Getting it right on a photo shoot means keeping it Brief

There are many things to consider when getting it right, particularly for a photo shoot.

In this instance, the Brief: getting all the required shots and meeting the deadline may sound like a straightforward task, but with countless intangibles usually popping in to disrupt a photo shoot, sticking to a Brief can become a tricky task.

A lot of pressure is on the photographer to deliver, and not just the shots. They have to have a creative edge to them, as well as being correctly composed, exposed, and delivered ‘ready to eat’ by the client’s audience (as in ready to see/experience) in record time too. On time, on budget and most importantly, on Brief.

It’s a real pat on the back when a client praises me for keeping my cool, and not letting the pressure of a deadline, or getting the right look for the shot, get to me. It’s crucially important to keep calm, and not lose your head whilst on a shoot. An effective Brief will assist a professional photographer in achieving this end goal.

The photographer has to come up with the goods, no matter what is going on - erupting volcano, stroppy model, inconsistent British weather. The motto ‘Keep Calm & Carry On’ is a useful one to bear in mind at times, and it’s carried me through in the past.

One useful way to prepare for such a potential calamity is to have a crystal-clear client Brief: a list of shots needed and a template or layout into which the images will go. Also, schedule - this is essential, because you need to know what to shoot, when, and where.

Clients – ensure you get the very best from your photographers by Briefing them well.

Fashion photography – working with what Mother Nature gave you.

Some shoots require a lot of planning and pre-production, particularly if you are working away from the studio and in an environment that is new to you.

For the latest issue of Cloth magazine, we were doing just that - lots of planning, thinking ahead, and pooling of ideas.

For the magazine’s upcoming Summer issue, we decided on a location shoot - a beautiful beach on the north Somerset coast. This kind of location can represent even the most professional fashion photographer with some interesting and unique challenges.

Shooting on a beach (or anywhere near sand) can present problems for camera gear, kit, or anything delicate and expensive – which tends to include the vast majority of professional photography equipment. So, with this in mind, I planned accordingly and packed my gear carefully.

We also had to pack for every eventuality, including unpredictable British weather.

The Cloth team has been growing in confidence, and with every shoot the magazine strengthens its identity. The magazine has increased its readership by 100% month-on-month, a sure sign that the team are hitting the sweet spot with their target audience on a consistent basis.

It’s a great blessing that Cathy McKinnon and Scott Purnell, the people behind the mag, have a trusting insight, which allows each team member to work their magic and stretch their talent within the confines of the solid brand that is Cloth magazine.

One thing that struck me during the full-day shoot on the beach was when I said “We’ve got the shot” and noting the pure excitement from the team of seeing stunning images on the back of the camera.

This was a particularly creative shoot, and to date it was our most ambitious - two looks, two models, two different lighting styles, but one location, and only one day.

While Rebecca, a make-up artist fresh from the set of Skins, was preparing our first model, Angela, Cathy, Scott and I set about a quick recce of the beach, dunes, gorgeous lighthouse, and surrounding set - courtesy of Mother Nature.

I then co-ordinated with Harriet and Ros (the Editors of Cloth) with the production list. It’s always a good idea to make use of any down-time to add creative value.

This shoot contained some fabulous work and ideas from Harriet and Ros, who in case you didn’t know, also worked on Skins as costume designer and wardrobe mistress, they both have a fantastic talent for styling and for sourcing props.

On this issue, we can all agree that we all pulled out the stops and produced a strong body of work – with a little help from what Mother Nature gave us on the beach.

For a closer look at Cloth Magazine take a look here

Amango collaborates to create incredible sci-fi photographic image

Amango Photography recently teamed up with The White Balance, a Bristol-based creative CGI and post-production studio to produce a truly stunning piece of photographic and creative studio work combined.

It was a fascinating experiment, which highlighted the strong blend of creative, technical and design skills and expertise possessed by both Amango Photography and The White Balance. I asked their Creative Director Leanne Pike a few questions about the value added by working with us – here’s what she very kindly said:

Amango: Why do you think that this image/project is innovative?

Leanne: The image shows innovation between two disciplines collaborating together to create a solution. By using Photography and Computer-Generated Imagery, we were able to achieve a scenario which otherwise would not be possible.

Amango: What were the creative and technical challenges?

Leanne: We experienced difficulty in visualising the glowing neon tubes in daylight – as per the original photography. Using re-touching and matte painting techniques, we added a deeper forest and environment to the image – this helped the focus and composition.

Technically, the project ran smoothly, the communication between the photography stage and CGI development was vital: by the photographer telling us technical information such as camera model, lens types used on shoot, exposure, distance from subject, we could simulate the exact scenario in 3D by matching the image. This ensured accuracy of the added elements – in this case, the pivotal neon tubes.

Amango: Were there any other challenges for you?

Leanne: Sitting the neon tubes into the photography: we were able to achieve this by using elements of the photography to interact with the tubes, such as leaves falling from them, and lower coverage, which helped ‘ground’ the tubes.

It was a great collaboration, and as you can see from the shot included in the blog post, the results were absolutely incredible. It’s great to push visual boundaries.

Is your photographer adding value to your products with innovative thinking?

How to turn a wetsuit into a website marketing tool.

It was a huge compliment recently when a client travelled in excess of 200 miles to come to our studio for a photo shoot. Even more complimentary given the fact that they came to us on a word of mouth recommendation from a current client in the UK.

The Brief on this shoot, however, was a challenge to say the least. We needed to turn unusual products into positive marketing collateral. And for an online medium only.

North-West based firm Northern Diver needed a full range of product shots for their new specialist dry and wetsuits, for promotion on their website.

In effect, we needed to turn their newly-launched suits into powerful marketing tools.

Not easy, given that most dry and wetsuits are black and shooting them well needs stringent and unique studio conditions. We shot the suits on a clean white background to retain the sharp look of the products. To maintain continuity throughout, we worked with the existing shots on the Northern Diver website

Bearing in mind the fact that Northern Diver has a prominent reputation as one of the world's elite wet and drysuit manufacturers, and diving equipment manufacturers.

They are now established as the most innovative, competitive and reliable names around – thus, our photographic website work was of paramount importance for their overall marketing mix, given that the company utilises its online shopping facility heavily. Given that they have no retail outlets, the website is hugely important.

Northern Diver were reassured by the following additional promises to clients:
• Images are delivered processed and ready to go
• Clients are involved in the art direction process
• Years of industry experience

We were able to add value and highlight the suits in the client’s required medium – online. Our photo shoot helped to turn these static products into positive marketing.

Is your photographer adding this kind of value to your products?

Not all photographers are cut from the same Cloth - new fashion magazine shoot

Cloth magazine is a recent addition to the newsstands, and it has been an absolute pleasure to be involved, and help develop an idea from the beginning – this is the second shoot Amango has completed for the editorial team at Cloth Magazine.

Cloth is unusual, in that the editorial focus is on vintage and customising; breathing new life into once loved clothes. Green, it would appear, is the new black!

The last shoot for Cloth was all about lace and stencils, lace collars and customised denim, straight from the catwalk of Dolce & Gabbana.

The first part of the shoot was in the studio, shooting the new pieces, including:
• ruff collar t-shirts
• lace-fringed clutch bag
• lace collar jacket

The second part of the shoot was on location with street art, covering:
• stencil art silhouette on a skirt
• ideas from the high street, with a ribbon bow cardigan

It was great to be working with Harriet de Winton and Ros Marshall again on the editorial team.

Their background is within theatre and television drama as costume designer and wardrobe mistress, so we were in good hands. We were fortunate enough to have Debbie the make-up artist from the set of Bristol-based hit drama series Skins, on hand to style hair and groom the models.

All together, a fantastic shoot, and once more proving that when it comes to Amango, not all fashion photographers are cut from the same Cloth! We will be working with the Cloth editorial team soon, having found a superb location for their next shoot in a fortnight.

Watch this space for the results – it promises to be a visual extravaganza.

Introduction to modelling course – but you’ve got to be quick!

I recently became involved with The International Academy of Modelling (IAM), the brainchild of Clare Wilson from Gingersnap Models. Clare, essentially, teaches aspiring models how to succeed in the fashion industry. No mean feat, given the competition levels.

The course comprehensively covers all elements of modelling - from catwalk skills to photographic shoots, hair and make-up, to acting for camera in television commercials.

Last month was a free taster day, which gave a good insight into the structure of the course, and it was a pleasure to be involved and help out.

The taster day included a short photo shoot with me, where the students learnt posing techniques with guidance from me behind the camera, and Clare giving encouraging instructions from the side.

The models were discovering essential behind-the-scenes knowledge, as well as out front and camera-ready tips. It was also a great confidence-builder for them.

Students were given the opportunity to build up their portfolios, as well as gaining confidence in front of and around the camera. All essential starting points.

But if you want to get involved, you’ve got to be quick! The next course starts Tuesday 20^th April at Filton College in Bristol. Click here for the website

Amango gains prestigious RPS inclusion for Exhibition

It’s with great pleasure that we can announce our inclusion for entrants in the upcoming and prestigious Royal Photographic Society’s (RPS) annual and 153rd International Print Exhibition.

The event, which attracts global interest, has received our submissions for consideration this year, and we’re waiting with baited breath for the response.

The annual exhibition is a significant event in the industry, with selected work being toured across the world by the RPS after an initial exhibition in London in July.

The Society has been running the Exhibition event since it set up in 1853, so the pedigree and quality of the entrants will be high.

We’re really pleased to have been given the opportunity to potentially be a part of this, and to hopefully have some of the Amango portfolio to be viewed across the world in various galleries. An excellent showcasing of our work internationally - hopefully.

We’ll keep you posted on how our submission proceeds, and here’s a sample of the photographic work we’re including in this year’s entry. Keep your fingers crossed!