We were commissioned to produced the photography for Marketing Cheshire’s feature Chester, A City with a Break in summer 2024. To appear on London Underground, Bus Stops, on the app as a top uk destination.
Chester, A city with a break
*Notes
Important to use the Mocks as this shows billboard usage and London Underground
THE BRIEF
“Chester, is a city with a break from the hustle and bustle of the everyday. Where foodie adventures await and premium hotels are a walk away. Where a nationally renowned Zoo, the largest designer outlet village, and thousands of acres of forest are less than 30 minutes away. A stay in Chester offers so much more, the ideal base to explore not only a historic city, but many other destinations and attractions just a short train, bus or car ride away. Craft a break that takes you from the Savannah’s of Africa one afternoon to the heart of a Cheshire forest the next.”
For us the first point of call was understanding the campaign and were the imagery was going to be was front and foremost. By understanding who will see it and where you can gage the level of impact the final out come must have. Once established you can look at the mina locations the client wants to focus on.
HOW AND WHERE
Having established the locations thats are going to be photographed you then need to plan and look at all the obstacles you may incur or the best tie to go. These are all the things a shoot producer, photographer and film maker would consider before they go on a shoot.
Which is the best day to go? You may want go when no one else if there. You may need permission to go on a certain day. You may want to go when everyone is there to. You may need to shoot this before another shot, as there may be an order to things. Go through this and work out your shot and which day is best in this process.
What is the best time? The best time will reflect the style of image youre trying to produce, so if you need it to look grey then shade, or pre sun or post sun will be affective. Or if you need warmth and through light earlier sun rise or later sunset should be considered.
What will the light be like on that day? If youre shooting in a city you need to know how the sun wraps around the buildings, and when something is in sunlight and when its in shade. Same for wood shoots. If the sun isn’t up yet or its a grey day are you gong to get the look you need?
Do I need a recce? If you don have answers and need them, go check it out before you shoot.
When will be too busy? Sometimes a crown can be too much, and take away from the image. Sometimes are crowd can be fantastic and add to the energy! You ned to decide this, work out when is best, before you go.
Do we need someone on site to help us? To have full access to areas to ennui the best shot Id make sure if there is anyone on site who needs to help you, that you have them lined up ready to communicate with.
Do we need permission? Places that are not public spaces you need permission, plus it means you are then introduced t the people who let you in. A good relationship to make. Always get permissions.
What is the best route once were there? How to get to key points in the best way without loosing light, mapping your rout. The car journey, the walk everyhgin you need to time it well.
Which equipment shall I take? How many bodies do I need? Would a reflector be good? Consider what you need with you, especially if you’re on foot for a few hours. And what ou can take, and leave in the car for back up.
What would be the best lens? Looking at wide angles, and long lens. Deciding which shots you’re interested in will help choose which lenses you wish to carry,
What do I wear to get through the day? Back pack, multi lens carrier, light clothes as you’ll be racking up some steps and bring snacks.
END RESULT
We’ve been all over Chester City, Delamere, Chester Zoo, and Cheshire Oaks, chasing that perfect light, finding the ideal spots, and nailing those killer moments. After the shoot, we took everything back to the studio, put our editing skills to work, and fine-tuned the images to perfection. Once we had everything locked, we presented it to the client, knowing the next step was linking up with their design team—who we’d already connected with during the briefing to make sure we were all on the same wavelength.
Now, seeing the mock-ups, it’s like watching our vision come to life in real-time. Picture this: people on the bus seeing that billboard, workers on the tube spotting Chester City with Break, and everyone on their phones vibing to the ad’s track with the hashtag #citywithabreak. All these elements are perfectly in sync, each piece of the puzzle fitting together effortlessly.
The whole process was smooth, from concept to execution, and it’s all about making sure the visuals and the message pop together. The client, the brand, and everyone in the mix is hyped to get this out there. At the end of the day, it’s all about getting the right message across in the best way possible, and that’s exactly what we’ve done.
