Just a quick reminder to check out my business page on Facebook for all the very latest news and gossips here from Clive Blair Photography.
Well believe it or not but it’s been 2 years today since my first blog post and it’s hard to believe how much has changed in just one year, never mind 2! This time last year I said that I’d be blogging more about me, so you can all get to know the real Clive Blair, but since then Facebook entered the scene and that where I now post all my personal ramblings. So my apologies to anyone who has been looking here to discover what makes me tick. Feel free to head over to Facebook and send me a “friend request” at: www.facebook.com/cliveblair, and while you’re there, why not become a fan of my business page at www.facebook.com/cliveblairphotography?
So what are my plans for the next year? I’ve got my eye on a few projects, one in particular that I’d like to use as a spring board to add a new photographic style to my work. Of course I’ll not say anything more as firstly, it’ll take a while to perfect and secondly, because walls have ears and the world needn’t know till the time is ready.
So if you want to know what it is then keep checking back here or head over to Facebook.
Anyway, a big thank you to all who take the time to read my blog and look at my images. I look forward to posting some further great images over the next 12 months.
Like last year, as a thank-you gift for your loyalty, here are a few quick quips: (try saying that quickly with a mouth full!!)
1) A dog is truly a man’s best friend. If you don’t believe it, just try this experiment. Put your dog and your wife in the boot of the car for an hour. When you open the boot, who is really happy to see you?
2) A woman came home, screeching her car into the driveway, and ran into the house. She slammed the door and shouted at the top of her lungs, “Honey, pack your bags. I won the lottery!” The husband said, “What should I pack, beach stuff or mountain stuff?” ”Doesn’t matter,” she said. “Just get out.
3) And finally…I wish to die peacefully in my sleep, like my grandfather, not panicking like his passengers.
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Just had some great news: One of my images will be used for the front cover of the April issue of “West Midlands Your Wedding” bridal magazine. So look out for it in the shops soon. Once its published also I’ll post a link here for you to see it in all its glory!
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I can’t forget meeting and booking Stephanie and Edward. We first met early in the day the National Wedding Show NEC last October, and twice they came back during the day to discuss a few more questions on their minds. Now, I’m a very laid back sort of person so I didn’t want to appear too pushy by asking “So, would you like to book?” as I wanted them to feel comfortable with my answers. Then they came back again, right at the very end of the show!! Well now I though ‘let me ask the obvious question that I perhaps should have asked earlier’: “So, would you like to book?” “Yes” was Edward’s straight reply. As we were filling in the booking form I remember the announcer saying “The Wedding Show is now closed please make your way to the exits. Thank you for visiting today”
So the time has come for their pre-wedding shoot, and since they’re getting married in April at Patshull Hall, it made sense to meet there for their shoot. Due to circumstance we literally only had 5 mins for the photo session but never the less a great time was had.
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Jenna and Graham are getting married in April down in Kent so we got together in Malvern, where they live for their pre-wedding shoot. We had fun battling the weather with the fog up the Malvern Hills, and just before I had to leave we found a lovely garden area where we managed to shoot for about 5 mins to get a few personal images.
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Danielle and Marco are getting married next month at the Hotel du Vin in Birmingham so we’d arranged for their pre-wedding shoot in the grounds of an old hunting lodge, in Droitwich, where her sister lives.
We had a great time just walking around the lodge, taking a few photos then walking and chatting about their wedding plans, so much so that the time flew by.
Here’s a slideshow of a few of my favourite images:
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Danielle and Marco, I look forward to photographing your wedding next month, which I know will be a great time too.
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2010 brings in a new year and new plans for Clive Blair Photographer, amongst them is to be better streamlined and organised behind the scenes. So after testing out the competition, I’ve chosen some new studio management software specifically designed for photographers called Light Blue: Photo.
Using it will mean I can provide a better customer service, as it’ll keep all of my information in one place, and mean I can finally do away with paper diaries, spreadsheets and pieces of paper floating around on the desk!
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So following on from the “2 Enquries Dilemma” mentioned here, under what circumstances would I hold date?
Imagine Bride A rang and said “I’d like to book you” There are 2 options available. 1) Secure the date over the phone by paying the Retainer Fee with a card, then I can send the Booking Form to be returned or 2) I can send a Booking Form to be returned with the Retainer Fee cheque.
In the above senarios I would hold the date (for a reasonable amount of time e.g. 7 days) while waiting for the details to be returned. Under those circumastance I’d consider myself now booked for the date, so if Bride B enquired about the same day then I’d not be available as I’ve got a firm provisonal booking, but would still let Bride B know that should things change and Bride A changes her mind, I’d be able to let her know within a week or so, at the latest.
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From time to time I come across the dilemma of 2 people interested in the same date. As I only ever book one wedding per day, I’d never attempt to cover both and I don’t employ another associate photographer to shoot for me. So what should I do?
Imagine the situation: Bride A is interested in booking me for July 4th, but doesn’t book me at the first meeting as she’s seeing other photographers. In the meantime Bride B phones and asks if I’m free for July 4th and would like to book a meeting.
Just thought I’d share what I and other professional photographers do in this situation and why. My general policy is that I never hold dates while someone decides whether I’m the photographer for them. The only way to secure a date is with a Retainer Fee , currently of £250. Simply put: The first past the post with their fee books me!
So in the situation above I’d tell Bride B that I am free. Which means that if she decides to book me on the spot, I’d then no longer be available for Bride A.
It may sound simple/harsh depending on your point of view. But here’s why professional photographers follow this same general policy.
If I’d promised to hold July 4th for Bride A and decided to give her 7 days to get back to me also telling her that I’d let her know if anyone else is interested in July 4th, what if I can’t get in touch with Bride A when Bride B enquires? Bride B will decide to go elsewhere because I can’t confirm my availability. Then, what if Bride A finally decides not to book. In the end I’ve lost both bookings!! Or if I did get in touch with Bride A it could come across as pressure selling, forcing her to decide there and then, when she may have other things on her mind! I don’t like that happening to me so I’d never put someone else in that situation.
You may think: “But what are the chances of 2 people asking about the same date? Believe me, it happens many, many times, especially for the months from May to Sept!!
You may have noticed that I said above that this is my general policy, ie. are there any circumstances when I would hold a date? Yes! Check back in a few days to find out under what circumstances.
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Though I’d share a couple of images from a personal job I’ve been given to do by some friends to restore a couple of damaged prints. If you have have any damaged prints you’d like restored just let me know.
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I finally found a few mins to go out and record a few personal images of the snow in my local park here in Birmingham.
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Here are few dates for your diary. I’ll be exhibiting at the following confirmed wedding fayres over the coming few months:
Wed 3rd March 2010 – Walsall Football Club, Walsall – 6:00pm -9:00pm
Fri 5th – Sun 7th October 2010 – National Wedding Show, NEC Birmingham, Stand D15 – Fri & Sat 10:00am – 6:00pm / Sun 10:00am -5:00pm
Wed 10th March 2010 – The Moat House, Acton Trussell – 6:00 – 9:00pm
Wed 17th March 2010 - The Paragon Hotel, Digbeth – 6:00 – 9:00pm
Wed 24th March 2010 – The Premier Suite, Cannock – 6:00 – 9:00pm
Wed 31st March 2010 – Ramada Jarvis, Sutton Coldfield- 6:00 – 9:00pm
Wed 14th April 2010 – Holiday Inn, Birmingham Airport – 6:00 – 9:00pm
Wed 12th May 2010 – Highbury Hall, Moseley – 6:00pm-9:00pm
Web 26th May 2010 – St. John’s Hotel, Solihull
Feel free to drop by to say hello, as most are free to attend. Also you’ll get to see some of my latest albums that I’ll be displaying.
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I’ve just had the following great e-mail sent from Jennie and Michael who’s wedding I covered back in July, at Sutton Town Hall.
Hi Clive
I`m a bit slow doing it, but now that Christmas is behind us for another year I just wanted to take the time to say thank you so much for our beautiful album. It was well worth the wait. Our friends and family are really impressed with the story book album.
I am so glad that we didn`t skimp on the cost of a first class photographer because when all of the planning and the event itself is over the photos are what you`ve got left to hang on to and recall the day.
You really have left us with a stunning visual diary of the day and although right now the memories are still clear, I`m sure in years to come when the old grey cells need a bit more prompting we`ll have only to turn the pages of the album to relive the day.
Thank you again
Jennie and Michael Yearwood
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What do wedding photographers get upto on their “days off”?
When not shooting a wedding on the weekend do we lounge around living the rockstar lifestyle ? If only!! Here’s a bit of background info on what really happens: http://www.ispwp.com/the-secret-life-of-wedding-photographers.html
What’s not included in the chart is my life outside of work and for me that’s another big chunk of time, because one of my mottoes in life is: ” Don’t live to work, but work to live!!” Because, as much as I enjoy wedding photography and love the challenge and the thrill of recording someone’s special day and wouldn’t change anything if you paid me, life for me is too precious to spend working 24/7. I like to making sure I can slow down to smell the roses/coffee.
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Well it’s that time of the year again to reminisce about what happened during the last year, and what a great year it was with some fantastic memories, not least of which included a wedding in the Caribbean!!
Well here’s a 5+ min slideshow to show you just a few of the wedding highlights I’ve had the privilege of being a part of. Hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed photographing each event.
Click the link below to start and wait a few seconds for it to load. Be warned too that music is included, so you may want to adjust the volume up/down/off depending on where you’re viewing the slideshow
If you want to view each image at your leisure there’s a “Browse Gallery View” button at the bottom right of the slideshow.
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