How did my passion for photography begin? I came from a musical background, never dreamt of becoming a professional photographer, a jazz musician maybe!

But fate was to be my guide, a serious injury to my hand prevented me from playing instruments any longer, photography as in many cases had been a hobby of mine and now began to overshadow all other interests I had. My camera became an extension of my hand; photography clearly became a way for me to channel my creativity, a way to express myself!

Now I look back – I guess my love of music and in particular jazz, combined with the inspiration and motivation that I got every time I walked around Oxford, never tiring of the cities beautiful architecture, it’s dreaming spires, I find my passion for photography takes over, a visual wave of images wash over me – I see vibrant photos everywhere I look.

It was definitely a case of music meets architecture meets photography for me. Sure it was certainly my love for Oxford’s architecture that inspired my career as a professional photographer as I found myself embarking on a creative journey. I was inspired by the magic of the city with its architecture a pure inspiration for me. As a musician I used to make music and capture sound, now as a photographer I could make images and capture the vision.

So this was how my story began, I launched Photovibe in 2004; for me, this was how I could make a difference, through my photography.

The approach that we have at Photovibe I think is very different in so much as I try to research my client’s needs and understand the story that they are trying tell – because that’s what business is all about at the end of the day, telling a story – in this case by creating images that encourage customers to become associated with your product or company.

Because at Photovibe our whole purpose is to share creativity we are soon launching the Photovibe Newsletter to give clients an up to date knowledge, the best in creative photography, the latest visual news and opportunities, and access to dozens of new photographic ideas and images every month. It will give you all the inspiration you need – when you need it – straight to your inbox. You can click here to subscribe.

Take a look at our gallery on Photovibe’s website, and you will find there’s a great contrast of subjects that we cover, corporate, portrait, food, music, weddings and travel plus those emotive architectural images and views of Oxford that I mentioned.

Food’s a real challenge, through visual impact the customer must be able to taste the food, the minute they see the image, and to capture that taste you only have a limited time to shoot the subject before it loses that appetizing look. When you create images of mouth-watering dishes, you do it with just the same passion as the chef who prepared it. To bring more passion into food photography I always try to catch the social aspect of cooking. That creative vibe in the kitchen, sense of competition, people interacting with each other and having fun – it’s all fascinating!

Oxford University has been a fantastic client for me and brings many photographic challenges. For example, to have the chance to capture candid moments from such events as Careers Fairs organised by the Department of Careers Service at the University of Oxford, involving areas such as Management Consultancy, Finance and Actuarial, Advertising, PR and Marketing, Science and Engineering and IT and capture the mood that showed students gaining knowledge for their future careers in a positive and animated way was just a natural challenge for me.

As part of the Scenic Oxford project I was encouraged to find some modern architecture within the University. I was really impressed by the way the New Biochemistry building looked from the outside: vibrant colours, panels and beautiful reflections blended by sun created a stunning effect. But the best things were yet to come when we arranged to visit this newly opened facility. Making the record of such a great design was simply a pleasure.

I guess from a corporate perspective, The Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship is the biggest corporate event in our annual diary. We’ve been covering this since 2006; along with over a hundred other events – multi-day conferences, international symposia and award ceremonies.

I firmly believe contact is paramount, it’s all about ‘making a difference’ - our Photo Blog has gained a steady reputation for this and is a great way to communicate on how we see different aspects of an assignment.

I try to make Photovibe a totally unique experience for each client, but at the end of the day, it’s all about how to increase your sales by using one simple strategy - Just think, 24 hours a day Photovibe images can bring your business to life; captivate your potential customers with a simple down-to-earth visual strategy.

Greg Smolonski ABIPP September 2009.

► Click to view Photovibe's showcase and let me know what you think.

Contact details:
Web: www.photovibe.net
Email: info@photovibe.net
Telephone: +44 1865 728 422
Mobile: +44 7799 765 927

v6.00