Alison Crown Photography » business photography

A Year in Pictures – January 2011

Alison Crown — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 11:52:47 +0000

This year I have given myself a project of collecting a picture for every day of the year. I take a lot of portraits with my work so the aim of this project is not just to improve my photography of people but also other subjects such as macro and landscapes. To see the rest of this month’s photos, please click on the link below.

31st January 2011 Couldn't resist these cherries. My favourite fruit.

30th Janary 2011 Rushed out to capture the sunset on Pinkneys Green, Berkshire.

29th January 2011 Practicing with a manual mirror lens.

28th January 2011 Spent the morning with Helen of www.lamapeach.com photographing next year's collection. These boots called Paige come in leather or suede and be available this Spring.

27th January 2011 We had lots of fun, games and treats to get this photo of Mabel.

26th January 2011 Making gift cards.

25th January 2011 Heard a noisy cat fight last night so was relieved to see our cat Tom in one piece this morning.

24th January 2011 I was photographing Paul Hay today who wanted a headshot for his website and social networking sites.

23rd January 2011 Got a cold!

22.01.2011 Got my daughter Nicky to stop for a photo just before she left for a party.

21st January 2011 We had friends over this evening so I opened this bottle of sparkling wine that was a gift from wedding clients who held their daughter's reception at the Vineyard in Hambleden, Oxfordshire. Thank you Peter and Becky.

20th January 2011 Another prop for the studio - a sensory ball that stretches and lights up!

19th January 2011 Met with Ute Wieczorek-King (above) and Mary Fraser today. These two ladies are a real inspiration. Among other things they are co-hosting an International Women's Day convention on Monday 7 March 2011, 18:00-20:00 at HSBC, Green Park, Reading

18th January 2011 A little snack for my friends Fiona and Julie who are coming for coffee today.

17th January 2011 We thought children coming to the studio would prefer Edward to wear something casual.

16th January 2011 We bought Bella as a partner for Edward bear in the studio.

15th January 2011 My daughter has donated Edward as a prop for my studio portraits.

14th January 2011 This lovely lady Clare Popplewell specialises in the Alexander Technique. She asked me to take a photo for her website www.clarefinzi.com

13th January 2011 Working on more wedding photos today. The bride and groom are my friends Helen and Charlie and the wedding was held before Christmas at Hall Place, Burchetts Green, Berkshire.

12th January 2011 Working on wedding photos today. Here is my favourite of the Groom and Best Man taken on New Year's Eve at the Sanctum on the Green, Cookham, Berkshire.

11th January 2011 Mint always reminds me of Summer and Pimms.

10th January 2011 Greek Basil which smells wonderful

9th January 2011 Bought some chives to inspire me to cook.

8th January 2011: I am following a blog where my friend's daughter Sarah tries one of his recipes per week. Waiting to see if she really can keep within 30 minutes! www.sierralimanovember.wordpress.com

7th Jauary 2011 We had a meal with our friends Jan and Ben today. I took this photo of them at their 25th wedding anniversary party last Summer.: 6th January 2011: The house looked bare without the Christmas decorations so I bought some flowers. The spider caught me by surprise when I saw it through the macro lens!

5th January 2011 My daughter bought me a Lovelinks bead today. Thank you Nicky. X

4th January 2011 Home-made cappuccino – yummy!

3rd January 2011 I love coffee so the family bought me a coffee maker for Christmas. The pods arrived today. They should keep me going for a while!

2nd January 2011 Some people would say I am living my creative dream but it doesn’t hurt to check every now and again. This book was recommended by my lovely friend Pat Naylor - www.madebypin.wordpress.com

1st January 2011 New year’s resolutions starting tomorrow due to a little bit of a headache thanks to yesterday’s wedding and then curry party hosted by our friends Jo and Alex!

Business Portraits for Social Media

Alison Crown — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 10:56:21 +0000

Gone are the days when the camera-shy could hide behind their desks. With the rise of social media and online networking means that practically all of us need to show our faces on the internet. Many people take their own photos and it’s not that difficult to spot – surprised expressions and raised shoulders can lead to an altogether uncomfortable-looking result.

I recently took a business portrait for Rachel Fletcher, a financial coach who is launching her own business. This week, I sent Catherine Osborn to interview her and find out how it went!

CO: What were you looking for in your business photo?

RF: I wanted a really great shot that would look professional whilst letting my character shine through. It needed to be personal.

CO: Why did you decide to go to a professional?

RF: Originally, my husband offered to take the picture and I thought about it seriously. He has a good camera and takes great family shots. I wanted something more businesslike though and I decided that it was worth making that investment as much of my online presence and branding will be built around this photo.

CO: Did you have any concerns or worries and did Alison put you at ease?

RF: Absolutely! I HATE having my photo taken, I’m totally unphotogenic. Alison quickly inspires confidence though and I just decided to relax and let her lead me through the whole process. She’d obviously thought through the process in advance – location, lighting etc. – and I was able to relax knowing that she could picture the final result in her head long before the picture was taken.

CO: Your hair and make-up looked great, who did it for you?

RF: Thanks! I did! I kept it simple – I don’t usually wear a lot of make-up but I went for foundation, mascara and a little lip-stick just to even out the skin tones. Alison advises people on her website to stick to their usual make-up routine, just to make it heavier and that’s sound advice.

For my hair, I just used lots of hairspray and that was it.

CO: What do you think of the photo?

RF: It’s absolutely fantastic and it’s already brought me tangible results. As soon as I put it on my LinkedIn profile, old contacts started to get in touch to say how much they liked it and I have regenerated some valuable business relationships as a result.

I don’t mind saying that Alison managed to shed a few pounds for me in the process! She achieved that by using careful positioning and lighting, rather than massive amounts of digital manipulation. In fact, the only adjustments she made were minor, to remove the odd blemish. She also used some really clever mind techniques so that when she was taking the photo, I was thinking about something I felt totally passionate about, and that comes through in the final picture.

When my husband saw the portrait, he just said, “Wow!” and I think that says it all.

CO: Do you have any advice for people needing a business portrait?

RF: Firstly, do go to a professional, it’s surprisingly affordable and yet, such a key component for your online brand.

When choosing your clothes, make sure they coordinate with the rest of your branding in terms of colour, style etc.

And finally, ask your photographer for a digital print that you can use however you wish – the last thing you need to be worrying about is copyright. It will cost a little bit more than a single print but you can use it again and again.

Rachel Fletcher is the founder of Rachel Fletcher Associates Ltd, Executive Coaching for Finance Managers.

As a Finance Director working in a Global FMCG working with Sales, Marketing and Operations teams, Rachel has specialised in bringing Finance expertise to the heart of business. She is passionate about helping Finance professionals transform into Business Leaders. Rachel Fletcher can be contacted via LinkedIn.

Catherine Osborn is a freelance writer who helps to take the pain out of creating well-written, compelling copy. Find out more at catherineosborn.wordpress.com.

Thames Valley Businesswomen Collaborating for Success

Alison Crown — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 12:28:59 +0000

Berkshire-based Success Network, a business support network for women, has recently linked up with Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce and Business Link to allow its members to tap into a valuable new source of business support and this week, I went along to the Hilton in Reading to meet the ladies involved and take some publicity shots.

L-R: Mary Fraser (Success Network), Ginette Gower (Thames Valley Chamber), Ute Wieczorek-King (Success Network), Henrietta Bailey (BusinessLink), Shemila Tharani (BusinessLink).

Success Network has recently announced that collaboration is its theme for 2010 but the concept is not a new one. In 2009, one of the group’s Inner Circles (peer-support business clubs), of which I’m a member, worked together to produce an e-book of success ‘recipes’ to inspire other women who are starting out in business. We’re not profiting from this book, which is available to download free of charge from the Success Network website.

Can Lorna solve your admin problems?

Alison Crown — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 11:01:15 +0000

Lorna Weller has recently launched herself as a virtual assistant. She is also a Mum, a great friend and the most camera shy person I know! After a cup of tea and a bit of persuasion that even at 40+ she really did need a photo of her on her website I found a spot in my garden and took this image. It certainly makes her more approachable than the arty shot of a pot of pencils she was going to ‘hide’ behind!

Read on and you will see as well as having a wonderful bubbly personality Lorna has a wealth of experience in business so please bear her mind the next time you need a solution to your admin problems. You can call her on 07940 198980 or email lorna.weller@googlemail.com

Where were you born?

Greenock, Scotland and I still feel as excited as I did as a child any time I go “north of the border”.

Where do you live?

Bourne End, Bucks – living by the Thames calls to me on a summer’s day.

Favourite Place to Eat?

Now I’ve reached 40+ I try to arrange a real treat once or twice a year and Sunday lunch at Cliveden has proved a great favourite – combining the grandeur and luxury of the dining experience with such a lovely setting and the choice of following lunch with a stroll through the grounds, or tea in the library.

What do you do?

After working for the last 18 years as a senior PA at a subsidiary of ICI in Slough where I joined to work for the Managing Director, I was made redundant at the beginning of the year. I have really enjoyed having some time out and am now setting up as a Freelance PA / Virtual Administrator. I am finding that my vast experience of office procedures, PC skills and event management are just as useful to small local businesses. I love the diversity of working with different small businesses, by helping with their admin, routine or otherwise, it frees them up to do what they do best, and of course I love the flexibility it gives me. I can be contacted at lorna.weller@googlemail.com.

What is your favourite movie?

Out of Africa – I’d let Robert Redford wash my hair any day!

Favourite Food?

Dare I say mint chocolate chip ice cream, but to prove I do have some sophistication my favourite drink is definitely champagne.

Best piece of advice?

Always smile when answering the phone – even if you can’t be seen the tone is instantly set.

What was the last book you read?

An hilarious booked called “I don’t know how she does it”; about a city broker juggling life as a working mother. It was full of recognisable situations in a working mother’s life.

What is your favourite holiday destination?

Where do I start? – I had the most amazing time on a safari in Kenya which literally was a dream come true. A couple of years ago I had a wonderful holiday with a couple of best friends and our kids at a villa in Spain – just playing in the pool all day or snoozing in the olive grove – bliss! But I couldn’t possibly not mention Scotland with all its rugged beauty.

What do you hate most?

The increase in gun/knife crime, and the fact that so many kids get involved in alcohol/drugs – it’s a huge worry for parents. We do, however, have to learn to let them go although we will always worry about them.

What do you value most?

My friends. Childhood friends – we have supported each other through our own teens, marriages, divorces, children. Local friends I’ve met through the children’s schools and friends from my marriage that I see infrequently but nevertheless still have a strong bond with.

Who or What has been the biggest influence on your life?

My mother – although she died when I was only 10 I think of her as a real go-getter. In her youth she played hockey for Scotland, was a county tennis and badminton player and loved mountain climbing (something I’d be absolutely terrified to do). She was a Land Girl during WW2 and I wish she’d lived long enough to share her memories with me. I know she wouldn’t take no for an answer, thought there was a solution to every problem and was always positive. Unfortunately, she died aged 45 of breast cancer before they had the treatments they do now. I try to remain true to some her beliefs and principles.