For many years now we have been involved in email marketing and supply this service to many local companies. I got involved at the request of a client and we then started using it ourselves to promote wedding and portrait services. I never marketed this but starting getting approached to supply this service. Initially we used the system for our clients – loading their database, creating the emails, sending, and reporting back.

However most of our clients now do this themselves and log in using a browser and mange the database, and create great looking emails. One of the unique features is the analysis where you know exactly who has opened your message or clicked on any links etc. It is easy to use but for new clients we include training which takes 1-2 hours. Several clients delegate this task to one person and if they move on, I can train the new user, and provide cover until someone takes over. This is one of the advantages of buying through ourselves. The other advantage is that we are considerably less expensive than if you dealt direct with the company we partner with, and you could get all the features including SMS marketing, at a much lower monthly cost.

The  system has just had some major upgrades and we have updated our website with details and lots of short videos on how to use this incredibly powerful tool. Click here to learn more, and there is one of the videos below. Well targeted personal email is an important part of any marketing strategy and integrates with all digital marketing – Facebook, Twitter, blogging etc.

If you are interested in learning more about this service, please click here to email me.

We have an amazing offer on Groupon today and there is less than 8 hours to take advantage of it. For only £29, you get a full studio portrait session with changes of clothes, and backgrounds, a viewing session and either a beautiful framed 8×6 print or a really novel keepsake book with 10 images.

The framed print is a heatsealed print which is much better than using glass, and you can choose between a black or silver frame.

We are taking some amazing portrait shots and of course we hope you love the images enough to buy more prints but there is absolutely no obligation.

Do not miss this offer – it ends in less than 9 hours.

We look forward to welcoming you to the studio.

Building site to finished building with Photoshop

Earlier this week, I was asked to photograph a unit in Westhill that is close to the the end of the construction stage. It was very difficult working around the diggers, workmen, and Portacabins. My angles were very restricted but at least the lighting was good. The client needed the images now before the building was finished so we were asked to remove railings etc. Lukas has done a great job on this very tricky task.

Apart from the obvious railings being removed and grass added, if you look closely,you will see the work he has done on the windows, the sign at the far right, and some of the drums etc. in front of the warehouse. more…

Slideshow for the iPad

I have spoken before about how useful the iPad is as a sales tool and I now have several clients using these as sales presenters. I have just created a slideshow of commercial photography to show on the iPad. I thought about grouping exteriors, interiors, etc. but eventually decided just to mix a selection of shots to give a "feel" for the type of work I do. I created it at 720p and the quality on the iPad is great. The Youtube version below does not look so good as the iPad but if you choose 720p, it will give a good idea.

I have not "blogged" much recently as I have been so busy but I have a lot of draft posts with recent work prepared so all being well there will be a new post everyday next week. I love to get feedback on any of the posts so any comments will be appreciated.

Fund raising night for Maggies at Malmaison

After being at Deeside Golf Club, Colin was going to Malmaison on Queens Road for a champagne and canapé evening to promote the Maggies appeal. The evening hosted by BBC sports commentator, Rob McLean heard Colin Montgomerie and Colin Welsh (Chairman of the appeal committee)  explain why a Maggies centre is so important for Aberdeen. Click here to see how much their centres can help suffers and their families, and click here for more information on Monty’s Maggie’s appeal.

The committee had kindly invited Sandra and I as guests. When I got my invitation, I noticed that there were 10 raffle prizes of a photograph of Colin with the Ryder cup. I accepted the invitation and emailed asking if they had arranged the photography and offered to do this free of charge, and my offer was accepted. Malmaison Set up a room for the photography and all the prize winners came up and got their photograph taken and they will get a print sent to them. The photograph above is of Colin and Andy Roger, the General Manager of Malmaison in Aberdeen. Malmaison and Andy have been great supporters of the appeal and last year Andy and a team of  Mal staff walked 164 miles covering both the West Highland Way and the Great Glen Way. Click here to read more.
 

Sandra was with me, and took the opportunity to get her photograph with Colin and the Ryder cup.

Click here to see all the prize winners and shots of the famous Ryder Cup.

Colin Montgomerie forum for Deeside junior members

Last Thursday, Colin Montgomeris was back at Deeside Golf Club with the Ryder Cup. He had kindly agreed to have a question and answer session for the junior members at Deeside Golf club. Colin established a relationship with Deeside last year when there was a special tournament at Deeside with Colin to raise funds for the Maggies appeal. Click here to find out about the event and the appeal.

The junior members had some great questions and Colin is very articulate and gave them a great insight into his amazing golfing career. Doug Watson, the club captain, made a very good job of hosting the session and finished up with a rapid fire series of either or questions so all the juniors and members present could find out more about "Colin, the man, as well as the golfer"

After the Q and A session, all the children and a few of the members there lined up to have their photograph taken with Colin and the Ryder Cup. When Lucinda, his assistant saw the number in the queue, she said it would be impossible as he was on a tight schedule but we started and went very quickly and took 64 photographs in well under 10 minutes. Colin was very complementary about how quickly it was done and although I would have liked longer, at least everyone got their photograph taken. I had a background set up which was only big enough for a tight shot of 2 people so Lukas had a lot of Photoshop work to do to "add background" where required. I have already had some very positive comments about the images (see below) which we are selling on-line with 50% of the sales going to the Maggies appeal.

Click here to view all the images.

Good Morning Neil,

The photos from the Colin Montgomery Juniors session at Deeside GC are superb.
……
Would you let me know sizes and prices please? I’ll probably go for standard sizes for all of them apart from the threeshot (NWG2816) which we’d like enlarged – it’s brilliant.

Many thanks, Kirstin

Kirstin Gove, Communications & Media Training Manager
AVC Media Enterprises

Julie and deBroy on 19th February 2011

Saturday was very wet, windy, and almost all Julie and deBroy’s photographs had to be taken inside at Norwood Hall. Fortunately this Victorian mansion has lots of character and is a good venue for photography, both inside and out. de Broy got photographed with his son, Damien, his Best Man, at the front door and at the bottom of the stairs. David was upstairs photographing Julie getting ready while I photographed all the guests, also at the bottom of the stairs, before Julie came down and got photographed with her flowergirls and Kenny (who was giving her away) before going through to the service.

After the service, Julie and deBroy received their guests in the new bar area in Norwood while I set up my lighting in the library. I was using a Quantum T5DR on a stand with an umbrella triggered by an on camera Quantum Trio which has the built in radio transmitter. Setting the camera exposure to use some of the warm available light, and throwing newspaper on the fire just before the exposure creates good warmth combined with the  "studio quality" lighting. more…

Harley and Friends

David had a group of 7 girls in the studio a few weeks ago. Harley wanted a portrait of her friends before leaving for Spain. David had the music on and there was lots of laughter coming from the studio and the girls had great fun.

Our Studio is big enough for a group of 7 but on a 12 ft background, it can feel "claustrophobic" keeping a group contained to the background. Before the sitting, David and I spent some time chatting about the group shots and looked at the work of Babak, a photographer in Toronto. He had a nice group that we both liked but when we studied it, we realised that it had been created by combining individual shots. David tried this out with the girls and then combined the 7 shots using Photoshop to create a nice group with the advantage of choosing the best shot of each girl.

 Click here to read more!

Portrait of Miller Giles

Two weeks ago, David was talking to me about a portrait sitting where the little boy was not at his best so he arranged a second sitting and he got much better shots, the second time round. I did not realise until the viewing that the sitting was for Wendy and Bruce, who’s wedding I photographed in 2007. (Click here to see their album).

At the viewing there were several shots of Miller that Wendy and Bruce liked so instead of one large portrait, David suggested 3 box frames to hang together. and prepared a visual to show how this would look. Wendy and Bruce decided to go with this idea and less than a week later, the box frames were ready to collect.

They looked fantastic. The very narrow black moulding against the black background gives a very minimalistic look but the 2 inch deep moulding gives the depth and looks great without distracting from the image. As the shots were full frame, a smaller size was more appropriate but three of them together will create a very impressive wall display.

The day after the portraits had been collected, David got a nice email from Wendy and Bruce – see below

Good morning David,

Just a quick e-mail to let you know that we are delighted with the
pictures. They look amazing.

Thanks again.

Bruce & Wendy

We are currently working on a product brochure that we will give to all clients so they can see all the different presentation ideas there are – canvasses, box frames, acrylics, metal prints, beautiful frames, etc. If we can arrange it, we will photograph how our clients use our images in their homes, and possibly we will include the portraits of Miller on Bruce and Wendy’s wall.

Lamination work by Nu-Style

As part of an ongoing project to supply images to show lamination work done by Nu-Style, I was photographing Cocoa’s, a stylish Bistro and a chic bar just off Union Street.

I was featuring the work done by Nu-Style which included the table tops in a light cream coloured laminate, a table top area as you go i the door in a stylish black laminate with a pattern, which is also used in the cubes beside the lounge seating.  I really liked the black textured wallpaper beside the top at the door and as the architect was there, I was able to ask him about it and he is sending details and this may eventually be on a wall in my office as a backdrop to new samples I am about to order.

The laminate in the toilets is very impressive and gives the toilets a wow factor. The highly reflective panels and the bright spotlights does not make this an easy subject to photograph, but I have now photographed several toilets for Nu-Style so I know how to tackle this which often involves positioning the camera and tripod so the reflection does not show, and then using the self timer so I can be out of the room when the camera fires.

To see some of the work done for the metal fabrication services supplied by Nu-Style, click here, and for previous lamination photographs, click here. I am still working on a list of projects, studio shots of laminates, and photographs showing the workshop, and showroom, so there will be more posts showing the wide range of services and facilities, Nu-Style has to offer.