Night Photography
This night photography image is one of a series that were taken over two days in Brighton last year. The brief from our client Magic Memories was to capture lots of images of the British Airways attraction. We photographed it from several different viewpoints both day and night and this was one of the best. Others included shots from high up on the ride and from various viewpoints along the sea front. One essential piece of equipment for night photography is a tripod. With an exposure time of over 3 seconds you just would not be able to do it hand held. I love being allowed to roam about and find these images. We have built up a great relationship with Magic Memories over many years and they know to brief us and then let us get on with it is the way to get the very best results. I was allowed a ‘sky ride’ all on my own one night and captured some brilliant shots looking along the promenade. This job certainly gets you see and do things you would never normally experience. If you have a project that you’d like photographing and would like to talk to us […]
16 May 2017 in Location Photography, by
Location Photography (with benefits)
Some location photography assignments can seem like dream jobs. This photography was taken on location at The White Star, Stoke for Titanic brewery. A whole series of images were captured including individual beers and range shots. Apart from wanting to drink the subject I suppose the most difficult part of the job was the lighting. As with all photography this was vital & getting the balance between the daylight at the venue & our additional lights was the key. We tried to show the fantastic pub a little whilst keeping the focus on the Titanic beer. This we thought was the correct way to show what it was that we were trying to promote & the environment in which you could drink it. At The Image Factory we often travel around the country photographing all different types of things. Sometimes it may be property, sometimes people & often products. We also have a modern & well equipped studio in Stoke-on-Trent. Here we photograph most of our clients product images as it is where we have the most control. If you would like to know more or ask a question regarding any possible photography requirements please contact us here.
24 Apr 2017 in Food Photography, Location Photography, by
Food Photography
Food photography is a passion of mine and something I have been doing for many years. It probably started without me really knowing it with me photographing my wife’s cakes at home on a mobile phone. She’s a brilliant cook with a gift for baking and I just love to photograph and then eat what she makes! What I love about food photography is the combination of the beautiful food, the composition of it within an environment and the photography techniques needed to capture it. The photograph here was commissioned for William Edwards England who supply many hotels in this country and abroad with their fine dining hotel ware. This image was photographed at the Intercontinental, Park Lane, London. Not all locations are so glamorous of course and we are more than happy to work with pubs, cafes and shops. At our studio in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent we have perhaps more control of the lighting etc needed to capture that ‘perfect’ image but on location you can get a sense of where the food is being served. Some restaurants in particular want to show this. Call us on 01782 577790 to discuss any photography. We are very happy to just have […]
28 Feb 2017 in Food Photography, Location Photography, by
Lighting in Commercial Photography
The single most important thing in photography in my opinion is lighting. Whether indoor or out the whole look of an image can be transformed with the correct lighting. The image shown here was photographed in The Image Factory studio for local pottery manufacturer William Edwards. The ceramics though destined for Cobblers Cove in Barbados had to be photographed in Burslem, oh well maybe next time! Showing a white pattern on a white background is tricky no matter what the subject. Here we have used back light to bring out the surface pattern and a shallow depth of field to give that in and out of focus feel. Flat, uninteresting lighting is boring, don’t put up with it. Andrew the studio’s lead photographer has over 30 years experience ALL based in commercial, advertising photography. This gives him a unique understanding of how to light a variety of different subjects like glass, ceramics, jewellery & engineering parts etc. If you would like to find out more about how the Image factory can help you contact us here.
22 Nov 2016 in Studio Photography, by
School Prospectus
Maple Court school in Stoke-on-Trent needed a new school prospectus so here is what we designed for their new term. First of all we met with Jonathan the head teacher & discussed what he & the school wanted. What the school need is always our priority & it is our job to put that into an attractive & informative document. From that initial meeting we construct a proof school prospectus for the school to see what ideas we have had. Should a school need a new logo designing or just their old one giving a new lease of life then Caroline who has over 30 years experience in all types of design can do this no problem! The Image Factory then visited then school on two occasions & carried out the location photography. We are of course CRB checked & we do have to make sure that all of the children’s parents have given permission for their children to be photographed. These photographs are then positioned into the proof school prospectus & it is again submitted to the school. Normally there will be approximately three changes of text or image and then the work will be signed off & it […]
22 Sep 2016 in Location Photography, People Photography, by
Website images
Most of the images we capture end up on at least one website. This image for a client that makes additives to colour plastics was such a job. They originally wanted a simple white cut-out but we suggested they had it with a reflection just to add that little ‘something extra’. The photograph was taken here in The Image Factory studio, Stoke-on-Trent and only took approximately one hour to complete including set up, photography and breakdown. The digital read out was captured on a separate exposure & added at a later date. Doing it this way meant the customer could have with and without display images for their website. If you would like to see more commercial photography images taken for our clients then please visit either our location gallery or our studio gallery. We can help you business look better, contact us here if you’d like to discuss how.
16 Aug 2016 in Studio Photography, by
Sam’s Work Experience
Today is Sam’s last day of his work experience here at The Image Factory. We have enjoyed having him with us and if he’s to be believed he has had a good time too. When we have a work experience person we try to get them as involved as  possible. Sam has helped out in the studio working with me on photography project like Moorcroft Pottery and Scilabware. In the studio he has learned about balancing studio lights, composition and the attention to detail needed in order to produce first class images. We have also been out and taken location photography for clients. The photograph here shows Sam helping to take a white balance just before we photographed a few products manufactured by engineering company KMF . I’m not sure if he’s smiling because he is happy or because he is embarrassed, check out his ear-plugs! Sam has learned quite a lot about the processes involved in commercial photography. One of the most important is one he has in spades and that is people skills. If you cannot relate to the client you are not going to be able to understand what it is they want from the image. Talking […]
15 Jul 2016 in Stories, Location Photography, by
Staff Portrait
This staff portrait was photographed for Fuchs Oils, Stoke-on-Trent. It was taken on location in their laboratory last week and shows a member of staff in the environment they work. Sometimes these types of photographs can look as though the subject is about to be shot! What we did here was ask him do go about his business as he would usually. Then when The Image Factory saw what looked like a great image we asked him to stop. At this point we just had to find an interesting angle to take the photograph from. Using a shallow depth of field and with things in the foreground being out of focus we created this great staff portrait. The portrait shows the person, it shows what they do and it show where they do it – job done! If you would like to contact us about any photography requirements please call 01782-577790 or contact.  
06 Jul 2016 in Location Photography, People Photography, by
Restoration Photography on Location
We were recently asked by our client Craven Dunnill from Bridgnorth if we could photograph a restoration project at a location that they had been involved with. The location was St.Georges Hall in Liverpool. I had driven past the building many times but had never really thought what was inside. I was truly amazed by what I saw the first time I walked through the doors. The marble pillars, the organ, the chandeliers, the viewing gallery are all magnificent. The Image Factory were there to photograph the amazing tiled floor that Craven Dunnill had partly restored as the original had been worn away over the years. The image here shows some of the main features of the hall, the organ, the sculptures and the original tiles on the floor before the restoration. The main purpose of this photograph was to show the scale of the location and the beautiful  interior. Using our lighting in combination with the natural light I think we did a good job of showing all of this and keep the ‘feel’ of the hall. This image is to be used by our client in all types of advertising (website, brochure & magazines) to help promote their […]
30 Jun 2016 in Location Photography, by
Catalogue Photography
Catalogue photography usually starts with a chat about ideas and a few test shots to see if those ideas are achievable or can be improved upon. The test shots here are a few done today for Glenway Trophies from Leicester. They are are due here at the studio in August for about the 16th year in a row! These images are really helpful to us at The Image Factory, Stoke-on-Trent so we know exactly what direction we are going in even before the client arrives. Also to designer can start to plane the catalogue or brochure the image are going to be used in. There is no need for the client to be here. These glass & crystal trophies were sent here by a carrier and the photographs sent by email. If you would like to discuss any photography you may need please contact us on 01782-577790 or via this link.
20 Jun 2016 in Studio Photography, by