Devon Commercial Photographer – Andrew Butler

Andrew Butler – Commercial and Professional Photographer

Professional Photographer

Andrew Butler is a professional photographer based in Exeter in the South West of England. He has had a long career photographing for clients as diverse as Arts Council England and Motor Cycle News. Previously Andrew also worked as a director of Design Credo a graphic design agency based in Yorkshire Exeter; he has an honours degree and won the Ted Wragg award whilst gaining his PGCE teaching qualification.

Andrew believes strongly in the honesty of photography. Yes, Photoshop will do pretty much whatever you ask of it, but, if the image can be captured in its entirety within the camera in ‘that moment’ this has to be a good thing.

More than Photography

I love swimming (except the closing kilometre of the Dart 10k) and am passionate about music. Motorcycling is my chosen form of transport. I am particularly interested in the wider aspects of design, the visual arts, photography and architecture and have ongoing interests in communication and education. If you want to see a grown man cry follow me into the ballet, or modern dance.

Recently, I’ve done what I should have, many, many years ago; I bought a Telecaster and yes, I love it.

A History in Photography

A Nikkormat FT2 was where it started for me, more than thirty years ago. Ouch! Actually I had a couple of bodies and some prime Nikkors. There was something about the ‘feel’ of that mechanical camera equipment that made the experience engaging. RB67s too, great lumps, little technology but at the end of the day the lenses were great so no excuses either.

In truth the fascination started much earlier with my dad’s really cool Canonent and then my first camera, a plastic Diana, now getting rather trendy again. The early stages of digital were difficult, yes no more trips to the scanning house, no more huge bills for drum scanning but something got lost.

Equipped for the Future

The access to a Leica offered a return to my roots. In this respect I feel privileged. No autofocus, no complex metering systems. The Leica body will take a flash but it would look daft with it on.

But where the Leica frustrates the Nikons excel. Yes digital eventually matured. The Leica turned me into a Lightroom man, it seems a better metaphor for the darkroom but Photoshop is a fantastic thing. The camera is where it’s done though but always Raw for me.

Learning is lifelong, YouTube is a fantastic resource. I like to start the day with some YouTube training, frequently Photoshop tips. Never be too proud to continue the learning journey, this world isn’t standing still.

Our Customer Testimonials

Many thanks Andrew, the photos are ace.
Ellis, Mac
The printed items look good because we had some great photos to include – a vast amount of that is down to your expertise.
Debbie, D&B
Great day yesterday, it was a pleasure working with you.
The pictures are exactly what I’m looking for!
Wil, Terberg
Hi Andrew, Many thanks for your help with the photos. The ones we viewed at site were fantastic.
David, D&B
So we asked Andrew Butler for some pictures to support Sean Vaardal’s feature on Plymouth and were so blown away by what arrived in our inbox we decided to make them this issue’s photostory. To look at them you’re reminded of the opening sequence of House of Cards, but this is Plymouth, and Plymouth as you’ve never seen before. As Butler expertly demonstrates, it’s clearly time to take a closer look
Imogen Clements, Publishing Editor - MANOR
Thanks for all your hard work on this, I think the photos look great and are definitely a vast improvement on previous years!
Cathy, Carousel Calendars
Wow Andrew – those are amazing! Didn’t know I could look so good!
Portrait Sitter, Non commercial
Pure talent through a lens
Penny Murray, Planeta Wine
I love Andrew’s work, I can honestly say I have never really noticed photography in the past but when I look at his stuff I find myself looking deeper into the image and becoming mesmerized.
Russell Squires, BBL
Andrew, I really did enjoy yesterday and the photos you have selected are excellent. To be honest until I looked at them, I never noticed how much I look like my late grandfather. It really does make a difference having it done professionally
Jonathan, Headshot sitter
Couldn’t be happier! Beautiful photography that followed the brief perfectly! You’re a fantastic find and we’ll absolutely be working with you again!
Tracey Alison, Mini’s Academy
The shots look great, exactly what we’re looking for and thank you so much for being so accommodating at such short notice!
James, Garnett Keeler
My thanks again to the two of you for your time this morning – it was enjoyable working with you…and hopefully we’ll work together again as I develop the business.
Andrew, Unchain Potential
Thank you for the images, we are really happy with them. You can expect a call from us whenever we, or any of our colleagues, have an assignment in your area. Very professional. Kind regards from Sweden
Henrik, Spoon

Quality Pro Cameras

Recently though, digital photography has matured. The D850 & D810 are fantastic ‘no excuses’ cameras meaning now that, as in the film epoch, if you can’t get the shot you shouldn’t blame the gear.

It’s a good thing to attend photography commissions knowing that you are backed by good equipment and full insurance. Whilst we aren’t brand-slaves the gear list is drawn from:

  • Studio lighting by Bowens

  • Tripods, stands and Grips by Manfrotto

  • Cameras by Nikon and Leica

  • Mac and Adobe CC workflow

  • Eizo Monitors

It’s often said that the best way to wind a photographer up is to look at a shot they’ve taken and say “you must have a really nice camera. Well, it’s not all about the gear but it really does make the job a lot easier, so you buy into tens of thousands of pounds worth of stock each time you use us.

Design Credo: In-house Graphics

Design Credo is a design focussed communications agency working in the South West for companies throughout the UK and beyond. Design Credo design for print and for screen. This blog is a good example of our work. Design Credo is results driven in its work whether developing online or offline solutions. A website that doesn’t get seen is of little value. Design Credo specialise in WordPress driven websites with exceptional SEO results as well as quality print and photography, this list includes:

  • Branding and logos

  • Brochures (Printed and digital)

  • Signage

  • Websites

  • Web-hosting

We like to think that this range of abilities is a strength not offered by other local photographers. As such you get the best of both worlds, the depth of service without the increased costs of a large agency.

Andrew Butler

For me being a commercial photographer based in Exeter is about photographing a range of subjects throughout the country. I am pleased to be commissioned to photograph people, vehicles, engineering and architecture;

  • Magazine photo shoot of a car in Plymouth

  • A range of photography commissions for local commercial property agencies in Exeter and Devon

  • Property photography for Exeter based architects

  • Photography of a specialist fire and rescue vehicle for a Yorkshire based company

  • Headshot photography for a PR company based in Surrey

  • Engineering and manufacturing photography in Gloucester and Yorkshire

  • Motorcycle photography in London and the South West for a national insurance company

  • Civil and rail engineering photography in Wales and the South West

  • Commercial portrait photography in Somerset for a leading integrated energy company

  • Packshot and product photography for a Bristol based battery company

  • Construction vehicle photography in Cornwall and Devon for a Bristol based company