Kent Commercial Photography

Your Commercial Photography Questions Answered

• How many days of photography do we need to allow?

  It all depends on how much you want photographed and how quickly we can get through it all.  Some things take longer than others-if you need to arrange a fleet of vehicles for a single shot, this can take much longer than a whole series of breakfast table shots for a B&B, for example.

  I suggest, as a guide, that if you just want your website illustrated and have a nice collection of extra photos to keep in stock then you should start with a day.  On the otherhand, if you have very limited shots that you need it may be that these can be done in little more than a couple of hours.  I offer flexible hourly, half day and daily rates so you only pay for the time you actually need me.  We can then review what we’ve got and if you want more, no problem.

• What do your clients say about you?

  "Hi Alex,

  Thank you so much for the amazing images of our pub – they are truly fantastic and went over and above the criteria outlined, exactly what we need.

  We have been incredibly impressed by your images from the London job and this one and would absolutely be delighted to work with you on more jobs going forward."

  Kathryn Tye, Corporate Comms Manager, Shepherd Neame

  'Alex was great to work with, always professional, organised, flexible and was able to work well alongside videographers and untrained models including children. 

  The images and moments he captured for us were exactly what we wanted - authentic, emotive and showcasing our experiences and landscapes perfectly."

  Charlie Lewis, Marketing Officer, Kent Downs AONB.

  "I enormously enjoyed working with Alex.  He is truly a professional photographer, not only brilliant at landscapes but also very good at working with people. I have enjoyed every picture ever since on a personal and professional level. When I have a budget again for photography I would without a moments hesitation ask Alex to help me do the project."

  Christine Dier, Maidstone Borough Council Tourism Dept

  "Alex was extremely professional and worked really well with all the non-professional models we used. I wouldn't hesitate to work with him again or recommend his work to others."

  Kathryn Hearnden, Marketing Officer, Visit Canterbury

  "I have worked with Alex Hare for more than seven years, initially on VisitEngland commissions including B2B photography for the accommodation and visitor attraction sector (print and online) and event photography.

  His understanding and interpretation of each brief was excellent and the quantity and quality of images supplied from each shoot regularly exceeded our expectations."

  Pam Foden, Pam Foden Associates.

• How much do you cost?

  You hire me by the hour for £75.00 for very short or quick jobs.  For bigger jobs, my daily rate is from £600.00 and a half-day is £350, plus expenses such as travel and subsistence.

  Depending on the shoot, I may have to factor in some post production time.  Shoots that generate a lot of images or which need extensive post production work require more time to be factored in for this editing.  I'll be able to give you a good idea of this aspect once we talk about what's involved.

• What can we expect from you if we hire you?

  I used to be a commercial lawyer and whilst I’m glad to be free from all that now I’m still meticulous with detail, well organised and very structured in how I go about planning your photography.  Photography is arty and fun for me but only because underpinning that is sound research, planning and preparation done alongside you.

  So, you can expect from me:

  • a full marketing and brand photography planning meeting where we hammer out what you need your photography for and what you need it to do for you.
  • Close communication with you or your nominated person for sorting out the details involved in pre-shoot planning
  • Provision of Public Liability insurance cover.
  • All editing and post production of images and supply of multiple shots and variations so you have plenty of choices.
  • Images provided in low, web resolution, and a hi res copy for your in-house library.
  • Staff portraits in either a studio or location setting.

• Will good photography improve my business sales?  

  There's no gurantee, but, yes; almost certainly.

  For example, research by Trip Adviser and Booking.com in their area of industry (selling accommodation) showed that when showed two photos of the same accommodation,one by an amateur the other by a pro, the price people were prepared to pay was almost double for the shots by the pro.  Therefore, good Photography can make a huge difference to how your business is perceived and the price point associated with what you offer.

  Another good point is this; if you have invested time and money in a good website and brochure design and written good punchy text, why are you going to undermine this all with poor photography when that is the first thing anyone will see and judge you by when they land on your website? 

  People see and react to images first-why else do newspapers have huge pictures on their front page?  If your pictures are poor people will make immediate negative assumptions about your business and it’s level of quality.  And just hit the back button within a few seconds.

  With good, professional photography your business will look as good as it deserves to.  You will also have a handy stock of images you can use in future without having to commission someone regularly.

• Why are you a good choice of photographer?

  Your photography should not be generic; instead it should give your business an identity and a ‘look’ and ‘feel’ that compliments your branding and how you want people to experience what you do in a poositive way. 

  I will produce photographs of your business that are bespoke and tailored to you and what you do.  This will help your PR & marketing materials have some life and a strong identity with the people in your business who will be dealing with your customers.  I'm experienced at working on location and with people and I ensure you receive a collection of photographs that will give your business a range of options for illsutrating and showing people what you do well through your website and other printed materials or marketing work.

• What is Your Policy on Safeguarding?

  Safeguarding policy statement 

  February 2023

  Safeguarding Lead: Alex Hare

  Contact: 07900 576 071

  The purpose of this document is to articulate how safeguarding is embedded into the working practices and the activities conducted by Alex Hare in the course of his work.

  The purpose and scope of this policy statement 

  The safeguarding needs of the children, young people and vulnerable adults I may from time to time work with or come into contact with through my is at the heart of my ethical values, safety measures and social responsibility measures.

  The purpose of this policy statement is: 

  to protect children, young people and vulnerable adults who receive my services from harm. This includes the children of adults who use the services.

  to provide staff, professional associates and any volunteers, as well as children and young people and their families, with the overarching principles that guide my approach to safeguarding. 

  Legal framework 

  This policy has been drawn up on the basis of legislation, policy and guidance that seeks to protect children and vulnerable adults in England/Northern Ireland/Scotland/Wales. 

  Supporting documents 

  This policy statement should be read alongside my organisational procedures, guidance and any other related documents relating to: 

  • role description for the designated safeguarding officer 
  • dealing with disclosures and concerns about a child or young person 
  • managing allegations against staff and volunteers 
  • recording concerns and information sharing 
  • child protection records retention and storage 
  • health and safety 

  I believe that: 

  • people should never experience abuse of any kind 
  • in particular we all have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all children and vulnerable adults
  • to keep them safe and to practise in a way that protects them. 

  I recognise that: 

  • the welfare of children and vulnerable adults is paramount in all the work I do and 
  • all children and vulnerable adults, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation have an equal right to protection from all types of harm or abuse.
  • some children and vulnerable adults are additionally vulnerable because of the impact of previous experiences, their level of dependency, communication needs or other issues 
  • children and vulnerable adults can present to me in the course of my work either directly or indirectly with signs or specific messages around sufferning or abuse they may be receiving

  and I am committed to helping them and supporting them in the first instance to be safe and to communicate the issues to a appropriate authority to support and further help them.

  
  I will use to keep children and vulnerable adults safe by: 

  • valuing, listening to and respecting them 
  • committing to helping them in the first instance and until a appropriate authority can undertake their care and safety

  The process that I will use to refer any instances of concern will be to take all reasonable steps to make the person safe in the first instance, report their concerns to a appropriate adult, organisation or emergency service, and assume responsibility for their care until such time as a appropriate adult or authorty can take over.

• What is your Ethical Standards Policy?

  Ethical Standards Policy

   

  The core purpose of this policy is to state how my business can demonstrate show positive outcomes in the context of:

   

  financial accountability

  community engagement

  business professionalism 

   

  Introduction

   

  Alex Hare Photography was founded to provide businesses with an outstanding photographic service that enabled them to represent themselves in the best possible way  to their existing and future clients as a means to grow themselves a business.

   

  As a Sole Trader, I uphold a range of personal, ethical and sustainability impact standards which drive the decisions I make to run my business around this core objective.

   

  My work often brings me into contact with a wide range of people and organisations and I am passionate about maintaining high levels of client care and integrity of my various services in terms of price, quality, quantity and provision.

   

  Accountability for Ethical Issues

   

  I strive for accountability for the standards in this policy through a process of regular review, CPD training in this area and assessment against objective benchmarks from national and regional government.

   

  On a practical level, I do this by ensuring open and constructive feedback from clients and partners in all my work. I also welcome an open environment for constructive criticism to ensure continuous improvement and to seek ways to enhance my company's services through feedback questionnaires at the end of each project undertaken.

   

  Equality & Diversity

   

  It is important to me that my work can make a positive contribution to making society a fairer place for everyone and my work is undertake consistent with national laws and best practice standards in this area.

   

  I do this by supporting the representation of people of different ages, genders, ethnicity and sexuality in my work and consistent with my clients’ own policies in this respect.

   

  Embedding Values with Associates and Sub Contractors

   

  I take all reasonable measures to ensure that people I work with, associates I engage or sub contract to are aware of my standards and agree to adopt them into their own working practice in undertaking work alongside me. 

   

  I do this by verifying the people I work with have existing policies that are consistent with mine and can demonstrate they implement them through their work and any references that may be sought or required. 

   

  Financial Probity and Standards

   

  It has always been important to me to run a verifiably successfully business and use professionally qualified external accountants to ensure financial stability and accurate information is held in this regard.

  This means I can produce complete accounts for my business showing it is financially sustainable and carefully administered in this regard.

   

  Social Responsibility Standards

   

  I believe businesses can use their work to help make the world a better place. 

   

  The outdoors is my passion and source of inspiration for much of what I do and who I work with. 

   

  To support this and contribute towards sustaining it for future generations, I take the following steps:

   

  I donate 5% of profits from my Whitstable Photographic Co. brand to a local charity focussing on maritime environmental issues.

   

  I also co own Tripod Travels tours and a portion of all our profits is donated to carbon offset schemes to mitigate the impact of the travel and CO2 emissions by us and our clients for each trip. 

   

  I volunteer my time by serving on the Board of a local charity, Whitstable Maritime (Reg Charity No. 1171563). We are restoring the last Oyster Yawl built in Whitstable to a working ship for the community to enjoy using and promote the use of our nationally recognised Whitstable Coastal Trail in support of helping people enjoy healthy and rewarding lives. 

   

  I support the charity in both my capacity as a photographer and a local business with the funds I raise through my work. This ensures that my business interests can sit alongside my desire to use my business as a means to help support my local community.

   

  I also practice and encourage other people through my workshops to go further than the idea of ‘leave no trace’ from any visit to the outdoors. I do this by leading by example and collecting at least one piece of litter from every landscape I visit and disposing of it in a designated place for proper collection. The idea behind this initiative is that we can, as individuals, leave a place cleaner than it was when we arrived and, collectively, make a positive impact on reducing harmful waste in our eco systems and natural environments.