Portfolio

E-Commerce Visual Trend Report

The e-commerce industry has seen tremendous growth over the past decade, and its trajectory is set to keep rising in the coming years. Looking ahead to 2024, we should expect to see new technologies, challenges, and trends that will shape the e-commerce landscape for [...]

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brand style guide

How To Develop Your Brand’s Photography Style Guide

A photography style guide will make your brand stand out. It is used as a framework or guide when creating imagery and artwork, ensuring a similar visual aesthetic and style. It's specific to your brand. Take Apple for example, they have a visual signature. [...]

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5 photography magazines to read before the end of 2023

There is something about a magazine. In a world obsessed with its data footprint, it feels almost magical to physically hold creativity in your hands. The polished covers are so often home to a world of escapism and aspiration. Therefore, it’s unsurprising that a [...]

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female photographer holding and pointing a DSLR camera

How do I get started as a commercial photographer?

Commercial photography is a lucrative and creative field that comprises of a plethora of different industries. Whether working in fashion or food, lifestyle or portrait, commercial photographers must master the art of producing pictures that people want to buy. While many report the commercial [...]

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camera set up on a stand for photoshoot

7 things you need to know about ecommerce photography rates

As an ecommerce merchant trading in today’s busy online marketplace, you’ll know that how you showcase your products online has never been so important. It’s simple: the better your products look on your website, the more you will sell. Your ecommerce images maximise visual [...]

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image showing a light bulb in bokeh style

Natural vs artificial light in commercial photography

The word ‘photo’ means ‘light’, so it’s not surprising that the single most important factor in commercial photography is, of course, light. Light is the foundation of photography - of this, we’re certain. However, something that people aren’t so sure about is which type [...]

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image from above showing a group of people with their arms held out in a circle, holding hands in the middle

Impact through imagery: why is professional photography so important for charities?

We live in a world that’s saturated with information. News stories vie for our attention at every opportunity whilst businesses overload us with content through multiple platforms. With this in mind, it’s no surprise that professional photography is a hugely powerful medium for getting [...]

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image of a Nikon lens for commercial photography

What is commercial photography?

Put simply, commercial photography means taking photos for business use. It’s about creating images to help promote and sell products and services. These images can be featured in adverts, brochures, leaflets, merchandising and menus, to name just a few of their uses. A commercial [...]

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image showing a desk with a desktop computer and laptop with the Swanky logo overlaid

Corporate headshots for Exeter’s Swanky Agency 

Following on from our recently published 'guide for professional headshots' (check it out here), we’re taking you behind-the-scenes of a local corporate headshots shoot. We recently had the privilege of working with Exeter’s very own ecommerce experts, Swanky Agency, to capture some professional headshots [...]

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overhead shot of two bowls of oatmeal and fruit with coffee

5 Tactics for Creating Mouth Watering Food and Drink Photography

We’ve all been scrolling through Instagram, flicking through the pages of a magazine or perusing a menu online, only to find ourselves practically drooling over a divinely delectable food photo. A well-executed food or drink snap will instantly attract attention and leave viewers craving [...]

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Lifestyle photography shot of little girl covering her face with her hands

The dos and don’ts of successful lifestyle photography

Lifestyle photography is all about storytelling. It’s about capturing natural, relaxed images that document real-life events or situations. It’s about revealing personalities, relationships and feelings to give the viewer a sense of who your subjects are and how they interact. There’s a certain art [...]

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black and white image of a photoshoot

I’m hiring a photographer – what do I need to know about GDPR?

Calling all business owners! Have you got a commercial photography project on the horizon? Are you thinking of hiring a photographer for some professional staff headshots or on-site photography? If so, it’s important that you’re up to speed on the upcoming changes to data [...]

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