Dear All, I would firstly like to expand my introduction and position. To avoid this turning into a virtual soap due to speculation, very sorry for the delay and for posting with a disclaimer again, the last time I promise (I'm having great difficulty re-subscribing though another email at present, will sort it out) .
I do not fall into advanced capitalist city stereo type. I am first and for most a designer who has taken a job in this sector for some stability for a spell and so I am on the photographers side. I am a theatre design graduate with web design experience and I also do children's illustrations. Some of you may be relieved to know many moons ago I dusted down a cupboard while doing A' levels and had my own personal dark room for developing black and white prints from my faithful Minolta SLR which I still use today. Having said that my school darkroom was my first and last to date and my camera has had limited use for the past few years I have of late got back into it. I have recently bought an IX US 3.5mega pixel camera thus entering into the new world of digital photography. In terms of savills, this position of mine was created as there needed to be a central figure of quality control for images, due to having 50 professional photographers half of which have already made the switch to digi (many only in the last year or so) the results are varied as you can imagine. Agents around the country employ these freelancers and approve incoming images but are not always the best judge. To try and address some of your concerns- 1-There is no intension to take work away from these freelancers and set up an in house photography department. The agents have relationships that work with their individual photographers. 2- I am talking to all of them on the telephone at present and taking on their views. With a view to writing out a new spec for them and any extra information I can impart with regard to going towards digi and especially colour management pointers, also the agents will get information to help them realise the aray of issues and what makes a good photograph etc.....Educating them is of great importance.Before that at the end of the month I write a report for savills on my findings and suggestions for ways forward to help improve the service, quality and communication between agents photographers and printers. I have also been in correspondence with the printers to look at colour re-pro (which is a monster of a topic which I am only just scratching the surface of) as it is a great concern of our photographers, some havent been very forthcoming so far it has to be said. As I have a limited time to write my report I am trying to source information from different places and the photographers association has been a great help to me in the short time I have been involved. The report is only the beginning of course, but I want to insure It has quality and is as well informed as possible for it will determine ways forward. The photography we commission is of several types web, digi print for cheaper hand out particulars and A3 litho printing for country life properties brochures at the top end of the market,brochures in-between these qualities too. Also magazines such as country life and the times source pictures from us. The reason we are keen to promote digi is due to speed and efficacy of movement of images and storage. We do not think it will be cheaper. We also want to promote dig to our agents many of which love to hold a tranny up to the light for Clients and hate change. I realise the change cannot happen overnight. I also recognise at some point there may be a slimming down of our freelancers due to quality which in turn will open doors for new photographers. The local offices do the employing but several months down the line I'm sure they would appreciate my recommendations in this department when I have established myself more. I hope these are good reasons to keep me in the group and help me out. I have no budget to spend on my education in this area I'm afraid so if you feel should not be here please let me know. Thank you all for your advice though my head is spinning, it is all food for thought and I feel this is the right place for debates which I cannot get from individually talking to my photographers. Good to see so much passion for your art! I hope that Clarifies some points Jackie NOTICE: This email is intended for the named recipient only. It may contain privileged and confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient, notify the sender immediately and destroy this email. You must not copy, distribute or take action in reliance upon it. Whilst all efforts are made to safeguard emails, the Savills Group cannot guarantee that attachments are virus free or compatible with your systems and does not accept liability in respect of viruses or computer problems experienced. The Savills Group reserves the right to monitor all email communications through its internal and external networks. =============================================================== GO TO http://www.prodig.org for ~ GUIDELINES ~ un/SUBSCRIBING ~ ITEMS for SALE
