So Long 2022
Well gosh it’s hard to believe that this year is over already, it feels like 5 minutes since last Christmas. Probably like everyone else this year this is just because I’ve had so much going on all year, it’s been absolutely non-stop. From a personal, professional and general perspective it’s felt a bit like a fire fight since January!
I’ve been very lucky to be so busy with work since the end of the lockdown, I’ve enjoyed working with some wonderful clients this year, including DEFRA, Business Culture Awards and Lipman Properties to name but a few. It’s been so nice to start working with some events companies again after the lockdown, I really love to capture the buzz of an event and especially loved being part of the Wedding Industry Awards team again this year, photographing the fantastic regional awards with the national finals coming up in January.
Luckily during the lockdown I was able to continue photographing properties and some small products, it kept me going through some difficult times and I have really enjoyed being able to continue photographing some beautiful properties in London and the South East.
I’ve also continued to work with my long-term regular clients producing images for social media and marketing campaigns. I absolutely love to work with our favourite local Brewery, Double Barrelled - a wonderful team producing really delicious beers, and I love being able to get creative on our set ups, coming up with new ideas every week in a small space.
My personal highlights of the year include a fantastic trip to Le Manoir aux Quat Saisons, which has been on my bucket list for ever and took the edge off a scary big birthday! It exceeded my very high expectations and was an unforgettable experience. I also really enjoyed a wonderful road trip around Wales in the autumn - it’s much easier for us to travel with the dog these days so we’ve been enjoying some beautiful parts of the country.
I’m finishing the year with my first bout of Covid - I’ve been very lucky to avoid it for so long but it has kept me in bed for a while, so I am trying to catch up on my traditional end of year admin backlog!
Stay safe everyone and thank you to all my wonderful clients - I hope to work with you all again in 2023 and am looking forward to meeting some new clients as well :-)
Big hugs
There’s lovely for you…
a little road trip across Wales
It’s been quite a while since I was able to have more than a couple of days off work - a nice problem to have when you’re self-employed but I was so ready to have a break!
Since the pandemic has made international travel harder for everyone, and also as I worry so much about climate change, we have recently been taking more opportunities to explore the UK instead of going abroad for holidays. It also makes it easier to take our dog Frida with us so she can enjoy some adventures.
As a child I used to enjoy summer holidays in Wales on the Llyn Peninsula, so this year we thought it would be fun to explore a bit more of Wales. It was fantastic! We started with a few days in a cottage by the sea in Rhosneigr on Anglesey - a beautiful spot and a great base to explore a fascinating island. I am a bit of a nerd at heart and love to wander around old castles and archaeological sites, so Anglesey is perfect - the castle at Beaumaris is very interesting and well preserved, and there are many incredible neolithic sites including the atmospheric burial mound at Bryn Celli Ddu. I love a good industrial archaeology site as well so the old copper mine at Parys Mountain and the ruined brickworks at Porth Wen are well worth a visit. We also had to drop in to Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch - I still can’t pronounce it though!
From Anglesey we drove through stunning Snowdonia for a couple of days at Porth Madoc, a sweet little town at the end of the Ffestiniog railway and great for exploring the countryside and Harlech Castle
Next we had a long drive down to the south of Wales to spend a few days at Aberporth, a very pretty little village with a stunning sandy beach. Nearby Mwnt is a brilliant spot for watching the seals and bottlenose dolphins in the bay. From here we were able to explore Beautiful St Davids and some more neolithic sites such as the beautiful dolmen at Pentre Ifan.
It was a shame to leave so on the way home we stayed at a fantastic pub, the Fellin Fach Griffin just outside Brecon - a dog friendly Pub in a great location, super cosy and the food was out of this world. I can’t recommend it highly enough if you’re in the Brecon Beacons!
Frida the chow had such a nice time playing on the beach and exploring the mountains that she is still in a bit of a huff about coming home, so I guess that we will have to visit again sometime soon - I can’t wait :-)
Big hugs
Sisters are brewing it for themselves….
Of all the events held on March 8th, International Women’s Day, this has to be my favourite. My lovely clients at Double Barrelled Brewery in Reading are constantly developing new brews and recipes and for Women’s Day they created an incredible new ‘espresso martini’ stout - brewed entirely by the lovely ladies on the team. Not only that but the coffee was also made by an all girl business - Girls Who Grind Coffee!
Go girls!
The smell of the malt brewing was just amazing - I am generally not really a stout drinker myself but I can’t wait to try this one once it’s ready, and I know my other half will love it.
Some locals cows will be very pleased to eat the mash from this brew - the oats and barley are taken to a local farm after soaking for a few hours in the mash tun to extract all the beautiful flavours and sugars, and the leftover grains will be a really special treat for the animals.
Double Barrelled have worked incredibly hard to keep going throughout the lockdowns, and I’ve really enjoyed working with them to create a social media and marketing library of images to promote their delicious ales. I’m really looking forward to the tap room opening up again on April 16th and hopefully the fabulous pop up dining events they run with local foodies will be starting again soon as well - if you’re in the Reading area do pop in to say hi!
Cheers!
UPDATE!! ‘Reach’ is now available to buy and it is amazing stuff, a proper treat
Happy Easter!
Recently I’ve been lucky enough to work with some lovely people making delicious treats - Moo Free make the most delicious dairy free vegan chocolate, it’s so creamy it’s hard to believe it’s vegan. I love their fun packaging and tasty range, especially the honey comb and the dark chocolate - my favourites! I was able to photograph their range in my little studio, and just about managed to shoot everything before it was gobbled up!
If you’re in the Reading area, the hot cross buns at family-run Warings Bakery are hard to resist, absolutely delicious hot from the toaster with lots of butter. They are lovely and spicy with loads of juicy fruit. I love how they have started delivering hampers during the lockdown as tasty treats for special days such as Easter and Mothers Day. I always enjoy working with Warings at the bakery although it’s not so great for my waistline! All of their products are traditionally baked with love and are properly tasty.
Happy Easter to you, hopefully soon we’ll be able to spend time with family and friends, but for now I’m planning on a quiet long weekend with lots of long walks to work off some of these treats!
Big Hugs
A year to remember…
… or perhaps forget? It’s been the strangest year of our lives I’m sure for pretty much everybody. I hope that you and your families have managed to stay safe.
I do my best to remain optimistic, so some personal highlights for me have included…. spending lots of time in nature with my dog - she has made life a lot easier during all of the lockdowns and we have had some beautiful walkies together. We are lucky to be surrounded by some stunning countryside in Berkshire and it’s been great to explore a bit more to find new places to walk safely. Spending time on zoom with my small family - it’s been hard not being able to see my Mum in person as she lives 200 miles away but it’s been fun to teach her to zoom! During the relaxation of lockdown last autumn we had a really lovely week away in Norfolk - I have never visited before and instantly fell in love with the vast skies, beautiful beaches and pretty villages. I can’t wait to go back again this year, assuming we are allowed to! I’ve also really enjoyed cooking a lot this year, I did some great online Italian cookery classes in the summer and have learned some new dishes that I love…. this will require a bit of a diet soon though I think! Skillshare has been a lifesaver as well - I’ve been rediscovering the joys of illustration, which I studied for my foundation course many years ago.
Above all I am so grateful that all of my family and friends have stayed safe and healthy this year, and most of us have been able to have the vaccine already.
Lockdown life has taught me to appreciate the little things - just enjoying hearing the birds in the woods, foraging for tasty leaves and berries, a bit of peace and quiet away from the traffic and airplanes, reading a really good book or eating some vegetables from the garden. All the same I do miss being able to pop in to London on a whim to see a gig or an exhibition and have a really nice dinner, and I will never take that freedom for granted again!
A peaceful moment on Mortimer Common
As a self-employed sole trader it’s been a tough year for sure, but I feel very lucky to have been able to continue working throughout the last 2 lockdowns. Of course I miss photographing events and weddings so much but I’m grateful to have had a steady stream of commercial briefs to work on, as well as some property photography for local agents.
So today on the anniversary of the start of the first UK lockdown I am having a quiet day and reflecting on the good and bad times of the last twelve months, and thinking about all the people who sadly haven’t been so lucky.
Stay safe, big virtual hugs….
Shout outs to some of the lovely local businesses who have helped us to stay fed and cheerful during lockdowns…..
Thank you for all the amazing food/wine/beer/coffee this year!!
Working through lockdown (v3.0)
Well we are managing to get through yet another lockdown mostly unscathed! Of course the last 12 months have been tough as I’m sure they have for everyone, I feel lucky that all of my family and friends have stayed safe and well and beyond grateful to be able to continue working throughout. Whilst I have had to make some major changes to the way I work I have always relished a challenge and have been able to adapt to new ways of working safely through the pandemic.
This time last year whenever I was asked what type of photographer I am I would usually reply that I love doing ‘mainly events and commercial photography’ but this year I will reply that I am primarily a commercial photographer. I’ve been able to continue photographing properties in the local area and have really enjoyed some small, socially distanced shoots on location with clients looking for consistent imagery to boost their social media and marketing campaigns. Some clients have also been able to send me small products to shoot here in my little studio.
If you’re looking for photography for your business I can help to either create the images for you or discuss ideas and tips for you to do it yourself… please do get in touch!
Of course I miss photographing events and can’t wait to get back into the swing of things - I miss meeting amazing people and capturing the energy and spirit of some fabulous corporate events. Having been a lucky recipient of the Covid vaccine already, I am feeling optimistic about the future and am looking forward to photographing the parties of the future, with big hugs all round rather than elbow bumps!
Please stay safe and I hope to see you on the other side!
Big Virtual Hugs….
Norfolking around
In September we treated ourselves to a week’s holiday on the north Norfolk coast in a cute little cottage in Blakeney. This was my first visit to Norfolk and it was love at first sight. Blakeney is a beautiful little village on the edge of the Blakeney marshes, surrounded by water, wildlife and the biggest skies. Cobblestone houses and flowery alleyways are really delightful to explore. Norfolk is the most dog-friendly place I’ve visited, and our chow chow Frida had a fantastic time on long walks and paddling in the rivers and sea, she was welcomed everywhere we went - she’s a bit of a walking tourist attraction herself! There is a thriving colony of grey and common seals in Blakeney Harbour, and it was amazing to see them relaxing with their pups on the shore and playing in the clear water.
The beaches we visited were extraordinary - so wide and stretching on forever, with incredible soft sand. When the tide is out it is really out! Wells-Next-The-Sea (NB it's actually miles away especially at low tide) has the loveliest beach huts I’ve ever seen, and a mediterranean forest of corsican pines behind the beach. We had a lovely day reading on the beach and playing with Frida who found a big hole in the sand to cool off in, before taking the tiny tourist train into the town to get fish and chips for lunch. We came back again in the evening to watch the sun set over the sea.
Cley-Next-The-Sea is another pretty little cobblestone village (also not that close to the sea any more!) with a beautiful windmill which is available as a wedding venue and B&B. We visited the local fish smoker (OMG the best smoked prawns and mackerel) and pottery, and bought a very tasty local gin at nearby Salthouse.
St Benet’s Abbey in the Broads was really interesting - it is the only Abbey that wasn’t dissolved by Henry VIII and is still an active part of the diocese apparently. The only part of the Abbey left standing is the Gatehouse, into which a mill was built in the 18th Century - it’s a stunning spot - miles away from the crowds, so peaceful and beautiful.
I really hope that we can go back again one day when hopefully there will be fewer restrictions due to Corona - many of the sites we wanted to visit were closed, although we still managed to pack so much into a week’s trip that we need another holiday already to recover!
A few things to consider when reopening your business after lockdown….
As the 2020 lockdown seems to be about to ease, many small businesses are about to open their doors again. Life has changed so much in such a short space of time – we’re all going to need to work hard to keep customers engaged and to communicate with an audience that is nervously re-emerging from the safety of their homes. Personally I’ve been spending the last few weeks working on this new website and updating my logo and branding - its always nice to stay fresh and think about new ways of working, and whilst it hasn’t been an easy time, I’ve appreciated the opportunity to have a thorough review of my plans.
I don’t consider myself to be a marketing expert by any means but I thought I’d share a few simple tips that I have found really helpful when thinking about business life after the lockdown…
Keep your brand up to date
This is the perfect time to update your business image library – effective marketing relies on professional imaging. I’m offering socially distanced photoshoots for small local businesses around Berkshire to show customers how you’re doing after the lockdown. I provide images of your business optimised for online sharing or print so that you can send personalised offers to customers on the socials or even as good old fashioned postcards and flyers, or just to keep your blog and Facebook up to date. Please drop us a line for further details.
Planning
It feels very hard to plan for the future at the moment when the future is so uncertain - every day we have different messages from the Government about what we can and can’t do. Marketing plans made at the start of the year are now most likely completely obsolete, so try to review and update your marketing plans as often as possible. I’ve benefitted from some very helpful advice and planning tips from my business coach, she’s been a great support during the lockdown. Don’t forget to post regularly and consistently as well to remain visible customers old and new.
Say thank you!
Regular, loyal customers are probably one of the main reasons your business survives in such difficult times. When you announce your reopening, be sure to contact your followers on the socials and on your email lists separately with a big THANK YOU, and maybe offer a small gift or voucher or even a rewards programme just for them to say thanks for their continued custom or to encourage them back after the hiatus.
Reassure your customers
If you run a bricks and mortar business, you could set up a page on your website to show customers what to expect when they visit you, or list the measures taken by your company and employees to ensure customers’ safety. It’s likely that everyone will need to continue to maintain social distancing and carry on regularly washing hands for some time to come. Many businesses have been busily keeping customers informed during lockdown - Don’t stop now! Stay in touch with your audience using email, social media and print and press.
Stay in touch with those people who aren’t quite ready for the ‘new normal’
Lots of us simply won’t feel safe returning to normal just yet, especially with all the uncertainty about the next stages of lockdown currently in the media. I for one have a partner on strict lockdown and am anxious about exposing him to unnecessary risks although I am very keen to get back to work! Many consumers have said that they will not return to shops and public venues for some time after the lockdown eases. If you have been providing a new online service during lockdown, be prepared to continue for a bit longer while you’re opening up, and make the new normal a better normal!
Team up with local vendors and suppliers
Now is the time to stick together and help each other out - many small businesses are benefitting from networks they have built with other vendors to cross-promote their brands and services. Reading has a fantastic network of small independent food and drink businesses and it’s great to see them actively supporting each other.
Contact local press
Local newspapers are always on the lookout for new content and will be happy to hear from you if you send them a well written press release, preferably with some good quality images. Make sure that you also share any positive press on your website and social media pages to promote your restaurant business to local customers.
Best of luck with your return to business, and stay safe!
#lockdown #smallbusiness #berkshire #marketingtips #covid19 #coronavirus #marketingideas #restaurantmarketing
Social Media Packages for the Socially Distanced…
PR Photography packages for businesses relaunching after Covid 19 in Berkshire
I’m excited to launch a new package for small businesses in Berkshire who are about to re-open, or who are already open but with new services for their socially distanced customers! It looks as though life is about to start returning to a new kind of normal and food businesses and ‘non-essential’ businesses will be able to open to the public again, albeit with safety measures in place. You can see my own safety precautions for working with people here.
Now is the perfect time to be looking at your marketing material to make sure that you stand out from the competition as people start to get out and about again. It seems that there are now two types of customers - those who can’t wait to get back to their old lives and who will be rushing to the nearest Pub as soon as it opens for a well deserved pint and plate of fish and chips (I really miss fish and chips!!), and then there are those who will be a bit more cautious and unsure about their safety as the lockdown is lifted and may need some encouragement. Both of these customers will need to know that you’re there, that you’re open and what you have to offer as well as needing some reassurance that it’s safe for them to visit you.
I recently did a test shoot with lovely local restaurant and bar - Fidget and Bob - they have managed to successfully ride out the lockdown by offering a take away service for their delicious coffee, pastries and meals as well as teaming up with local suppliers to provide basics like eggs, vegetables and drinks. They have a fantastic safety system in place for customers placing orders and have managed to remain busy and smiling throughout the quarantine!
The packages I’m launching will include a 1 hour (at least) photoshoot to create at least 15 images of your premises, staff (if they are up for it!), food and products. If you have any particularly game customers it would be great to get some shots of them as well!! I can also add on a short training session to give you some ideas of how to do your own photos, with tips on how to make the most of the lighting and equipment you have available. Another optional add on is a GIF selection - GIFs are fantastic for social media (as we all know that Google loves a video), and they really stand out on your website and marketing. I can also help with some design work to help your images stand out more on the socials.
Packages will be bespoke for your needs, and pricing starts at just £99 (I don’t charge VAT so there aren’t any additional costs). I’m also offering a 19% introductory discount for your first session until the end of July (let’s hope that things are back to normal by then, I may extend the offer!). Just quote COV19 when you get in touch for more details.
Shuet at Fidget and Bob says "Catherine from Creative Commercial Photography recently did a photo shoot here at Fidget & Bob, and we are so happy with the results. Like many businesses, we have relied on our 'homemade' photos in an effort to cut costs, but professional photos are in a league of their own and the evidence is right there for all to see - the composition, angle and light are something to behold! Catherine even made the café feel new to us – we saw things we hadn't seen before (and we've been here a LOT!)
We gave Catherine a free rein and it was remarkable how quickly she became 'anonymous'. We felt comfortable with her, and she was respectful of the social distancing measures in place.
We have already invited Catherine back to take more pictures. Meanwhile, for other small businesses, we highly recommend her introductory offer of £99 for a 1 hour session, which we feel represents exceptional value. What are you waiting for?!"
I really hope to work with you soon and look forward to supporting some local businesses as much as possible - it’s great to stick together during these strange times!
Big hugs (from a distance)
Meeting the ancestors…
vintage photograph restoration services
Since the lockdown I’ve been using my downtime to catch up on various jobs that I’ve been too busy to finish for ages. My new website has been the main task taking up my time, but I’ve also been learning new skills and practicing my photoshop editing to keep busy.
Not long before the lockdown started I helped my Mum to move house from our old family home to something a bit more manageable. During the move we found boxes of old family photos which hadn’t been stored very well and which were in a bit of a sorry state. I’ve been really enjoying going through them and restoring them digitally so that I can eventually make an album for my Mum. It’s been fascinating to see pictures of my Granddad’s family and my Mum when she was young, and it’s been wonderful to bring them back to life with a little colour.
If you have any old family photos that you’d like to restore and print I’m offering a restoration service during the lockdown. If you send me your photos I can produce a high resolution scan and restore them in black and white and/or colourised, then return your original photos with a high quality print and digital files. Please drop me a line for more details!
Now we are 10!
10 years of creative commercial photography at CCP
It’s hard to believe that 10 years have passed since I left the world of Financial Services and set off on my own as a freelance photographer. It feels like just 10 minutes and yet so much has happened!
Until 2010 I had been working in corporate pensions and slowly going crazy as I had always wanted to create rather than sell. I have always practiced photography and painting in my spare time, but hadn't really considered it as a career until I had a couple of quite nasty accidents in the 2000s and realised that life is just too short to be stuck in an unfulfilling job. So I studied and practiced until I felt confident enough to go it alone and was lucky enough to take the plunge in the spring of 2010. Since then it has taken a lot of hard work to build up a healthy photography business and I have never felt able to rest easy, I never take work for granted, and always appreciate every job and every client.
Some location highlights from the last decade include shooting in Munich, Venice and Austria, not to mention two conferences in Hawaii! I absolutely loved working with the National Trust when they opened the property at Nuffield Place - I got to photograph every single object in the house over the winter while it was closed to visitors, and it was just fascinating - if you’re in the area I would highly recommend it as a day out (when it reopens after the quarantine!)
Photography is still my absolute passion in life and I’m so grateful for all of the amazing opportunities it’s given me over the last 10 years. I have met some really lovely people and made lots of new friends, travelled to interesting places and challenged myself constantly. At times it’s been hard and exhausting but always so rewarding - every day is different and I’m learning new things all the time.
Now of course we are faced with the huge challenge of Covid-19 and work and life feel less secure than ever. I've been using our enforced downtime to rebuild my website (which I hadn't had time to update for ages as I was so busy in the last year!) and take a look at my branding and social media. Having started the business at the height of the last recession I'm feeling reasonably confident about the future but of course nothing is guaranteed and it looks as though the road to recovery after the worst of the virus has passed is going to be a tough slog uphill. I hope that you and your friends and families are all safe and well and that we’ll all come out the other side stronger than ever.
So here’s to the next 10 years, I’ll raise a socially distanced glass to you all!
Big hugs and cheers
Virus Detritus
Living in Reading, I am used to seeing the streets littered with all sorts of rubbish, it’s a dirty old town at the best of times. Now it’s the worst of times and I’ve been noticing a change in the pavement litter as I take my dog for her daily walk. Everywhere you look there are discarded gloves and facemasks among the usual fag ends and fast food wrappers. In normal circumstances I tend to pick up bits of rubbish wherever I go, it’s like a nervous tic but I daren’t touch this stuff so it’ll lie there until it gets washed into the drains or blown onto the fields. It’s depressing. So while I can’t get out to work I’ve been documenting the state of the streets around West Reading and hoping that life gets back to some sort of normality very soon.
#justbinit #coronavirus #isolation
