The perfect photograph as efficient communication tool
All begins with an impressive photography studio in the industral estate of Ninove, at only a few minutes from the exit of the E40, with a perfect location between Aalst, Geraardsbergen & Brussels.
Luc De Decker, the experienced photographer behind PHOTO ADS, got the love for the profession from his ancestors. His grand-father was one of the first professional photographers from the region. Luc still belongs to a generation of photographers who enjoyed a traditional education in one of the best German polytechnics for photography. As a young professional he went to America to acquire experience with star photographers, photographing, among others, international top models. When he decided to exchange his studio in Aalst for the one in Ninove, he thought long and hard on its set-up, which is all about efficiency.
Efficiency for excellent price/quality ratio
”Gain of time and an optimum organisation are the best way to cut costs without giving in on quality",
says Luc De Decker. Therefore, efficiency is the key word in Ninove: the big declining platform in the studio is covered with a white, easy-to-clean resin coating so that no time is wasted on replacing rolls of paper. The lights remain set up all the time and need only to be adjusted or supplemented depending on the object to be photographed. Another platform has a cosy “living room” atmosphere and can be set up to taste. PHOTO ADS can dispose of an endless array of walls, windows, doors & interior design objects in all styles, from taut over ethnical to vintage from the nineteen sixties and seventies.
“I’ve waited for the release of state-of-the-art software programmes before I went digital so that I would be able to deliver top quality from the very start”, explains Luc. “Then, there is a world of difference between a professional photograph and a snapshot from an amateur. Fully mastering the light requires years of experience. And, obviously, as a photographer you must be well informed about the product of your client: which message does he want to bring across with that photograph?”
From fashion to industrial products
PHOTO ADS has years of experience in the most diverse industries, from tire manufacturers to artists. Luc has specialised for years on end in furniture, an extremely difficult product to be captured in a photo. “If you can make a perfect photograph of a piece of furniture, you can photograph anything", explains Luc. And, indeed, PHOTO ADS has clients in the fashion and jewellery industry, the food industry, the medical industry and even in the automotive industry. He always proceeds with the same sense of perfection. At PHOTO ADS, a car tire is prepared for a photograph up to the smallest details. Small rubber frayed ends, which come with the production process, are removed and the tire is exposed such that the profile comes to the fore. Medical devices are photographed with utmost precision so that both their quality and solidity are literally exposed. A good photograph shows more than a mere object, it tells a story.
As an art & music lover, Luc has also established a reputation as portrait photographer in the cultural sector. Panamarenko, Jan De Wilde, Veerle Dobbelaere, Didier Poskin, Jimmy Molière, Catherine Michel, Trio Sonnetto, Ellen Foley, Barbara Dennerlein, Danny Doriz, Roos Van Acker, Rhoda Scott,.... they all willingly posed before his camera. And although this is not his core business, it is something Luc loves doing.
Comprehensive service, from photo to book
The service given by PHOTO ADS goes beyond photography alone. As a digital printer, PHOTO ADS works with graphic experts, processing its photography into large-size photographs with coating, posters, catalogues, commercial brochures or books with a limited edition. Although, in recent years, PHOTO ADS has also been increasingly engaged to make art books with up to thousands of copies. As a creative brain, Luc De Decker knows how to translate the essence of an artist in a prestigious book within a reasonable budget. PHOTO ADS proves every day that professional photography can be offered at reasonable prices, through passion for the trade linked to a no-nonsense approach.
