It has been a phenomenal year here at Made Portraits over the last 12 months. I have been delighted to meet so many new faces and also to welcome in so many past clients for their second visits. I’ve even even had a couple in for their third. The studio celebrates its 3rd Birthday in just 4 weeks time and I couldn’t be happier with what it has achieved in the last 35 months.
104 Photographic Awards since the studio opened in 2013, 7 of which were Gold Awards
Shortlisted for Maternity Photographer of the Year 2013 (SWPP)
2 Images Shortlisted for Image of the Year 2014 (Guild of Photographers)
Voted Top 10 Children/Family Photographer of 2014 (Guild of Photographers)
Voted Top 10 Wedding Photographer of 2014 (Guild of Photographers)
Achieved Associate-ship qualification in 2014 (SWPP)
Finalist in the Somerset Business Awards 2015 in Marketing and Promotion
Shortlisted for Advertising Photographer of the Year 2015 (SWPP)
The studio continues to grow thanks to its unique take on family portraits. I love to capture families in a way that truly shows their personalities and that results in some truly wonderful images. The quirky style that Made Portraits offers truly helps me stand out from the crowd and I could not be more proud of what my wife and I have built.
So what of 2016? Well the studio will obviously continue to deliver the high level of creativity in the Family Sessions that has got us to where we are today. We hope this will help us add to the many amazing awards achieved up till now.
The variety of experience vouchers on offer grew last year and the plan is to add 2 new packages this year as well.
The first new package will be the Fine Art Kids Photography experience.
This is definitely a break away from the normal quirky style Made Portraits is known for but I love how this style really focuses on the beauty of children. The images truly lend themselves to a number of the Made Portraits products as they are the definition of wall art. The studio may be known for the fun interactive images you’ve seen over previous years but not everyone is looking for that and so my hope is that this appeals to a new set of parents. The studio will only ever shoot 2 Fine Art Kids shoots a week to allow me to be able to spend the necessary time working on each image for viewing so spaces are limited.
The second package will be launching in the spring. I am incredibly excited about this experience being made available but I won’t say anymore than that, other than keep an eye out! It’s going to be awesome!
At the beginning of 2015, I made the decision to take a break from wedding photography. I shot my last wedding back in September and with a clear diary (wedding wise), I am now really excited to be booking weddings again.
I have changed the way my pricing works and rather than doing ‘packages’ that don’t really fit the requirements of any couple completely, I’ve done something different. Each couple can bespoke build their own package and actually get what they want. Simple. I’m delighted to now be a preferred supplier of the Bishops Palace in Wells and am in discussions with another venue locally as well. I only ever book up to 10 weddings in a year and although I’m not really thinking about 2016 for bookings, availability will obviously be limited if looking at 2017.
I am sad to say that the Lemon Babies project will come to an end in 2016. The final client will be coming in to participate around May/June time and that will be my own daughter Hannah. Up until then, I will endeavour to do 2 days a month. The dates will be announced on the Facebook page so keep an eye out if you have someone you would like to volunteer.
I have really loved the Lemon Babies project and am so thankful to each and every participant. Deciding to finish the project has been a tough decision and I’m honestly struggling with it even now but I am desperately working on the next project which I will hope to launch a couple of months after.
In 2015, Movember Portraits took a break. I was going to do another self portrait project but with the studio being so busy, it simply wasn’t possible but in 2016, there is a possibility that Movember Portraits will RETURN! I can’t say more than that for now but if I can make it work, its Movember Portraits… it’s going to be quirky!
At the beginning of December, I was delighted to find out I had been Shortlisted for Advertising Photographer of the Year 2015 with the SWPP. The results will be announced at the end of January at an Awards Dinner in London for which I nervously await. In 2016, I am really looking forward to working with some new businesses throughout Somerset and I can’t wait to create some amazing imagery with them.
In September, we finally managed to bring you the latest addition to the Made Portraits product range, the Echo. This product is truly something different. The state of the art LED panel that’s within this stunning frame create a perfectly even glow across the image and is truly unlike anything you’ll have seen before. I am really excited to see what clients do with the Echo over the next 12 months and how it will transform peoples homes. This is a product that is Art by Day and light by night.
So that’s the lot. 2 new packages to launch; wedding diary now open; new commercial and advertising work; a favourite project to bring to a close; a loved project potentially to return; a new fun project to launch and more of the fun family portraits we absolutely adore!
Thank you to to everyone for your support over the last 3 years. I can’t wait for 2016 to get going and I hope to see many of you in the next few months. Happy New Year.
Memories fade… a Made Portrait lasts a lifetime.