When reflecting on this task I realised that I thoroughly enjoyed it as it gave me the opportunity to show that I have other creative abilities aside of photography.I was able to take inspiration from several different sources and create something unique to show myself to the creative industry.
Although I currently work within a design agency in the photographic department, I rarely get the chance to see what people actually do with the images I generate. Now that I have completed this task I understand the processes of what some of the people I work with do. It has been a great learning curve both in understanding a different angle to the business I work in and also has shown that I have strengths in other areas.
I feel that I have gained valuable knowledge and learnt new skills by using in design, in how to co-ordinate promotional material so that it helps to create an identity for myself.
I plan to use the skills that I have learnt during this task to produce something similar to what I have designed when I set up my own business.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Promotional material plan
After spending some time looking at promotional material from other photographers and stylists I had a rough idea of what I wanted to generate.
The first thing I did was to look for an image that worked both in colour and in black and white. I spent considerable time on this, as it this may be the first time that someone sees material that links me to my business.I wanted something that was quite neutral and not too striking yet showed my abilities with relation to photographic practice and so chose a spa themed shot as it showed my skill with lighting.
As my last name is Green, I thought that it would be a good idea to use this as a base colour for my promotional material. I spent several hours playing around with different colours and saturation in order to gain the desired effect.
For the type face I wanted something that was both easy to read but yet bold and made a statement. I also wanted to create some depth to the text and so have used different percentages of colour to create this.
I think that it important not to put too much information onto postcards and business cards as they are relatively small and I did not want it to appear like there was too much text. Because of this I kept it simple and straight to the point and added my name, occupation, address and contact details both for my mobile and email.
Promotional material is a great way to become recognised and so I also included a web address. This allows potential clients to look at the type of work I produce before contacting me in person.
Furthermore it helps to show the type of clients that I am currently involved with. Some clients like to know that you can shoot their type of products for example fashion or food photography and by having a range of images on my website they can see what type of shots I produce within their area.
The first thing I did was to look for an image that worked both in colour and in black and white. I spent considerable time on this, as it this may be the first time that someone sees material that links me to my business.I wanted something that was quite neutral and not too striking yet showed my abilities with relation to photographic practice and so chose a spa themed shot as it showed my skill with lighting.
As my last name is Green, I thought that it would be a good idea to use this as a base colour for my promotional material. I spent several hours playing around with different colours and saturation in order to gain the desired effect.
For the type face I wanted something that was both easy to read but yet bold and made a statement. I also wanted to create some depth to the text and so have used different percentages of colour to create this.
I think that it important not to put too much information onto postcards and business cards as they are relatively small and I did not want it to appear like there was too much text. Because of this I kept it simple and straight to the point and added my name, occupation, address and contact details both for my mobile and email.
Promotional material is a great way to become recognised and so I also included a web address. This allows potential clients to look at the type of work I produce before contacting me in person.
Furthermore it helps to show the type of clients that I am currently involved with. Some clients like to know that you can shoot their type of products for example fashion or food photography and by having a range of images on my website they can see what type of shots I produce within their area.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
My first 120mm films
Yesterday I received my negatives and prints of the continental market back from the photo lab. Although I had managed to capture the essence of the market I was a little disappointed with the results as I felt the images were a little dark.
As there are only three settings on the camera, there was a little bit of luck involved when I exposed the films and although I am please with learning a new skill I feel it is something that I may have to practice with a little more.
With regard to personal progression, I have been introduced to a whole new world of photography and it is something that I would like to focus on in the near future.
When at the market I also took several captures using my digital camera (Nikon D300) and have tweaked the RAW images in capture One Pro. It made me realise just how much easier it is to capture events using a digital camera as I could see the shots instantly. whereas in contract i could not with the film camera.
I was relatively happy with the shots I took on my Nikon and have decided to include several of the images in my series of final prints because it shows that I can use a range of mediums to document an event. I will be posting some of these onto my blog this week.
As there are only three settings on the camera, there was a little bit of luck involved when I exposed the films and although I am please with learning a new skill I feel it is something that I may have to practice with a little more.
With regard to personal progression, I have been introduced to a whole new world of photography and it is something that I would like to focus on in the near future.
When at the market I also took several captures using my digital camera (Nikon D300) and have tweaked the RAW images in capture One Pro. It made me realise just how much easier it is to capture events using a digital camera as I could see the shots instantly. whereas in contract i could not with the film camera.
I was relatively happy with the shots I took on my Nikon and have decided to include several of the images in my series of final prints because it shows that I can use a range of mediums to document an event. I will be posting some of these onto my blog this week.
Promotional material
For the personal development module we are required to produce creative and promotional material.I was quite excited about this task because I would get the chance to show how I wanted to be perceived as a photographer.
The first key element that I wanted to cover was to appear professional. The type of artwork, pictures and graphics used on promotional material can have an effect on the way both a company and individual is portrayed within the creative sector.
building a rapport with clients is important and before meeting a photographer face to face. They will usually look either on the persons website or have seen some of their promotional material.
Before starting the task of designing the promotional material I had a look at what was already on the market from competitors and other agencies. I spent quite some time looking at the different businesses and recognised one common trend, whether it was a sole trader, a micro business or a large agency. All of them had three ways in which they promoted their business which were posters, postcards and business cards.
Over the last couple of weeks I spent some more time thinking about what images I wanted to incorporate onto my material as this would reflect the type of work that I do. Currently, I so not specialise in any particular area of photography for example high end fashion or weddings, however I do want to become a recognised professional all rounder.
Because of this I decided that I would introduce different areas of photography onto my postcards including portraits, food, fashion and product photography. The main reason for this is to show that my skills are diverse and I can adapt for all clients. This became my second key point of focus to portray to industry.
Furthermore, I wanted my promotional material to have a theme. From personal experience I think that when information is sent out from a company that it should be instantly recognised almost as a form of branding. It is what the person stands for and helps to define the type of person that they are.
I also made the decision to keep the same colours and font styles for all of my promotional material, as I think this helps people identify with a company and will hopefully leave a lasting impression.
The first key element that I wanted to cover was to appear professional. The type of artwork, pictures and graphics used on promotional material can have an effect on the way both a company and individual is portrayed within the creative sector.
building a rapport with clients is important and before meeting a photographer face to face. They will usually look either on the persons website or have seen some of their promotional material.
Before starting the task of designing the promotional material I had a look at what was already on the market from competitors and other agencies. I spent quite some time looking at the different businesses and recognised one common trend, whether it was a sole trader, a micro business or a large agency. All of them had three ways in which they promoted their business which were posters, postcards and business cards.
Over the last couple of weeks I spent some more time thinking about what images I wanted to incorporate onto my material as this would reflect the type of work that I do. Currently, I so not specialise in any particular area of photography for example high end fashion or weddings, however I do want to become a recognised professional all rounder.
Because of this I decided that I would introduce different areas of photography onto my postcards including portraits, food, fashion and product photography. The main reason for this is to show that my skills are diverse and I can adapt for all clients. This became my second key point of focus to portray to industry.
Furthermore, I wanted my promotional material to have a theme. From personal experience I think that when information is sent out from a company that it should be instantly recognised almost as a form of branding. It is what the person stands for and helps to define the type of person that they are.
I also made the decision to keep the same colours and font styles for all of my promotional material, as I think this helps people identify with a company and will hopefully leave a lasting impression.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Lomography at the market
This weekend I received my 120mm film for my camera. By chance the Continental market just happened to be on and so I seized the opportunity to have a try with my new camera.
Loading the film proved to be slightly more difficult than first expected, however after some perseverance I managed it. The weather conditions were also ideal and I spent about two hours and three roles of film taking pictures.
As first experiences go I really enjoyed using the camera and film and tried suggested techniques like shooting from the hip so that people are not aware that they are being captured. It brought a degree of fun to the project and opened p a different angle to photography for me.
I have sent films off to be processed and cannot wait to see the results.
Loading the film proved to be slightly more difficult than first expected, however after some perseverance I managed it. The weather conditions were also ideal and I spent about two hours and three roles of film taking pictures.
As first experiences go I really enjoyed using the camera and film and tried suggested techniques like shooting from the hip so that people are not aware that they are being captured. It brought a degree of fun to the project and opened p a different angle to photography for me.
I have sent films off to be processed and cannot wait to see the results.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Diana F+ and lomography
I was recently introduced to the wonderful world of Lomography and decided as I mentioned earlier in my blog to purchase a camera. It finally arrived today and I have also purchased some 120m XP2 film. I plan to go to the market tomorrow to have a trial run at using my new camera for my genres project. This style of photography is very new to me so I am excited to see what images I will be able to capture and see what effects I am able to achieve. In order to add another dimension to this project I have purchased some expired f120mm film in the hope that when processed the colours will be slightly warped.
When looking at a lomography everything in the picture appears to be amplified and detail is enhanced. The saturation of colours appears a lot deeper, and the film gives a grainy effect and because of light leaks allows for a shadowy vignette that frames images. I have also bought a fisheye lens and plan to experiment with this to produce some interesting shots.
When looking at a lomography everything in the picture appears to be amplified and detail is enhanced. The saturation of colours appears a lot deeper, and the film gives a grainy effect and because of light leaks allows for a shadowy vignette that frames images. I have also bought a fisheye lens and plan to experiment with this to produce some interesting shots.
Brief for istock
I have decided that in order to stand the best chance of one of my images being accepted into the online image library that I will produce a number of different shots. I plan to shoot several food related shots, as well as corporate shots and finally some sports images.
This obviously will take a lot of planning and will be very time consuming and so like always my time management will be under pressure.
I want to create a range of shots that have different techniques for example the style of lighting used. Some I will shoot in natural daylight, others will be shot in studio with flash, tungsten or a combination of the two. I also plan to use a variety of angle and close ups within my selected images.
For the food shoot I want to shoot a variety of products using different backgrounds and props. I want to try and achieve 5-6 different shots and plan to shoot over several days to get the best that I can from my abilities and not rush the project.Because food photography takes some time, I have already planned what I will need and have started to assemble the props together. To ensure that the food is very fresh, I will buy it on the morning of the shoot and cook it in the studio kitchen. This will also take me quite sometime as I am fulfilling the role of a home economist as well as the photographer, and so I will have to factor this into my timing plan for the day.
This obviously will take a lot of planning and will be very time consuming and so like always my time management will be under pressure.
I want to create a range of shots that have different techniques for example the style of lighting used. Some I will shoot in natural daylight, others will be shot in studio with flash, tungsten or a combination of the two. I also plan to use a variety of angle and close ups within my selected images.
For the food shoot I want to shoot a variety of products using different backgrounds and props. I want to try and achieve 5-6 different shots and plan to shoot over several days to get the best that I can from my abilities and not rush the project.Because food photography takes some time, I have already planned what I will need and have started to assemble the props together. To ensure that the food is very fresh, I will buy it on the morning of the shoot and cook it in the studio kitchen. This will also take me quite sometime as I am fulfilling the role of a home economist as well as the photographer, and so I will have to factor this into my timing plan for the day.
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