About us
CliQQ Photography is a large, air conditioned, top-spec photographic studio based in Colchester, Essex. Our 2000 sq ft facility benefits from:
- 6m high ceilings with blackout blinds
- Model shooting area with huge choice of Colorama rolls
- Removable room sets
- Still life/product shooting area with vast array of props
- Cooking facilities for food photography
- Hair/makeup area
- Digital Hasselblad cameras tethered to Mac computers
- Profoto studio lighting with many light shaping tools
- Post-production studio
- Free off-road parking
- Catering facilities
- Comfy sofas!
CliQQ Photography is closely linked to Aceville Publications, a major magazine, web and video publishing house also based in Colchester, Essex. Aceville's impressive portfolio of consumer titles includes Bodyfit, Cook Veg, Crafts Beautiful, Let's Knit, Grow Your Own, Period Ideas, Make Jewellery and Great British Food. Business titles include Speciality Food, Hotel Business, Sports Insight, Crafts Business and Disability.
Testimonials
It is always a pleasure to work with Ant and his team at CliQQ Photography as he gets the job done swiftly, is always professional, has a great rapport with the models we have used, and is an all-round great guy!
Katy Evans - Editor, Soul & Spirit Magazine
I have used Ant on a number of occasions to take food shots in restaurants, kitchens and out on location for use in national magazines, website and for a book - they have always been most successful. He understands the brief, is quick, unfussy and his images capture the mouth watering dishes perfectly.
Gay Ayton, Gay Ayton PR
I've worked with Ant on several occasions, both in the studio and on location. His pictures are always to the brief and ideal for the feature and articles they will be used to illustrate. If you explain what you want, he'll use his technical knowledge to make it happen! And it helps that Ant is friendly, and easy to work with too.
Anastasia Grabova, Owner, Colchester Circle Magazine
Ant is a highly professional and artistic photographer. However, the skill that stands out for me, and sets Ant apart from other photographers I have worked with, is his ability to make his human subjects feel comfortable in front of the camera. This brings out the best in the model, the photography, and the products included.
Dan Eales, Subscription Marketing Exec
Even when time is tight, CliQQ provides us with great photos and lots of them. Our photo shoots take place in schools and CliQQ is excellent at getting the best out of the children and capturing their distinct personalities. When we have specific shots in mind, I find that CliQQ is able to interpret scant instructions and offer fresh perspectives when things aren't going according to plan. Perhaps most importantly, CliQQ is enjoyable to work with.
Joe Carter, Teach Primary Magazine
I’ve known and worked with Ant for many years and you will not find a more dedicated professional. His photography is of the highest standard and his attention to detail on retouching work is second to none. He also happens to be one of the most friendly and helpful people I know - always going out of his way to meet the clients requirements.
Rick Allen, Graphic Designer
In the past few weeks I've done a variety of shoots at CliQQ Studios, from homewares to fashion, and been very impressed by the versatility of the space and with Ant's ability to turn his hand to anything, from building Christmas room sets to shooting high fashion. The end results, including the retouching, were excellent, and even a request to completely change the colour of a model's dress didn't phase them!
Sarah Neal, Let’s Knit Magazine
Sharp, creative images devised and realised in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere (with a great soundtrack); that's pretty much what I'm looking for in a photography studio - and that's what I get with CliQQ
Helen Mully, Create & Craft Magazine for Ideal World TV channel
Videos
Who we are
Ant Jones
Photographer
Ant manages the studio and takes photographs. He was nine years old when he inherited his father's old SLR camera, and from that moment on he saw everything through a small rectangle pressed against his left eye, which must have been irritating at times for family and friends who inevitably ended up in modelling roles.
Ant began his professional career in magazine editing, but it didn't take long for the allure of the visual arts to draw him back to photography. For a while he juggled both interests, continuing to produce magazine editorial while taking photographs for travel and sport publications, but by 2005 he had completely immersed himself in all things camera-related, and the end of that year saw him setting up an in-house studio for a magazine publisher.
From there Ant never looked back, and his passion for the lens has led him into every challenging photographic situation you could imagine, from food to jewellery to small children to muddy fields to celebrities. And even the odd stroppy model!
The bottom line is, Ant Jones lives and breathes photography, and this is evident in the energy, creative vision and attention to detail he brings to every shoot.
Oliver Suckling
Photographer
Oliver learnt his craft as the in-house photographer at a design studio. Starting with minimal equipment he helped grow photography into a successful part of the company's business, working with clients as diverse as Del Monte, Accolade Wines, and Volvo Construction Equipment. While there he also gained plenty of experience in design, as well as behind the camera, allowing him to see the picture from the angle of the client as well as the photographer.
Seizing a unique opportunity he then took his camera around the world for seven months, taking pictures all the way from Beijing to the Grand Canyon. On his return he worked as a freelance photographer, shooting everything from weddings to hotel interiors.
However, the photography studio was always going to be his natural home, and the exciting creative opportunities offered by CliQQ were simply too good to pass up. So here he is, and with such a great studio and team at his disposal, his images just get better and better.
Richard Smith
Scanning, processing & retouching
Richard runs CliQQ Lab, where all the post-production magic happens. His background spans four decades of black and white and colour reproduction, starting with an apprenticeship in reprographics in Fleet Street and spanning a variety of companies in London, mainly producing photographs for national newspapers and magazines. He expanded his skills during this time and progressed to colour scanner operator, which he worked at for 30 years on many glossies including Harpers Queen and Vogue.
These days it's all about megapixels and software, and Richard has transferred his incredible depth of knowledge to the screen, handling digital photography with the same flair he has demonstrated since 1961. It's comforting to know that your images are being handled by someone who was already in the dark room when Photoshop was just a twinkle in Mr Adobe's eye.