Welcome to the bigcheese blog!
An irregular collection of random thoughts...
Be patient and check back often as there'll be loads of "sneak peeks" behind the scenes! :-)
All the pics below are on "slideshow", so sit back and have a little look at some of what makes us tick....
Jan
12
Merry Christmas...
You know, everything hs to start somewhere...
Here's a few "behind the scenes" from our Christmas 2023 offering.
We actually had complaints that there was "no pun" this year but come on, a Christmas tree shaped cheese - you won't get that in Hallmark.
Best Wishes to y'all!
Steve x
PS: take a peep at the Christmas archive....
Apr
14
Keep on Truckin'...
After 30+ years in commercial photography, and focussing every day (no pun intended) on the next shoot in the diary, it's often easy to forget all of the super cool, fun & interesting assignments that have gone before...
One of my former clients is currently researching a book project and asked me to dig out a bunch of photos from the 1990s. It's been great to take a look back...
Here's just a handful of pics showing some of the cool locations we worked at for Tankfreight; Wirral, Manchester, Cumbria, Yorkshire & Hull.
From dawn at Haweswater in torrential rain, evenings in Manchester & freezing cold nights in remote warehouses with dry ice & smoke machines, it's been a blast!
I especially loved finding the forgotten "behind the scenes" picture taken at the former Courtaulds site near Manchester.
Look closely and you'll see four of the big tungsten lights and one of the petrol driven generators that we used to create the final image of the "Emergency Response Trailer"
The logistic effort to pull together the vehicles, locations, site permits, H&S, lights & generators etc etc was always immense but, the client was committed, energetic, thoughtful & understood the benefits of strong visuals to support the company's advertising & PR needs.
What a privilege to be involved with so many great assignments as these over the years!
doddy x
PS: yes, the road at Haweswater is indeed a "dead-end" and the trucks had to "do a U" but, the breakfast at the stunning Haweswater Hotel was well worth all of the effort!
Dec
22
Merry Christmas...
You know that we enjoy producing our Christmas card every year and, that we also like to add a little "twist"...
This one is so super simple it barely needs any explanation whatsoever.
Best Wishes to y'all!
Steve x
PS: take a peep at the Christmas archive....
Nov
22
OK, I’ll level with you.
With great dedication, I even got out of bed early one day to take this sunrise photo illustrating a little ray of sunshine for North West businesses & then…
...what a turbulent few months!
6 Prime Ministers, a currency crisis & a faltering economy.
However, let's think "glass half full" & rejoice that despite everything, Eurovision is still coming to Liverpool!
Whether your taste is; "Een beetje", "La, la, la”, "Diggi-Loo Diggi-Ley" or, the much more sensible "Stefania" *….Eurovision will certainly provide an amazing showcase for the UK & the North West in particular.
All sorts of businesses will benefit from the additional footfall in the the region: hotels, B&Bs, pubs, restaurants, retailers, hairdressers, make-up artists & many more.
It's always worth keeping your website, marketing, social media & promotional activities updated on a regular basis but this is a great opportunity for a refresh & remember, as always, content is king!
We’d love to help you stand out from the crowd by producing interesting, fun, eye catching & informative creative photography to help raise your business profile.
Please do contact us if you feel we may be able to help!
ATVB
Steve
*1959 Netherlands, 1968 Spain, 1984 Sweden, 2022 Ukraine - obvs!
July
05
Pubs under threat...
Shocking reading in this week's news.
According to new research, since 2012, the number of pubs in England and Wales has fallen by more than 7,000 to an estimated 39,900 but, after struggling through Covid, the industry now faces soaring prices and higher energy costs.
Over the last decade, thousands of pubs have been forced to close as consumers turn to cheaper supermarket booze, younger people drink less and taxation has increased.
Ironically, in 2019, the Office for National Statistics predicted a halt in the decline but, and you may remember this, the pandemic struck and very many more pubs were forced out of business.
Of course, the pub sector isn't alone in facing severe hardship and the downturn reflects the wider economic situation of many individuals - mostly; we are eating out less, drinking less, going out less and buying less.
Inflation has played a big part too with approx 200 pubs calling last orders in just the first half of 2022 as profits began to fizzle out.
Sadly, more often than not, once a pub is gone, it's gone for ever and is usually bulldozed to make way for other developments. This can have a huge detrimental effect on the communities involved whether village, town or city centre.
Chief executive of UK Hospitality, Kate Nicholls, has called on the Government to "take urgent steps to remove barriers to growth, help to tackle the cost crisis we're facing and support more people into work and training." She went on to say "Without this help, we could see thousands more pubs lost from our communities in the next few years."
However, it's not all doom & gloom!
Unsurprisingly, all of the amazing pubs featured here are thriving & going from strength to strength by continuing to give customers an absolutely top notch experience. They've also learnt the value of maintaining communication with their customers by regularly updating their websites & social media channels with good quality, rich & engaging content.
Pub companies, large, small & independent are working hard to improve their offerings with many taking great steps forward with more welcoming & stylish decor and great quality food with wider options catering for vegans, vegetarians & even omnivores!
Finally, there is.... the beer! What a great time to be a beer drinker with so many craft & independent breweries popping up & creating truly spectacular & tasty brews combining a mind boggling array of taste and nuance.
Meanwhile, here at bigcheese worldwide corporate HQ, we're always super happy when asked to produce photos to help promote the pubs & hospitality sector, after all, we need to spend our (little bit of) hard earned cash somewhere and where better than "down the pub"?
Steve
PS: As a result of extensive testing, I can personally recommend all of the featured pubs!
The Cottage Loaf, Llandudno
The Fox & Hounds, Barnston, Wirral
The Ship Hotel, Parkgate, Wirral
The Dysart Arms, Bunbury, Nr Tarporley
The Dinorben Arms, Bodfari, Denbighshire
The Bull, Broughton, Nr Skipton
Jan
13
2022 - a happy new year?
Is that true?
I think it's fair to say that none of us really imagined that we'd still be wrestling with Covid restrictions this far down the line but at least we've (mostly) been able to carry on plying our trade...
Certain sectors, for example, Hospitality & the "Arts" (I'm mostly thinking live theatre & music but what the heck, I'm going to throw photography into the equation too) have been particularly adversely affected.
One feeds our basic human need to be "social" and the other feeds our spiritual need to create & to be part of something "bigger", to expand our consciousness & our understanding of our own existence.
Maybe people choosing which colour to paint their kitchen or dining room don't realise they are being "creative", maybe some folk taking dozens of photos on their iPhone* don't recognise their own "creativity" because they (incorrectly) attribute the creativity to the machine in their hand.
Creativity underpins the nature of humanity but whatever the tool used to create, one has to first understand it & then apply thought about how best to use the tool & then consider & shape the outcomes.
Commercial photography is a big fat squished up mix of the creative & the technical - the Yin & Yang if you like.
Often, advertising photographers are seeking to balance the "look & feel" of an image with the practicalities of; accurate colours, correctly rendered textures, composition, fitting a strict layout for packaging or advertising, the distribution & ratio of light to shade etc etc
It's kinda like "Photography +"
If you're keen to learn more about different aspects of photography or, just want to start taking better pics with your 'phone, drop us an e-mail as we can help with one to one tuition or mentoring.
Stay safe out there!
* other phones are available ;-)
S
x
June
01
"happy ever after....
The Seldom Seen Kid
I've been photographing weddings and celebrations since 1988 but rarely talk about it.
I guess I've always tried to keep a bit of separation between my commercial & my social photography - they're different genres, right?
Anyhoo, after a bit of recent banter across "social media" I decided to showcase my wedding work through it's own galleries.
So behold! bigcheese wedding photography.
If you've browsing time to spare, you'll also find us on insta @bigcheeseweddingphotography
I do hope you enjoy seeing some different aspects of my life as a professional photographer!
S
x
March
28
"well, that was kinda weird....
Covid Chaos.
There's nothing that I can say that hasn't already been said.
After a full year of disruption, I'm not going to lie to you, it's been brutal. Assignments scaled back, postponed, cancelled and worse still, not even conceived.
Whilst for some, the Covid pandemic has been inconvenient, some have profited enormously & very many others have seen their lives & livelihoods disrupted & thrown into disarray.
This really is a time to "build back better". Let's hope the promises to do so are upheld.
Life at bigcheese world-wide corporate HQ has been mixed.
Of course, we are hugely grateful to the clients who have been able to keep on commissioning throughout.
With the help of The British Institute of Professional Photography & The Association of Photographers we've been able to implement a comprehensive set of safe working protocols. We've been lucky to have the opportunity to work safely in the studio (mostly in isolation!) and on location following all social distancing / mask / hand sanitising etc etc...
The little slideshow above is a small selection from our assignments over the past year.
It's fair to say that some of the "big ideas" were waylaid or derailed during the year but nevertheless, it was a nice mix of fun & interesting assignments for a nice mix of fun & interesting clients!
Click here for a 2min "behind the scenes" video of one such assignment showing the work of my neighbour, extraordinary artist Peter Macaulay..
One of the funnest assignments was the family portrait in the slideshow (it's shown cropped from the square original). Each person (and pet!) was photographed separately & where necessary, remotely with a bit of art direction!
Anyhoo, here's to the remainder of 2021 & getting back on track, ASAP!
S
x
Aug
4
"August Archive" back in time to 2013....
Merry Christmas!
I was searching through the archives, retrieving a set of shots for a client, and I stumbled across a folder of "tear sheets" from previous assignments.
I'm sharing a bunch of them via antisocial media during August 2020 but I really enjoyed seeing this little set and thought I'd "bung it in the blog"
Our Christmas cards are always homemade efforts, the very first featured a little white mouse and a Christmas pudding so, for our 25th year in business we decided to reprieve the mouse.
This time we ended up with two mice and although we've never known just how many of the recipients look closely at our cards, both white mice were sticking their noses and in one case, a tail, out from the decorative wreath.
I'm happy to report that both mice were saved from becoming food for pet snakes and went home with our assistant who looked after them for nearly 6 months before rehoming them with a local family (of humans).
I wonder what Christmouse 2020 will bring...
S
x
Mar
9
SERIOUSLY! Ten Top Tips for Tip Top Video Calls…
1. Make sure your setup is stable - It's usually ok if you’re using a desktop computer but often overlooked when using laptop, tablet or smartphone. It only takes a little effort but honestly, no-one enjoys viewing a scene that’s wobbling around like a seasick giraffe (not even a seasick giraffe).
2. Set the camera at eye level or slightly above - Laptop, tablet & smartphone users, I’m looking at you! Of course, every rule has it’s exception but (I’m guessing) most people don’t want a detailed view up y’nostrils although, I could be wrong… Most viewers will appreciate a more natural viewing position rather than the feeling they're looking up from your desktop, plus you’ll look waaay better too! It’s easy to set the “camera” on a shoebox or stack of books or even a small (cheap) tripod if using a tablet or smartphone.
3. You’ve been framed! - Try & position yourself / camera so that you’re a comfortable “fit” in the frame. Leave a little bit of space between the top of your head & top of the image area, stay close so that the bottom edge of the image cuts off around the base of your sternum. Excellent! Not too near & not too far!
4. Let there be light - Avoid having the main light source behind you as you’ll end up looking like a “CrimeWatch” silhouette…. Turn your setup around so you’re facing toward a decent light source, preferably gentle window light rather than direct sunlight. Experiment with having the light source at an oblique angle, maybe 20 - 30° but avoid harsh / dark shadows or highlights that are too bright.
If you have to use artificial light, it’s sometimes possible to “bounce” the light off a nearby wall or reflector, this gives a “softer” more even coverage but beware, if you reflect the light off a coloured surface, that’ll show in your face!
5. What’s creeping up behind you? - Pay attention to what’s behind you (unlike the MP last week who published the contents of his kitchen noticeboard). Watch out for distracting reflections or that framed, naked selfie you have on the mantelpiece.
6. Look into my lens, the lens, the lens, not around the lens... - A common problem with mobile devices in “landscape” mode (horizontal) is that the camera lens is usually offset to the side. Mostly people look directly at the screen which can give an odd, "side on" perspective to the viewer. The easiest fix is to use the device in “portrait” mode (vertical) as the camera is central and you can maintain direct eye contact to the viewers, much nicer!
7. Eh? what? pardon? - Often, you’ll achieve better sound quality by using the type of “in-ear” ‘phones & mics that are commonly supplied with most smartphones. They’re lightweight & unobtrusive but can help both sides of the convo by removing the distractions of extraneous sounds. (if you’re using a wired version, please do remember to unplug BEFORE you stand up to go & get that cup of tea)
8. STFU! - What! No, calm down, I don’t mean that in a bad way! If you’re in a group call, it’s often helpful to mute your microphone when the main speaker is, well y’know, speaking...
9. Concentrate! - Oddly enough, people often have a genuine disconnect when on video calls & sort of…. just “forget” that they can be seen by the other participants - weird huh? Just be careful what you do on camera ;-)
10. Check it all out beforehand! - probably the most obvious but, good preparation is the key to success!
By taking the first letter of each of the above you get this handy mnemonic to help you remember:
"MSYLWLESCC"
There you go, couldn’t be simpler!
Good luck and have fun!
Spud
PS: Bonus tip:
If you’re using Zoom, you can use the “Touch Up My Appearance” filter you can apply to your video to smooth out your skin tone and make you look even more gorgeous… :-)
S
x
Jan
24
wow, where the fsck did that year go...
I'll tell you why.
There's no such thing as "one size fits all" & it's the same for photography assignments.
Factories, pubs, food, people, big items, small items, blah, blah, blah..... each requiring a different approach & style of photography.
That's what makes the job interesting, fun & challenging - you never really know which bit of equipment you need to (literally) pull out of the bag.
Sometimes it's the little details: a syringe to blob an extra bit of sauce on a food shot, a clothes brush to flick off fluff or just daft practical items such as a pair of stepladders or a 50m power cable on a large industrial shoot.
Point is, 99 times out of 100, an experienced professional photographer (such as me, for example...) will have foreseen such eventualities, planned & prepared.
If you haven't planned? Well, that's why they invented Photoshop, innit like? ;-)
What can we photograph for you in 2020?
S
x
Jan
10
so long 2018, it was a blast...
So what's been happening?
During 2018 we've photographed:
pubs, hospitals, beer & gin festivals, corporate portraits, handmade artisan glassware, painters, sculptors, men up poles, men in holes, electronics and even a few brides (with corresponding grooms!)
All in all, too much to cram in here but I hope this selection gives you a flavour of our work during 2018.
What can we photograph for you in 2019?
S
x
Jan
10
Notes from the first six months in our new studio...
Here are some of the comments we've received via e-mail in the past six months:
"As you know, we are all loving where we’re at. I couldn’t have imagined a better result. I showed it to a colleague next to me who said. “Wow, we don’t create stuff like this, it looks like an Apple ad”
"They look epic! Thanks ever so much for your time and patience on the day."
"This is absolutely perfect… thank you!!"
"The cover shot looks great - thanks for adding the motion blur on the drill ;) ...come to think of it, it's amazing what you achieved with a couple of wooden palettes, a dirty drill and an air freshener!!""
"Just sent that link over to Andre in Toronto and he’s really impressed with the images."
"They're looking really good! I've just typed my email in to download them all. Thank you!"
"Thank you very much. I will have my prints with me soon and I can't wait to see the photos on paper!"
"Brilliant, thanks very much Steve - looks brilliant!"
"absolutely f****** amazing!"
Job done.
S
x
Aug
24
is it working?
S
x
Mar
1
WCC visit to BCHQ!
It was great to see their energy and enthusiasm for photography.
They listened politely to my ramblings on cameras, photographic theory & lighting and then we set to work with each student on some small “still life” sets for which they had conceived, designed and brought all the required props & background materials.
The day finished with a series of portraits for which one of the students sat as the “model” and another was responsible for hair and make-up.
Each of the girls will write up their experiences and thoughts of the concept, design and photography process as part of their assessments.
It’s encouraging to see so much talent coming along and feeding into the creative industries.
S
x
Dec
19
Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year to y'all
Be kind, be tolerant of strangers, love those around you and don't get hung up on just buying stuff.
Best wishes to you all.
S
x
Oct
6
Fanning the flames of product sales
The Grenadier Electric Firelighters are something of a Great British tradition, perhaps not quite up there with Roast Beef & Yorkshire Pud but the Grenadier has been designed, manufactured & assembled exclusively in the UK for almost 50 years!
Way back in 1956, The Clean Air Act was passed by UK Parliament as a direct response to London’s Great Smog of 1952. This introduced ‘smoke control areas’ into many of Britain’s towns & cities, where only smokeless fuels could be burnt.
Smokeless fuels were notoriously difficult to light & this challenge led directly to the development of the electric firelighter. Originally manufactured & distributed by the legendary Creda Company, the firelighter has been in continuous production in the UK ever since.
In 1989, ownership of the product passed to the current manufacturers – Grenadier Firelighters Ltd.
Julian Sillito, Director of Grenadier Firelighters explained “We know our firelighters are used in homes of all sizes as well as hotels and commercial premises across the UK & we regularly receive telephone calls from long-standing customers. The Grenadier Firelighter is a British design classic & we are still able to supply spare parts for all of our previous Grenadier models.”
Grenadier also manufacture and supply a variety of other products including the Ceramic Pizza Oven & Open Fire Pit which you see featured in the video.
Even a short video such as this involves a fair amount of work: scripting, storyboarding, scouting & organising suitable locations, "stills" photography, food preparation (including, in this instance, subsequently eating the food & drinking wine in the garden watching the sun setting over the Dee Estuary!), directing the voiceover artist, choosing music & of course, editing.
Hop over to www.grenadier.co.uk for more info on their range of excellent products.
Most importantly, keep warm, winter is on the way!
Jul
18
Keeping it simple?
This recent set of images for a large, North West based, printing company illustrate some of the demanding & technical issues of product photography.
Much of today's "high end", creative print work combines many design elements: spot varnish, embossing, specialist paper stocks, stitching, binding, folding (although not necessarily all in the same piece of work!)
Pick up a piece of quality print work (or any object for that matter) and your already overworked brain (or is that just me?) goes into overdrive assessing the feel, texture, colour, weight and shape. You turn the product around and immediately you are conscious of the subtle changes in light across the surface, the translucence of the pages, the roughness of the material and you understand the structure of the folds and how the whole design works.
Unfortunately, all of that comes crashing to the ground as soon as you try to take a photo of it!
A single image reduces all of that sensory input to a sort of "through the keyhole" view and much is lost.
The photographer's job is to "tease" out all of the nuance from the subject with: careful lighting to enhance or reduce texture, thoughtful layout and positioning, attention to colour, precise focus, wide dynamic range and of course, the final high resolution image. Once the technical requirements are fulfilled, it then falls to the photographer to enhance the overall visual appeal using light / shade, camera angles etc but without detracting from the actual point of the image i.e. the subject.
Phew! That's a lot to think about, it's time consuming and fiddly but that's what we "professional" photographers aim to do using our skills, experience and knowledge: display, inform and enhance.
Of course, you could just chuck the product onto your desk and snap it with your iPhone!
Have a great day!
Mar
24
What makes a "good picture"?
Most notably, I was proud and privileged to be invited onto the judging panel for the "North West Professional Photography Awards 2016”.
The other two judges specialise in: social, wedding, portrait and fashion photography. That left just me as the alleged "expert" in advertising and commercial photography.
Clearly, I always feel a complete fraud being described as an expert in anything. However, over the years I've been fortunate enough to be on various regional awards judging panels and even, the National awards on a handful of occasions. Somehow the organisers are under the misapprehension that I might have learnt something from the past 30 years working as a photographer so, I’ll let it slip…
The big questions are: where does one start when assessing an image and what are the most important characteristics one should look for?
You could say that photography is a language, always shifting and playing with different meanings. Nuance & subtlety carefully shift emphasis but so can brute force and vibrancy. Ultimately, it's all about the context of what are we trying to convey and who we are hoping to communicate with.
Photography and the perception of what makes a "good" photograph also changes in a similar way to which language evolves (I recall my father-in-law grimacing when someone used the word "massive" to describe something that has no "mass" e.g. a massive sale or massive congratulations and yet the new context of the word has entered our collective psyche with barely a second thought)
Photographic styles follow cyclical fashion trends, like politicians, and today's penchant for blurry edge, shallow focus, crappy colour, hide any lack of photographic skill or judgement (anyone ever heard of Instagram?) will soon be replaced by the full focus, colour correction of yesteryear. Well, it's also possible that the rules of grammar will be back on the school curriculum...
Back in the real world, over the past few weeks we’ve been working with jewellery designers, injection moulding engineers and food manufacturers to name a few. Each group has a different take on “what makes a good picture”.
Most clients appreciate a well composed, well lit and “in focus” image as a baseline. However, the approach and the emphasis is often subtly different. Technical images, for example, are often intended to show precision and detail although food, at the opposite end of the scale, is often softer, more delicate, more friendly and inviting.
So, the answer to the question “what makes a good picture?” is…..
…..it depends!
Jan
23
What's your "New Year's Resolution?
Well, it's not that we need to lose weight(!), but we have been pretty busy photographing a new range of very low calorie shakes, soups & snack bars.
Of course, a very low calorie diet is not everyone's cup of tea (literally!) but for some it's an invaluable aid for maintaining a proper balance of nutrients, calories & flavours.
Although a shake or a soup may not look like the most exciting meal, we think that we can make 150 calories per serving look pretty yummy with a combination of careful preparation, choice of appropriate props, attention to detail & of course, some nice lighting.
Professional food photography & cookery are the same in many ways, we think it's all about blending various elements together to achieve a finished product greater than the sum of the parts!
yum yum!
Jan
03
As the seas of time crash heavily against the shores of destiny...
Christmas Day, 2015, near Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire. Not bad for a quick pic from an iPhone4!
As the old adage goes: Q. What's the best camera? A. The one you've got with you!
Anyhow, cliched though crashing waves may be, I shall claim it's a symbol heralding the start of a new year & the promise of unimaginable new opportunities! Happy New Year everyone!
x
Dec
22
With our very best wishes for Christmas & the New Year...
We always try to shoot at least three or four "possibles" & then spend hours, days or even weeks*, often in the company of a bottle of red wine, agonising over the final choice....
This year: we went nuts (a selection of mixed nuts to be precise), baked a Christmas Cake (or at least, gathered all of the required ingredients together) and toyed with a kilo of sprouts.
However, our favourite was the extremely minimal "fork in sprout". We felt that similar thoughts might pop into most peoples mind at Christmas.
Although we've always loved producing our own, bespoke Christmas cards (after 28 years it's can be a bit tricky finding a fresh "twist"), I've often been surprised by the number of companies that don't use the opportunity to get a bit more personal with their Christmas greetings. If you like the idea, give us a shout & we'll put together something unique & personal to you or your company. It doesn't have to be as quirky or as challenging as some of our silly cards but we think it's a great way to engage with your friends & clients!
Meanwhile, loads of seasonal love 'n' big festive hugs to y'all x
PS: * not really "weeks" as you can probably tell!
x
Nov
30
Keep on Truckin'...
We're so pleased & proud to have been involved with this right from the earliest possible stage of concept packaging designs through to food photography & design/artwork of the finished vehicle decals
Three new trailers featuring 6 designs will join the existing two already out & about touring the length & breadth of the country.
Big, big thanks to Mo & Peter at Now Group Signs, Oswestry for their help, patience and tireless devotion to finishing the application in record time!
x
Oct
16
They seek him here, they seek him there...
An immense & exciting development in Cheshire, the Runcorn Energy from Waste Power Project “does what it says on the tin”.
Receiving a constant stream of combustible waste via road & rail, the Runcorn EfW not only reduces the amount of waste going to landfill but it converts it to electricity. Such a simple idea but incredibly difficult & complex to put into practise. Of course, the real challenge is how do we, y’know, the human race, minimise the amount of waste that we create in the first place. A sensible & sustainable approach is the only way forward.
Meanwhile, when you're a bit short of good looking power station engineers to photograph, then I just have to step into the breach. Obvs.
x
Aug
31
They say that variety is the spice of life...
x
Apr
20
Why I love my job....
x
Dec
22
A bit of fun in the kitchen....
x
Nov
25
The living, breathing, heart & soul of mighty vessels
Mighty ships plying their trade across vast swathes of bleak & often treacherous ocean. Below decks, giant diesel engines crank & turn for months on end. Nothing lasts forever of course & sooner or later, these wonderful machines are carefully pulled from their natural spaces & end up in places like this, awaiting renovation & repair or the simple indignity of being stripped down for spare parts.
Photography in these environments is always challenging, usually due to: poor or mixed lighting, the inability to move the items you're photographing, the scale of the subject & on this particular assignment - the cold! Taking a quick walk around on arrival & snapping a few pics with my iPhone (shown above!) helps me to identify interesting viewpoints. It also gives me a starting point to discuss with the art director & client what we shall need in order to achieve their final goal: items that need to be moved or tidied up, where we would like to position any people in the shots, what actions they will be carrying out etc etc.
Our client very specifically required that the company logo (on the engineers overalls) was clearly visible & an integral part of the composition to strongly brand all of the images throughout. Although apparently a simple requirement, it did involve careful consideration of how the engineers were interacting with the engines they were working on, precise positioning of subject, camera & lighting.
Additional lighting is essential to achieve the finished result although it's often a bit tricky running cables through a workshop such as this, not to mention balancing the illumination levels & colour temperature of all the conflicting ambient light sources.
Ultimately, we required nine individual images of engineers working so spent most of our day on this site and consumed a considerably of coffee, time & caffeine being vital ingredients to the success of most assignments.
x
Nov
23
Even I can't resist a pretty sky
Nov
20
It's that time of year..
Nov
04
When clients come to visit
Oct
24
Deja Vu
Oct
20
SWALK
Oct
14