Stephen's Story | Stephen Thomas Cole Photography

Stephen Cole is a Commercial Photographer

But what does a commercial photographer actually do?

I can only speak for myself and my own practice but I tell stories with my photography; stories that help businesses communicate with their customers; stories that make the mundane interesting; stories that focus on people and the things they do. These stories are important. They’re your stories. Telling them is what will make your business stand apart from your competition.

So, let’s tell some stories!

 

Stephen's Story

The beginning... In 2007, my life changed when I was made redundant at the office job I was working.  Looking at my CV and realising that I was only really qualified and experienced to get another absolutely mind-numbing office job in sales or insurance that I'd probably only end up being made redundant at again after a few years, I figured I needed to go back to school and change my direction.

Being a photography hobbyist and living about 300 metres from the University of the Creative Arts in Rochester, I enrolled on their BA (Hons) Photography degree. Starting uni as a mature student in the September of 2007 was, to put it mildly, a culture shock but I quickly found my groove and discovered a real passion and flair for producing photography with a purpose, of having actual thought and process behind taking pictures. Within a few months of study and exploring studio and digital photography, I was asked to shoot some photos for a small company's website and the rest, as they say, is history!

 

Stephen Cole Commercial Photographer

 

The now... I have been shooting commercially ever since, building a portfolio of business clients representing a dizzying range of industries and sectors, including carpenters, kitchen suppliers, air-conditioning installers, recruitment agencies, barristers, golf coaches, architects, painters and decorators, martial artists, and countless more. If it exists, I've likely photographed it!

With most of my commissioned photography being used in business websites, I've refined my practice over the years to best suit that medium, developing an efficient and informed process that creates a body of imagery that very quickly communicates a wealth of information and complements the textual and graphic layout approaches in web design. As my photography is tailored to tell stories, my commercial practice is heavily indebted to editorial photography, and I refer to my broad style as "business editorial photography"; the using of photographs to paint a portrait of a company, to build a story and create a rapport with the viewer, who is almost always a potential customer.

If you own a small or medium business, you need to be telling your customer-base your own particular story. Just filling your website with product shots and stock images does absolutely nothing for encouraging people to invest their trust in you, and if people don't trust you theyre much less likely to give you their money! This is what I want to help you achieve from using my photography; better business, more business, and stronger relationships with your clients. Get in touch with me today for a chat about how I can help you do that. - Stephen Cole.