photo shoots

Brand Photography for your business or product

by Zelda de Hollander

Brand photography means creating an image library of professional images that represent your business visually, and fit with your visual identity through their use of colours, tone, props, sets and etc… These can include photos of you, your team, your products, your process, your space and other things that make your business unique.

But, why are branding photos important?

It’s important to be strategic and intentional in how you showcase the visual aspects of your brand. Your branding photos show your businesses personality, and your team members. Branded images are so versatile because you can use them a variety of ways throughout your website, social media and marketing efforts.

Why should you use a professional photographer for your social media images?
* One less job for you & your staff to do
* Strengthens your brand & keeps consistency
* The best representation of your business
* Your images will be optimised for socials
* Your images will look much better than your competitors
* Strong first impression

Why are brand photos important?

It’s important to be strategic and intentional in how you showcase the visual aspects of your brand.

Your branding photos show your businesses personality, and your team members. Branded images are so versatile because you can use them a variety of ways throughout your website, social media and marketing efforts.

Christmas 2021 Opening Hours

by Zelda de Hollander

The end of 2021 is fast approaching! And the studio is very busy already so here are our opening hours over the Christmas & New Year period;
Normal operating hours until Wednesday 22nd December, closing at 1pm.
Re-opening in the New Year, Tuesday 4th January 2022 9am

We do only have very, very limited time slots left (Sorry, no weekends left at all) so if you did want to get booked in before Christmas, please get in touch now.
zelda@studioshotz.co.uk
01202 432234

Charity Calendar Football Photo Shoot for Mind

by Zelda de Hollander

Members of a Dorset based football team have made a calendar to raise money for mental health charity, Mind.

Inspired by the popular film Calendar Girls, St John’s Rangers members practised their best poses and stripped to their last item of clothing in a bid to raise as much money as possible for a charity which is very important to them.

Team member and Service Manager at a care company, Dan Wilson said: “A lot of the team have struggled with mental health problems at some point in their life. The current pandemic has also shown that everyone has struggled, so we thought ‘why not do it?’ and I set the wheels in motion.

“There are all shapes and sizes showcased in the calendar; it’s not primarily about what you look like, rather ‘this is me.'”

The calendar doesn’t only feature pictures of the football team, but also relevant statistics, such as “just over three out of four suicides (76 per cent) are by men and suicide is the biggest cause of death for men under 35.”

For this reason, raising awareness of mental health is equally as important as raising money for charity.

Dan said: “For me, it’s about raising awareness which is at the forefront of the calendar and our main goal. We aim to sell all 50 calendars which should raise over £500 for Mind.

Purchase the Calendar here

Full Bournemouth Echo Article here

COVID-19 update for Photo Shoots June 2020

by Zelda de Hollander

COVID update from 1st June 2020

STUDIO PHOTO SHOOTS

Following the new government guidelines, allowing photography studios to open from June 15th, we are delighted to be able to offer these services from then.

However, these photo shoots will not be taking place in our home-based studio, but instead at a commercial photography studio based in central New Milton, BH25.

Throughout studio photo shoots, we are adhering to all social distancing rules to ensure the safety of all parties throughout the process.

All consultations and pre-planning of photo shoots will be done over the phone, over email or by zoom video chat.

All sales materials including invoices will be send digitally with no hard (printed) copies being exchanged in person. All images sent are digital, sent electronically.

Although face masks are not actually government advised for my line of work, I shall be carrying them with me and will be more than happy to use throughout our photo shoot if it would make you, or any member of your team, feel more comfortable. This can be discussed during our consultation. “When managing the risk of COVID-19, additional PPE beyond what you usually wear is not beneficial. This is because COVID-19 is a different type of risk to the risks you normally face in a workplace, and needs to be managed through social distancing, hygiene and fixed teams or partnering, not through the use of PPE”- Gov.uk

 

LOCATION PHOTO SHOOT

We are adhering to all social distancing rules throughout the photo shoot process. Location photo shoots are available now.

All consultations and pre-planning of photo shoots will be done over the phone, over email or by zoom video chat.

All sales materials including invoices will be send digitally with no hard (printed) copies being exchanged in person. All images sent are digital, sent electronically.

Although face masks are not actually government advised for my line of work, I shall be carrying them with me and will be more than happy to use throughout our photo shoot if it would make you, or any member of your team, feel more comfortable. This can be discussed during our consultation. “When managing the risk of COVID-19, additional PPE beyond what you usually wear is not beneficial. This is because COVID-19 is a different type of risk to the risks you normally face in a workplace, and needs to be managed through social distancing, hygiene and fixed teams or partnering, not through the use of PPE”- Gov.uk

 

ADDITIONAL NOTES

PROPERTY PHOTOGRAPHY

With the new government guidelines for the property market and allowing estate agents to do house viewings “Initial viewings should be done virtually wherever this is possible and property agents should help you to do this” we can provide interior photography to help aid with the virtual viewings and sales visuals, available now.

 

PRODUCT PHOTOGRAPHY

Studio Product Photography can still be undertaken at our home studio, for products that can be dropped off to our Christchurch studio location & be left within our porch, to ensure no contact. These can then be picked up at an agreed later date. Available now.

For products that require the client to be present during the photo shoot, we will have to use the commercial photography premises in New Milton, adhering to social distancing throughout, please see the full ‘studio’ section for guidance. Available from June 15th. 

 

Please get in touch to discuss your photo shoot.

info@studioshotz.co.uk

WE ARE OPEN! But, what are we doing to keep our customers safe for photo shoots?

by Zelda de Hollander

WE ARE OPEN
enquiries and consultations this week 18th – 24th May
Photo Shoot bookings from 25th May 2020

But, what are we doing to keep our customers (and us!) safe for photo shoots?

We are limiting the types of shoots we are undertaking to ensure that all parties are safe throughout the photo shoot process.

All consultations and pre-planning of photo shoots will be done over the phone or over email, all sales materials including invoices will be send digitally with no hard (printed) copies being exchanged in person. All images sent are digital, sent electronically.

We are currently only offering face to face photo shoots outdoors, and not in our home studio. Photo shoots such as head shots and portraits, so that we can adhere to social distancing rules easily.

Although face masks are not actually government advised for my line of work, I shall be carrying them with me and will be more than happy to use throughout our photo shoot if it would make you, or any member of your team, feel more comfortable. This can be discussed during our consultation. “When managing the risk of COVID-19, additional PPE beyond what you usually wear is not beneficial. This is because COVID-19 is a different type of risk to the risks you normally face in a workplace, and needs to be managed through social distancing, hygiene and fixed teams or partnering, not through the use of PPE”- Gov.uk

Studio Product Photography can still be undertaken, for products that can be dropped off to our Christchurch studio location & be left within our porch, to ensure no contact. These can then be picked up at an agreed later date.

We are also able to undertake all aspects of landscape photography; ideal for businesses to help showcase your local area, to provide updated website banners or to use as part of your social media campaigns.

Lastly, with the new government guidelines for the property market and allowing estate agents to do house viewings “Initial viewings should be done virtually wherever this is possible and property agents should help you to do this” we can provide interior photography to help aid with the virtual viewings.

So…..let’s chat!

01202 432234
info@studioshotz.co.uk

New studio package for families, couples and maternity shoots!

by Zelda de Hollander

We’re delighted to announce a new studio package for families, couples and maternity photo shoots!

Our new studio package is £250 which includes a studio photo shoot, with time for an outfit change as well as a password protected online album to view all your sessions images and 10 high resolution digital images of your choice.

Our studio photo shoot package is covers the photographer’s skills, specialist editing time & personal consultations as well as 10 digital images electronically transferred to you.

We offer a range of prints, bespoke wall art frames and canvas prints, please contact us if there is something specific that you want from your photo shoot. We’re here to create the bespoke package you want. We’re happy to offer additions and amendments to our photo shoots including use of a make-up artist, photographing on location and longer shooting times.
The studio operates on an appointment only basis, we are available Monday – Saturday, 9am – 9pm.

“I don’t need to hire a professional photographer, my iPhone is good at taking pictures”

by Zelda de Hollander

Sure, iPhone (all smartphone) cameras have come a long way in the past few years, but its is worth investing in professional images of your property ?
…. an image says a thousand words, just look for yourself

The photographs of your property most likely provide the very first impressions people have of your business. ?

Did you know that estate agent listings with professional photos sell for more money? Not only that, but they also sell faster! AND 92% of home-buyers use the Internet as part of their home search ? ?

We can help with home staging of your property and showcasing its features through composition and art direction.

 

 

Neutral Backgrounds Still Rule Product Pages

by Zelda de Hollander

In the world of Amazon, product photography is king. You might have a great title or competitive price, but your Amazon product photography is the first thing everyone will see when they’re browsing items in your category.

Neutral Backgrounds Still Rule Product Pages ?
As you probably noticed, most of these approaches are for category pages and their equivalents. Once you get to an actual product page, product images have white, transparent, or neutral backgrounds.
Removing the background makes your images more consistent, removes distractions, and minimizes file size.
Plus, many marketplaces require white or neutral backgrounds for product images, and you really don’t want to reshoot for different channels ?

eCommerce Photography: White backgrounds rule the roost when it comes to eCommerce product photography. But why? It promotes consistency. Contributing to a uniform look and feel throughout the site. Just as it is important to ensure the brand identity of a seller is consistent, the same goes for photography. Emphasising the product with no distractions, shows the quality of the products finish and detail is the point of focus.

The numbers don’t lie: 75% of online shoppers rely on product photos when deciding on a potential purchase, let’s face it, it’s hard to describe some things & just easier to show it. People remember 10% what they hear, 20% what they read and 80% WHAT THEY SEE & DO ??

We offer a drop off service for product photography ? ideal for busy business owners in Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole & surrounding Dorset and Hampshire areas

? Drop your products off to us
? See & approve the images
? Come pick up your products

 

Hoping to get published in the press? You’ll need great PR Photos

by Zelda de Hollander

The importance of photography in PR and newsworthy stories should not be underestimated. We all know the saying ‘a picture tells a thousand words’ and it’s true! Did you know that a recent study showed 90% of what we remember comes from visuals?

Pick up a newspaper or magazine near you and have a flick through — what catches your eye? I would guess that the images are getting your attention, right? Good images are essential when trying to achieve press coverage.

In some cases, the media won’t even publish the story unless there’s a decent image to go with it. In other cases, having a good photo or collection of images can make all the difference between a small, text-based story – which the reader could easily miss – and a longer feature, with lots of eye-catching images for maximum impact

“What a professional. Excellent pics turned around fast with no fuss.” – Darren Slade, Bournemouth Daily Echo

Whether you’re using images on your website, social media or sending them to press, if they are unprofessional or poor quality, it won’t reflect well on your business… Don’t get me wrong, the cameras on smartphones these days are pretty good and in the right light, you can take a half decent shot. ⛔️ BUT ⛔️ you should invest in at least some decent head shots and ‘business in action’ images.

It’s always a good idea to invest in a professional photo shoot. Never underestimate what a photographer can do for your brand visuals. Outside of the business of actually taking the photos, a good photographer can advise on the kind of images you need to show your business to its best advantage, provide lighting and professional backdrops and develop creative ideas to really make you stand out from the crowd

 

One World by the Sea festival declared a success

by Zelda de Hollander

A Festival celebrating the benefits international culture has brought to Dorset has been hailed a big success. Organisers of the inaugural One World by the Sea Festival are planning a “bigger and better” version next year.

The community festival, organised by members of the International Education Forum of Bournemouth and Poole, attracted thousands of visitors to events taking place over four days and I was there to Photograph it!

Check out the full article at Bournemouth Daily Echo

Discovery Day at Bournemouth International College


Eden Carnival Music Night


Film Screening at Poole Lighthouse


Family Festival Day in Bournemouth