What is an idea worth!

Professional photography, stock and assignment, is about sharing ideas to help you get the best pictures for your project.

The most satisfying part of assignment photography is working with you and having input into how to photograph a subject to best illustrate your concept. Taking additional pictures, after we've shot to a layout or captured the image you request, can often lead to other pictures that will be selected for use in the project. Let me work with you to ensure you have just the right picture and at a price that will keep you within budget.

Frequently stock pictures are selected for stand alone illustration but don't overlook combining stock pictures to create that special image to illustrate your concept.
The magazine cover below is a combination of two photographs the butter and the belt. The butter was cinched in in Photoshop. Then the belt was added and finally the background was created in Photoshop. Two stock pictures were combined for the photo illustration to the right.

How unique is your trade show booth?

I just returned from the Outdoor Farm Show and as my business is photography I look to see who is using my pictures and how well they are being used. I also like to see the displays of other vendors.
I was pleased to see the Ontario Dairy Goat Cooperative display. A fresh, graphics rich, display which included a few of my pictures along with other pictures from the Goat Coop's library. All were well printed and and the display is well designed.
I was surprised to find three displays all using the same pig photograph, not one of mine. While the vendors were for different industries it does point out the value of knowing who else might be using the same picture. Even though we may license a picture for non exclusive use we do track the history of images so we can avoid conflicting uses.
I was amazed to see that a client is continuing to use pictures licensed in 1999. This is within the terms arranged on the original license but after numerous trade shows the display is looking tired . I imagine the first sign of a display being well past it's best before date is that the staff that man the booth might be uninspired and visitors to the trade show will have seen the display many times before.
Having invested a considerable amount in space at a trade show it would seem only sensible to generate enthusiasm in staff by giving them a display booth they are proud of. A fresh display and enthusiastic staff might go a long way to ensuring you get the best return from your trade show advertising investment.

Stock or assignment?

Have you ever looked at a competitors brochure and wished that your advertising materials looked that good? Good design can only take you so far, to promote your products and services you'll want to back up that design with pictures that will be noticed. We provide a solution by offering quality agricultural pictures for use in your brochures, web sites, trade show displays, text books or educational fact sheets. We work with your art department or designer and will take pictures on assignment or you can choose pictures from our agricultural Photobar library.

A stock picture or an assignment photo which is best? If the picture is to include your products then the ideal situation is to explain to us exactly what you need and have us take the pictures. If this is not possible either because of time restraint or because it's the wrong season then using a stock picture will be the better choice.

A dry summer has taken it's toll on our corn and aphids have been a problem in bean fields this year. If you are looking for a picture of a corn field or a bean field then check out our library for stock pictures that were taken in a year when crops were looking their best.

Carl Hiebert

Carl Heibert and Deb Cripps recently released their book Keepers of the Land - A Celebration of Canadian Farmers. The book details Carl's journey across Canada in the summer of 2006 riding on a 1949 W4 McCormick tractor, "Old Red"

Richly illustrated with photographs the pages of Keepers of the Land tell the stories of farmers he met along the way. Carl will donate proceeds of the book to charity.

Carl Hiebert's photographs can be licensed through the Photobar web site.

Another year!

This past labor day weekend marked the beginning of David Barr's 28th year in agricultural photography.

Every year has been different and he still enjoys the challenge of photographing new subjects. The final shoot in his 27th year was taking photographs at a goat farm for use on a trade show display for Ontario Dairy Goat Cooperative. And the first assignment of his 28th year was taking pictures of a hot air balloon. The balloon promotion is for "Farmers Feed Cities" and is sponsored by Hyland Seeds.

New ways to license

We have, for several companies wishing to license ten or more pictures for long term projects, bundled the license to allow multiple uses with a single fee. The pictures can be used for a companies brochures, advertising or trade show display and any combination of these uses. The fee is based on the use and time. Ask if this kind of bundled use might help you ?

Workbook of assignment photography.

I invite you to view a portfolio of assignment photography with pictures taken on assignment for OMAFRA, Fisher Feeds, Mushroom Growers Association, Dairy Farmers of Ontario, Guelph Soap, Linamar, Sowa Tool and McLaren Engines. WORKBOOK is a PDF file and will take a few minutes to download.