Tuesday 31 January 2012

Helping food businesses connect with customers through professional photography

Food and Drink Photography of Professional Photographer Beer Pizza Fish cakes

It is no doubt that any business needs a positive connection with its customers, whether you are a small local store or a city centre office your business success depends upon new and existing customers coming through the door or somehow purchasing your product or service.

In the food industry one of the great ways to connect with new customers is through trade shows, exhibitions, or even you're own open day.

As we look at the year before us, a great deal of food exhibitions, trade shows, food fairs and local events are taking place from Leeds to Los Angeles.

A great deal of variety exists in the world of trade shows, from the mega-complex's of a national exhibition space, to rural or local events where only a handful of stall holders are involved, whatever the event is, the ambition for your food business should be the same.

    1.    What are the fundamentals about my product that I need to convey
    2.    How do I communicate that to my customer
    3.    If I am selling at the show, is my price point competitive
    4.    How do I retain my customers long term
    5.    Do my competitors have a more successful product?, if so, why?

Needless to say the list could go on, but these 5 points are made for you to look at your food business and ask questions about how you communicate with the lifeblood of your business - your customer.

A food business in Leeds, Yorkshire can take advantage of the wealth of commercial expertise around them to evolve and promote their business through a series of channels. One is design and marketing and the other is Food Photography.

As a food photographer Phillip Shannon is well experienced in producing food images that sell your product online or in-store through point of sale, brochure or catalogue. Over many years and hundreds of studio and location shoots, the experience gained equals a very successful shoot for your food enterprise.

If this is the first time you've visited my blogger page please click the link to my portfolio site & take a while to view the other areas including all of the portfolios.

Phillip Shannon is a professional photographer based in Leeds Yorkshire and can offer full studio facilities or a location photography service at your business address.

Areas covered in the UK include Leeds, Bradford, Wetherby, York & Harrogate, and further afield. Location photography is handled across the UK to suit your needs.

Thursday 26 January 2012

Product Photography

A few days have passed since the last post, as the studio has been very busy with product photography. A range of items have been in front of the camera from handmade soaps to cakes and ginger bread men.

The task has been the same with all the clients, that is to get the most out of the products to fulfill the needs of their business. This is a really important aspect of the commercial photographers lot, to tune into what the client needs the images to do is what makes for a successful professional product photography shoot.

My other tasks over the last week has also to look at the creative and food photography section of my portfolio, I'm planning on entering the Pink lady Food photographer of the year competition so I'm really looking forward to putting my images together for that.

Thursday 19 January 2012

Studio Photography

This week has been all about preparing and shooting studio projects. The first project was for a range of boutique style handmade soaps made in UK for a online retail website, and the other a Food photography project for a supplier of food produce to commercial outlets. This is going to involve studio photography of cakes and the like, so I hope there maybe one or two left over, maybe with a nice coffee!.

Studio photography is part of the commercial photography service I carryout in Leeds, Yorkshire. Please stop by my website to take a look at the full portfolio

Tuesday 17 January 2012

Creative Photography section added

I've posted a section all about creative photography, please take a look while you are here.

Creative photography can be approached as a skill set for any professional photography project.

There will always be different levels of creativity and that is dependent upon many factors. A simple cut out shot for example of a box of cornflakes may not need the same complexity of approach as a portfolio piece, or an exhibition photograph.

Whatever the project is, when it comes to using photography for your business, the image needs to work hard for you, to pay for itself, yes, but also to promote your brand and company and help you achieve your ambitions.

I have many years experience in producing photography for business, so please stop by my website and take a look if you require a studio or location photographer in Leeds, Yorkshire or around the UK.


Saturday 14 January 2012

Very Frosty in Leeds Yorkshire today

©Phillip Shannon - Professional Photographer Leeds, Yorkshire

Well we certainly felt winters icing grip this morning, one of the first real icy and frosty morning's so far this winter.

I love seeing how simple things, like in the garden change so much when the light is crisp, and clear and how everything is touched beautifully by the sub zero temperatures.

As a commercial photographer, we are often asked to create creative images from simple scenes or products, so I hope you like the image above.


Thursday 12 January 2012

3 Steps to a successful product photography shoot

Product Photographer Leeds Yorkshire UK

The Art of Product and Still life Photography.

If you run a business, you are selling a product or a service.

You need to communicate effectively, efficiently and in a lot on online situations, quickly.

Using some simple approaches to your business marketing can reap great rewards.

Professional photographers use their experience and a set of skills which are geared towards maximizing the "sale" of the image on your website page, or other printed marketing material.

This can be an area of your business marketing which may be overlooked, but in the fast moving world of online selling, it is the visual impact of the product which will help your product leap off the page.

The ability to photograph an inanimate object is not as straight forward as it first may seem.

The Three main areas to consider are:

• The actual merchandise in front of the camera needs to be assessed by a trained eye, so that the most effective camera angle is used.

• The professional lighting techniques and equipment used by commercial photographers are a vital ingredient to making a successful product shoot.

• Background choice is the third main ingredient to the successful packshot being achieved. The product or merchandise will determine a complimentary background, or it maybe that a neutral background is used, professional photographers in Leeds and around the UK will use this particularly when shooting for cutout shots.

Phillip Shannon is a Professional Photographer. Based in Leeds West Yorkshire.

As a commercial photographer in Leeds the variety of your photographers experience must be high and the ability to produce effective award winning calibre images need to be on your wish list.

Phillip Shannon is an award winning photographer with over 16 years experience in the commercial photography business, and has been commissioned for a huge variety of advertising assignments over the years.

The portfolio site shows a great variety of commissioned product work, from food photography, still life and cut out shots, to jewellery and products of all kinds shot on location.


Visit the portfolio site here http://www.phillipshannonphotography.com/

Wednesday 11 January 2012

What to expect on your professional photography shoot




If you are booking a session with a photographer then there are certain things which you would expect, and also there are certain things which will be expected of you too.

The photography shoot is definitely a two way process between the client ( that's you ) and the photographer.

Planning and preparing well, is the key to success. Most people who are used to working within this environment will use a photographic brief to communicate the ideas and plan to the photographer for the shoot well in advance of the shoot date.

If you are new to planning professional photography, whether you are based in Leeds or London the process is easily adapted to your particular needs.

1. What is it you need to photograph.
2. How will it be shot, is there a style to follow, or technical criteria to fulfill.
3. Where?, in studio or on location?
4. If in studio do the items need to be assembled, or prepared prior to the shoot.
5. If on location, does the environment need to be prepped or adapted to suit.

Once the shoot is under way, normally an approval process would need to be agreed first. Ideally the person who can make the ultimate decision to whether or not the image is correct should be on the shoot, if this is not possible then another person should be appointed in their place, or again if this is not possible someone on the end of an email who can approve.This process cuts down the need for projects to be re-staged.

Using professional photographers in Leeds and Yorkshire is a great way to get your products and services noticed by the wider world. The best way to take advantage of this time is to prepare well.

The professional photography process is very powerful and is an investment to your business. Take the time to consider the whole process and the results you will achieve will give the marketing and promotion to your business the upper hand over your competitors.

Phillip Shannon is a professional photographer in Leeds, and will work with you to arrive at a budget which suits your project.

Please take a look at the online portfolios. They cover, Food  Still Life & Product  Jewellery  Creative  People  Locations & Interiors photography

The photography of your product can be taken in studio in Leeds or on location at your business address. Areas covered include Leeds, Bradford, Wetherby, York & Harrogate, and further afield.

Location photography is handled across the UK to suit your needs.

Contact Phillip Shannon, Professional Photographer based in Leeds for your next commercial photography project.
Having some fun with the various settings and layouts in blogger, so I apologise if it seems to be changing a lot at the moment. Looking forward to posting some new news soon.

I've added a Food Photography section which you can find about about the work I do as a food photographer in Leeds, Yorkshire.

Monday 9 January 2012

Hello from Phillip Shannon

Hello and welcome to the first blog.
I am a commercial and advertising photographer based in Leeds, Yorkshire UK.
My portfolios show a variety of work from food photography, product photography, jewellery, creative, people and location work. My website can be found here http://www.phillipshannonphotography.com/

I hope that you enjoy reading the news and information about the professional photography I create.

Food Photography

Here is an example of some of the food photography from my current portfolio.
Studio Food Photography




















This image was shot for the food folio in studio and styled by Ann Reynolds.

It was a great sunrise this morning.