Commercial building photography

This latest post describes a commercial photography assignment that is different to the norm for me.  For a start, there were no commercial portraits!  And secondly, it ran over a long timespan.  From start to finish, this project lasted over a year.

Altrincham Grammar School for Boys planned to demolish an old, dilapidated Art Room and replace it with a double storey building that would house a new Art Room and Food Technology classroom as well. I was contacted and asked if I would be interested in following the development of the build, from demolition of the existing building, through the construction and handover of the new one, finishing with images of the new classrooms in use.

I have photographed a lot of buildings.  As a wedding photographer I have taken images of beautiful stately homes, country houses and modern hotels.  Some of my past commercial clients include the building company St Modwen and the Midland Hotel after a multi-million pound refurbishment.  But this would be something different.  I'd never photographed a building being destroyed before.  There was also the time issue.  I would see this project at different times of year, in different weather and light conditions.  It was going to be an interesting challenge.

Here is the existing building.  Oh, did I mention the tight space it fitted into?

And then ....... it was gone!

Then the concrete base was poured and the new building began to take shape.

Already it looked so different.  But then the scaffolding was put up and the hard work really began!

And then there were recognisable rooms.

And finally, ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you the finish article, in all its glory, and in use:

What a transformation eh?  

It was a great project to track.  I'd like to thank the Head, Mr Tim Gartside, for asking me to photograph the project for him.  I enjoyed every minute of it - even in the depths of a freezing winter, in a building with no windows and no heating!

If you'd like to discuss a commercial photography assignment you might like me to cover, I can be contacted at info@martinhambleton.com or please call the studio on 01565 777186.

Chamber of Commerce mixer at Altrincham Football Club

The end of summer means that the mixers put on by the Altrincham & Sale Chamber of Commerce have restarted, the latest one being hosted by Altrincham FC.

The great thing, from a photographic point of view, about the mixers is that they are all held at different venues, so presenting a completely different set of opportunities and challenges each time.  At Altrincham FC the first obvious observation, once you arrive, is that there is actually very little 'inside'.  The pitch dominates, so it seemed only natural that I should take the Chamber President, Chief Executive and Chairman of the Football Club out onto it for some portraits.

The networking itself was being held in the executive suite.  There were talks from Tony Collier, the Chamber President and Managing Partner of Milner Boardman , Jake Harrop who runs Safety Net It, and Peter Foster from the football club.

The Club had opened the ground for tours, so I was able to visit the changing rooms and take these shots of the kit all set out ready for the next game.   It's a part of my job that I love, being able to see places and things that very often are not seen by the general public.  On any job I always look out for an unusual shot - something that isn't usually seen, or an unusual angle of view of something familiar.  

The next Chamber event will be the Autumn Lunch held at the Cresta Court hotel on 19th October.

If you have a forthcoming event and would be interested in me photographing it for you then please give me a call at the studio on 01565 777186 or contact me by email.   More examples of my event and other commercial photography work can be viewed on my website.

Commercial photography in Altrincham

The beauty of commercial photography is that no two jobs are ever the same.  

I was contacted recently by Ian from Bluebird Care.  He got my details through the Altrincham and Sale Chamber of Commerce, for whom I do a lot of work.  He's opened up a new office in Altrincham and is preparing a press release to announce the company's arrival in the area.  He contacted me to photograph him and his staff, to provide images that could accompany the press release.  

Bluebird Care provides home care for the elderly, the sick and people with disabilities.  The purpose of the press release, aside from announcing the company's arrival in the area,  was to enable people to match names to faces, and to convey the company's branding, as displayed on the staff uniforms worn by the care workers.

These shots were taken in the building where the company has its office.  To begin, a team shot: 

The branded uniforms that the care workers wear.

 Simple portraits that have a multitude of uses; to go out on press releases, social media profiles, the noticeboard in the office, a website page, etc.

Many thanks to Ian for asking for my help in promoting his company.

More examples of my commercial portraits, along with the other commercial photography I shoot, can be found on www.commercialphotographynorthwest.co.uk

Commercial portrait photography on location

Commercial portraits, as I said in my last post, lie at the heart of my photography.  In the studio, on location, at your office, on the factory floor - I've photographed people in all kinds of places, doing all kinds of things.  But every portrait has one thing in common.  I'm making the subject look their best!

Triplar Limited are a shopfitting company in the West Midlands.  They work for some companies you may well have heard of, like Levi's, Nokia and Nike.  They win awards for their work, and they work all over the globe.   Their MD, Tim Rodwell, saw some of my work and invited me to spend a day at the company.  They were revamping their website and wanted some portraits of the staff, both in the office and on the factory floor, and some 'lifestyle' coverage of what went on in the business.

They were, in many ways, the perfect client.  I was shown around, introduced to people, and then allowed to move around photographing whatever caught my eye.  The brief for the portraits was that they were to be 'environmental', that is to show people at work, rather than in the studio, and doing typical things they might do during the working day.  There was also some talk of using (whisper it!) black and white images on the new website.

The beauty of photographing people in this way, from a business perspective, is that they aren't distracted from work to go and pose in a studio or a setup location.  In fact, they are encouraged to get on with their work, and my job is to record them doing it! 

A factory floor is a great place for a photographer.  Fantastic machines, marvellous shapes, symmetry, order and chaos all in one place!

Shots like these will be used on a website, in a brochure, on advertisements, flyers and so on to give a flavour of the company.  

If you're interested in getting some photographs of your business done, whether portraits, or some more general images, please contact me to discuss your requirements.  I can be phoned on 01565 777186 or emailed at info@martinhambleton.com