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!

Flying high…

Excuse the pun, but the last few weeks I really have been.

Working with airlines is always something I’ve enjoyed, and just recently I’ve been working with Norwegian Air as well as Stansted Airport on some exciting new projects.

With my new video venture in full swing now, I was keen to offer up my services on my recent shoots and in turn was able to create the below video – take the time to sit back, relax and enjoy the flight as the film develops…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XypPX4knzEI&feature=youtu.be

It’s great to be back on the press side of corporate photography, after working as a partner in a busy photo news agency before I started out on my own in 2001.

Working and living in Suffolk can be fantastic for photography which I know I’ve mentioned before (who wouldn’t love all of the natural scenes around here?), but as I work from home in Iken it’s sometimes exciting to get out of the house and immerse myself in a corporate environment where there’s a real buzz.

Going forwards I’d love to team my videography with more corporate clients – so watch this space!

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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Where have I been… and where am I headed!

When I looked back on my blog recently I was sad – sad I’d neglected it for so long!

Needless to say, I’m back now and ready to devote some more time to this!

When you run your own business, decide to give up your store front, move house and relocate your office into your new home, I think it’s fair to say that there are certain aspects of your company that can be forgotten, and writing my blog has been one of them!

Believe me, I love taking the time out of a busy morning or afternoon to sit with my thoughts for half an hour and jot them down here for everyone to read – sometimes I just forget to do this!

More recently, I’ve been working really hard to expand the family portrait side of the business. You may have seen various communications about this through my different channels (because hopefully you follow them – click on the icons above if not to have a browse!). I love all aspects of photography of course, but have always really enjoyed shooting family portraits in the autumn/winter months.

Not only do these provide really great Christmas ideas (even for those family members who are ridiculously hard to buy for!) but they also leave each family unit with some wonderful memories, which can be saved and cherished forever!

As an add on to my portrait packages, I now include a wonderfully interactive film for each family so that they can showcase their photographs beautifully and with real flare – it’s a wonderful asset to have if you have a moving digital picture frame at home too – these films look just fantastic on the mantle piece!

If you’re reading this and I’ve managed to get your attention and spark some interest in booking a shoot (I still have a few slots left before Christmas!) then click on the contact link above and get in touch! We’d love to hear from you and offer a wide range of locations for you to choose from, or you can of course suggest some yourself!

That’s all from me for now – got to get back to the grind!

 

*The Best Christmas Present Ever*

Check out our fantastic Christmas gift idea’s for all the family here

Family Adventures with Tony Pick
Creating Memories for 17 Years *NEW – Complimentary Family Movies*

Tony Pick Portrait Photography
Children’s portraits in Aldeburgh with Tony Pick Photography

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Family Portraits Offer – £100 discount on first ten bookings so hurry before they go!

Family Portraits Offer…

To kick start 2017 we’re offering a £100 discount on the first ten bookings so hurry before they all go! (Normal price £395)
Booking at http://www.tonypickphotography.co.uk/portraits.html

Natural lifestyle portraits

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March Favourites

March has turned out to be quite a lovely month weather wise. It’s strange to think this time last year we were faced with snow showers to contend with.

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March has also seen many behind the scenes changes for Tony Pick Photography

We have been completing on-going tasks with launching our new website, which we are so pleased with and getting some really lovely feedback from. The new brand colours have really brightened everything up and it’s great that families can now book online for their portraits and order landscapes.

At the beginning of the month we showcased at a wedding fayre at the lovely Easton Grange, a fantastic new wedding venue in Suffolk. It was lovely to see such a beautiful local venue and meet lots of excited engaged couples.

bride and bridesmaids
We’ve had many happy clients coming in and out of the gallery. I’ve been teaching a few different sets of parents how to get the best from their cameras, ensuring they capture their children growing up with really stunning images. 

photograph taken by parents

Our spring portrait offer was very popular, and we’re really looking forward to the shoots.

As you may or may not already know, we’ve added some new additions to the gallery. We have dog sculptures by Rosemary Cook and jewellery by Alex Monroe.

alex monroe jewellery & sculpture by Rosemary Cook

We’ve been sharing a lot more on our social media such as exclusive offers and news so to keep up to date, make sure you follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.

April has got off to a very busy month too. Tony is currently in London photographing the Google Atmosphere week. We will be sharing a few photographs throughout the week through our social media and then tell you all about it here on the blog next week.

Phew think that’s everything,

Tony & the team