Case-study style presentations from expert practitioners will illustrate best practice and bring out the critical issues in four themes:

•    an outline of the most effective ways that small businesses can monitor, engage and communicate online using social media in 2011. Presenter: Andy Headington (Adido)
•    the changing landscape of consumer behaviour and how local businesses can use mobile technology to reach potential customers. Presenter: Carl Martin (AKQA)
•    the concept of profiles, and how business professionals can incorporate “Linked In” into their profile strategy. Presenter: Linda Parkinson-Hardman (Grow A Better Business)
•    how to make your voice heard in the noisy “blogosphere”, and how one business owner got so good at it that it is now a business in its own right. Presenter: Steve Cook (Seeker News & Photo)

After a networking buffet, it will then be your chance to raise any concerns or questions you have about this topic or the preceding presentations, in a “Question Time” style panel discussion.

Presenter profiles

Each of the guest speakers at this event brings unique skills and insight to share and all of them have hands-on experience in the local business community in their particular area of expertise.

Andy Headington is Marketing Director of Adido, a leading digital marketing agency which operates in Surrey, Dorset & Hampshire.  He is a prominent speaker on Internet marketing in the South of England, making Internet marketing easy to understand and inspiring his audiences with his energy and enthusiasm to get their online marketing working effectively.

Carl Martin graduated from Bournemouth University in 2008 with a degree in Interactive Media, joining Dorset digital agency Redweb to front their initial drive into the mobile space. Carl has become a well recognised mobile evangelist in the UK, and recently joined AKQA’s global mobile team, working with some of the biggest brands in the world.

Linda Parkinson-Hardman is a social entrepreneur, business consultant, interim social media strategist and mentor who is committed to enabling businesses to grow sustainably into the future through the appropriate use of the Internet technologies. Linda has developed a reputation as a business “diva” with her gift for presenting how businesses can put strategy into practice.

Steve Cook of Seeker News & Photo has been in business for over a decade, and in that time he has photographed everything from multinationals to local one man bands, from solicitors to rock stars. Having begun blogging to grow his Seeker brand he set up his own business news website – Seeker News.co.uk, which has now evolved into a press, PR and photo agency, with a family of blogsites designed to help clients do more business.

Event details

Wednesday 26 January 2011
18:00–21:00, Shelley Theatre (seats 80)
Bournemouth University (BU), Talbot Campus, BH12 5BB

• CIM Member: £15.50
• Studying Member: £7.50
• Student: £0
• Guest: £25.50
• The price of this event includes refreshments and a buffet for paying delegates.

Booking Details at CIM website

Steve Cook, experienced photographer and owner of Seeker News and Photo will talk through the elements that make a good photo, including use of lighting and angles, appropriate styles, setting and the technical requirements.

This workshop will include practical demonstrations and advice on delivering the best images for PR professionals and takes place on the Thursday 13 January 2011 in Southampton.

As the business has developed we don’t do so much of this sort of work now, but the service is available to our clients if they require it.

In fact we’ve won a few awards for digitally composited images

fujisant Fashion1 aFISH

Of the images above, we had to comp two images together to make the Santorini wedding shot to ensure that the exposure was good across the entire image.

The Matrix inspired shot originally included a chair that the model was stood on, and the Fish shot included multiple images of toy sharks and various fish from the local aquarium shop!

Having done lots of digital comping myself it was great to see how a designer does it as opposed to a photographer, and boy, do I wish it could be done it 2 minutes!

Love the “ooops!” moment.

• Arrive early find a good vantage point – avoid obstructions unless there’s a landmark you want in the images.
• Use a tripod and cable release or self timer.
• Wide-angle or standard focal lengths are normally best for fireworks photography, or try zooming in on where you think the action will be.
• Turn off the flash.
• Set focus to infinity (via Manual mode).
• Manual exposure with 2-30 secs at f8 – ISO100, try some test shots and see what you get
• It’s impossible to time it right every time… so shoot lots of images.

To get you in the mood, here’s a shot that I took of the Chinese New Year fireworks in Hong Kong in 1998, shot using a Nikon F5 film camera at about 2-5 seconds at approx f5.6-8 probably on ASA400 film, obviously I can’t remember exactly how I took it – it was 11 years ago!

Chinese New Year Fireworks, Hong Kong, 1998

Also check out these extra tips.

How to Photograph Fireworks Displays at the Digital Photography School

With subjects as varied as camera modes and settings, shooting everything from landscapes to portraits and even retouching and picture editing.
A practical session looking at your images with hints and tips to help you improve your technique.

Our standard 2 hour session is only £100 +vat, with a one hour session at £75 +vat.

Additional people at 50%

SOME COMMENTS FROM OUR WORKSHOPS

“An enjoyable way to spend a Sunday, improving photographic skills and meeting up with like-minded people. Steve has a natural and informal manner which makes the class fun.” – Linda Valentine

“Thanks for a great day out. It really helped me get out of my rut and I produced some images I was really pleased with as a result.” – Pete Shakesheff

All of the above pictures were taken on our first group workshop in Bournemouth on 21st September 2008. A massive thank you to everyone that attended and whose photos are shown above: Beverley Blehs, Chrissie Wathen-Neal, Linda Valentine, Pete Shakesheff, Tony Stead – oh and there’s a few there that I took.

For more details contact us