one of our gift vouchers to really surprise them (you can find these using the link above in the menu bar).

I’ll be back next week with a new blog post on what I’ve been up to and what I’ve been thinking about, but for now, back to the grind(ing of the coffee beans)…

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As it snow happens…

Family and children’s portraits in Suffolk with Tony Pick photography

I love the winter (really, I do).

What better time to be a photographer in Suffolk? The countryside in this part of the world is so beautiful, and in the colder months there’s nothing better than the sound of crisp leaves under your feet.

The image above is from a shoot taken a few years ago now, outside The Wentworth Hotel and I think it really epitomises just how much fun portraits can be (even in adverse weather conditions!)

It’s a shame that with Christmas fast approaching, and the quest for that all-important knock-out gift weighing on our minds that we often forget to take the time to stop and appreciate the natural world around us.

And, that’s what’s great about my job – the whole focus of it is capturing families in beautiful settings, producing images that highlight the season as well as the dynamic of the household I’m working with.

Being a portrait photographer (whether its children, adults or a mixture of the two), you’d think I’d be the one fed up of standing in the cold whilst I encourage the grumpy toddlers to run around in the leaves or along the rough shoreline at either Aldeburgh or Southwold – not at all! (most of them aren’t actually grumpy for a start – they love it!) Yet, being based in such a beautiful part of the world allows me the freedom to create wonderful family portraits with different people every day of the week.

In the run up to Christmas, and with the snow falling outside it can be easy to find lots of things to complain about. If anything, this time of year makes me stop and take in my surroundings and situation more than any other – I help people create the perfect Christmas gift for their loved ones, all the while allowing them a fun family day out!

This year, if you feel like you’re walking on thin ice and want to surprise someone with that extra special present, I snow full well that a family portrait package with me will cure all of those winter blues.

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Family portraits cherished forever… Having fun in the forest

Fun family portraits on the beach, a walk in the forest or river dipping adventures are just a few of the great locations for family portraits with acclaimed photographer Tony Pick. It’s an ideal time to have your family portraits taken with the autumn colours and what better Christmas present than beautiful portraits of the children for grandparents and family. Or treat someone to a family portrait gift voucher.
Bookings and gift vouchers available here
Please tell all your friends about our lifestyle family portraits