Carli-Art photography: corporate

Showing posts with label corporate. Show all posts

Sweet things....

If you don't already know I am a great fan of anything sweet....cakes, candy, pastilles, more cake...I just love the sweetness!! Therefore as a special treat for all my lovely fans on Twitter, Blogspot and Facebook I am now giving you sweets....yes free as a bird jellybeans and rock candy!!

Just post a comment on the Carli-Art fan-page wall with your favorite image from my portfolio and I will do the rest. (Contact you and get your address for postage basically!) So don't miss out....there are a limited number of treat packs to go around!

Bzzzzzz....

A few photographer friends of mine sell their prints online, I have considered this but never really thought my work was anything that people may like to purchase due to it not really being of that nature. However after receiving a few comments (ok they were in the pub!) I have decided to take that step and started a profile on Arty Buzz. This is a site dedicated to visual artists where you can browse and buy great artwork but also get involved yourself. The prints and canvas's are high quality, they offer sculpture (nice!) and they even offer advise every step of the way if needed.

Right, time to get fully updating my profile!

Create a Boom....

I am sitting here surrounded by paper, files started two years ago now adorning an attractive jacket of dust and various items of my wardrobe that didn't quite make it on to a hanger. I am having a sort, a big one. Its my start to my now full time self employment status.

A good start however with a feature in the Reading edition of Creative Boom, an online magazine dedicated to showcasing the creative industries in Reading and surrounding areas, I was very proud to have been asked....check out the feature here.

I have pictures to follow over the next couple of weeks of the Bagatelles Look Book and also the opening of the new Factory 311. Held last night at their new Mowlem Street location the party was kicked off with a live DJ set and images from the best of their represented talent displayed proudly throughout the space, which is light, modern and fits snugly into the surrounding culture rich patchwork that makes up East London.

I'm Late, I'm Late........

With the goal in mind to refocus this weekend I am trying my darnedest to keep reminding myself that my marketing ideas, plan, practice, action and results cannot be put into place and produce results within a month. Sounds silly but I am impatient (at times only of course) and seem to believe I am capable of such mean feats, I know I am not but it doesn't stop me wanting to achieve them.

With only 2 weeks left until I take | Carli-Art photography | full time I am getting what I can in place and leaving the rest until I actually have enough hours in the day to produce something of substance. Jeremy Kyle and Loose Women may be featuring heavily in my first few days in order to aid the mind and prevent a soon to be burn out for a few days, something I understand many small business owners / freelancers suffer from. (I read somewhere it actually has a name now but cannot find it again anywhere - if I do I will post or if you know, feel free to comment!) I have heard however that small business owners work twice as much as employees with 54% feeling they are overwhelmed with things to do)

My post therefore brings you an update on the impending full time status and your chance to take two minutes out, ooo go on have that cuppa and cheery bakewell, treat yourself.

"Chillax and look forward to the Roller Coaster...."

Frantically finding time to work and relax is not the easiest of things however after having a weekend away in Wales to 'chillax' as a friend put it really has put me in better stead. There I was refusing to believe relaxation and getting away from work was feasible or even necessary and here I stand before you a converted woman!

I am gathering info and working hard at the moment to really hit the ground running come April. A new luxury booklet to go out to clients showcasing some work, a potential redesign of the logo, an actual real business plan and yes some hard cash from the bank (or someone willing to lend!) to follow. I have a lot of plans that are going to need some capital and having funded the business solely for the past couple of years I felt the full time move deserved to be treated with respect & enthusiasm.

I have quite a few networking events in the diary so if you are looking for some yourself then visit Berkshire Networking, they have a full diary from various groups.

Other tit bits of news involve confirmation of me photographing the well renowned and highly respected English Music Festival held in Dorchester Abbey in May. (Sneak previews of corporate portraits to follow as a start) The Look Book shoot for fashion designer Bagatelles is coming up next week and hopefully we will see those Limited Ink images soon as well. I am also excited to be taking part in something very local to me, the Burghfield May Fayre. Not only will I be photographing the event but I have been asked to judge a new addition to their schedule this year, the photography competition. More details to follow of course but I feel pleased that my goal to get to know more local business's and the local community as a whole has started well.

Keep those eyes peeled for the Sneak Previews plus a whole heap of behind the scenes stuff. (Oh plus the newsletter in April features a free 'Light Up Ideas' download.....oooo!)

3 minutes of satisfaction...Networking....

Somewhat behind with the blogging this week so apologies. Honestly, where is time going? The last few months have been madness...yesterday I was waking up and waiting anxiously for Father Christmas to eat my homemade mince pies. I am not a fan of this whirlwind in which time travels.

I attended a speed networking event today at Donnington Country Club with the lovely people from Berkshire Speed Networks, Catherine and John. Having been to a few events I feel I have a good overview of what they are all about now & can honestly say that not only are these events enjoyable but they offer a great opportunity to get to know other local business's, get out from behind that desk and quite possibly, create future leads. If your intending on going, dropping a hard sell and walking out with confirmed deal then think again. This isn't about force feeding your business to someone or expecting a sale after talking for 3 minutes across a table in a crowded room. This is about creating a positive first impression, starting a relationship that could lead to future opportunities and just learning about other companies and people around you.

This is something I love doing. I love absorbing information about other people's business's, their livelihoods, every day experiences and lets face it, their passions. My brain starts ticking straight away about ways I could help or image ideas that could represent them, or most importantly what biscuit they would have with their tea. You can tell a lot about a person by the biscuit they choose.

Either way, I met some fantastic people today and am looking forward to the next event and the next lot of biscuit guessing!

Who said you can't be satisfied in 3 minutes.....just click here.

(Image courtesy of residents.com)

Foto Tip Friday....Portraits...

At the moment I am trying to improve my portraiture knowledge and execution. Practically everything taken in terms of photography which isn't still life is portraiture so why I didn't think to give it more attention in the past I don't know. Its about capturing an emotion, an expression, a moment, even a brand image all in one persons face or eye, arm, leg or shoulder. Sounds odd but who said portraiture had to be a head and shoulders passport style image and is essentially the 2d version of a very 3d subject matter! Anyway, the tips and tricks this week are some of my own, some given to me and some from the net. There are some amazingly talented portrait photographers out there so research and be inspired!

Minimize a round face by using some back lighting and having the sitter straight onto the camera
Make the person laugh - everyone looks beautiful when they laugh
Capture movement - weather it be a smile, a laugh, get the sitter to relax and move. This 'movement' and energy is reflected in the images
Be a sitter yourself and understand how it feels to be the other side of the camera
Shoot with the head turned slightly to one side, not full profile
Create a stronger, taller image by having the person lift their chin slightly
Cover any scars or areas the sitter may not like by using lighting and having these areas in the shadow
Pull shoulders and arms back
A long narrow face - Get the sitter to look down ever so slightly
Tell a story
If cropping tight, don't concentrate on putting the eyes in the middle of the viewfinder, have them in the top third of the frame
Play with eye contact
Look at other peoples portraits, what do you like and what don't you like? What makes it a strong image? How can you be different?
And of course, last but not least....experiment.

Some Portrait Photographers I admire (various disciplines).....Martin Sholler, Cindy Sherman, Cecil Beaton, Ansel Adams, Herb Ritts, Linus Ricard, Charles Freger, Tina Barney, Mary Ellen Mark, Alistair Guy, David LaChapelle,Annie Leibovitz - the list goes on!

Looking for an idea....

I love freebies. I also love advise, conversations with people that have experienced things and can give me an honest opinion on it. Food, Clothes, Shoes, Handbags (see the theme here!) and also business or marketing, or where to get some great inspiration.

On that basis I decided to start an 'Ideas' page. A page on my website you can click to and get some ideas, some advise and some free tips. Much like the photography and photoshop tips on the blog the Ideas page on my site is more of a guide......what to expect from events photography, what questions to ask your photographer. Doing it yourself? Tips on how to best capture the atmosphere of an event and even what images work best with PR and Marketing material.

If you want to get your free ideas just go to | Carli - Art photography | and visit the More tab.

Eye Eye Captain...

Foto Tip Friday actually on a Friday....what is the world coming to!

So just a quick one this week but essentially its about improving skin in your photograph. I only tend to really work on skin for fashion or beauty images but you can go overboard and that clone stamp can create a lot of softness. This is purely what I do to improve texture, remove blemishes and so forth so take what you will out of it.

One you have messed with exposure and colour balance etc I would then start any skin work.
Keep editing bits and then look at what you have as a whole, its seriously easy to get carried away and not realize the difference being made.
Take regular snap shots to see your progress
I use quite a high opacity brush for skin cloning (between 11 - 22) and do all the work on a separate layer, i then lower the opacity of that layer if needed.
Use a bigger brush on the forehead, cheeks and chin and then get smaller around the mouth and the eyes.
The eyes are particularly important hence the image. Using too much cloning can really make them soft and you lose the impact. It is also important to not go overboard on removing dark circles or wrinkles as these all add expression.
Work slowly, adding more as you go.
I use a harder clone brush around the eyes so things aren't quite as soft and in areas where feasible i use the spot healing brush. Again on around 11-22 and the larger the better.
Use your history brush on 'Multiply' to accentuate the lashes and the eyebrows. I also use it like an eyeliner to create some definition if needed.
Use a high pass sharpen action if you want more sharpness but remember this will bring out pores and lines Don't remove all the pores in the skin, this is not realistic. Fade some and even ger rid of some but dont remove entirley otherwise the model will look like a doll.

Got your own tips? Know a great way to improve pics...get in touch and show people what you've got!

Cotton Wool and Lighting Diagrams....

Okay so I only watched about 40 minutes of it but the bits I did see were, well, interesting. One of the Gallagher brothers being a general idiot and throwing his microphone into the crowd, the Spice Girls becoming only 2 and Lady Gaga proving she in fact has a stunning voice and is able to demonstrate some rather flexible dance postures even while wearing the left overs of my bathroom bin in her hair.

As well as the Brits those in Fashion are celebrating London Fashion Week (booo, I missed out this year) and New York fashion week to come. I hear all things are good if not busy. In fact the one bit of advise i did get about attending LFW as a tog was if you were backstage don't use the same toilets as the models, messy! Their words not mine.

On the photography front I am excited to announce that I am taking part in a hair and beauty shoot this weekend for the Loreal Colour Trophey - good luck Tom with your entry! Photo's and any words of the crew to follow.

While doing some research for this shoot actually I came across an amazing website that gives you full blown lighting breakdowns from a picture I posted the link last week but here it is again as I think its so fab! Also, here is the link where you can download your very own lighting diagram.....this could keep me amused for hours!

(picture courtesy of nymag.com)

A lot of not a lot & something....

Excuse the lack of posts the last few days, I have been what can only been known as rather busy. To Leeds and back yesterday and today and previous to that just way too much going on with networking events and meetings here and there. To all of those I met networking and whom I still haven't followed up with....my sincere apologies! Look out for something this weekend.

I am having album issues. Its not good for the stress levels at all. I am also having issues in a sense that I have not even started properly editing the Limited Ink shoot, damn and damn again. Promise its coming soon though. That alongside an interview with the cast and crew, some words from fashion designer Louis de Gama and yes...a photo tip Friday. It will happen!! (Maybe not on a friday but it will happen.)

Right, work. Must do some.

PS: The picture is to pay tribute to Alexander Mcqueen. RIP. If you want to learn more about this tragic loss to his friends, family and fashion, click here.

Say Hello with a Smile...

The end of a rather interesting week with a few more meetings in the diary for the coming weeks, an interview with food photographer Howard Shooter (pretty confident I didn't get it. It was one of those days you think 'What did I just say...Why did I just do that?!" I was not on form. Shame as him and his assistant Ria were really lovely) and two shoots coming up over the next couple of days. Also a fantastically productive meeting for the Limited Ink Fashion shoot fast approaching on 6th Feb.

On top of that I have also come up with some lovely Corporate Portrait Packages that I think clients will be pleased with. For a start my charges for an individual and a whole office are no longer the same - doh!

So with the New Year in full gear and with many business's refreshing their brand or reviving their website design and in particular doing more and more to communicate and relate to the public, why not think about a "Hey this is me...Welcome" portrait image. It can be as white walled or as creative as you dare to go, after all its all about you! Enquire within dear Sirs.

Getting to know you...

Take a look at the Carli-Art Newsletter, being sent to all lovely Carli-Art clients every quarter. (Not often enough to be annoying, I know how many emails people get....sillyness!)

The newsletter has some news, some ideas about 2010 and also the chance for you to tell me about, well you! Yes YOU. My business is your business and I cherish all of my professional relationships, I want to get to know you maaannn. So, boast a little and tell me something and you never know, maybe there is something we can do for each other.

Read the Newsletter

Subscribe to the Newsletter

Say 'Olla' to Carli

Looking back @ 2009...

Monkey around....

I was asked what my customers thought about me, and in all honesty I wasn't able to give a conclusive answer. Probably because I haven't asked them. Its scary really and also a little bit intrusive to ask what people think of you, not at all British Darling. However, its true that if I want to know what my clients think then the only way to know is to ask them. If nothing else, I want to learn what they don't like and change it.

So, I sent a brief email round asking a few clients to take a look at my 3 question (yes only 3 questions!) survey and complete if they wished, so far the results have been great so thank you to those that have completed and those that are just waiting for that 5 minutes to take a quick look.

I am rather chuffed with one of the trends in what people like about my service, mainly as I really try hard to do this but it was my ability to listen to my clients. Great news because I really do think this is the most important part of creating a relationship with a client and completing the job with positive results.

A negative (yes I am telling you these!) is my reluctance to supply contact sheets. This is not something I originally thought feasible and indeed for some clients is not, they just prefer to get beautifully edited and retouched images. For others though they want to see the nitty gritty which, I now will be taking action to improve!

So if you haven't done so yet I would really appreciate your feedback and if your feeling left out and want to spend a few minutes having your say then answer my survey here. You can tell me how I can please you....ooo matron!

(Image courtesy of http://www.breadwig.com)

Recommend a friend....

Am very excited to see my pictures in the French Fashion magazine FASHIZBLACK and think they look fab....well done to the team - thank you guys! This was a nice thing to come back to after my birthday weekend in Wales with a few friends, lots of lovely food, wine and wet walks! Very relaxing and I managed to avoid my laptop for a full 3 days - woop woop!

In case anyone is interested I am running a promotion at the moment whereby if you recommend a friend to my Carli-Art group on Facebook you AND your friend get a £50 voucher to spend on photography with me. So £50 towards a shoot, some prints or anything you like really. All you need to do is recommend a friend to my group, get your mate to write on my group wall "Free money you must be bonkers. **** recommended me to Carli-Art"

You and your friend will then each get a £50 voucher and there are only 10 to give away so get recommending!

Ethical fashion treat.....

*LOVE FASHION AND BEAUTY AND WANT TO SUPPORT A LOAD OF GOOD CAUSES AT THE SAME TIME? THEN THIS EVENT IS FOR YOU......

Celebrate your passion for fashion with an event that brings together local creativity, innovation and style.

17th October (6pm - 10pm at Henley River & Rowing) showcases a whole range of inspired fashion ideas from local creative industries and inspiring new designers.

Delicious cocktails, an emporium full of trend led accessories, hair and beauty products and demonstrations, one off designer pieces, tailored advise at the make up bar and stay ahead of the pack with the latest trends from fashion experts at Speakers corner.

Designers include FOAM Fashion, Peppermint grove and TVU, where students were given £10 each to buy items from the Sue Ryder store in Nettlebed and customize them producing beautiful one off ethical pieces.

Other involved parties include The River and Rowing musuem, Chi Salon, Sue Ryder, The Emporium, Lipsy, FrockyWockyDooDah, Jane Norman, River Island, The Ethical Fashion Forum, John MAsters ORganics, Tiger Lily, Vintage Roots, Exclusively ladies, Paule De Lange, Lorraine Milligan, Rachel Lloyd, Kaz Heard and Carli-Art photography.

Arrive in style and get your free glass of champers on the way in!

Support education, ethical fashion and Sue Ryder all at one event.

IN SHORT:
FASHION CATWALK SHOW
DESIGNER AUCTION
EMPORIUM FULL OF FASHION AND BEAUTY STALLS
BEAUTY AND FASHION TALKS AND TIPS
ETHICAL FASHION
TAILORED ADVISE
CHAMPAGNE AND COCKTAILS
SUPPORT FOR SUE RYDER, TVU AND THE RIVER AND ROWING MUSEUM

GET YOUR TICKETS:
http://www.foamfashion.co.uk/
http://ff09.com/
http://www.chisalon.co.uk/

Tickets are £25 each and limited to only 200 so get yours now!

Corp-ly does it....

Dug some of the files out and as mentioned, came across some of mine and my clients favourite corporate images.......I think all of these images show action and also capture the atmosphere of the event. Even though the top and bottom one's are still life I still think they manage to show the 'type' of event that it was and also give a nice overview of the VIP and corporate side that needed promoting.

Normally when I speak to corporate clients they want images that really speak volumes about the event or project. So not only the acts that may perform, the guests collecting their awards and the sponsors, but also the people enjoying themselves, the little details that make it extra ordinary and the values & 'feel' that are being promoted in relation to the venue or client on the evening.

Funnily enough, the boys always like the K Jenkins one!!!

Education Education, Who owns it.....

Copyright and charging for images is a confusing enough subject for photographers, let alone when someone else is trying to understand it or your trying to explain it to them. I often find people do not understand that you are charging for the use of an image and yes, I can charge you £400 to use that picture in an advertising campaign. I have had many a heated conversation with friends who seem to think I'm there taking pictures so why shouldn't i just hand them out willy nilly to anyone that wants them. Anyway, my search for an explanation of copyright or a definition or do's and dont's never stops so I thought I would combine a whole load of info I had collected and post it here. I hope it offers some insight! If it confuses you more - oooops.

- UK Copyright Law last amended in August 2004 states that the photographer owns the rights on all pictures he or she has taken with the following exceptions;

The photographer is an employee of the company the photo's are taken for

There is an agreement which assigns the copyright to another party

- Copyright is an automatic right and arises whenever an individual or company creates a work. To qualify, a work should be regarded as original, and exhibits a degree of labour, skill or judgement.

- When copyrighting a work it should be stated on the image or with accompanying documents. - A copyright notice should contain the following: Copyright, Copyright C symbol, Year of Publication, Author/Copyright owners name, Title of the work.

For more info on copyright visit www.copyrightservice.co.uk

Charging

- Negotiating rates is variable on your experience, what you are photographing, the length of time you will spend on the job, the copyright of the images, how they are going to be used and the license to use agreement.

- Rates vary for books, personal use, marketing, PR, corporate and commercial work

- It is suggested for a low budget corporate shoot, a full day should be charged at £800

- Charges for online use of photos for commercial and business, for a year should cost around £850 for an image of 800x600 pixels.

- Bulk processing of digital files @ £100 per hour

- Rates vary tremendously and there are so many altering factors. I would recommend going with your gut instinct but do your research. The below websites are excellent for reference.

www.londonfreelance.org

www.the-aop.org