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Office Closed…
PLEASE NOTE: FILMAR Photography is closed until Monday 20th May. If you have an enquiry which is really urgent you may text us on 07788 916166 or email phil@filmar.co.uk Please leave all non-urgent enquiries until our return.
Thank you
Why it pays to book a pro…
Couples spend a fortune on the big day. They do so because they want everything to be just perfect. And rightly so. With wedding services you only have one chance to get it right.
So, why do so many couples then entrust their wedding day photographs to that ‘bloke in the office who’s got a decent camera’. Or ‘my dad’s mate who has a camera’. ?
A professional photographer doesn’t just take pictures; anyone can do that with todays technology… even your dad’s mate! The big difference is that a professional will produce well lit, sharply focussed and properly exposed images. He or she will be able to deal with a whole range of tricky lighting situations. Professionals also have a trained eye for composition. With a professional your pictures won’t show you too far away, out of focus, in sillhouette, closed eyes, or with plants and trees and streetlights growing out of the top of your head. And, on top of all that, they will hold professional liability insurance.
And remember, wedding photographs last a lifetime; much longer than the cake, the sparkling wine, that luxurious car and blissful honeymoon.
Variety is the spice…
The really good thing about being a practitioner in many aspects of photography, is the depth and variety of the work undertaken.
From weddings to family portraits, sports events to product shoots, old photo restoration to Memory Books, not one day is the same. The past few weeks or so have been a prime example with three weddings, a couple of baptisms, a management team portrait for a local company and the ceremonial switch on of new floodlights at a nearby football club. Work doesn’t come more varied than that.
And then, today, cameras and lenses duly cleaned, batteries charged, lights checked and bags packed to head out to a photoshoot at Friar Tuck’s fish restaurant in Barnard Castle; a newly acquired and renovated business requiring quality images for the owner’s new website. And now, just before leaving the office in comes a phone call from a client who has booked a Dance School photoshoot in a few days time.
See our Gallery page on this site for examples of the work we do.
Memory Books Make Ideal Gifts
Our Memory Books are made from photographs which every home has lying around in shoe boxes or the back of cupboards and drawers. They make ideal and unique gifts for someone’s milestone birthday or keynote anniversary. And they are truly affordable when members of the family chip in together.
The process is simple, too.
First, we arrange a convenient time to meet with you and answer any questions you have. We can also advise on layout, design and colour scheme. We also give an indication of what the total cost will be, based upon the raw materials, digital reproduction, editing, cropping and the number of photos which will be used.
Once you are happy and ready to proceed, the next stage is to dig out the photos (the trick here is to do this without the intended recipient knowing).
Once you have the photos, they need to be arranged in some kind of order – by date is a good start (from young to present day), or by theme (early years, marriage, holidays, children, grandchildren etc). When you’ve done that we’ll come along again and carefully go through them with you to determine which ones will be used in the Memory Book. We then take the photos away and digitally reproduce them for printing into the book (don’t worry, we return the originals to you).
The finished Memory Book is presented as a luxurious bound book within its own protective sleeve.
Ideally, a period of four to six weeks is needed from initial enquiry to delivery so check your diary well in advance of the special occasion.
And remember… all FILMAR Photography consultations are FREE. We NEVER charge for meeting clients.
Reaching the right decision…
However well meaning your future mother in law is, however experienced your team’s top scorer and however knowledgable your office colleague, when it comes to your photographs the only ‘right’ decision is the one that’s right for you!
Whether choosing a photographer to capture your wedding day, keynote anniversary, your team or club for a sporting magazine or your new product for the company brochure or website, choosing the right photographer is vital.
Photographers come in many shapes, sizes and differing levels of experience and proficiency. They also come in various personalities, too. Notwithstanding that they might be able to provide correctly focussed, well exposed images, if their personality is at odds with yours, you are unlikely to fully enjoy the photo experience.
Photographers come in all shapes and sizes!
This is why it is essential, wherever possible, to take time to get to know the person with the camera. Some photographers can be quite abrupt. Others are so friendly, it’s unbelievable. Do not be fooled by pearly white smiles and an excess of charm. What you need is confidence that both you and they can work together.
Professional qualifications are fine, but what is more important is evidence of previous successful photoshoots. In particular, ask to see samples of work similar to that which you are seeking to have done. There is a world of difference between the skills of a landscape photographer and those of a wedding photographer. So make sure you see evidence of work they have undertaken before. At FILMAR Photography we know many photographers who have their walls festooned with framed certificates and qualifications but who can’t handle the pressure of a full days wedding shoot. Alternatively, we know others, self taught, brimming with experience and know-how, who we’d happily recommend to clients when we can’t accept a booking. FILMAR Photography has gained experience in a wide range of photographic services since our founding in 1978.
Make sure, too, that your prospective photographer LISTENS to you. Be wary of the ones who blather on about how they do this, that or the other, blind you with the science of which make of cameras they own and how they once got to meet so and so etc etc. What’s important is that they fully understand what you require as the end result – YOUR end result, NOT theirs. Do they give an impression that they like children? An important factor in a family portrait shoot! Can they present well in front of your boss or management board? Do they have adequate insurance cover in case of an accident or injury on site (it can and does happen)? How would you get your money back if they went out of business, fell ill or died before the shoot (unfortunately, this happens, too)? Make sure you have answers to these questions.
FILMAR Photography can provide all of the above. Our initial response to prospective clients is to arrange a mutually convenient time to come along and visit. Whether in the comfort of your own home or your workplace, these consultations are totally FREE. We listen carefully to what it is you require and then discuss with you the range of options and services which we can provide. If it’s advice, guidance or ideas you need, we’re happy to give it. We show evidence of our work through photobooks and actual prints which you can see and handle yourself. Then, after answering your questions, we are happy to go away and leave you to reach a decision. A decision which is right for you. We never pester clients with interminable and intrusive follow up calls.
And, then, when you reach your decision to go ahead, we return to fill out the necessary paperwork with you. It’s this approach to no hard selling, no pressure applied, consultations which many of our clients say makes us friends by the time we get to the day of the shoot itself.
A word about payments… with weddings all we seek is a 20% booking fee. This is followed by 50% of the balance at a point half way between booking and the actual event. The final balance is then paid two weeks prior to the wedding. With corporate photoshoots, we attend and then issue thirty day invoices upon completion of the work. Family portraits, team, club and squad shoots et al are strictly ‘pay at time of shoot’ contracts.
So. A lot to think about. And whatever the decision. Make sure it’s the one that is right for you.
Best wishes
Phil
FREE wedding consultations
Congratulations to anyone who ‘popped the question’ over the festive season and got a “Yes” in reply.
At FILMAR Photography we provide FREE, no obligation and no hard sell, wedding photography consultations in the comfort of your own home. With no fear of unwanted and intrusive follow-up calls you can relax whilst browsing through our range of wedding books and albums while we listen to what type of wedding you are planning.
After all your questions have been answered, we walk away and leave you to reach a decision which is right for you. And… book before 31st March and your or 2013 or 2014 special day will be priced at 2012 prices.
Happy New Year and best wishes.
Phil & Janet Graham
Merry Christmas
Here’s wishing seasons greetings to all our clients past and present. Thank you, not just for your business, but in many instances, your new-found friendships. Phil & Janet Graham
“What can we get our Muriel for Christmas?”
“What can we get our Muriel for Christmas, darling?” Sometimes it’s not an easy question to answer, is it? So let’s think a bit differently this year! Think about a Family Portrait shoot… in the comfort of your own home. See our Gallery page for examples.
Get the children ready, along with grandad and grandma, and FILMAR Photography will take individual shots of each family member, couples, sibling groups and then the whole family together. Your pictures will then be presented on CD from which you choose a FREE 10ins x 8ins image to keep for yourself or to give away as a delightful gift for someone close. And all for just £75. Additional prints may be purchased at sizes and prices as displayed on our website and in our brochure.
NB: Book early to avoid disappointment as we can not guarantee delivery of your images if the shoot takes place after the 16th December. Payment in full is required at time of shoot.
Diversity is good…
Now that the main wedding season is drawing to a close, the decision to diversify some four years ago has long since proved correct. In this regard, check out Javeline (Building Envelope Specialist) on www.javeline-engineering.com who have today booked FILMAR Photography to provide brochure quality images of their building projects throughout Durham and Northumberland. Work starts next week.
By Royal Appointment…
Excellent HRH (Sophie, Countess of Wessex) photoshoot today with my friend Lawrence Conyers of Anson Corporate Media, doing the video. By Royal appointment, perhaps? Not quite! I’ve posted two or three stills from the event in the ‘Local Events’ section of the Gallery on this site. To see all the pictures log on to www.facebook.com/philmaharg and then click the blue link to my Filmar Photography business page.