Lifestyle


A picture perfect first year for Studio G Photography


Studio G Photography will soon be coming up to its first birthday, and what an amazing year it’s been.


In March last year, Lisa Marie Gee was working on her own as Pamper and Pose, running children’s pamper photo-shootparties in customers’ homes. As a professional photographer and qualified make-up artist, she was offering a unique service that was much in demand. But there was a limitation on her ability to grow and develop the business into quality portrait photography: the lack of suitable studio premises.


Then out of the blue the ideal premises became available, when another photographer vacated a studio in Chambers Business Centre. The studio was ready to move in, and ideally located just a couple of minutes from Junction 22 of the M60 (Hollinwood).


Lisa spoke to her family and friends, convinced that they would tell her it was too big a risk to take. Instead, they were all very supportive and encouraging, telling her to follow her dream.


Finally, Lisa spoke to Robert Cragg, a good friend and fellow photographer whom she had first met through Twitter. Lisa says “Robert was my last hope. He’s the sensible one. I was convinced he would tell me it was all nonsense and talk me out of it.” But instead Robert surprised Lisa by offering to be her business partner, and so Studio G Photography was born, opening the studio doors to its first customers in May 2015. Robert and Lisa told us: “We knew we were taking a risk. There are a lot of photographers in and around


Saddleworth, Oldham and Tameside, and some of them are very good indeed. If we were going to create a successful business in a competitive market we knew we had to be, and do, something different. So we started by writing down what we believe about running a photography business. • We believe in quality over price, so we won’t try to be the cheapest photographers in town. We will always produce the best quality we can at the best price we can offer. • We will always treat everyone we work with, in any capacity, with respect and dignity, and we will expect the same in return. • Women in particular are often portrayed disrespectfully in photography, and we will not do work that does that. We will do our best to portray women as strong and


independent and endeavour to use photography to help them feel good about themselves. • We are a family friendly business, and this will be reflected in the work we are willing – and not willing – to do and in our working practices. We have a strict ‘no nudity’ policy, although we don’t criticise others who choose to do that work. • We support local businesses whenever possible


The other way we had to be different from our competitors was in the range service we were offering. So the pamper parties are still there, now with exciting themes involving fairies and girl-bands. But there’s also portrait photography for everyone from babies to grandparents and special occasion photography such as weddings, christenings and graduations. And of course, corporate work for local businesses.”


To see what else Lisa and Robert have to offer, check out www.studiog-oldham.co.uk and www.pamperandpose.com


Next time: Lisa and Robert will start a series of articles designed to help you get the best out of your camera.


PRIZE WINNER LEARNS A THING OR TWO After last years Summer holidays, we invited readers to send in their favourite holiday photographs and offered a prize for the best one. The prize was the choice of a portrait photoshoot with competition sponsors Studio G Photography or a half-day photographic tutorial with Lisa and Robert at our studio.


Our competition winner was Helen McGuinn, with a lovely shot of her daughter throwing pebbles into a lake. She chose the photography lesson, and in February Helen and daughter Evie, who had volunteered to be her model for afternoon, claimed their prize.


After a run-through of some of the more obscure controls of Natalies camera, and a bit of theory, we soon got stuck in to some portrait photography in the studio. We talked about posing, lighting and much more.


After the lesson, Helen said, I’ve learnt so much. I need to take it away and practice now. I had a great time. Here’s a pictures of Evie that Helen took during a lesson. – we think the lesson went well! If you’d like to have some one-to-one photographic tuition, prices start at £99 for a half day.


Just get in touch.


around SADDLEWORTH 42


www.aroundsaddleworth.co.uk


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