Defining photography of people and print

SAPC’s website communicates brand with beautiful, engaging, bespoke photography.

Our website is a window into SAPC giving online customers a glimpse into the company, seeing who we are, and finding out what we’re about.

Professional photography and bespoke imagery from two of Cornwall’s finest photographers brings to light our staff, products and services illuminating SAPC’s values of creativity, enthusiasm and excellence.

Toby Lowe was responsible for showcasing printed products with his stunning, bright, bold photography.

The brief is really important. Thinking about what you want from your imagery. So everyone is really clear on what we’re trying to achieve. Think about what you are using the images for; what’s the vision?

Toby met with SAPC designer Becky Dibb to discuss what we needed from our imagery.

Chatting to Becky was perfect to understanding what SAPC needed and how they were going to use the imagery. The brief can be the result of collaboration, but you need to have one. Imagery needs to be coherent and styled which can only be achieved if you’ve sat down and discussed it.

Respected local photographer Toby Weller is well known on the business circuit in Cornwall capturing people at events, and the SAPC team in their natural habitat.

Taking the SAPC staff portraits was great fun. They’re based in a big brightly lit building so with just a little bit of flash I was able to capture people as they were. I find the key to getting a good portrait is to try and put the subject at ease as quickly as possible.

Toby is renowned for getting great natural looking shots of people, even those who instinctively shy away from the camera.

The SAPC staff are all pretty friendly, so I found getting a relaxed smile out of them not too much of a tricky task. My simple formula is to greet the subject with a smile, ask how they are and then drop in a couple of jokes to get them smiling. I try and work quickly instead of allowing too much time to pass for the subject to get anxious.

Toby’s tact and easy-going energy is the perfect fit for the SAPC team who despite being a sociable, gregarious group don’t take well to the limelight.

As soon as I get a shot I like, I compliment the subject on how good they look and show them a picture straight away to gain trust and boost their confidence. I always keep talking whilst taking photos to keep them from freezing.

Toby also feels the key to good looking photography is working closely with the company.

If possible I like to work with the marketing manager or a member of the team, to get the subjects looking off camera, waiting for that golden moment. SAPC’s marketing manager Cat was a great help with this.

I’m really pleased with how the portraits look on the new website, a great use of the images!

When we developed our website we had a story to tell, the story of SAPC, our staff, our services, and of course our customers. The photos tell that story for us, communicating our values and reflecting our ethos.

5 reasons imagery is essential

1. It has an immediate visual impact.
2. Ability to grab customers’ attention: with approximately 8 seconds to capture a users’ interest online having eye catching images is essential.
3. Communicates the essence of your brand, consistently.
4. Boosts organic Google rankings: photos and visual media are most engaging form of online content and Google ranks engaging sites highly.
5. Great visual content drives sales: customers who have an engaging and enjoyable user experience on your website are more likely to buy from you.

Get an insight into the task of a professional photographer with Toby Lowe.