Stillview provide state of the art digital photography services to commercial clients throughout East Anglia and South East England. With a large studio in Ipswich, Suffolk, equipped with the latest digital photography equipment, as well as over 30 years experience, we have the capability to create just about any type of image you may require for commercial purposes. We also carry out digital photography on location as required.
Commercial Digital Photography Ipswich – click here to contact us to discuss your requirements
Digital Photography for Commercial Applications
With digital cameras available at all price levels on the high street, digital photography has become a mainstream technology. Which means it is all too easy to underestimate what can be achieved in the hands of an experienced professional – and the great benefits it offers to clients looking for high quality commercial photography.
Perhaps the greatest advantage of digital photography in a commercial environment is the sheer speed at which high quality images can be created, ready for use in client projects. With no film or chemicals involved, images can be viewed on screen instantly and either approved or retaken as required – which means you get exactly the images you want, with no guesswork and no waiting. This instant feedback can then influence subsequent shots, trying out different lighting or angles very quickly and efficiently. And of course, having images in digital format means that they can be transmitted to clients or other people working on a project (e.g. the client’s advertising agency or website designers) – no waiting for the post or expensive couriers.
Digital Manipulation
But state of the art digital photography image capture and manipulation software also allows for high levels of creativity in image creation, allowing clients to achieve results limited only by their imagination. Here are a few of the techniques possible with digital manipulation.
Colour correction – In commercial photography it is very often necessary to achieve a close match between the colours seen in publicity images and what a customer will see if they buy a product – especially in catalogue photography for instance. Alternatively, colour manipulation can be used to deepen or lighten colours to achieve a specific mood, or to alter the overall colour balance of an image, to create a warmer or cooler feeling, for instance.
Background manipulation – Backgrounds can be manipulated in multiple ways to achieve a finished image. Background elements can be added to studio shots to make them feel more natural (e.g. the view outside a window of a room set), or removed from location shots to avoid distracting from the main image (e.g. road signs or litter bins). Or an entire background, perhaps shot on location, can be created behind a cut out image shot in the studio.
Special effects –A range of special effects can be added to whole images or parts of images to create more dynamic or interesting pictures. Speed and motion effects are extremely effective in vehicle photography, while adding textures or shadows can create a greater sense of depth or draw the eye to where it is wanted.
Reflection correction – When shots are taken on location it is impossible to completely control what is around the photographed object, and so unwanted reflections can be inadvertently included in an image. This is especially likely for shiny objects such as vehicle windows and mirrors. We can check for reflections and where necessary eliminate them.
Multiple elements – Digital manipulation offers the possibility of creating images that appear to contain several objects by taking multiple images of the same object from different angles, or shooting different objects at different times, and compositing them together. As well as allowing for greater creativity, it can also be a practical solution if only one item is available for a shoot.
Portrait retouching – Skin blemishes, dark lines, marks on clothing and other minor imperfections can be minimised or eradicated from photographs of people.
Digital Photography Post Production Effects Case Studies
Case study #1: Alston’s furniture (red sofa)
The brief: To take an interior shot of a red sofa located in a house in London for use on the company website and other print advertising. The shoot was to take place in late November so there would be little natural light to work with.
Our solution: The lack of light meant that it was difficult to achieve the right exposure for both background and sofa at the same time. We took two shots, one of the background and one of the sofa, at different exposures. The images were taken back to the studio and merged together to achieve an image in which both background and sofa appear correctly exposed. This image was used in a number of places including a campaign to buy British which appeared in the national press.
Case study #2: Antique tool company front cover
The brief: To photograph a pair of antique pliers in such a way as to make it into a piece of art. The image was to be used on the front of the catalogue for a large antique tool auction and needed to convey a sense of beauty and desirability, as well as indicating the contents of the catalogue.
Our solution: First the pliers were photographed from three different angles against a plain background. The images were then cut out and the background was made up electronically to look like a hammered metal background and ironwork frame – textures in keeping with the contents of the catalogue. The plier images were then superimposed onto the background and shadows put in to create a perfect piece of framed art. The resulting catalogue has since become a collector’s piece.
Case study #3: Grant Thornton (man flying kite)
The brief: The shot was to be of a relaxed accountant flying a kite. The client wanted to use the image as wall art in their head office.
Our solution: First we took a studio shot of the man against a pure white background, taking care to ensure that he looked very relaxed – i.e. rolled up sleeves and loosened tie, as well as posture and expression. The kite was hung up and shot separately. Both images were cut out and positioned left and right as though the man were looking up at the flying kite. The kite strings were drawn in manually via the software suite, and manipulated into place. The client was extremely pleased with this image as it demonstrated exactly what they wanted, and to this day they have a large copy of this image on display in their regional office.
Commercial Digital Photography Suffolk – click here to contact us to discuss your requirements