location photo shoots

Dave & Naomi Estment of OV&P

Cheers to 2019!

Wow, are we really rounding out a decade? It feels like time is flying. Guess that means we’re having fun, and we hope you are too! As we wrap up 2019, we want to say a special THANK YOU to each and every one of our wonderful clients, associates,  friends and family for everything you’ve contributed to our lives and business this year. You totally rock, in case you don’t know that already! How are you feeling about the past year, and are you planning some restful time out to contemplate all that you’ve achieved and enjoyed?

There’s a lot of buzz about, which focuses on the last decade in review, while looking forward to 2020 with renewed energy and drive. Life is pretty full for most of us, making a single year review interesting in itself, never mind a decade! Here at Outdoor Video & Photographic, we’ve had plenty of wins and challenges throughout the past 10 years, including countless fabulous photo and video shoots, three SA Blog awards, three years dedicated to conservation projects, plus numerous adventures around Southern Africa.

Narrowing the view down to the past year, for us it’s included a whole lot of high climbing in the process of capturing time lapse images and aerial photos and videos of multi-story construction projects for our clients. One thing we’re never short on is amazing perspectives, for example in this selfie that we shot quickly on a crane, overlooking the heart of Sandton in Johannesburg:

Dave & Naomi Estment of Outdoor Video & Photographic

Closer to home, our studio in Randburg has also been busy, buzzing with our own photo and video shoots and others as well, since it’s available for hire when we’re not using it. Please keep this in mind if you have any need for a dedicated space that’s fully kitted too. We thrive on the vibrant variety of photography and videography work that we do for our corporate, commercial and entrepreneurial clients, and we value every one of you. We’re here to support you in making 2020 your best year yet, in the most meaningful way!

In the meantime, let’s celebrate the final stretch of 2019 and have a magical wrap to this decade . . . cheers to you and yours!

Blakes Maphanga Team

What A Team

When last did you update your website photos? For you, this may mean compelling profile pics of you and your team, if you have one, as well as some captivating behind-the-scenes shots of you all at work, doing what you do. It’s also key to showcase where you work by featuring attractive, welcoming images of your premises, indoors and outdoors (including aerial) if that’s appropriate for you.

We recently had the privilege and pleasure of capturing fresh website photos and footage for the fabulous team at Blakes Maphanga Attorneys in Randburg. An esteemed, long-established law firm that specializes in providing expert legal services, they have beautifully maintained premises including a library filled with law books. It’s special ambience contributed to creating a perfect setting for some of the team and individual photos, and for strategic filler pics that evoke mood for their new website:

Blakes Maphanga Website Photos

These filler pics purposely focus on relevant items such as law books, branded pens, spectacles, notebooks, cups of coffee and discreet vases of flowers, with the background blown out of focus. What items can help to showcase what you do and offer visual insight to enhance your website and amplify your brand? It’s worth considering this for your next photo and/or video shoot.

You want to help prospects instantly and easily imagine what it will be like to work with you, while building the ‘know, like and trust’ factor for your brand. Ideally, shoots will also promote teamwork in a powerful way, revamp your company spirit and reinforce your and your clients’ confidence in your business. Of course, professional video content can ramp up the impact of this even more.

Professional shoots that leverage skillful lighting as well as experience and expertise in composing photos and assisting you to pose attractively, can dramatically up-level the success of your marketing, online and offline. They can also help to position your brand as premium, empowering you to charge premium prices, if this is in alignment with the value and quality that you offer.

Mid-year is a great time to refresh your online presence and spice up your website with an up-to-date look and feel, to help you and your business finish the year strong! If you need help with professional photos and videos, you’re welcome to contact us.

Illovo Central view towards Sandton

Movers and Shakers

How strongly do you buy into the power of visual content to amplify your marketing and online media? If you’re anything like our valued client FWJK, you’re fully on board and leveraging it to the benefit of your business and brand. What started out as a casual introduction over a cup of coffee has blossomed into our excellent relationship with the highly professional team of engineers and project managers at this dynamic and dedicated property development company.

With specialist insight and input from the FWJK team, we capture the journey of each new development, from turning the first sod of soil to completion of their “AAA” grade high-rise office blocks in Sandton, Johannesburg – the heart of Africa’s financial hub. An effective strategy that we’ve implemented together is to create a quarterly update video and series of photos of the progress achieved over the previous 3 months, until completion of each project.

This is particularly appreciated by the stakeholders and investors, as they get to see the awe-inspiring work that results in each building rising up from an empty piece of land and growing every quarter into a towering icon. Premium finishes and fittings add the final touches to what will become a sought-after base for the prospective tenants and owners, as they proudly share their new abode with their clients, friends and families.

The video below shows FWJK’s latest development, Illovo Central, going up in the exclusive location between St Davids Marist in Oxford Road and the iconic Summer Place conference centre in Mellville Rd. It will be an 18 story “AAA” office facility, eventually sharing its ground floor with Illovo Point which is directly next to it, to create an upmarket retail experience for diners and shoppers. The video depicts the building progress from February to end April, 2019:

This strategy is a classic example of a modern corporate or commercial business adapting to the times and utilising the best possible platforms to market, inform and archive their exceptional achievements in the form of time-lapse videos, aerial video and stills, as well as traditional ground-based videography and photography. Including photos and footage of key players in the projects adds interest and appeal too, bringing the coverage vibrantly to life.

How can your business benefit from leveraging compelling visual content and archival media to ramp up the impact of your marketing? We’d love to discuss the value in this, as it applies to your specific requirements and industry, with a view to applying our extensive experience and expertise to support your business growth. Please contact us if you’re interested in exploring ideas and options. We’d love to assist.