I often get asked if I know any good local designers or photographers. And the answer is “yes, I know tons of them. Cardiff is blessed with loads of talent in this arena”. In fact, I normally get asked about once a week, and I find myself writing pretty much the same email each time. So I thought it might be useful to write this all down on my blog, and give some examples of their wonderful work.
First of all, let me say that this doesn’t mean I don’t think all the other designers and photographers I know aren’t any good. I count lots of them among my friends, and they are universally brilliant. It’s just that the ones I recommend here are ones I have direct experience of working with. Also, my second caveat is that although I highlight certain aspects of their talents here, that doesn’t mean they aren’t equally talented in other areas. Although I may say that one is a brilliant club flyer designer, it doesn’t mean that they couldn’t handle a re-brand for a big governmental organisation. I’m just highlighting the things that I’ve happened to notice they have particular strengths in.
Firstly, photographers.
Mei Lewis – Mission Photographic
If you’ve ever been to a launch, public reception, or any major event in Cardiff there’s a really good chance that Mei will have been there, capturing the ambience without making you feel self-conscious or wary. He’s also great at portraits and live gigs. Check out his blog for loads more cool pics and videos.
Alex is a great creative mind, taking portrait pics that have a real impact. He even managed to make me look pretty good so he must be talented, even if he did have me standing in a bush with a massive lampshade on my head.
And now to the designers. Thankfully they all have names that start with “M”, which is why I call them “the three M’s”. I bet nobody else does.
Marc’s great skill is being able to take on potentially boring, corporate or public sector work and make it look beautiful and just the right amount of edgy.
Mr Miles does really lovely work on logos, branding, and turning superheroes into fantastic posters. He’s a talented DJ/producer, and designed the logo for my company, too.
Last, but not least, is Marc “The Heat” Heatley. A staple on the Cardiff creative scene for many years, Marc’s been creating fantastic motion graphics, web and design work for years, and I’ve been lucky to work with him on many occasions. A true all-rounder, and super lovely guy, whose work will be familiar to most Cardiffians who read this blog.
One thing about all of these guys is that they’re all genuinely a pleasure to work with, and I’d happily recommend all of them any time. Who you choose to use is just a matter of perseonal preference. Just remember to mention me when you employ them, and I’ll make sure they buy me a pint.
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