Photography students from Stratford-upon-Avon College have partnered with local businesses to create promotional photography for use across the clients’ digital platforms.
Students have partnered with five local business to conceptualise, shoot and edit a series of photographs that will be used to promote each stores’ brand and products as part of their Working with Clients module. The businesses include Cosy Chic Pet Boutique, Lush, White Light Gallery, Magic Alley and Everyman Cinema.
All businesses involved were excited and enthused to be part of such a collaboration. Zoe, trainee Manager at Lush commented: “Lush as a store is invested in building a community and to share local voices. We are happy to support students however we can; allowing them to use us as a platform.”
Ali Glover, Manager at White Light Gallery, discussed why he and owner and artist, Louis Sidoli are interested in working with the students: “Louis is very collaborative and loves taking ideas from others. We were also both students once with a background in photography so are really interested in working with young people.”
The students started by visiting each business and gathering ideas
Students began by conducting initial meetings with each business to find out about each company and to explore what type of images they could consider creating. The students came away with inspiration and were really enthused to be working with clients. Student Daisy Perry commented: “It is more pressure working with clients. In college classes there are parameters and work is set, whereas with clients there is potential for anything! There are different expectations and it’s really exciting to see the clients reaction to your ideas.”
Each group organised and ran photography shoots, some studio based and some on location. This really tested the students organisational and operational skills and each group had unique decisions to make.
For the White Light Gallery team, that entailed a night shoot to utilise the neon light features artist Louis Sidoli uses. The Everyman Cinema crew worked around customers during the opening hours and screening times of the cinema. For the Cosy Chic Pet Boutique group that included working with animals!
The students had lots of different factors to contend with on their photo shoots
Student Chloe Edwards enjoyed this element very much, commenting: “This project is just something really different and it appeals to all of us on the team as we all have dogs at home. But a dog can be unpredictable, so it is a very unique client to work with!”
After weeks of hard work, planning and creation, the students created their final pieces for each business to use as marketing material.
To see more of the work created by the students, visit their Instagram page and follow @suacphotography.
