Blog
15
Jul
Unique Portraiture
- By admin
The positioning of the model is paramount to capturing a memorable portrait.
The new trend in portraiture is natural-light, environmental photos. Put the subject into an environment that explains their reason for being.
The photo above was shot by Wayne Riley, a photographer with a new baby in his busy life. It captures your attention because of its uniqueness and differentiates this baby photo from the many others.
We recently had the pleasure of having Niv Shimshon shoot our daughter’s wedding. Niv is a new photographer with a fabulous style and the ability to place his clients into settings that are far more memorable than the old family wedding photos of old. Check out Niv’s new website for samples of his work.
If you have to get new photos for an annual report, a family portrait or any other reason, speak to us. We might have some ideas on how your photos can be more memorable.
07
Jun
Nipissing University – Targetting Recruitment Initiatives
- By admin
Arthur Stephen, Head of Consulting, and I spent several days visiting Nipissing University in May, and several weeks compiling a report of recommendations to assist them with their marketing and external relations. Our report ranges from organizational suggestions through to specific promotional material recommendations.
Nipissing has some fabulous marketing initiatives put together by a loyal and hard-working team in their External Relations office. Most of it currently operates under the theme-line, Right Where I Belong. This brilliant tag focusses on selfie pictures of students in the Nipissing setting and reinforces the university’s strength of a “quality teaching/learning experience”.
07
May
Executive Portraits
- By admin
We recently updated the photos of an executive and board of directors. To make this easiest, we set up a portable studio on site and did the majority of the portraits prior to a board of directors meeting. Quality photos can have a positive bearing on the appearance of an annual report and website for the corporation.
01
May
The Evolution of Design Manuals
- By admin
Having been involved with corporate identity for over 30 years, we’ve worked on our share of graphic design manuals. There’s a wonderful article in the current issue of the New Yorker that talks about the evolution of design manuals and refers to one grand-daddy of a project – – the signage for the New York City Subway System. The project was undertaken by Unimark, an European design group, who produced a brilliant 174 page design manual that featured thorough use of Helvetica, and carefully crafted arrows. In the 60’s and 70’s, such massive projects and manuals were common. The New Yorker article, by Michael Silverberg, former editor of Print Magazine, observes that in today’s digital and social-media-obsessed world, a logo is less important perhaps than a good “tweet.” Today’s graphics manuals are more likely to be PDF documents, easily distributed and often modified. It’s a good article, and a wonderful reminder of the period when obsessive graphics standards ruled corporate and institutional culture. Click here for the link to the article in the New Yorker magazine
04
Mar
Corporate Communications
- By admin
Attracting new clients or new members often begins with better communications with your existing clients or members. We’re assisting a Golf Club with their member communications, which includes an improved web presence and an improved social media presence. Better communications with clients and members turns them into better informed ambassadors for you. And word of mouth is the best advertising possible!
28
Jan
Winter Wonder
- By admin
The sun may be shining, but when it’s – 20C with 35 kph winds, the sky and the weather over Lake Ontario looks like a boiling cauldron of trouble.
27
Nov
University Rankings
- By admin
The annual Canadian ritual of university comparisons has returned.
Every November, Maclean’s magazine releases their university issue, comparing and ranking all of Canada’s universities. They’ve been doing this for 23 years.
In the beginning, many Canadian universities squealed in horror and shock with the rankings. They were mostly the ones that didn’t fare so well. The top-ranked universities were delighted, and used the rankings in all their promotional materials.
Over the 23 years, the rankings have changed considerably, have been re-categorized and in other ways refined. The one definite thing is that they aren’t about to go away. Like it or not, the rankings have an impact on how the public, prospective students, and your stakeholders perceive your university.
Geddie Advertising, and our head of consulting, Arthur Stephen, have made a life-time study of the rankings. Arthur was instrumental in convincing Macleans to make some of those “refinements” in the early years. And he was also astute in making sure that his school, Wilfrid Laurier University, was a winner in the comparisons.
Today, with Arthur Stephen on our team, Geddie is prepared to assist Canadian universities in the “rankings war.” We have data. We have tactics. We have inside knowledge. Maybe we can help your university improve your positioning, sharpen your identity. Give us a call.
02
Oct
Best Images, Best Impressions
- By admin
The annual Ontario Universities’ Fair was recently held in Toronto. This annual event invites students from across the province to come to an enormous convention centre to visit with all of the universities in Ontario under one roof. Our head of consulting, Arthur Stephen was there and he picked up the promotional materials from all of the schools. It makes for an interesting read. Some of the university promotional materials are impressive. Some don’t do their school justice.
We have always believed that you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Your website, the view book that you hand a prospective student at a Universities’ Fair, and all your other introductory promotional materials are vital tools in the program to separate your school from every other alternative in an applicant’s mind. One of the biggest differences among promotional materials is photography. In today world where everyone has a camera in their cell-phone, there’s a tendency to forget that a quality image requires more than a snapshot. We have always hired the best photographers, and asked our educational clients to invest the time necessary to capture images that tell the story. It requires time, careful lighting and cooperation from students and faculty.
The image above was part of a photo shoot at Sheridan College with the famous Canadian photographer, Doug Hall. Doug graduated from the photography program at Sheridan and has spent many years establishing one of Canada’s foremost photo studios. We spent many days visiting all the departments at Sheridan capturing a library of new photography that they can use in their promotional materials. It takes time. It takes planning. And it takes talent.
23
Sep
Golf Course Photography
- By admin
Our firm has a unique expertise in golf course photography. That’s unusual. While most photographers specialize in weddings, fashion, food stylings, photojournalism, or portraits, we have developed a specialization in golf course architecture. This comes from many years of playing and studying the game, working with golf course architects, and serving on golf course greens committees. And we’ve been fortunate to travel to some of the best examples of golf course design, from the classics in Scotland to the replicas in North Carolina.
Our golf course photography is based on timing and perseverance. We wait for the best light – – at sunrise or sunset, after a storm, or at times when mostly no one else wants to be out in the middle of your golf course. We take long, slow exposures with a rock solid tripod, we use insanely great cameras and the best lenses to capture huge digital files that contain enormous detail.
We know where to stand to capture the character of a golf hole. We understand the golfer’s perspective. We understand the golf course architect’s dream. It’s all about the essence and personality of a course. We work to show that through photography that will sell and communicate your golf course. We’d be glad to meet with your golf course manager, meet your superintendent and help you capture photos of your course that convey its charm and individualism.
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