I’m back, and it feels like ages since I wrote my last blog! I’ve now been with Amplitude Media for two months, and I definitely feel part of this crazy work family.

Since the last time we were here, I’ve managed to catch up with everyone and helped out in all areas of the business. And in the last few weeks I’ve been working with our first Catapult nominee, Karen Timson, owner of Karen Timson’s Fine Fragrance. She is lovely and her perfume smells amazing. I’m excited to be a part of this project to help her business.

I’ve also officially begun my Starting Off training alongside my apprenticeship. Starting Off is an apprenticeship recruitment and training agency that helps school leavers find the perfect place for them, and I’ll be learning marketing theory from them as well as from Amplitude.

Rickina the Orangutan

Now that I’m settled, it was my turn to adopt an orangutan (everyone in the office adopts one as part of our ‘Your Planet Your Choice’ campaign). I chose Rickina! She was taken from the wild at a young age and was mistreated. She was taken in by International Animal Rescue with a gash on her head caused by a machete, but is now living a happy, safe life.

Product Photography 

Since my last blog, I’ve seen the world of product photography (or at least a glimpse of it). I hadn’t realised so much precision goes into it! It’s definitely not as simple as pointing a camera at a product and pressing click. The days I’ve helped with photography have been my busiest.

The first morning, I arrived early and Chris was already in getting set up. We decided it was a good time to start prepping the products for the day. It might sound time-consuming and pointless, but this really isn’t the case. Depending on the product, the prepping can take anywhere between 5-30 minutes. When working with bags, we stuff them to prevent creases and let them stand on their own. Clothing needs ironing and steaming, jewellery needs polishing. And this is all before it even goes onto the set.

To help the products look their best on the sets, we use simple yet effective tools. This could be anything, from nylon string and pins to ensure something is sitting straight or hanging properly, to using circular templates to get the perfect curve on necklaces and bracelets. Carefully prepping and positioning the products like this minimises the amount of time we have to spend in editing, streamlining the whole process.

Then it’s time to take the picture (still not a simple ‘click’ and you’re done). It is a process that needs to be as precise as we can make it. Lighting has to be consistent between shots, which can be tricky when dealing with different sized products. Again, being precise will make the final touch-ups easier.

We use software called Photoshop and Lightroom after the product has been pictured. Using these, we check that the product colours are as close to the real thing as they can be and ensure the product looks as good as it can. Editing is one of the longest steps because we have to make sure the photos will all sit well next to each other on the client’s website.

Wow! I’ve only touched the surface with photography, but I think it’s time to move on!

Product Inventory 

Another role I have taken on is helping inventory the products that come into the studio. We use spreadsheets so the team are aware of what products have arrived, what’s still coming, what’s ready to be shot, and what’s left to do.

Although this process is easy to pick up, it’s vital to keep on top of, and I always coordinate with everyone involved so they know what’s going on. I love doing this because I get to help with the whole product photography life cycle. I hope I manage to do just as well as Will at this because he’s set the spreadsheet bar high! (editor’s note: Thank you!)

These past couple of months have been amazing, and it has been great to see the studio in action. I’m working from home now while the country is in lockdown, but the photography team is still active (one in the studio at a time).

It’s been great getting up to speed with the rest of the team. I now know what products go with which clients and what each company does when we speak about them in meetings. In the next couple of weeks, I should know more about what I’m doing with Starting Off training and which modules I will be taking. I can’t wait to see what else I’ll learn before we speak again.