Even though we are in lock down its still great seeing my work featured in the local press. One being a new ish image and one being from years and years ago! 
I often forget to share some of these, it’s easy to not grab a copy of the paper or forget to screen grab. But these are really great things to get out there and something we should all be watching our clients social media channels for our work being featured. 
So, I have worked with Nicola from Mint Business Club for the last 8 years and have been featured all over the place. This last week or so it’s been because of the companies new director (Paul smissen). I have included a couple of places it went but not all. The maestro Keith Newman has got them some amazing coverage. 
The other news story is a new one featuring again a client I have had for pushing 10 years! Mark has been producing amazing music for years but this time he has outdone himself. By getting the support of Mark Knopfler he has released an amazing version of Local Hero in support of the NHS. He has already raised over £2500 and its only going wider!
https://markdeeksmusic.com/product/local-hero-piano-nhs/?fbclid=IwAR0QmXRpII9ACqRQI3zwhvt0HVXtU7R720oRdXqYG6lmyik4fldALr5L3sc
The photo included in this one that features Mark and a piano was taken for his album Lightburst. It involved lots of heavy lifting of said piano but the sun played ball and we got some stunning images.
So, a mini challenge for today is to go and hunt out the last time you were featured in the press and give me a tag. it would be great to see what you have been up too. 

TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY - PERU WEEK

PERU WEEK - DAY 1 You requested it so here we go into Peru week.
So back in 2010 we went on our honeymoon to the other side of the world. It was a very tight call between a few weeks in Peru or the sights of China. You can see what won out and it was an amazing experience. These two were taken on day 3 of the trip after some acclimatising in Lima, a flight to Cusco to drop off the Inca trail walkers, we flew on to a grass strip in the jungle (Puerto Maldonado) followed by 2 hours in a ‘bus’ to the river. Then 5 hours on a boat to the middle of the most stunning place I have ever been too. The banks of the Madre de Dios river deep in Tambopata Nature reserve. ( https://lnkd.in/eZNexUW ) From wild capybara, camen, tucans, saddleback tamarins to name just a few. We didn’t see giant otters or jaguars but to know they were close was just amazing. The photo of the boat has one of the most interesting people I have ever met, Delford, our guide. He was so knowledgeable and knew exactly where to go to see just a small amount of the wildlife that is out there. Its times like these being around true experts that you have to just smile and listen. I may have to write a few more of the crazy stories at some point

PERU WEEK - DAY 2 An amazing vibrant city with so much to see and do, Cusco is the gateway to the sacred valley and of course Machu Picchu. this was our home for a few days acclimatising and getting the feel of being around people again after the wildlife of the jungle. My memories include the colour of the whole city and crazy things like the alpacas, llamas and vicuna walking about the ruins! The altitude sickness did hit me hard but the cocoa tea eased after a few days. 

PERU WEEK - DAY 3 - OLLANTAYTAMBO Today we are drifting up the scared valley to the land of the terrace and an immeasurable amount of varieties of corn and potatoes. Can you spot the ruins of a storage room halfway up the mountain side?
This was a strange and historic place that made you contemplate the scale of this ancient civilisation. Our guide pointed out a neighbouring mountain (10 miles behind this photo) which was where some of the massive rocks we stood on were cut from. How these were moved felt like the age old question about the stones for the pyramids! After the hustle and bustle of Cusco (including the fun of Paddy’s ‘highest Irish bar in the world’ Tony Palmer) this was a serene experience.

PERU WEEK - DAY 4 - MACHU PICCHU
Yes, you all knew it was coming, after Lima, Puerto Maldonado, Cusco and the sacred valley, we got to see the place that we had always wanted to see.
We arrived in the afternoon to have a full guided tour of the whole site before the early morning start to seeing sunrise through the sun gate. My resounding memories of these days was both the serenity of the whole place but also how the photos I have seen of the ruins really don’t do it justice. This photo helps a little bit but if I was going back I would be looking to get much higher up the mountain to look down over the valleys neighbouring the site. 90 % of the photos you see are from the middle of the main site with Huayna Picchu in the background, this is still stunning but look at the drops on either side! I really didn’t appreciate the full location until I got there. Even now I try and always look for another angle or view that gets people thinking. 

PERU WEEK - DAY 5 - ON THE ROAD Well, I have enjoyed looking through some photos that I really should have done more with when I took them, there is a lesson there!
It’s easy, as I have proven to myself this last week or so, to forget how quickly memories return on seeing photo. This one, for example, was from a bus window and one of the last ones I took on route back to Lima. It feels like the end of the trip for me even though we did Tipon after. The symbolism of driving away from Machu Picchu and the sacred valley, leaving memories and smiles behind to face the flights back to the UK, bring back the feeling of ‘will I ever make it back?’. Now in my head, I have always known we will be back on that 12-hour flight from Madrid with the shakey door over the wing, but at this moment looking at the skies and the locals in their traditional attire I kinda wasn’t sure. this is a money thing, its the other side of the world so money is really the only barrier. Maybe I need to get through lockdown and get some more hashtag#travelphotography booked in! Have an awesome weekend. 

Covid-19 is going to change things. 

Well, life has changed a bit hasn’t it, here I sit writing a blog for the first time in ages. I have a fair bit of time on my hands without the ability to go out and shoot for my clients. That said, I have loads to offer you and we can still start the ball rolling for future projects. We can plan out your shoot and really make sure we have everything in place to deliver along with pushing the creative boundaries. 

I know we don’t currently know when we will be allowed to get back into some sort of normality, so there is no way I would be opening up my diary to have to change things. BUT my phone is always on and video chats are now the norm, we can still talk and plan. 

How does that sound? 

Would like a virtual meeting? Drop me a message on any of my platforms or email gavin@gavinforsterphotography.co.uk

This is tough times for us all, but I’m confident we can make it through and be stronger because of it. 

Remember to #staysafe

Social Distancing

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-on-social-distancing-and-for-vulnerable-people/guidance-on-social-distancing-for-everyone-in-the-uk-and-protecting-older-people-and-vulnerable-adults

For the last four years, I have had the pleasure of working with the Glowled team. Their lighting is used in such a range of locations from expansive warehouses to stables. I have seen the change the lights make with before and after setups, through to producing more detailed images for the products themselves. 

This diversity means I have had the opportunity to utilise my skills and specialist equipment to create images that allow Glowled to promote their services in industry-specific publications as well as their own case studies. 

Arzhang, the Lead Lighting Consultant, has kindly given me some feedback on our work thus far:

1. How would you describe your experience with Gavin?

Gavin is a great chap to work with, he is always happy to work around our customers, often-challenging time and access arrangements, sometimes working well into the night to make sure we have the images we want.

2. Were your needs and wants established early on, and did

he act on these?

Gavin is very quick to start trying to understand the outcomes you want from photography, and from this, he makes suggestions based on his experience. He is rarely, if ever, wrong or off the mark. Gavin also takes his time to ensure he captures as much as he can in the time available.

3. What do you think of the images produced? Are they high

quality? Are they what you asked for?

All of the images we receive from Gavin are high quality and are always what we’ve asked for, usually with extra images we haven’t requested that he has decided to shoot himself. Gavin has then explained how they can be used in other ways to supplement our marketing activities - and this is an invaluable resource when you’re trying to represent your business in the best possible light. No pun intended.

4. How do you think your business has benefited from having professional branding photography?

One of the largest benefits to our lighting upgrades are noticeable increases in both the amount of light and the quality of light. Without professionally shot, high-quality photographs, we would not be able to show potential customers how other businesses have benefited from an LED upgrade with our lighting.

Arzhang Tahmosybayat

abayat@glowled.com

GLOWLED

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Hutton Close, Crowther
Washington, Tyne & Wear, UK, NE38 0AH

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Tel: +44 (0)191 4197361  |  07828589153
Fax: +44 (0)191 4155055
Web: glowled.com