A PR or promotional photo needs to tell a story and show the product/service at it's best. It also needs to connect with the audience and create a lifestyle desire.
Although it helps to have an idea of what you want to achieve from promotional photography, be open to ideas from an experienced photographer.
Some business owners cannot think creatively or visually. That's where our experience, creativity and vision comes in to make it happen!
When you have been doing Press & PR photography for this long (20 yrs), you get to know what works! We are not just there to mindlessly click or film, we lead the process. We are the image makers after all! From concept to publish and beyond!
Never underestimate the power of branding!
www.tracyhowl.com
Wednesday, 19 February 2014
Friday, 14 February 2014
The Black Mount of Glencoe
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| Black Mount copyright Tracy Howl |
This is another of my favourites from the journey home through Glencoe. The Black Mount is famous for it's triangular shape. I wanted to concentrate on the surface immersed in cloud and show where the relationship between the two become one.
Wednesday, 12 February 2014
Callanish Stones
My latest image from Scotland is the Callanish Stone Circle on Lewis where we went to watch the sunset. There are 3 circles all within walking distance from each other but this is the one near the visitor's centre. The sky was so delicate which added to the sublime experience at this sacred site.
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| Callanish Stone Circle copyright Tracy Howl 2014 |
And since posting on Flickr, this image made EXPLORE on 13 Feb 2014! Very happy that 2 images in 3 days have had so much attention! At 10am 14.2.14 there were 3491 views and 71 favorites.
For more information on my photographic work see my website www.tracyhowl.com
Some Thoughts on Explore
Today I achieved my goal to get one of my photos on Flickr Explore.
That's no big deal some may say, some who reach the top 500 a few times a week or month! Well it is a big deal to me. Because this is my first. And I'm sure when the regular achievers had their first, they were pretty excited too!
It reminds me of my first front page working for newspapers. It is special. Everyone wants front page. Flickr Explore is the front page! Yes I admit that once you continue to be published, it becomes an everyday thing. It is still nice though! Seeing your work in print!
I remember when Paul Clarke, my work colleague, made it on to Explore with his photo of Rain over London. We had photographed an event at Level 39 Canary Wharf during the day. While packing up, we were amazed at the view of the storm over London. We both photographed it. In different ways. Paul uploaded his pix to Flickr on the train. It went viral, reaching Reddit and Explore. The next day we were photographing a wedding together. At quiet times we would check the Flickr views. They crept up through the hundreds, then thousands, by the end of the wedding reception, views were over 100k! The power of the internet and people's curiosity! All in the 24 hours after capture and upload!
So back to me... I doubt very much my image will be as popular as Paul's. I don't particularly want it to be. By this image reaching Explore, it has done everything I wanted an image of mine to do. I didn't plan for this particular image to be so popular. In fact I am surprised although I like the image a lot, which is why when I saw the view from the window, I asked Terry to stop the campervan so I could capture it.
This is the image, taken at the side of Loch Lomond on the way home. Taking advantage of the last light of the day. The cloud was very low, hovering just above the surface of the water. The Loch barely visible through the veil of trees. This image is very personal to me. Each time I look at it, I feel the emotion, the energy and our connection to the landscape. The passing of Loch Lomond denotes the last dusk we would experience in Scotland and the close of our wonderful trip. A transition back to reality.
That's no big deal some may say, some who reach the top 500 a few times a week or month! Well it is a big deal to me. Because this is my first. And I'm sure when the regular achievers had their first, they were pretty excited too!
It reminds me of my first front page working for newspapers. It is special. Everyone wants front page. Flickr Explore is the front page! Yes I admit that once you continue to be published, it becomes an everyday thing. It is still nice though! Seeing your work in print!
I remember when Paul Clarke, my work colleague, made it on to Explore with his photo of Rain over London. We had photographed an event at Level 39 Canary Wharf during the day. While packing up, we were amazed at the view of the storm over London. We both photographed it. In different ways. Paul uploaded his pix to Flickr on the train. It went viral, reaching Reddit and Explore. The next day we were photographing a wedding together. At quiet times we would check the Flickr views. They crept up through the hundreds, then thousands, by the end of the wedding reception, views were over 100k! The power of the internet and people's curiosity! All in the 24 hours after capture and upload!
So back to me... I doubt very much my image will be as popular as Paul's. I don't particularly want it to be. By this image reaching Explore, it has done everything I wanted an image of mine to do. I didn't plan for this particular image to be so popular. In fact I am surprised although I like the image a lot, which is why when I saw the view from the window, I asked Terry to stop the campervan so I could capture it.
This is the image, taken at the side of Loch Lomond on the way home. Taking advantage of the last light of the day. The cloud was very low, hovering just above the surface of the water. The Loch barely visible through the veil of trees. This image is very personal to me. Each time I look at it, I feel the emotion, the energy and our connection to the landscape. The passing of Loch Lomond denotes the last dusk we would experience in Scotland and the close of our wonderful trip. A transition back to reality.
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| Loch Lomond through the trees - copyright Tracy Howl 2014 |
I am glad that other people like this image too. It makes me so very happy that my art can bring a smile, a sense of wonder and joy. This is why I take photographs. For a living and for pleasure.
At the time of publishing this, at 1am, there were 5279 views and 75 people had favorited it. I'm looking forward to seeing results in the morning. :)
This is the link to the Flickr page here..
Sunday, 9 February 2014
Love is the Ocean
Love is the ocean.
Small waves, ripples teasing, coming closer, running away.
Faster, coming closer, maybe a little nearer each time.
Running away faster.
One day a tidal wave consumes you, covers you, drowns you.
You can't breathe, you can't survive it.
Takes you away to an unknown place.
That's love.
Words & image copyright Tracy Howl
An excerpt from 5 Women About Love, a film I co-wrote in 2012
Image - Sunrise at Traigh Mor beach in Lewis, Scotland taken 9th Jan 2014
Monday, 27 January 2014
Immersed in the Light
In January I was so very lucky to be able to travel around Scotland and some of its Islands.
I went with my boyfriend Terry who was no stranger to these parts. My previous Scottish adventures consisted of a weekend crammed of a night in Edinburgh, a night at Stirling University, an STUC conference during the day and a brief walk around Glasgow on the way home! Not enough time to see the reality! Unlike this time!
I flew Luton to Inverness on the 4th Jan and was met by Terry who had driven his campervan from London through the night on New Year's Eve. We drove to Ullapool where our adventure really started. The rest of the trip consisted of sleeping in the van next to amazing beaches, next to Lochs, mountains, a hotel here and there, catching ferries to Isle of Lewis/Harris and Skye, climbing mountains, walking lots and generally seeing amazing landscapes before driving home on the 15th. 11 days of pure bliss!
I will write about the trip in more detail. What we did, where we stayed, what we saw. Most importantly I will write about how 2 people can survive in such a small confined space. Especially 2 people who like their own space!
We saw amazing sights. Amazing light. As a photographer of everything, I notice and use light, but when you are surrounded by such awesome landscapes, the light becomes everything. You become immersed in it. You become part of the landscape.
This photograph was taken on Luskentyre beach. We had stayed a couple miles up the road ready for an early start. We were rained on, hailed on, blown around on this beach. It was also very cold. Just watching the weather was like watching a performance on stage. Our own private performance. No one but us were on that beach. I have never seen a stage show like it! I probably never will! The clouds, like main characters, sashaying across the sky. The rain, like dancers pirouetting all around us. After the rain, came the light - a spotlight on the dunes allowing them to become centre stage!
I went with my boyfriend Terry who was no stranger to these parts. My previous Scottish adventures consisted of a weekend crammed of a night in Edinburgh, a night at Stirling University, an STUC conference during the day and a brief walk around Glasgow on the way home! Not enough time to see the reality! Unlike this time!
I flew Luton to Inverness on the 4th Jan and was met by Terry who had driven his campervan from London through the night on New Year's Eve. We drove to Ullapool where our adventure really started. The rest of the trip consisted of sleeping in the van next to amazing beaches, next to Lochs, mountains, a hotel here and there, catching ferries to Isle of Lewis/Harris and Skye, climbing mountains, walking lots and generally seeing amazing landscapes before driving home on the 15th. 11 days of pure bliss!
I will write about the trip in more detail. What we did, where we stayed, what we saw. Most importantly I will write about how 2 people can survive in such a small confined space. Especially 2 people who like their own space!
We saw amazing sights. Amazing light. As a photographer of everything, I notice and use light, but when you are surrounded by such awesome landscapes, the light becomes everything. You become immersed in it. You become part of the landscape.
This photograph was taken on Luskentyre beach. We had stayed a couple miles up the road ready for an early start. We were rained on, hailed on, blown around on this beach. It was also very cold. Just watching the weather was like watching a performance on stage. Our own private performance. No one but us were on that beach. I have never seen a stage show like it! I probably never will! The clouds, like main characters, sashaying across the sky. The rain, like dancers pirouetting all around us. After the rain, came the light - a spotlight on the dunes allowing them to become centre stage!
All rights reserved - Tracy Howl 2014
And then came another rainbow. Another reminder that Scotland would continue to wow us without notice.
Tuesday, 21 January 2014
Return to my World
Well that is what it feels like. A return to Pixel Vixen's world.
I've not been away. I've not been silent. Only on here.
I've been busy. Busy with photography and exhibitions. Busy with life, moving on. Busy moving forwards and upwards. Learning and growing.
2013 was quite a year. I may share some of it. Some of you will know all about it from Twitter, Facebook and some of you have been there with me all the way through it. Or some of it.
I left my part-time position of eCommerce Marketing Manager and Photographer almost a year ago. The knowledge that you can support yourself (and daughter) as a freelancer is very comforting. Of course I have my good friend and work colleague Paul to thank for that. For support, for work, for being there. A great team. Also I thank my clients.
I achieved my goals.....
I photographed Prince Charles, David Cameron, Boris, a long list of World Leaders. I photographed not so famous people who were so extraordinary, they left their mark on my existence.
One of my photographs was used as a poster on London Underground for the Royal Parks. Much bigger than I had hoped for!
I travelled. To the city I loved the first time I went and still continue to love. New York.
My daughter became an adult. What happened there? She has always been very mature and grounded. She has worked for the last 3 years, she got good grades in A'Levels. She will do well. I am happy!
I met someone I like a lot, who has similar interests. Unexpected. Nice. Very nice.
I made new friends in random places, on trains, via Twitter, on the street.
I learned a lot about existing friendships. That is all.
I told the world that I was Daisy Meadows. That it was me who won the London Photography Award in 2010. Some of the world knew. Some didn't care. It didn't matter. I was glad the 'secret' was out! I exhibited in Wolverhampton at the Lighthouse Media Centre. I was happy to take my work back to my roots. To where my inspirations and passion for photography started.
I was reminded of the actual picture I saw as a teen, which made me so desperately want to become a photographer. The cover of Nik Kershaw's The Riddle album. I finally went to a Nik Kershaw gig. I met Kim Wilde and Rick Astley. I'm an 80's girl.... what can I say? ;)
I learned a lot about myself. I failed. I survived. I succeeded. I set new goals.
These are the cobwebs I needed to clear...
I've not been away. I've not been silent. Only on here.
I've been busy. Busy with photography and exhibitions. Busy with life, moving on. Busy moving forwards and upwards. Learning and growing.
2013 was quite a year. I may share some of it. Some of you will know all about it from Twitter, Facebook and some of you have been there with me all the way through it. Or some of it.
I left my part-time position of eCommerce Marketing Manager and Photographer almost a year ago. The knowledge that you can support yourself (and daughter) as a freelancer is very comforting. Of course I have my good friend and work colleague Paul to thank for that. For support, for work, for being there. A great team. Also I thank my clients.
I achieved my goals.....
I photographed Prince Charles, David Cameron, Boris, a long list of World Leaders. I photographed not so famous people who were so extraordinary, they left their mark on my existence.
One of my photographs was used as a poster on London Underground for the Royal Parks. Much bigger than I had hoped for!
I travelled. To the city I loved the first time I went and still continue to love. New York.
My daughter became an adult. What happened there? She has always been very mature and grounded. She has worked for the last 3 years, she got good grades in A'Levels. She will do well. I am happy!
I met someone I like a lot, who has similar interests. Unexpected. Nice. Very nice.
I made new friends in random places, on trains, via Twitter, on the street.
I learned a lot about existing friendships. That is all.
I told the world that I was Daisy Meadows. That it was me who won the London Photography Award in 2010. Some of the world knew. Some didn't care. It didn't matter. I was glad the 'secret' was out! I exhibited in Wolverhampton at the Lighthouse Media Centre. I was happy to take my work back to my roots. To where my inspirations and passion for photography started.
I was reminded of the actual picture I saw as a teen, which made me so desperately want to become a photographer. The cover of Nik Kershaw's The Riddle album. I finally went to a Nik Kershaw gig. I met Kim Wilde and Rick Astley. I'm an 80's girl.... what can I say? ;)
I learned a lot about myself. I failed. I survived. I succeeded. I set new goals.
These are the cobwebs I needed to clear...
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