Tuesday, 27 September 2011

Leicester Business Event

I will be exhibiting at Leicester Business Event LBE11 on Thursday 29th September at Walkers Stadium, Filbert Way, Leicester, LE2 7FL from 9.30am to 4.30pm.  


As this is a an event by the best businesses in Leicestershire for the best businesses in Leicestershire, I will primarily be showcasing the commercial photography and video for business side of my work.  However, I will also show some of my reportage wedding photography too, as I will have a couple of wedding albums on display.  It should be a good day for making new contacts, so if you are in business in Leicestershire, there is no better place for you to be this Thursday!  It would be great to see you there...

Tuesday, 2 August 2011

Aerial Photography in Nottinghamshire

I have just done some aerial photography of a pallet yard in Nottinghamshire.  My brief was to get as close as I could to the pallet yard and to photograph it from the air from all angles and to show its location.  On the face of it, that sounded straightforward, however, when I checked the location of the pallet yard, it was sited on the edge of Langar Airfield in Nottinghamshire which is a parachute drop zone and as such, is a no-fly zone for any aircraft other than the aeroplanes that drop the parachutists.  Being a private pilot myself, I knew the relevant people to contact to get the permission needed to enter the no-fly zone.


Having got the required permission (subject to fitting in around the parachute drops), I waited for a sunny day with good visibility and hired a helicopter and pilot.  I felt a helicopter was best for this job as they are far more manoeuvrable than fixed-wing aircraft and as we had to fit in around the parachute drops, we had to get the shots done as quickly as possible.  It would have taken longer with fixed-wing as we would have had to orbit the site for a lot longer.  I also ruled out using my 15m  ground-based aerial mast as it would not have been high enough for the shots required in my brief.  It is great for low-level wide-angle shots that can look really dramatic, but it was not high enough for this job.  Luckily it was a hot day as I always insist on taking the door off on my side of the helicopter as I don't want to shoot through the perspex window.  It was actually a really comfortable temperature, although I was glad I wore a wind-proof Goretex jacket!  I have done aerial photography shoots on cold winter days and despite wearing lots of layers, it can be absolutely freezing.


Anyway, we took off, let air-traffic control know what we were doing and that we had the relevant permission to enter the no-fly zone.  We then changed radio frequencies to contact Langar drop zone to wait for clearance to enter their zone.  As soon as all the parachutists were on the ground, we were allowed to enter and we found the pallet yard very quickly.  It is amazing how different places look from the air than from the ground, but this was a very distinctive site which made it easier for us.  I took lots of photos from all directions and heights.  We were able to fly low when we were over the airfield as we didn't have to worry about the usual low-flying laws that apply when not over airfields, so that as a real bonus.  All in all, a successful mission.






Friday, 29 July 2011

Rugby Supremo Sir Clive Woodward OBE

I have just been photographing ex-England Rugby team coach Sir Clive Woodward.  He was the guest speaker at a TNT managers conference held at Leicester Tigers stadium.  Sir Clive was coach of the England team from 1997 to 2004, managing them to victory in the 2003 Rugby World Cup.  He described the management methods that he used in his sporting career that can be used equally effectively in the world of business.  He is now the Director of Sport for the British Olympic Association, so I think the run-up to 2012 will be a very busy time for him.






Tuesday, 5 July 2011

Fab Reviews on Free Index

A little while ago I added Martin Neeves Photography to FreeIndex.co.uk and I have been overwhelmed by the fabulous reviews that have been coming in.  Here are just a few that have come in in the last two months.  Please CLICK HERE to see all my reviews and ratings on Free Index.


Martin Neeves is one of the most professional photographers I have worked with in ten years in journalism and public relations. From the outset, Martin studied our brief and understood our needs and always delivered the photography we needed to promote our business. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend if you want the comfort of knowing that the job will be done right and the images that come back are of the highest quality.”   Matthew Moore, PR Executive, Carillion Energy Services 20/06/11


"Martin Neeves Photography Ltd has been a supplier of excellent photography to the PR and Communications team at TNT Express UK for a significant time and always comes up with excellent work in support of our internal and external comms. Martin is always professional in everything he does, taking time to understand the brief, come up with ideas and put the subjects at ease before shooting the pictures. His photography really embellishes the words of stories and PR material we distribute to our own audiences and those outside the company. I would gladly recommend his services to anyone requiring photography for business or pleasure."  Fraser Thomson Communications Manager TNT Express Services UK & Ireland 26/06/11
 
 
"I approached Martin with a view to taking professional pictures for both my website and my profiles on various networking sites. Having seen his past work on his websites and in person I found Martin to be very professional and knew exactly what I wanted to be achieved. The results were exceptional and the fast turn around from shoot to preview was within 1 day. I have now picked the ones I want and look forward to the final set in due course. I would recommend Martin to anyone looking for high quality professional photos. Thank you Martin for all your hard work."   Paul Sibson, Merlion ABS.  01/06/11
 
 
"I’ve had both portrait work and a corporate video put together by Martin, both are of a standard well above what I had expected, and believe you me, I have high standards. The other thing that surprised me was the speed with which I received the finished article – even I realise that there’s a significant investment in time needed after the on-site work has been done.  For me Martin gets a 10/10 and if you’re after a quality finish, don’t waste your time going elsewhere, use Martin."   Rob Abell, Will Planning Solutions.  31/05/11 
 

With these fabulous reviews and the launch of my new lower prices in May this year, there really isn't a better time to give me a call to discuss a photography or video project.  I will be more than  happy to provide an estimate.

Monday, 4 July 2011

Video of Business Guru Nigel Botterill

I have just produced a video of high-energy business guru Nigel Botterill during his presentation to Leicestershire business owners last week at Leicester Tigers Stadium.  The video shows a few snippets of his invaluable advice as well as some testimonials from some audience members.




I was very busy that evening as in addition to filming this video, I set up my portable studio and took business portraits of many of the attendees.  I also had a display stand and a screen showing some of the photography for businesses of all sizes that I have done in the past.  It was make some new contacts and to re-acquaint myself a few contacts who I hadn't seen for ages.

Tuesday, 31 May 2011

Business Video for Leicester Will Writer


I have just produced a short business video for Leicester will writer Rob Abell of Will Planning Solutions.  Rob was great to work with as he is such a nice bloke with a great sense of humour.  I gave him some guidance on what was was required for his script and he wrote a perfectly timed and planned script.  He also put a lot of thought into the cut-aways that would be needed, which helped the filming day go smoothly.  This video will go on Rob's new website and will not only help to bring the website to life, but it will be fabulous for the search engine optimisation of his site too.

Wednesday, 18 May 2011

Business Portraits for Leicester Solicitor

I have just been commissioned to take some business portraits for a Leicester family solicitor and mediator, Glynis Wright.



My brief was to take a range of shots to to show the different sides of Glynis' business.  I took some softer shots to illustrate the mediation side of the business.  Due to client confidentiality, we obviously had to use models instead of a real couple!  The mediation room had soft furnishings and Glynis wore fairly neutral clothing.  I had to take photographs to make Glynis look friendly and approachable (which she is anyway!).








I then set up my studio lights and a white background to take take some modern business portraits.  Bright white backgrounds are very popular these days as they look fresh and they are ideal to use as cut-outs or on business cards and in publications.  Glynis changed into a sharp business suit to portray the legal side of her business.  I took a variety of serious, smiley and some in-between.



Lastly, I took some shots of Glynis at her desk.  I needed to take some shots that showed she was serious, but still approachable.  The inclusion of a plant in the background softened the feel of the photographs, but still made them look business-like.  I used differential focus to blur the background and to make the viewer focus on Glynis.  I felt a neutral expression was best for these shots as it portrayed the serious but approachable look that a is appropriate for a solicitor.  I also took some smiley photos (one of which is shown in black-and-white at the top of this article) as Glynis is naturally a very happy and smiley person, so I thought her personality shone though in those photos.



Hopefully, you will have now seen that I give careful thought to the exact look and feel of business portraits and this article illustrates that a business portrait session can be tailored to suit your needs.  If your business portraits are looking a bit tired or out of date and you would like some new ones, why not give me a ring on 07973 638591 to discuss your requirements.  You may also like to see my website to see more business and corporate photography: www.martinneeves.com