The Dupe Creative Blog

May & June: Photography goes loco

2009-07-13T12:37:00.003+01:00

It's been an incredible couple of months in business.

It began with a number of jobs for regular clients ICE (Goverment Healthy Schools) and Kenyon Fraser (various jobs).Brock Carmichael Architects have also played a major part in our continued success after they commissioned us to shoot and catalogue a number of their past projects. A huge thanks go to each and every one of the individuals we've been working with within these fine organisations.

We've done a few jobs for solicitors Brown Turner Ross. Personal Injury stuff which is not the kind of thing we'll be putting on the site but should give you idea that we'll tackle anything.

That alone would have been enough to keep us happy. But we recently had the news that we are now the preffered supplier to Liverpool PCT. This is a massive deal for us. We've already been working flat out for them and hope to show you examples of the architectural, portraiture and events shots that we've been working on. Combine this with work for Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology and Liverpool Broadgreen Hospital and you'll find that we're definite healthcare professionals.

Design-wise, work continues unabated for Sean Orford. His '10 Steps to Change your Life Forever' course will be launching on a much larger scale in September and Dupe will be playing a major part in this. Watch this space. I have been on the course twice already and can say, hand on heart, that the lessons learned have had a massive impact on my life - both in terms of how I approach matters of business and how I conduct myself in general.

We have also been given the opportunity to re-develop the Locker Freight website. It is not far off completion so, again, check back soon for the final design. We've done a couple of posters for the WSBPS and even a banner for Paul McCartney look-a-like, Neil Tudor. How about that for a varied selection of clients?

Our site has had a little tweak too - we've now a section which proudly shows off our clients list, as well as a newly updated photographic portfolio.

That's all folks!

April Showers

2009-05-15T12:27:00.003+01:00

We've gone and done it again, haven't we? Almost a full month without an update. But fear not. We haven't fallen in to the black hole of a recession that has been the focus of so much media interest of late (in fact, we have paid very little attention to it at all - surely the best weapon against a 'financial downturn'?).

We passed a momentous date recently - we've officially been in business a year now. So, now that we've negotiated that tricky first year we're free to grow, thrive and build on all of our achievements. 'What's your secret?', I hear you shout? Well, no real secret. We've just tried to meet as many people as possible and, once they've been convinced that we're the right company to help them, treat the as well as we possibly can. Easy.

On the design side of things we've been working closely with companies such as Deep Tek, Total Reclaim and Sean Orford on a huge variety of projects. There should be an explosion of work in our updated portfolio in the coming weeks. The current crop does not really reflect what we're capable of so stay tuned for some gorgeous stuff.

Our commercial photography department goes from strength to strength with April and May proving exceptionally promising in terms of attracting new business and cementing our reputation with existing clients.

Here's a snapshot of our latest work. I'll be in touch again soon with yet more - some of which we're incredibly excited about.

D-Myst Event Shoot - March 31st 2009

2009-04-02T15:51:00.002+01:00

D-MYST is a smokefree movement led by and for young people in Liverpool.

Dupe were invited to a ceremony held in Liverpool where D-MYST members received a special award by the WHO. The ceremony featured special guest Carley Stenson who plays Steph Cunningham in Hollyoaks.

The organisation, provides young people with an opportunity to air their views and concerns on tobacco and to take action to de-normalise and de-glamorise smoking by:

• Raising the awareness of the dangers of tobacco and exposure to second-hand smoke amongst other young people
• Campaigning for and promoting smokefree environments for all
• Campaigning to get rid of smoking and the placement of tobacco products in the media that is predominantly targeted at young people.

For more information about D-Myst visit their website. For further examples of top notch event photography, visit ours ;)

Case Study 03 - WSBPS Corporate Identity

2009-03-12T12:25:00.003Z

Dupe Creative were approached by the Wirral Society of the Blind and Partially Sighted (WSBPS) in February 2009 to create a brand new corporate identity for the organisation.

The WSBPS is a group providing services for all visually impaired people of Wirral. Set up in 1989, the society realised the need for a professional, up-to-date identity that would reflect the incredible service they offer to an ever increasing number of people.

An initial brief was given by Lynne Sedgwick, the Development Manager at their base in Ashville Lodge, Birkenhead. The job was then left to us to create an identity worthy of a registered charity with 20 years of history.

Our first job was to look at existing charity logos. These were all organisations with huge resources and design budgets at their disposal, but we wanted the WSBPS to be able to stand alongside them on an equal footing.

Early ideas and testing in Adobe Illustrator stemmed from imagery sourced from the web. A lot of our research focussed on sight tests and the eye itself. If you've ever had an eye test you'll be familiar with a great number of very graphic symbols that most opticians use every day.

The final symbol chosen represents both the eye test image, a human iris and a sun flare. It is intended to highlight the direct link with vision that the WSBPS has as well as representing the energy, hope and optimism that the charity instills in all of its members.

The blue was chosen as we were reliably informed that this is a colour often used when working the visually impaired.

Two variations were given. One shows the full charity name whilst the other emphasises the abbreviated 'WSBPS' - something that they team want to push in the coming months and years (the full name is recognised as a bit of a mouthful!).

Designs for business cards and a letterhead were delivered to the charity on disk. Dupe Creative hope to have given the organisation a logo that will see them through the next 20 years. For information regarding the charity and it's work please take a bit of time to read through their website. Dupe hope to work closely with them on upcoming projects and, of course, will always be on hand to offer help and advice.

Thanks go out to Lynne Sedgwick, who we worked closely with throughout the entire project. The WSBPS turned out to be the perfect client. Best of luck to the WSBPS for the future.

For further examples of logo design by us, as well as our many other areas of creative expertise, visit our site.

February: A Review

2009-03-03T12:38:00.002Z

A lack of updates on a company blog generally indicates one of two things: either they've gone out of business or they are too darn busy to update it. Thankfully, our excuse is the latter.

2009 is passing at breakneck speed. Focusing our efforts on offline networking has proved immensely successful as we set our sights on local companies and organisations.

So what have we been up to, exactly? Well, a new logo for the Wirral Society for the Blind and Partially Sighted (WSBPS) has been completed. Expect more on this in the coming days - a case study and, hopefully, some press cuttings should be available.

Total Reclaim, the forward thinking financial services company we branded, is holding the second of its launch nights in Liverpool tonight. Dupe created and printed all of the marketing material plus a couple of exhibition banners to boot. Our photographer will be on hand tonight so we'll get some pics up later in the week explaining more.

Last week also saw me talking at a Q&A session at Liverpool John Moores University. The conference, titled 'Enterprise and Self-Employment in the Creative Industries' called on my experiences over the past year in setting up a business. It was a great afternoon - many thanks to organiser Dominique Aspey, the Enterprise Network Manager at LJMU, for inviting me.

So, to summarise, we're ticking along very nicely. Thanks for asking. Far more regular updates to follow, that's a promise.

Return of the SmokeFree Zombies

2009-01-28T12:45:00.003Z

First of all, let me me offer up my apologies for the lack of recent updates to our blog. For those of you who were worried then fear not - we're still in business. More so than ever, in fact. A hectic start to 2009 is just what the doctor ordered.

Regular readers may recognise a few of the characters from a previous shoot. Back in November 2008 we covered an event for PR & Marketing Agency Kenyon Fraser.

After the superb display put on in Liverpool, the team this time hit the streets of London - culminating in a 'protest' outside the BBFC headquarters.

For more information regarding the campaign then visit the SmokeFree Liverpool website.

Cherie Blair at Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology

2008-12-15T16:14:00.004Z

A few shots taken this morning at Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology. Cherie Blair, barrister and wife of former PM Tony, visited the Wirral hospital to unveil a plaque which officially opened the refurbished Out-patients Department.

Visit our site for first-rate examples of our PR photography service.

Upstairs at the Bluecoat

2008-12-09T15:34:00.003Z

Here are a few shots from a job we completed last week for Waterfront Magazine at The Bluecoat Chambers.

Upstairs at the Bluecoat is a fantastic place to enjoy seasonal food and a great wine list in a creative setting.

For further information about reservations visit the website.

Our photographic portfolio has received yet another update and now includes a dedicated food photography section.

New Work: Total Reclaim logo

2008-12-04T11:59:00.006Z

Dupe Creative have very recently completed the logo for Total Reclaim.

Company Partner, Daryl Vickers, requested a high impact logo that reflected Total Reclaims commitment to its customers.

Consider this update a taster - a complete case study will follow next week, where we will also show the corporate stationery we designed. For further examples of the unique logo design service we can offer, visit out design portfolio.

Liverpool One at Sundown

2008-12-01T15:37:00.004Z

The last few days of November saw Dupe Creative photographing the recently completed One Park West development for our client, architects Brock Carmichael.

Having shot the site a couple of months ago the change is quite striking - mainly due to the completion and opening of Liverpool One to the public.

After negotiating his way to the top of the John Lewis building, Matt Goodfellow then sat patiently as the sun dropped below the apartment block (and, eventually, the horizon). The resulting shots are, I hope you agree, quite stunning.

See our new architectural photography section for a panoramic stitch of the scene.

The Big Picture

2008-11-24T16:12:00.003Z

A toddler gets a drink of water from her mother as they and a dozen other residents of the North Kivu town of Nyanzale gather in front of a UN peacekeepers base in the town of Rwindi on November 19, 2008. (ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP/Getty Images).

The Big Picture is surely the most fascinating, beautiful and thought provoking place to go for photography at the moment. If you have any interest in a) photography, b) current affairs or c) life itself, then be sure to bookmark it.

Awe-inspiring stuff. Often a bit of a reality check too.

Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral

2008-11-20T11:03:00.002Z

Shots taken by Matt Goodfellow at Liverpool's Metropolitan Cathedral last week for a good client of ours. A certain festive look to the images is hard to ignore - we're fast approaching that time of year again.

For more information about the building head over to Wikipedia (obviously we're far too busy to explain ourselves!). Of course, for further examples of our work in commercial photography and creative design visit our website.

Two New Websites from Dupe Creative

2008-11-11T15:36:00.005Z

It's been a busy few months for the design division at Dupe Creative. Two new projects have reached completion in recent weeks - both of which happen to be websites.

First up is deeptek.co.uk.

Deep Tek is an innovative and experienced design and development company that has its roots in the specialist deep water salvage industry. With the help of freelance designer Nick Gerrard Dupe were asked to design and build a bespoke website to show off the many areas expertise Deep Tek offer.

Secondly, artist and sculptor Stephen Hitchin came to us asking for a refesh of his current site. Eagle eye viewers may notice the similarities between his site and ours. Well, give yourself a medal - the design is based on the Dupe template. It allowed us to very quickly build a new framework that is much more flexible in terms of maintenance.

Big changes for our site are afoot as well, however. We can't say anything yet but expect a big announcement before Christmas.

SmokeFree Zombies at Liverpool One

2008-11-03T12:10:00.002Z

Dupe Creative were on hand to capture a scary sight in Liverpool City Centre last week.

Leading North West marketing consultancy Kenyon Fraser organised the event on behalf of SmokeFree Liverpool.A 70-strong group of dancers and members of the SmokeFree youth group, D-Myst, marched through the city in scary costumes to raise awareness of smoking in youth rated movies.

Smoking in movies is believed to be the biggest single influence on young people to start smoking. SmokeFree Liverpool are asking UK film regulators BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) to keep smoking out of all future films which can be seen by under-18s.

Our photographer, Matt Goodfellow, did his best to keep up with the group as they dashed from street to street, terrifying shoppers as they went (the dancers that it, not Matt).

For more information about the event, visit the Kenyon Fraser and SmokeFree Liverpool websites.

For further examples of our PR and Events photography visit our portfolio.

Field Trip - NYC

2008-10-22T11:13:00.003+01:00

One half of Dupe Creative ventured west across the Atlantic last week for some much needed recuperation and photographic invigoration.

Aside from taking in the usual wondrous sights and smells, Matt grabbed a few epic shots on his 5mp pocket camera. Proof positive that form is temporary, class is permanent ;).

We'll be uploading a couple more to our commercial photography portfolio and flickr site over the coming days.

One Park West - Brock Carmichael Architects

2008-10-08T15:00:00.003+01:00

Dupe Creative were in Liverpool city centre this week to photograph the near-complete One Park West and surrounding area (Liverpool One) on behalf of Brock Carmichael.

Established in 1974, the architects have over 30 years of experience working across all building sectors and for a wide range of clients. Working with developers Grosvenor Ltd on the £1 billion Paradise Project, the largest city regeneration project in Europe, they have helped create a new retail and residential heart for the city.

The 17 storey building will comprise 326 apartments, offices, parking, restaurants and cafes, topped off with stunning waterfront, park and city views.

For further examples of the types of stunning commercial photography we can offer visit our portfolio.

Crescendo.

2008-09-30T17:09:00.005+01:00

Artwork designed by Dupe for the soon-to-be-massive band Crescendo.

What makes a good road sign?

2008-09-26T10:49:00.002+01:00

Interesting article on the BBC site this morning.

New Work: Sean Orford Corporate ID

2008-09-18T13:38:00.007+01:00

When Sean approached Dupe to create an identity for his psychotherapy/counselling business, we knew something different was required.

Sean has been working in both traditional and complementary healthcare for many years right across the UK. Currently based in North West England he supplies staff support services to local authorities, private companies and the NHS. On top of this, he is researching and developing training courses in an innovative approach to psychotherapy. Everybody got that?

The 'logo' is more of a symbol. After initial sketches and research into areas as diverse as Chinese Philosophy, the Eye of Providence and Pax Cultura we found ourselves rather stuck. The question of how to represent history, mysticism, growth, balance, love AND Sean seemed unanswerable.

Rather than focus too much, we switched our focus to selecting an appropriate typeface. Archer proved to be just the trick. Friendly, forthright, elegant and beautifully legible it cried out to be used.

From this momentous decision came the symbol itself. Formed from two reflected and intertwined 'S's it jumped off the screen. Thank you, Hoefler & Frere-Jones. (update: Jonathan Hoefler himself emailed me saying how much he liked the logo - how cool is that?).

After slight alterations the final logo was approved in its above form. The intertwined version is designed for large scale printing, whilst the simplified version is intended for website avatars, icons and for small print.

The symbol means many things. Its tree shaped body symbolises growth, the intertwining unity, its heart-shaped upper portion = love, whilst the capital S, of course, stands for Sean. Its simplicity should provide the right balance for Sean - a balance between his commercial and spiritual interests. It is a symbol intended to stand the test of time.

Letterheads (printed on the finest possible paper courtesy of Tapleys, Bebington) and envelopes will be followed by business cards and a complete website, also to be designed by Dupe Creative. Watch this space for updates.

What is Graphic Design?

2008-09-18T10:39:00.002+01:00

"Wanky, trendy, crap." Amongst other things ...

The New Facebook Debate

2008-09-16T15:21:00.001+01:00

Facebook is a phenomenon. With over 100 million users it plays an increasingly active role in people's daily routine. I myself must confess to being an addict.

All is not well in the community, however. Recent changes to the layout have caused a backlash against the clever guys in charge of the site. Whilst it is difficult to judge the proportion of people against to those in favour (who wants to hear a positive news story these days?) I thought it worth an in depth look ...

The new look layout came into effect a few months ago. Users were given the option to 'try' the layout by clicking a button at the top of the page. The clever boys and girls at Facebook HQ (of which there are over 600) also included a 'send feedback' link so as to iron out any issues before the big change-over.

Quick to sample the new version, I immediately saw the improvements. Gone were the mile-long profile pages. No more scrolling through hideous Super Walls, Fun Walls, etc just to get to your friends Wall. Users information (birthday, favourite films, etc) is stored cleverly at the top in a separate 'widget' (the same goes for photos and, should anyone wish to, any number or applications they feel the need to add).

The home page is a vast improvement to. A constantly updating feed from all your friends/contacts which can be viewed by the latest status updates, photos, and posted items - all, of course, at the click of a button.

Most websites now include the option to post an interesting story/video/photo straight to your profile. You can even easily install a shortcut to you browser toolbar. The easy posting has led to the abolition of Fun Walls and Super Walls - not a moment too soon either.

It's worth remembering that Facebook is a very young resource/application. Anyone expecting it to remain in it's past or present state for more than a year or two clearly has little concept of technology. And, for those of you still disheartened by recent changes to everyones favourite social networking site just be thankful you're not using MySpace.

For further information read on here.

Noah takes a photo of himself every day for 6 years

2008-09-15T14:19:00.002+01:00

For a more information about the (ongoing) project visit the project website.

See The Simpsons paradoy here.

The coming week

2008-09-12T14:48:00.003+01:00

Next week promises to be a busy one for the blog, with a lot of new work to show.

The long awaited Sean Orford logo is complete - we're VERY happy with the outcome, keep your eyes peeled for the grand unveiling. Dupe Design has also been hard at work on a major web project. Due for completion any day now, check back soon for the link.

Photography-wise, Matt has been a busy boy this last couple of weeks - undertaking a number of client commissioned projects.

If you haven't already seen them, be sure to check our external sites. Flickr has a selection of our best non-commercial photographic and design pieces, and our Tumblr site is used to document the best of the work that we find on our daily travels around cyberspace. Do people still call it cyberspace? I meant the web.

Over and out.

September at Dupe

2008-09-04T12:25:00.003+01:00

The nights are getting longer and there's a slight chill in the air, but far from gearing up for hibernation, we're ready for the long hard winter ahead. Economic decline? Recession? Yesterday's news. A busy month ahead for Dupe. Places to go and people to meet.

Call yourself a film lover?

2008-09-02T15:17:00.001+01:00

Then whatever you do DO NOT watch Guy Ritchie's latest. Here's why: