It’s hard to believe that Christmas is nearly here again! The bells are jingling, the shopping has started and the sprouts are on a low-light ready for Christmas day lunch!
I don’t know about you, but I still need to get my Christmas head on and make a start on plans. The challenge for me is that the autumn is always busy at the studio and this year it felt like November was here and gone in a flash. Now I’m working hard to get all the orders ready for Christmas.
People come for portraits for so many different reasons; a new family member, a special celebration, birthdays, family get-togethers, engagements, new job, new love, because everyone needs to be on the photo or just to capture their family history. Everyone has a camera in their pocket now and photography is such a big part of all our lives. My phone is nearly full with images, mainly of our ginger cat, Angus and I’m the first to admit that I still struggle with selfies – how do you hold the phone at arms length and press the button without pulling a daft face?
The photos we have on our phones tend to stay there. When was the last time you printed a photo? The nice thing about coming to the studio for portraits is you can leave everything to me. I will capture a range of portraits using different backgrounds and you can change outfits. You can then choose your favourite portraits for yourself or for gifts for others at a relaxed viewing session and I will do the rest. I offer digital images, print options, bespoke wall art, keepsakes and portrait collections.
There’s still time to take advantage of our Christmas Portrait Offer which includes a Studio Portrait Experience and Mounted Print for just £25. The studio will be open until 23rd December so if you want to update your portraits or capture a little bit of your family history, get in touch to book in. Did you know I also sell Portrait Gifts Vouchers? With a range of fixed-price vouchers to choose from, as well as a bespoke option, there’s something for everyone from just £25, so if you are stuck for gift ideas, get in touch to order vouchers.
If you have any questions about portraits, gift vouchers or anything else, please do get in touch – here’s how:
Call me at the studio on 0115 9252725
Text me on 07808 620436
Email me at info@doubleimagephotography.co.uk
Send me a message on Facebook or Instagram
I hope your plans for Christmas are going well I would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Back in 2002 when I was creating my studio space ready to open at the end of October, I had no idea that twenty years later I would still be here capturing memories and making a living as a photographer!
To be honest and I know you hear this all the time, but I really don’t know where that time has gone. It’s the longest I’ve ever been in one job and the industry has changed almost beyond recognition since I opened my doors.
Back in 2002, I was shooting on a fully-manual, medium format film camera, taking 12 shots on a standard portrait session. I had a dark room set up at home and because demand was for black and white photography, I did my own film processing and printing until I found I didn’t have enough time to take the photos and make the prints!
When I started I photographed weddings and portraits and any other work that came in but I did say very firmly that I wouldn’t photograph dogs. Secretly, I was a bit afraid of dogs, didn’t really know how to talk to them and hadn’t got any dog-whispering skills! Twenty years later I love photographing dogs and over the years I have honed my skills on how to work with them, know to ask owners about their pets and their personalities and I have had the most delightful pooches in the studio. I regularly go home to tell my family what a lovely dog I’ve photographed that day and how I wanted to bring it home!
One of the main things I love about photographing people is the people themselves. At weddings it was a huge privilege to be part of someone’s special day, be amongst their most loved people and be trusted to create beautiful image for them to treasure. In the studio people have portraits for so many different reasons and being able to capture that moment in their lives is very special. I particularly love it when clients come back for portrait updates and I always think I’m like the aunty who says ‘haven’t they grown!’!
I’ve learned a lot from running a business and there have been definite ups and downs; surviving recessions, tram works, covid, the transition from film to digital photography and many other changes over the years has helped me grow as a person. I have made lots of lovely friends who run small businesses, particularly in Beeston, and being part of a local community of small businesses is great.
I couldn’t let this milestone pass without a celebration so on Saturday 29th October from 2pm to 5pm we will be having a party at Chilwell Road Methodist church hall (next to Double Image) where there will be a bouncy castle, a fancy dress competition, face painting and glitter tattoos and a fun dog show. I’m really looking forward to seeing clients, friends and past staff members again.
Who knows what the next years will hold. Whatever that may be, one thing that won’t change is my love of photography and my gratitude that I’ve been able to do something I love doing as a job for so long.
I couldn’t miss the opportunity to celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee this year so I’ve been planning the studio window display and a competition to mark the occasion.
It’s hard to believe that the Queen has been the head of state for 70 years. That is a huge achievement.
I remember the celebrations for the Silver Jubilee – a party on the common near my home and we were all given a special key ring as a keepsake. I was very impressed with this and my friend and I were telling people that the key rings ‘must have cost at least 50p’, much to my Mum’s amusement!
I’m sorry to say that key ring is long gone, but my husband pulled his Silver Jubilee keepsake out of a drawer, still with the hand written name card inside the box. It is a Sheffield made commemorative spoon in a lovely, old fashioned box and every child in his school received one. Not only that, he then produced his t-shirt, a drawing he’d done and a Silver Jubilee mug!
Special occasions should certainly be marked and I think a portrait is the ideal way of capturing that moment in time. I’m sure the Queen will be having portraits taken to mark this momentous occasion and portraits taken throughout our lives form part of our family history, or in the Queen’s case, the country’s history.
The portraits I’ve selected for the window echo the Queen and her strength as they are some of the images taken for my International Women’s Day project earlier this year. I felt it was fitting to include strong, beautiful women from our local area at a time when the country will be celebrating the Queen for her Platinum Jubilee.
To enter our Portrait Prize Draw to win a prize worth £325 , click on the link, complete the form and keep your fingers crossed!
https://doubleimagephotography.smugmug.com/Jubilee-prize-draw
Good luck and enjoy the Jubilee celebrations!
My Mum is no longer with us but I still think of her every Mother’s Day and remember what a brilliant mum she was.
My parents split up when I was 11 and Mum brought up four children on her own, which can’t have been easy. She had to get a job and learn to drive and keep everything going for us.
My Mum was so kind, always doing things for others, supportive, funny and clever. I was the odd one out in our house, not wanting to do A levels but go to art college instead and she supported me all the way.
When my Mum moved away from Lincoln to live nearer to me, we had to pop into Lincoln and we saw a woman selling The Big Issue. Mum went straight over to her and bought a copy and they had a chat and a big hug. It transpired that Mum had befriended this person and made a point of regularly chatting to her and checking she was ok. It was very touching to witness and the woman made a point of telling me that my Mum was a very special person.
This Mother’s Day I will also think about the other women in my life – my family and my friends, many of whom are also mums, grandmothers and step-mums. I am so lucky to be surrounded by these wonderful women who make my life so much fuller.
There is always a good reason to have portraits taken and capture moments with the special people in our lives. I’m glad that on a couple of rare occasions of our family getting together, we had portraits taken. If you would like to have portraits to celebrate your Mum or for any reason, please get in touch;
Call me at the studio on 0115 9252725
Text me on 07808 620436
Email me at info@doubleimagephotography.co.uk
Send me a message on Facebook or Instagram
Celebrating the Beauty of Every Woman this International Women’s Day
For a few years, I have wanted to create images which celebrate the true beauty of every woman and this year I am finally making this a reality.
Thinking about why I want to create images of real women has made me think about why, as women, we can be so self-critical and unhappy about how we look. I have been self-critical for most of my life and I know many of my female friends are too. As I’ve got older, I find myself closely examining new wrinkles, whiskers, dark spots and my ever decreasing left eyebrow! My shape has changed too and my roots are more grey than ever!
I have found these changes hard to accept, especially as I see so many ‘perfect’ women my age in the media. I know (and can see) that many of them have succumbed to being stretched, plumped, filled and operated on, or they have been digitally enhanced and tweaked for print in magazines and on social media. As hard as I have found it, I have decided to try to accept ageing and the changes I see in myself and embrace them as being signs of experience and wisdom. Instead of buying an eyebrow pencil to even up my brows, I am enjoying the fact that right and left are different and that is something unique about me.
To be photographing women of all ages and from different walks of life is really inspiring for me. Some of the people coming in have been photographed by me before and others I have never met. As a photographer, there is a nervous excitement for me not knowing the person who is going to walk through the door to be photographed – not knowing what they look like, what they will be wearing and how they are feeling about having their portrait taken. I love working with people who don’t like having their photograph taken and I believe everyone can look great in portraits.
For this creative process I am asking the people involved to think about when they feel their most beautiful and powerful. What makes them feel that way? For me, I love wearing black and I have a pair of long boots which I always feel great in (they’re comfy too, so that’s a bonus!). I love wearing lipstick and always have done since I acquired my Mum’s Max Factor red lipstick in a fancy blue case when I was a teenager!
I will be taking portraits throughout March and will be creating a collection of images to share on social media.
If you are over 18 and would like to be part of this celebration of women, please get in touch;
Call me at the studio on 0115 9252725
Text me on 07808 620436
Email me at info@doubleimagephotography.co.uk
Send me a message on Facebook or Instagram
This Mother’s Day, we want to hear about your Mum or Special Person in your life and what makes them so amazing!
It could be your Mum, Gran, Auntie or a special friend who deserves a treat. All you need to do is click on the link below, complete the entry form, telling us your special person’s name and why you would like to nominate them to win this prize, which includes a Studio Portrait Experience and 20″ Canvas Wall Art.
https://doubleimagephotography.smugmug.com/MothersDayCompetition2021
We will announce the winner on Monday 15th March and we will also be awarding a limited number of runner-up prizes, which include a Studio Portrait Experience and 7×5″ Framed Desk Portrait.
Please get in touch if you have any questions about this competition or the portrait services we offer. The studio is closed during the lockdown, but we are responding to emails and can be contacted by phone on 07808 620436.
We will look forward to receiving your entry!
This Valentine’s Day we’re celebrating love in lockdown with a Prize Draw to win a Studio Portrait Experience and Ten Image USB, worth £355!
Love is not just for couples – you might want to celebrate family love, love for your four legged friend, love for your children or fun times with your gal pals! This prize will be something to look forward to once life starts to get back to normal and we will be awarding a limited number of runner up prizes too, which include a Studio Portrait Experience and 7×5″ Framed Desk Portrait, worth £105!
To enter our Prize Draw, click on the link and complete your details. The winner will be announced on Monday 15th February!
https://doubleimagephotography.smugmug.com/Valentines-Prize-Draw?fbclid=IwAR1jhMAY2asgpqvCcR3dDmm013IdJlSXJfPRjldOXBlrPKUHVk0WP4SHxik
Couple Portrait
Our new privacy policy, in line with GDPR regulation, can be seen here;
Double Image Privacy Policy May 2018
Double Image Photography understands the importance of looking after client’s data and images. In line with GDPR regulation, from May 2018 our privacy policy and use of data and images will be as specified in this privacy policy.
Client Data
Double Image Photography collects customer data at the time a person becomes a customer of Double Image.
Data is stored digitally on a database and in paper form. Collected data includes name, address, telephone numbers, email address. Client information is entered onto a database and paper customer forms, along with paper copies of order information, are stored in a locked filing cabinet. All data is retained for a minimum of 7 years.
Data Security
The client database is stored on a separate external hard drive and is password protected. The database is backed up onto a memory stick used exclusively for this reason and stored in a locked filing cabinet.
Access to Client Data
Access is restricted to employees of Double Image Photography. All employees and sub-contracted staff are required to read and sign a document to say they understand and will adhere to Double Image’s privacy policy.
Transfer of Data
Any transfer of data will be recorded on the data transfer record.
Marketing Data
Double Image requires permission from clients to add their details to the marketing database. This is done using the relevant section on the Customer Form. Clients agreeing to receive marketing information from us will have their name and email address added to our Mailchimp service. Mailchimp is an email marketing company and is GDPR compliant.
Client data is never sold, shared or passed on to third parties.
Clients always have the right to remove their details from marketing lists either by contacting Double Image Photography or by using the ‘Unsubscribe’ link on the bottom of marketing emails and newsletter.
Please note, marketing contact is different from general contact by Double Image Photography in connection with the day to day client & supplier relationship.
Storage of Client Images
Images are our business so it’s vital we store and create back-ups of client’s photos.
Images are stored on a server in folders with client names and are kept for a minimum of 3 months. All images are backed up to a separate external hard drive which is only connected to the network in order to back-up image files.
Other forms of back-up for images may include CD, DVD or memory stick USB. Back–up drives and disks are stored securely.
Once orders are completed, images are removed from our main storage server and moved to external hard drives or DVD. All images kept in this way are recorded on an archive record spreadsheet.
Images may be back-up to cloud storage and this is hosted by a specialist, professional host company which is GDPR compliant.
Online Galleries for Client Images
Online client galleries are hosted by a specialist company which is GDPR compliant. Permission is required by Double Image Photography from clients to upload images to a client gallery and the gallery can be password protected with a unique password for each client.
Ordering and Transfer of Images
Double Image uses a number of external suppliers for products. Images are transferred for production purposes. External print & product companies and other suppliers are GDPR compliant.
General Security of Documents and Images
Double Image Photography run a weekly back-up system for the server where all files are stored, including image files. External back-up drives are stored securely and separately from the main server.
Use of Client Images for Marketing
Client permission is required for Double Image Photography to use client images for marketing purposes and this should be indicated on the relevant section of the Customer Form.
Images may be used in the following way;
Display in the studio, website, social media, portfolio, marketing or other literature, exhibitions, competitions, slideshows, advertising.
The client has the right to change their mind at any time and this can be done by contacting Double Image Photography by phone, email or in writing.
Children aged 13 years and above will also be asked for permission for their images to be used and this should be completed on the customer form.
Images may be used for other reasons, for example entry into competitions. In this case, a separate permission form may be required.
Client Data Collected via Competitions, Exhibitions, Promotions or Other Methods
Client data collected from other methods will be treated with utmost care. Data may be collected from entry to competitions, sign-ups for promotions, at events. The data collected is entered onto a spreadsheet for data management purposes.
Clients will be contacted via email and/or telephone. The information stored will be kept for 3 months and then destroyed. Customers who become clients of Double Image Photography will then be entered onto the database and the above system will be used for their data (see Client Data section).
There is a section on all sign up forms online or promotional printed forms to agree or decline being contacted for marketing purposes. Clients who have agreed to be contacted in future for marketing purposes will be added to the database for marketing purposes.
Client Rights to Data Information & Removal
Clients can request to be informed of the details of any data & images held by Double Image Photography. Requests can be made by email, telephone, in writing or in person to the following contact points;
Philippa Double
Double Image Photography, 21 Chilwell Road, Beeston, Nottingham, NG9 1EH
info@doubleimagephotography.co.uk
0115 9252725
Double Image will respond within 30 days of receipt of the enquiry.
Removal of Client Data
Clients can request that their data is removed by contacting Double Image Photography via the above methods.
Data will be removed with 30 days unless, for contractual reasons, it cannot be removed until the statutory period of storage has passed. Clients will be informed accordingly and notified when data has been removed.
Contact for Enquiries about Double Image Privacy Policy:
Philippa Dytham-Double, Double Image, 21 Chilwell Road, Beeston, Nottingham, NG9 1EH
Telephone: 0115 9252725 or 07808 620436
Email: info@doubleimagephotography.co.uk
Is your Mum a Mum in a Million? We have a very special offer available for Mother’s Day this year to treat your Mum to a Studio Portrait Experience and she will receive a beautiful Desk Portrait from the session.
The Portrait Gift Vouchers are presented in a lovely box and are an ideal gift for this special day! The usual cost is £175 but we have a limited number available to buy for just £15!
Mum in a Million Gift Boxes can be ordered and collected from Double Image Photography up to 4.00pm on Saturday 10th March.
To reserve your voucher, please call the studio on 0115 9252725 or email info@doubleimagephotography.co.uk.
We would like to wish all the amazing Mums out there a very Happy Mother’s Day!
Mum in a Million Gift Box
Mum & Baby Portrait
Mum & children Portrait
It’s not one to be missed!
Our special summer offer includes a free studio experience and 7×5″ desk frame, worth £95. This is available until 18th August 2017.
Basil can hardly believe it!
To book an appointment and for all other enquiries, call 0115 925 2725, email info@doubleimagephotography.co.uk or visit us in the studio.