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  • The End of The Google Trusted Photographer Scheme

    The End of The Google Trusted Photographer Scheme

    Google announced that their Trusted Photographer Scheme would cease to operate from the end of 2024. What does this mean for businesses who would’ve previously commissioned a ‘trusted photographer’ to undertake a 360 virtual tour?

    What was the Trusted Photographer scheme?

    The Google Trusted Photographer program provided photographers with a certification. Professional photographers were trained and/or approved by Google to create 360-degree virtual tours and high-quality images for businesses. They helped businesses enhance their online presence by adding virtual tours to Google Maps and Google Search through the “See Inside” feature. It aimed to improve user engagement and provide businesses with better visibility in local search results.

    Were Eye Revolution an accredited Google Trusted Photographer?

    Yes. We were not trained by Google (as we’d been creating 360 virtual tours before Google introduced Streetview!), but we were awarded their Trusted Photographer accreditation.

    While it was nice to receive the accreditation, it didn’t change much for us, as our 360 photography standards have always exceeded those set by Google. We’ve consistently aimed for a higher level of quality and detail in our work, ensuring the best possible experience for our clients.

    So, what now?

    The end of the Trusted Photographer scheme is not something to be concerned about. Clients can select a virtual tour company on the strength of their portfolio, their client list and testimonials, and how well they understand and can meet your objectives.

    Why have 360s on your Google Business profile

    Google’s big priority is offering high quality content to their users. They like to see businesses offering great, user-friendly imagery on their Business Listings.

    A study by IPSOS found that listings with photos and a virtual tour are twice as likely to generate interest in your business.

    (IPSOS: Impact of Search Listings for Local Businesses, 2014)

    The Google Business listing appears when someone searches for your business or the service you offer. Anyone can add content to your listing. Thus, your customers can take pictures and add them to your listing – this can help or hinder.

    Your Google Business listing can help you drive traffic and increase click-throughs, or it can fall flat by delivering poor quality content. This is often the very first ‘window’ customers have into your business and brand. Some companies haven’t yet taken control of their business listing and so the first images that prospects see are poor quality stills or even phone pictures that other customers have uploaded. High-quality, relevant content, such as good 360 images, should be ranked higher on the listing. Meanwhile, poor-quality images should sink lower down the results. Thus, having superb 360s on your business listing has become even more important.

    Your Google Business listing can be a powerful marketing tool. It gives you the opportunity to showcase the look and feel of your business. Thus enhancing your online visibility and driving traffic to your website.

    Can virtual tours still be added to Google listings?

    Absolutely. Your business should already have a ‘Google Business’ profile. This profile shows your details, including a location map and photos, plus a ‘see outside’ image from Streetview. Here’s an example:

    Image showing how Google Business listings appear in a Google search. Taken from our article about the end of the Google Trusted Photographer scheme.

    When you click on ‘see photos’, there is a 360 section, where your 360 images can be seen:

    Image showing 360s seen in a Google Business listing. Taken from our article about the end of the Google Trusted Photographer scheme.

    What about my virtual tour appearing on Streetview?

    Streetview users can still see your virtual tour, but it’s a little different now. A user on Streetview will see a little red icon showing that Google has information about a location. Here’s how it looks for one of our clients in New York:

    Google streetview

    Once the user clicks on the ‘Photos’, there’s a section with all the client’s 360s available to view:

    Google Streetview - look inside using 360 images

    These 360s can be linked together. Thus, once the viewer is inside one 360, they can then do a walkthrough. They’ll use the markers on the floor to move along – just like on Streetview outside. You can see an example screenshot below:

    This still image is taken from our article about the end of the Google Trusted Photographer scheme. It shows a bridal shop virtual tour walkthrough as it appears on Google Streetview.

    However, any enhanced content (such as info pop-ups, embedded video, ‘share my view’, etc) that you may have on your main virtual tour won’t be available on Streetview or your Google Business listing.

    How to select a virtual tour company now the Google Trusted Photographer accreditation has ceased

    We’ve written a helpful guide for clients who have never commissioned a virtual tour before. This is intended to help clients understand what to look for, how to easily spot photographic flaws, what functionality may be available and various other tips. Click the link to read our guide to commissioning a virtual tour.

    If you choose to trust us with your project, you’ll be in excellent company. You’ll be joining companies who value quality, innovation and discretion. We work with the Royal Household, British Airways, Jaguar Land Rover, The Royal & Ancient Golf Club at St Andrews, M&S, Canon and Emirates to name just a tiny selection. We’ve been specialists in 360 images for over 2 decades, constantly refining our equipment and processes for optimum results.

    What does it cost?

    Your project will be different to the last project we did. Your objectives will be different. We don’t have a ‘one price fits all’ solution – just as the photography and interface is tailored to you needs, each project is estimated according to the brief. After an initial discussion, we provide a clear estimate for you that gives you various options to select.

    Book a demo

    We’ve been creating virtual tours that work hard for our clients for many years. Consequently, we have a wealth of experience and expertise in how to photograph your space for maximum impact.

    We’d love to hear about your project and arrange a free demo for you. Please click here to get in touch and arrange a demo.

    This article is correct at the time of writing, but please note that Google makes changes to their interface which may not be reflected above.

  • Burberry Hero 360 Video CAMPAIGN

    Burberry Hero 360 Video CAMPAIGN

    You can see the Burberry Hero campaign on your smartphone here.

    The brief

    We travelled to Tenerife to shoot the 360 video for the Burberry Hero campaign. The brief for the shoot was to create a 360 video of the beach from the Burberry Hero campaign. This featured the actor Adam Driver – best known for his role in Star Wars as Kylo Ren. Driver fronted the campaign which features him alongside a beautiful horse; running, riding and swimming together.

    The shoot and edit

    We shot the 360 video at a stunning beach in the shadow of Montaña Pelada – a dormant volcano formed by an underwater eruption. The beach featured bears little resemblance to a tourist beach. The volcanic black sand and rugged rock formations lend it a sense of drama.

    We shot the 360 videos over a couple of days, capturing gorgeous light as the sun set over the sea, lighting up the rocks.

    The edit required the 360 video to be edited into a seamless clip so the waves would keep rolling in and out in the background of the Burberry Hero microsite.

    360 Video as campaign backplate

    The 360 video is the backdrop through which all content is delivered to the viewer, and there are multiple features to explore. You can watch the finished film with Adam Driver. You can also view a ‘behind the scenes’ video about the making of the campaign film. There is also a game which relates to the Hero campaign. Plus an interactive ‘find your fragrance’; and a feature which lets you explore the notes in the fragrance. All of these are delivered from the 360 video with its waves lapping at the shore – an animation that’s engaging without being obtrusive.

    Find out more

    To find out more about our 360 video service, please click here. We’re always happy to talk through potential projects. So, if you have a brief in mind, please do get in touch, we’d be delighted to hear from you.

  • Virtual Tour Accessibility Overlays / Widgets

    Virtual Tour Accessibility Overlays / Widgets

    In over 20 years of creating thousands of virtual tours, we’ve never yet been commissioned by a client who has accessibility needs. As a result, those commissioning the content may only have a layperson’s scant knowledge about what accessibility is within the virtual tour environment.

    It’s fantastic that clients are increasingly looking to build their tours with accessibility in mind. We’re here to help offer guidance about what accessibility in a tour can look like, and what it can and should achieve for users with a wide set of diverse needs.

    Who needs accessibility features?

    A wide range of users may need to use accessibility features. This is not only those with disabilities – such as those with motor impairments in their limbs, or blind or deaf people. It can also encompass those using old devices to access a virtual tour, or an extremely slow internet connection. These are all factors which could impact their ability to view the tour.

    What is an accessibility overlay or ‘widget’?

    This is an overlay on a website or a virtual tour allowing the user to make changes to suit their needs. For example, changing to a static version of the tour (consisting of jpeg images and text rather than the interactive tour). Enlarging the cursor to make it more visible. Desaturating the image so it becomes black and white rather than colour. These widgets have often been employed where companies have been under threat of legal action as their websites are not compliant with modern accessibility standards (WCAG 2.2).

    Do we do accessibility widgets for virtual tours?

    We can offer our clients an accessibility overlay (or ‘widget’), but it’s important to note that this is rarely the right solution as increasingly it’s becoming apparent that these have significant drawbacks. We’ve outlined the problems below, along with some sources for further reading.

    Problems with accessibility overlays

    Initially, an accessibility overlay appears to be an excellent solution – ensuring virtual tour accessibility for all users. Why then, are these considered by many in the accessibility community to be problematic, leading to some research showing that only 2.4% of users consider them effective?1

    Chart delineating the effectiveness of web overlays as rated by web accessibility practitioners in 2021, original research conducted by WebAIM. To summarise, 72% of users with disabilities rated overlays as'not at all' or'not very' effective. Only 2.4% rated them as effective.
    Source: WebAIM research January 2021

    The concept of accessibility help via an overlay seems purely positive, but as the Overlay Fact Sheet (a statement from over 570 experts in the accessibility field) states, these overlays can actually impede users by interrupting the assistive technology they already use.

    “As stated above, some overlay products contain widgets which present a series of controls that modify the presentation of the page they’re on. Depending on the product, those changes may do things like change the page contrast, enlarge the size of the page’s text, or perform other changes to the page that are intended to improve the experience for users with disabilities.

    To laypersons, these features may seem beneficial, but their practical value is largely overstated because the end users that these features claim to serve will already have the necessary features on their computer, either as a built-in feature or as an additional piece of software that the user needs to access not only the Web but all software.

    On this latter point, it is a mistake to believe that the features provided by the overlay widget will be of much use by end users because if those features were necessary to use the website, they’d be needed for all websites that the user interacts with. Instead, the widget is —at best—redundant functionality with what the user already has.”

    Overlay Fact Sheet: https://overlayfactsheet.com/en/#strengths-and-weaknesses-of-overlay-widgets

    They override the user’s existing assistive technology

    Operating systems such as the Apple OS and Microsoft Windows have accessibility settings built-in. The accessibility features in these operating systems are the result of millions of dollars of research and development. Many users will also utilise other assistive technology such as JAWS, NVDA and ZoomText. 2 Users will have often spent many years using and refining the settings within these technologies to create the precise balance of assistance they require. When a virtual tour accessibility widget is added in, this may well override or interfere with the user’s own personalised choices. They may not be compatible with all browsers or assistive technologies, such as screen readers, leading to additional challenges for users.

    There may be technical limitations

    There’s no guarantee the overlay will function correctly for every user. Some overlays use an additional layer of javascript. This may cause a slow down to the point of being unusable or even crash the user’s browser. Some overlays use AI to generate accessible content – such as image tag attributes. There’s evidence to show that these tags generated via machine learning are not able to provide a genuine, human explanation of the image, and can often be misleading. This leads to massive frustration on the part of users.

    Companies should be aware that there may be legal risks in using overlays. According to Accessibility Works, those companies using accessibility overlays may well be an easy target for lawsuits.3

    Tokenism and compliance over genuine attempts to create accessible content:

    Some users feels that companies using these widgets have added them in order to seem compliant with accessibility standards without a genuine attempt to understand accessibility needs and address any underlying issues that make their content inaccessible. It becomes, in effect, a ‘box-ticking’ exercise.

    In Conclusion

    It’s easy to be dazzled by the panacea that an accessibility widget apparently offers. However, research has bought us to the conclusion that this is almost never the correct way to proceed for an accessible virtual tour.

    Where to we go from here for an accessible virtual tour then?

    To summarise, yes, we could offer our clients an accessibility widget within their virtual tour if they demanded it. However, we would suggest that this isn’t the easy solution it might seem to be to achieve an accessible virtual tour. Instead, increasingly, we are looking at ways in which the virtual tour itself can be made compliant with WCAG 2.2 standards. Our goal is to build accessibility into the virtual tour at the planning stage.

    Although we were the first virtual tour company to create a W3C AAA compliant virtual tour (for 10 Downing Street in 2007, as audited by Nomensa), many of our older tours do not meet accessibility standards, as this was not required by our clients. Our tours are designed to meet the client’s project objectives, and not all projects have required this.

    However, moving forward, as a priority, we are seeking to develop tours for our clients with code that can interact as expected with users’ own assistive technology or accessibility settings.

    We are aiming for more than just a sticking plaster – virtual tours that will genuinely increase inclusivity.

    To talk about how we can help you build an accessible virtual tour to genuinely benefit your users, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

    Further reading

    The A11y Project’s article on accessibility overlays. Summary: The A11y Project do not recommend using overlays at all and the article explains why.

    “Why Accessibility overlays do not improve site accessibility”. Summary: Scope summarises what companies should consider before adding an accessibility widget to a website. It outlines why accessibility overlays often make the experience worse for disabled users.

    Overlay Fact Sheet. Summary: The overlay fact sheet is a signed statement from over 570 global accessibility experts concerning the ineffectiveness of overlays. The experts includes those with careers devoted to improving accessibility, plus end-users who are disabled, or both.

    Video on research done with for screen reader users to assess accessibility widgets. Summary: Website accessibility widgets add little value in making your site accessible to users with partial or no vision.

    “Accessibility menus [overlays/widgets] are not considered useful”. Link to article expanding on the above video.

    4 Ways accessibility overlays fail. Article that goes through the fundamental flaws in accessibility overlays and why they fail users of assistive technologies.

    The overlay personalisation farce. Karl Groves’ detailed look at each of the features within an accessibility widget and how effective each element is.

    1. Source: https://webaim.org/projects/practitionersurvey3/#overlay ↩︎ ↩︎
    2. Source: https://www.tpgi.com/accessibility-overlays-in-digital-content/  ↩︎
    3. Source: https://www.accessibility.works/blog/avoid-accessibility-overlay-tools-toolbar-plugins/ ↩︎
  • TfL Virtual Recce

    TfL Virtual Recce

    We’ve worked with Transport for London (TfL) to document the stations available for film crews to use as locations. Thus making a ‘virtual recce’ for film crews and location scouts to view and assess before an in-person visit.

    Filming on the TfL Network

    The Transport for London network has long provided locations for filmmakers. The TfL locations create an instantly recognisable, iconic ‘London’ location for their work. We’re all familiar with these often epic scenes, whether that’s high-octane chases such as James Bond chasing cyberterrorist Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem) through crowded Tubes and sliding down rush-hour escalators; or the poignant drama of the Balham Tube station bombing in Atonement.

    Daniel Craig tackles the escalators – Skyfall Official Trailer (2012)

    TfL’s film office handles all requests to film on the network, looking after this highly distinctive and instantly recognisable international brand. They have been working on new ways to improve their system for recces of the TfL locations. We’ve been incredibly proud to work with them on creating this content.

    Virtual recce

    Previously, film & photography crews would have had to look through stills of TfL locations, and then visit in person. Production delays could ensue, because at certain stations there are restrictions on the times that it’d be possible to recce. Stills alone don’t let the crew assess all of the angles, layout, logistical considerations and so on. We worked with TfL’s film office on this pioneering project where 360s were the ideal medium for providing scouts and crews with a virtual recce.

    Saving time, money… and carbon

    A virtual recce offers massive time and money saving potential. A scout or director can look through the 360s and make a thorough assessment of whether the location is likely to work for their production. They can rule out a particular location on this basis, or decide to take it further and visit in person. This saves time and wasted journeys, thus also reducing climate impact.

    Qualifying visitors in advance of an in-person recce

    For location owners this makes sense too. It takes staff time to arrange and escort film scouts on recces. Previously, many of these recces proved to be time wasted for both parties. It would become apparent for the director once on site that a location wouldn’t work for them. Since introducing virtual recces, and thus pre-qualifying enquirers, TfL have found that they’re making about a third less bookings for recces. The remaining two-thirds know from viewing the 360s before their in-person recce that the location looks likely to be suitable for their shoot.

    You can view some of the virtual recces here: Aldwych; Bank; High Street Kensington; Charing Cross; Canary Wharf & Kensington Olympia.

    In short, the top three benefits of a virtual recce are:

    • Pre-qualifies on-site visitors to reduce wasted time and budget
    • Reduces climate impact by minimising wasted visits
    • Allows potential location users to go back and revisit the location again and again to help them with storyboarding and planning

    If you’ve got a project in mind, please do get in touch, we’d love to talk with you.

  • Belstaff 100 Year Centenary Brand Exhibition Virtual Tour

    Belstaff 100 Year Centenary Brand Exhibition Virtual Tour

    We were delighted to produce the exhibition virtual tour for Belstaff’s 100 year centenary exhibition.

    Belstaff are a modern British heritage brand – now a century old. In the early days, they were pioneers in fabric waterproofing, even making tents. However, it was through their clothing for motorcycling and motorsports that they became most widely known. This heritage runs through their brand identity.

    Belstaff celebrated their first 100 years with an exhibition at Gladstone Potteries in their home city of Stoke-on-Trent – near where it all started. This exhibition showcases a century of rare and collectable archive pieces. This included jackets owned and worn by Steve McQueen in the 1960s and motorcycling legend Sammy Miller.

    The Belstaff virtual tour project

    Creating an exhibition can be time-intensive and costly. Thus it makes sound business sense to extend its reach as much as is possible. Many Belstaff fans worldwide wouldn’t be able to travel to Stoke. Thus, offering an exhibition virtual tour adds value, allowing them to visit the exhibition virtually and be included in the brand story.

    The exhibition included rich media resources, which we have also used within the virtual tour. For example the videos with interviews with staff and creators has been embedded in the courtyard 360. Specially commissioned music / audio for the live exhibition are also used in the tour. This helps recreate the in-person experience, enriching the online visit still further.

    Timings were a challenge on this particular project. A very speedy turnaround was essential so the tour could go live online as soon as possible. To achieve this, we worked on the interface build in advance of the shoot. Building this beforehand enabled us to focus solely on post-production and client approvals on the images. After this, the images were added to the interface and given their final checks. Finally, the tour was uploaded to the client’s server, ready to show their audience worldwide.

    Exhibition Virtual Tour

    Each exhibition virtual tour is different. All present their own challenges. That can be access: “You only have an hour to shoot the entire exhibition.” Or turnaround “Can it go live on the same day the exhibition opens?”, or a host of other considerations. Our long experience in shooting exhibition virtual tours ensures that we can provide our clients with a smooth, efficient process. Delivering exceptional quality 360 tours to throw open your exhibition’s doors to the world for all time.

    Please take a look through some of our past exhibition virtual tours. We’re always delighted to chat about your project’s objectives, so please do give us a call. You can also find out more about our virtual tour services here.

  • Jax Jones & Fireboy DML – Me & My Guitar

    Jax Jones & Fireboy DML – Me & My Guitar

    We are delighted to have worked with film production company Swords & Eagles on the new Jax Jones music video for ‘Me & My Guitar’.

    Virtual Production: Music video backgrounds

    Virtual production is the marriage of physical production with virtual techniques. Swords & Eagles were looking for dramatic London cityscapes in high resolution, and found the ones they were seeking in our MD, Will Pearson’s portfolio.

    The first image appears early on (00:13 onwards) when Jax & Fireboy DML are shown as adults, sitting on the edge of a tall building with views of London surrounding them.

    It recalls the famous ‘Lunch Atop a Skyscraper’ image where the viewer is similarly unnerved by people sitting precariously at height. You can see the original 360 here by clicking ‘London Bridge’ on the menu.

    The next image is used as Jax Jones and Fireboy DML fly across the city (00:48 onwards) and is a view from Lincoln Square in Holborn. You can view the original 360 on this link by clicking ‘Holborn’ on the menu.

    The final image seen in the video (01:49 onwards) is 30 St Mary Axe 22:00 – you can view the original 360 by clicking the 22:00 timestamp here. It’s an evening backdrop that chimes beautifully with the progression of the artists across the city (and into adulthood from the opening child scene).

    To find out more about how we can help you with virtual production or 360 backplates for TV, film & video, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We’re always happy to talk through a brief and see what we can bring to it.

  • BBC Studioworks

    BBC Studioworks

    We have created a TV studio virtual tour for the BBC’s studio and production arm – BBC Studioworks. Below you can read more about the tour and see some stills taken from the 360s.

    BBC Kelvin Hall TV Set virtual tour - still of the exterior

    The Kelvin Hall production hub

    BBC Studioworks has launched a new purpose-built studio in landmark Glasgow building Kelvin Hall. The studio is in the heart of Glasgow’s West End, with Kelvingrove Park and Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum close by. The new studios have repurposed a derelict section of a historically important building, bringing yet more vibrance to this bustling area of Glasgow. Studioworks have equipped Kelvin Hall with high tech equipment to ensure the best quality picture and sound quality. The sound and lighting galleries are the largest that BBC Studioworks has built. It is packed with features to help keep production teams, the talent, crew and audiences comfortable.

    Already home to quiz show, Bridge of Lies, hosted by Ross Kemp, further productions are due to be announced.

    TV Studio virtual tour - Sounds control room

    “BBC Studioworks is a welcome addition to Scotland’s existing range of studio space and reflects the vibrant expansion of the screen sector with its growing demand from local and international film and television production companies.”  

    Angus Robertson, Scottish Culture Secretary
    Kelvin Hall virtual tour - main studio ceiling

    Why commission a TV Studio virtual tour?


    A TV studio virtual tour brings the surroundings to life in a way that traditional stills alone cannot. The user can explore a full 360 degrees around the space at their own pace.

    Make Up at BBC Kelvin Hall - from the virtual tour

    The high resolution of the 360 photography means viewers can zoom right in to see the details. Whether that’s for a closer look at a lighting rig or sound desk, or just to see how comfy the chairs in the green room really look!

    The tour aims to attract new productions to Glasgow, allowing producers to gain a good picture of the surroundings & facilities. Our bespoke interface serves additional information to the user within the 360 at the relevant time. For example, a user visits the sound room. Here, they can click on an info point allowing them to view an equipment list.

    To view the Kelvin Hall TV studio virtual tour please visit the BBC Studioworks site (opens in a new window).

    We greatly enjoyed working with the team at the BBC, it’s a pleasure to have been commissioned for the project. To discover how we can help you bring your space to life, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

  • BMW Virtual Tour: iX Interior 360

    BMW Virtual Tour: iX Interior 360

    BMW virtual tour of the IX – we’ve been shooting car virtual tours for many years, but this project was something special – our first fully electric car 360.

    Shot of the BMW iX driving along a road, background is blurred and the sea is visible in the distance.

    BMW’s fully electric SUV, the iX, is an extraordinary vehicle. Drivers will be enthralled by the experience offered by IX’s uncompromising electric drive system. And of course, they will be secure in the knowledge that their choice is light on the planet.

    Shooting car 360s is always a technical challenge. The photographer is working in a close, confined space, and he or she must achieve perfect focus on features and surfaces very close to the camera as well as those much further away. We shot the iX in a car studio, and the post-production was all done in our studio. You can read more about how we shoot cars here.

    BMW virtual tour - Close up of the walnut panel and glass controller in the BMW iX electric vehicle

    BMW wanted to show prospective drivers that the cockpit of the BMW iX is truly exceptional. It marries minimalist, futuristic design with the touches of luxury that drivers have come to expect from the brand. The glass controller sits atop the central walnut panel. The details on the leather upholstery are picked out by the light from the huge sunroof. All of these details needed to be shown in flawless detail. So, we were delighted to be selected by BMW to achieve this for the iX.

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    You can explore our BMW virtual tour best in fullscreen, where you can really zoom in to see the finer detail in the iX’s interior. Please click here to view the iX 360 (opens in a new tab).

    BMW’s Agency, FCB Inferno, did the interface work to overlay information onto the 360 and you can view this final version on BMW’s site here.

  • Maddox Gallery Virtual Tours

    Maddox Gallery Virtual Tours

    Gallery virtual tours of three separate Maddox Gallery exhibitions – Villainy by Jerkface (London); Flow State by MikealB (Los Angeles) & In Focus by David Yarrow (London)

    We love working in a gallery environment. The spaces are usually both beautiful and arresting, with a fantastic flow for the visitor to make their journey around the artworks. This makes for exciting gallery virtual tours where the user can explore while always feeling well-orientated within the space.

    Jerkface

    For Jerkface’s ‘Villainy’ exhibition, it was vital for the virtual tour photography to allow the vivid colours of the artwork and gallery takeover to shine through.

    The interface was built to allow users to click on a pop-up next to an artwork. It was crucial that the pop-ups displayed the pieces at an ample size to properly showcase the art.

    Still image taken from gallery virtual tours of Maddox Gallery in London during the Villainy exhibition by Jerkface.

    Each pop-up provides details about the artwork in question, and takes the user to the Jerkface page on the Maddox Gallery website – straight to a ‘register your interest in Jerkface’ form. This gives users a very clear route straight to the gallery representing the artist.

    David Yarrow

    David Yarrow’s In Focus exhibition was a very different feel – a collection of black and white images, some haunting, others playful. Many of the pop-ups feature videos about David’s approach to a particular piece of work.

    Still image taken from gallery virtu al tours of Maddox Gallery in London during the In Focus exhibition by David Yarrow.

    MikealB Gallery Virtual Tours

    MikealB is Mikael Brandrup – a Danish artist living and working in Los Angeles. These gallery virtual tours were of his ‘Flow State’ exhibition. Using spray paint on canvas, the artworks pop with vibrant neon colour. Graffitti meets contemporary art on a dramatic dark canvas at the Maddox Gallery in Los Angeles.

    Still image taken from gallery virtual tours of Maddox Gallery in Los Angeles during the Flow State exhibition by MikaelB.

    Book a demo

    If you’d like to find out how we can create gallery virtual tours for your exhibition, please get in touch to book a demo. We’re always happy to chat through any of your ideas and see how we can help bring them to life.

  • London Skyline: Day / Night Transition

    London Skyline: Day / Night Transition

    Eye Revolution photographer Will Pearson has been shooting the skyline in London from the Shard since it was under construction. These London skyline 360 images were shot from the top for The View from the Shard. You can click straight in to see the day / night transition. Or, if you’d like to find out a little more about these shoots, read on!

    The View from the Shard

    The View from the Shard is one of London’s top tourist attractions. It’s situated 310 metres above London in one of its most distinctive and iconic buildings. The View’s visitors can enjoy panoramic views of the London skyline from the open air skydeck.

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    Shooting a London skyline from Europe’s tallest building site…

    We’ve conducted several shoots from the top of The Shard. In 2010 we were commissioned to capture the views while it was still a building site. This involved complex logistics to get Eye Revolution’s head photographer Will Pearson to the summit. Getting to the crane at the top with a pelicase containing the kit and sturdy tripod was definitely a tricky undertaking. The image above shows the Shard under construction to give you an idea of the ascent.

    There was a cage-type site lift which took Will to the top of the concrete core. He then scaled up a series of ladders which took him to the ‘slip’ (the top of the concrete core). Lastly, he had to climb up the internal ladders of the crane and go out on the jib – the ‘arm’ of the crane. Shooting from here in effect turned the crane into a giant panoramic ‘head’. Andy the crane driver rotating and stopping at increments. At each stop, Will could capture the individual shots that would make up the final 360. And when the shoot was over, there was still the descent in the dark to be tackled!

    Shooting from the BMU

    On a different shoot in 2013 he had the pleasure of boarding the BMU (the Building Maintenance Unit – a window cleaners basket in layman’s terms). This ‘basket’ hoisted him above the shards of glass and gently rotated him around the top. This actually gave us the best chance of shooting a high resolution 360, but definitely took the most time planning and waiting for the right conditions. It was not a shoot for anyone with a fear of heights!

    Shooting the London skyline from the summit

    Shooting panoramas is a precise pursuit. We spend a great deal of time testing and establishing the perfect configuration of camera, lens and panoramic head. These preparations allow us to precisely capture a 360 scene. However, shooting from a crane, BMU or through peep-holes is a very different matter. Precision goes out of the window and we then have to undertake painstaking hand-retouching to blend the images together into a 360 canvas.

    After the Shard was finished, we did one shoot of the views from the floor area you can see below. This was technically a very complex shoot – we can’t stand in a single position to capture a 360 from here – instead, we had to capture the view at intervals all around the space. And of course for safety reasons, you can’t lean out over the barriers. It’s then a case of working these images together into a single London skyline in post-production – which took many days to complete.

    Image showing what it's like shooting the London skyline from the top of the Shard - you can see the metalwork and London sprawling far below.

    Planning tall building shoots

    We plan for the various challenges shooting a London cityscape at the top of a tall building. Initially, all of the safety documentation and insurance must be approved. We then work out access and how we can time the shoot to capture the best conditions possible.

    Even when the air seems still at ground level, we must factor in higher wind speeds once at a significant height. We always have to be very aware of this, as gusts of wind (or just generally high wind speeds) can unbalance the camera. Even very small variations can cause issues in the final image.

    We must take into account the logistics of getting into position with bags of heavy yet fragile equipment. Lugging pelicases up a ladder is probably the photographer’s least favourite part of the shoot! Once up there, he’s dealing with many hours working in full sun, transitioning into very cold conditions at nighttime. One of the Shard shoots even coincided with one of those nights in London where flying ants swarm everywhere, and needed to be shooed away from the lens!

    Having said this, it’s still one of the shoots that gives all of us a bit of a kick. We’ve shot from many tall buildings but the Shard was extra special. Many of these shots looking out over the London skyline can never be replicated, as the open platform is now glazed.

    We hope you enjoy the views. You can click the day / night buttons in the top left hand corner to move between the 360s.

    If you’d like to discuss a skyline shoot or licensing cityscape images, please do get in touch.

  • Kidbrooke Village

    Kidbrooke Village

    Kidbrooke Village is an ambitious development of over 4000 new homes in Greenwich, London by Berkeley Homes. The still images featured in this blog entry are all taken from our Kidbrooke Village virtual tour.

    Copley, the tiling company, commissioned Eye Revolution to create a 360 tour at Kidbrooke Village. They wanted visuals that would beautifully showcase the tiling Copley had undertaken there. Copley have been involved in this project for a decade. Their work here encompasses both the apartments and houses plus communal spaces.

    The virtual tour is intended as a sales tool that will be used face-to-face in meetings with potential customers as well as an online resource.

    Kidbrooke Village Virtual Tour

    The tour opens with an intro movie, establishing Kidbrooke’s London location and transport links. Views captured from our drone highlight the surrounding landscaped parkland. Additionally, the film ‘teases’ with glimpses into the various areas which viewers can explore more thoroughly in the tour itself.

    The virtual tour starts with a dramatic aerial 360 tour. A drone 360 is a fantastic introduction to a virtual tour. They give context to the wider geographic location, and are a new and exciting perspective for viewers to explore. You can read more here about our aerial 360 services.

    The Kidbrooke Village virtual tour then focuses in on the interior areas where Copley have worked. The 360s are such high resolution that they effectively showcase the craftsmanship and attention to detail in the tiling. Copley’s customers can zoom in to really check out the detail close up.

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    Finally, if you’d like to discuss how our virtual tour service could showcase your space, please do get in touch.

  • Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice Virtual Tour

    Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice Virtual Tour

    It has been a great privilege for us to work with Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice. The brief was to create a hospice virtual tour of The Ark in Barnet, London. This is what Noah’s Ark say about their aims:

    We help babies, children and young people with life-threatening or life-limiting conditions, and their families, make the most of every day. And we support those who die young to do so in as much comfort as possible, surrounded by family. We are here to enable those we support to enjoy life as children, rather than as patients; as families, not just as carers.

    Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice

    When you visit The Ark, these goals shine through in the people you meet and in every space you walk into.

    The Architecture

    The building was completed in 2019, and was beautifully designed by architects Squire & Partners. It was intended be an uplifting and pleasurable space for people to be, without sacrificing practicality and care. Everything has been thoughtfully designed to help families find comfort and make the most of their time together. The ‘X’ format of the building allows for lovely views from all sides of the buildings over the gardens and nature reserve beyond. It’s based on a butterfly. This is the symbol of the hospice movement – signifying a brief but beautiful life.

    The Hospice Virtual Tour

    For families facing the unimaginable trauma of a sick baby, child or teenager, it may be daunting to visit a hospice. The whole process of where their child will move around, play or sleep is likely to be an unknown to them. The hospice virtual tour is intended to help families get familiar with the environment in advance of their first visit. The Noah’s Ark team wanted to highlight key areas of the building and grounds in beautiful high resolution. The high resolution was vital in order that users could zoom in and see the detail. Ambient sound enhances the virtual visit still further. Thus the tour can help open conversations with children, helping them anticipate their time there with pleasure rather than fear.

    Parents will gain an insight into the logistics of a visit to the hospice. They can see the family suites, the support available to their child, any siblings and themselves during a visit. The family will know they can find peaceful contemplation or prayer in the multi-faith room. They’ll know exactly what to expect when they go there.

    Many of the tours feature a subtle info pop-up. These explain some of the uses and features in the room. The pop-ups aim to inform without being intrusive.

    Drone 360 Tours and Aerial Video

    An important aim for Noah’s Ark was to firmly anchor the hospice geographically. They wanted hospice virtual tour viewers to know The Ark is in Barnet, and set within a lovely 7.5-acre nature reserve. They also wanted families to be able to easily see the catchment boroughs that Noah’s Ark draws from. A drone 360 gave us a perfect opportunity to achieve this using labelled pins representing each catchment borough. A second, lower aerial 360 allowed viewers a closer insight into the gardens. This allows them to drop down inside the centre too.

    In addition to the aerial 360s, we also captured video footage for an intro video. This again helps viewers gain an overview of where the centre is, and the peaceful surroundings it inhabits.

    In our Client’s words

    “From the very start, from the initial contact, to the photoshoot, to the editing, it has been an absolute pleasure working with the team at Eye Revolution who have created an incredible virtual tour of Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice. Their passion for photography really shines through and I’ve really appreciated the enthusiasm they’ve shown towards our work too – it has felt like a really collaborative project.

    Their work has really helped to bring our work to life and it will be an incredible resource to share with the children and families we support for years to come. Not only is the photography of the highest quality, I have really appreciated their creative input and suggestions into making this tour the best it can possibly be. I highly recommend Eye Revolution to any other charities or organisations looking into the possibility of creating a virtual tour.”

    Noah’s Ark Trust Fundraising Team

    We’re very lucky to be briefed on some incredible 360 projects, though some will always have a special place in our hearts. The Noah’s Ark Hospice virtual tour project was one that touched all of us deeply and we were very proud to have worked on it.

  • London Property Photography: Lincoln Square

    London Property Photography: Lincoln Square

    Our London property photography service encompasses high-end 360 tours, aerial 360s and drone video, as well as stills photography, intro videos and bespoke tour interfaces.

    Lincoln Square, Westminster

    Lincoln Square is a new luxury development in the heart of historic London by Lodha UK.

    Working to create a sales tool for Copley Ltd who did the tiling for Lincoln Square, we focussed on showing the beauty of the tiles and how they enhance the building. The tour opens with our short movie – teasing the gorgeous textures and reflections in the tiles.

    Intro Movie

    We shot footage from the drone and at ground level. The movie opens with the views from high above Lincoln Square looking over the London skyline. This view establishes the building’s positioning in prime central London. The camera moves downwards showing the Lincoln Square development, which is built around a beautiful central courtyard. The film then teases the gorgeous surroundings through the lobby and into the apartments – focussing on the tiling. It sets the scene for the tour to follow. 

    Drone virtual tour

    The Lincoln Square development sits on the edge of Covent Garden, near Holborn and The Strand. We open the virtual tours with an aerial 360 high above the building. This drone tour puts the building in context – showing where it sits within an epic cityscape. It forms an ideal opening 360 for property photography and tours in great locations.

    The client was uncertain that aerial photography would be possible in this central London location. However, our experience in gaining permissions to fly in tricky, built-up locations enabled us to get a permit for the flight to capture this drone 360. You can read more about our aerial services here

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    Lincoln Square Virtual Tour

    The 360 virtual tour comprises a variety of areas. It moves from the building’s exterior, reception and stunning courtyard to the apartments themselves. Each tour does an initial rotation and comes to rest on an area that highlights Copley’s tiling. Viewers can take their time exploring the spaces. The high resolution of our tours allow you to zoom right in and see the finer detail. 

    London Property Photography

    Our London property photography service is ideal for showcasing high-end luxury developments like Lincoln Square. The virtual tours can be used as the cornerstone for other content, such as an intro movie, stills photography, and info pop-ups. These pop-ups can Our London property photography service is ideal for showcasing high-end luxury developments.

    The virtual tours can be used as the cornerstone for other content, such as an intro movie, stills photography, and info pop-ups. These pop-ups can highlight features that you’d like to draw viewers attention to. For instance, this could demonstrate a concealed security feature. Alternatively it could provide more detail about something in the scene. Additionally, viewers can download brochures, watch videos and follow links – all within the virtual tour. 

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    Finally, please click here to visit the Lincoln Square virtual tour.

  • Wardian London

    Wardian London

    Wardian is a residential development of two towers in London’s Canary Wharf. The towers are home to nearly 800 luxury residences. Additionally, there is The Wardian Club with sky garden, restaurants, cinema, gym and open-air swimming pool.

    The architect was Glenn Howells Architects, with design by Benningen Lloyd and Amos&Amos.

    Copley

    We were commissioned by Copley, a residential, leisure & commercial tiling company. Copley supplied and fitted the tiling for Wardian, throughout the building – in the residences and at the Wardian Club.

    Copley wanted to use the tours on their website though their key use is as a sales tool, to aid face-to-face presentations. Quality and precision was key, to reflect and amplify the Copley brand values. The tour comprises three parts – firstly, an intro film, secondly, the aerial 360 and finally the tour itself.

    Intro movie

    We created a short intro movie that helps set the scene for the virtual tour to follow. There is drone footage above Canary Wharf as well as video inside the Wardian Club, lobby and the apartments themselves. The footage teases the gorgeous textures in the tiles, and the stunning views and lighting reflected in the tiles too.

    Wardian Virtual Tour

    Secondly, the 360 virtual tour opens. The first image is a stunning aerial 360 high above Canary Wharf, looking across South Dock to the Wardian towers with the Thames beyond. The cluster of landmark buildings at Canada Square is to the left. This aerial 360 highlights the incredible location that Wardian boasts.

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    The architecture is fantastic – and really makes the most of the towers’ location and epic views – with every apartment having a wrap around balcony. Below you can see stills of the breathtaking views from a bathroom.

    Virtual tours are an ideal medium for showcasing architecture and architects’ portfolios. The 360s really bring Wardian to life for web visitors. They can explore the main areas and apartments at their leisure – enjoying the overall picture and then zooming in to see the detail.

    Bespoke virtual tours

    Eye Revolution specialise in exceptional quality 360s – where the photography is sharp and flawless, ideal for exhibiting high-end developments. The bespoke virtual tour interfaces we design and build mean information can be layered into the tour. This allows our clients to highlight features of interest within the scene. It is especially useful where it’s something that isn’t immediately apparent – it could be highlighting a concealed security system, underfloor heating or showing the concierge services. The info layers can include images, text, video, links, podcasts, downloadable brochures and more. Soundtracks or voiceovers can be utilised.

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    If you’d like to have a chat about what our bespoke virtual tours can offer you, please do get in touch. Finally, please do click here to explore the Wardian 360 tours and video.

  • VitrA Online Showroom

    VitrA Online Showroom

    Vitra came to us to commission an online showroom virtual tour of their new flagship showroom in London. Designed by award-winning architectural practice TP Bennett, the showroom is in the heart of the Clerkenwell Green Conservation Area.

    Vitra online showroom - still of the main reception area from the 360 virtual tour

    Award-winning Design

    The new showroom won the prestigious Bathroom Show Space of the Year award at The Designer Awards. These awards celebrate residential and commercial kitchen, bathroom and architectural design projects in the UK and worldwide. VitrA’s showroom was recognised for its stunning style and architecture amongst entries from world-renowned designers and architects. So, the brief for the online showroom was to bring this space to a wide audience, through flawless 360 photography and extra information presented in a straightforward but engaging way.

    A versatile space

    VitrA London is intended as a creative hub. Architects & designers can make wide use of the space for meetings or inspiration in the Virtual Reality 4D Theatre. Additionally, the showroom has spaces for product specification, events, and workshops.

    Open All Hours

    The beauty of an online showroom is the 24 hour accessibility to the audience, wherever they are in the world. Architects and designers can explore the collections from their own studios. People can see bathroom collections set up in a beautiful space, wherever they are in the country. Thus, the tour is accessible to all, taking the showroom beyond London to a significantly wider audience.

    The online showroom can act as a sales tool too. It allows VitrA’s team to virtually walk through collections with prospective customers.

    Online Showroom Examples

    Eye Revolution have created a large number of 360 virtual tours for a wide array of showrooms. We’ve worked with renowned brands such as bulthaup, Smallbone of Devizes, Heals, Colefax & Fowler and Knauf, creating online versions of the showroom experience which deliver a positive business impact.

  • Knauf Showroom Tour

    Knauf Showroom Tour

    Knauf is a leading global company specialising in building materials. They’ve recently opened their first ever showroom in Clerkenwell, London, showcasing their products. Our 360 showroom tour highlights Knauf’s new showroom as a centre for inspiration and learning for the design and architecture community. 

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    The brief

    Knauf came to us with a brief to create a 360 tour of their showroom that would reflect their brand. They knew they needed precise, attractive images in high resolution, because these would allow viewers to zoom in and see the detail. Exceptional photographic quality would be essential. Overlaying information pop-ups would let viewers take control of the experience: finding out more about products that catch their attention, with images, text, downloadable brochures and more. 

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    The project

    The finished tour is perfect for architects and designers who are considering Knauf’s materials and systems for their next project. They can go through the tour and see how something looks and discover more about it. Moreover, it will give a flavour of the experience they’ll have visiting the showroom in person too.

    Above all, the 360s allow users to take control of their viewing experience in a way that stills don’t permit. Instead of being shown a view, they can look at an item in detail and see it in context. The info pop-up then provides additional information on those points of interest. Viewers can check out images and links to product pages. They can read about the materials they click on. All this adds up to a positive user experience.

    Here’s what Knauf said about the experience of having an Eye Revolution virtual tour:

    We used Eve Revolution to create a 360 tour of our London showroom to show clients and we were absolutely delighted with the results. The team were brilliant and an absolute pleasure to work with! They explained everything from start to finish clearly along with their recommendations and answered any questions we had. Their aftercare was also great in assisting us with web and hosting help. I highly recommend using Eye Revolution for both your virtual tour and photography – our images came out great!

    If you’d like to see more showroom virtual tours, please click here.

  • Aerial 360 Photography

    Aerial 360 Photography

    Aerial 360 photography offers users a novel perspective when they’re exploring your building or area. Being able to establish your location in a user’s mind can be a great addition to your virtual tour. Eye Revolution’s expert drone pilots work with you to ensure safe, legal shoots that provide epic results. Read more about our drone services below.

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    Why (and when!) a drone 360 helps your viewers

    Opening a tour with an aerial 360 can be a fantastic way to introduce your tour – making sure that users understand where your location fits within the wider geographic space. Here’s how and why some of our clients have used the aerial tour:

    • to showcase a truly spectacular location
    • to position a building within its grounds before the user starts to explore, as we did for Wardian in Canary Wharf, or Lincoln Square in Holborn.
    • because a user may be familiar with a rough location, but not know where your building is, and this provides a context
    • a hospice client used it to highlight the surrounding boroughs where they draw their patients from
    • to show locations and tours across a very wide geographic area, such as a university campus
    • where a location is hidden, or not easily identifiable
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    London Bridge – Aerial 360 over the River Thames

    The main aerial 360 photography image on this page is taken from the opening of the virtual tour we created for St Magnus The Martyr, in the City of London. This drone 360 was shot high over the Thames by London Bridge in winter. When we plan the logistics for a drone shoot, we keep a close watch on the weather to ensure that conditions are good. However, a British winter is nothing if not changeable and challenging! Thus, we were exceptionally lucky to capture this iconic location with stunning low winter sun, which lent drama to the final image. The streets were empty due to the covid lockdown, giving a rare view of London with minimal traffic and pedestrians. Even the river traffic was very scant compared to a normal weekday. Please click here to view a selection of aerial 360s over London.

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    London Drone Photography: “How do we legally fly a drone in London?”

    All our aerial 360 drone shoots take place with all legal permissions in place. In addition, our expert pilots carry all insurances to fly. This is always essential, but especially vital when you’re flying in a built-up location like London or other cities. We always prioritise public safety. Our long experience and expertise has allowed us to gain permission to fly in areas where it may have at first seemed impossible. Check out some of the London locations where we’ve flown the drone – from the City of London to Knightsbridge, Holborn to Canary Wharf – we’ve been up high for our clients in them all.

    How does weather affect drone flights?

    High winds or other extreme weather can be are a challenge. We keep a close eye on the weather for drone shoots and are often able to build in flexibility on the shoot date. This ensures we can plan to shoot your aerial 360 photography in optimal conditions.

    Aerial 360 – Drone Video

    We create intro videos for our virtual tours. These videos help set the scene and act as a teaser. They can make a lovely starting point for the virtual tours. We often incorporate drone footage into these intro videos. You can see examples in our portfolio. Below we’ve linked some of the intro videos as standalones so you can see how the aerial video footage works within the intro video as a whole.

    Let’s talk drones!

    We’re always happy to chat, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you’d like to talk about how aerial 360 photography could add to your project and how we can help you.

  • St Magnus the Martyr

    St Magnus the Martyr

    Church virtual tour: bringing one of London’s historic Wren churches to a global audience

    We were honoured to be selected to produce a church virtual tour of this historic Wren building.

    For over 600 years, St Magnus was the church that welcomed visitors who crossed into the City of London via the original, medieval London Bridge.

    Dwarfed by the modern city, a passer-by could miss the incredible Wren gem. St Magnus is still an active place of worship and destination for enthusiasts. A church has been on the site since the 11th century. Its proximity to Pudding Lane led to its being one of the first buildings to be destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666.

    The church was rebuilt by Christopher Wren, and despite the relocation of London Bridge upstream, has been one of the City of London’s key places of worship for nearly a thousand years. St Magnus features as part of the landscape in Dickens ‘Oliver Twist’ and is described by T.S. Eliot in ‘The Waste Land’. Eliot said of the church: “The interior of St. Magnus Martyr is to my mind one of the finest among Wren’s interiors.”

    Picture looking at the exterior of St Magnus from the Thames path, screen shot from the church virtual tour.

    Where the walls Of Magnus Martyr hold / Inexplicable splendor of Ionian white and gold.

    The 360 tour

    Over a number of days, we shot 360 content for the tours. In addition to the 360 images inside and outside the church, we also produced further content for the tour including:

    • Introductory video with aerial footage, ground-based video, soundtrack and voiceover
    • Aerial 360 above the Thames, showing St Magnus in its City of London context
    • Audio recordings of the choir to be used throughout the tour
    • Videos of the mass and processions
    • High resolution ‘zoomable’ images of some of the key points in the church, such as the organ gallery and high altar
    • Photogrammetry: 3D model of the 4 metres long model of ‘Old London Bridge’
    • Stills captured of various points of interest around the church
    The introduction video, giving an overview of St Magnus’ location and interior
    Still image taken from the aerial 360 for the St Magnus Church virtual tour. The image is taken from high above the River Thames and shows London Bridge, St Magnus the Martyr and Adelaide house, with the City of London in view behind them.
    Aerial 360 showing St Magnus nestled beside the Thames & Adelaide House

    The church virtual tour provides an opportunity for visitors worldwide to discover much more about the church in an engaging and informative manner. They can click on the info points to read more about particular features. Clicking a magnifying glass icon takes them to a ‘zoomable’ – a very high resolution image that they can zoom right into to see the details, such as the intricate carvings on the altar, for example. For further reading about gigapixels please click here to find out more.

    The tour allows visitors from all over the world to see inside the church in fine detail. It can be used by enthusiasts and scholars. The tour allows access even when the building itself is closed, whether because it’s out of hours, or during a prolonged shutdown as during covid. It helps visitors with accessibility requirements to view places that they couldn’t physically access, such as the organ gallery or bell tower.

    Atmosphere

    St Magnus is an Anglo-Catholic church and so uses incense during the service, making this special church even more atmospheric. We shot the tours during lockdown and so decided to give a subtle smoky effect to the main church tours. You can see how we achieved this on the video to the left. Using an effect like this is simple, safe, can give great results and just requires a little additional planning.

    An ever-changing resource

    The 360 tour is a living resource, where the client can update the content as new information becomes available. They can add in video, audio, images and text, thus keeping the tour fresh and relevant in years to come.

    Old London Bridge

    St Magnus the Martyr is home to the only model of the old, medieval London Bridge. This bridge spanned the Thames and was crowded with houses, shops, a chapel, and even heads on spikes. In 1987, David Aggett, a policeman and liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Plumbers decided to create a scale model of the old bridge. Mr Aggett was recovering from a heart transplant, and filled his time by designing and creating the model. The model is incredibly detailed and features over 900 figures on a model that is 4 metres (over 13 feet) long. He donated to the model to St Magnus – it is both the church of the Plumbers Company and stood at the end of the old bridge.

    Aerial view from the Thames over the City of London with the sun shining directly behind The Shard

    Photogrammetry

    St Magnus wanted to create a permanent, digital record of the model in high resolution, enabling visitors to enjoy it from afar. Thus, we undertook the photogrammetry to display the model in 3D. This involved the capture of many hundreds of images and putting them together very precisely. The final results allow people to inspect the model at close quarters – even if they’re on the other side of the world! You can view the 3D model within the tour and below.


    3D Model of Old London Bridge – users can zoom in and move around to explore the model

    We hope you enjoy exploring St Magnus and all its “inexplicable splendour” – click here to visit the St Magnus virtual tour.

    Further church virtual tour projects

    You can see other examples of church virtual tour projects here: St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle and Westminster Cathedral.

  • Powell’s School 360 Tour

    Powell’s School 360 Tour

    This school 360 tour allows prospective parents to tour a primary school. Parents and children can check out the facilities and environment. The tour helps them make an informed decision on whether to apply to Powell’s.

    Choosing a new school

    Physical tours cannot currently take place due to Covid-19 guidance. Thus, parents are having to choose schools without ever seeing them. It’s tricky for any prospective parent to envisage a school from the printed page, or from images on a website. However, in the 360 tour they can move around the school, seeing not only the classrooms, but the various play and outdoor areas too. They can zoom in and see the detail. This ability to get inside and tour the school virtually has been especially helpful during lockdown.

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    Extra content that adds value

    As a parent considering Powell’s for your child, you can now visit the tours in the Forest School area for example. Clicking on the ‘Find Out More’ button at the top of most pages gives you much more information, while the 360 tour puts it in context. You can see the firepit area in 360 degrees, and then see how it’s actually used. The info button shows you pictures of children toasting marshmallows in a firepit; lets you read quotes from children at the school about what Forest School means to them; and understand how much time your child would be spending in this amazing outdoor area.

    Drone 360s

    The tour opens with a 360 from a drone, taken from high above the school. It helps viewers orientate themselves within the town, and provides a picture of the extensive grounds that their child will enjoy at Powell’s. Navigation hotspots let them use this drone 360 to quickly navigate to a particular area of the school, such as the Orchard.

    You can read more about how aerial 360s can be used, about the legalities and possibilities in our article all about aerial 360 photography and drone video here.

    primary school 360 tour

    Integrating video resources

    Videos are included in the pop-ups, showcasing the children performing in music concerts or having fun on residential trips.

    The school produced an introduction video as a further resource to help prospective parents get a picture of the school. This video is linked to on each page of the tour via the video icon.

    Helping children already in school

    The 360 tour has also fulfilled a vital role within school itself. When children are due to change year groups they would normally visit their new classroom to help ease any worries they may have. Unfortunately, class bubbles have meant that this can’t currently happen. Now, teachers can show children their new classroom, pointing out the surroundings and helping them familiarise themselves in advance.

    Here’s what the headteacher at Powell’s said about having the tour:

    We are very proud to show our virtual 360 tour to perspective parents, it has been so helpful with Covid restrictions in place to still be able to offer a glimpse into our fantastic school and grounds. It has been captured perfectly and the communication and filming from start to finish by Eye Revolution was seamless!

    Education 360 Tours

    If you’re interested in seeing other examples of school, nursery, university or other education virtual tours, please click here.

  • School Virtual Tour: The French Lycée

    School Virtual Tour: The French Lycée

    Charles de Gaulle in London. The Lycée is one of the UK’s most prestigious international schools.

    Increasingly, schools are turning to online and virtual open days to reach the widest possible audience. These can be in the format of video or zoom presentations from the heads, or video walkthroughs of the school. A school virtual tour using 360 images allows prospective parents and pupils to journey through a school at their own pace. Thus, users can gain an overview of the school. Vitally, they’re able to focus in on the elements and areas that most interest them.

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    Our 360 tours are perfect for this type of user-led experience. We are able to showcase the school setting to its very best advantage. Additionally, users can take their time to explore thoroughly. This gives them a flavour for the surroundings their children will find themselves in.

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    Introducing the school virtual tour with an aerial 360

    You’ll see that the tour opens with an aerial view taken from above the school, looking 360 degrees out above Kensington and beyond. There are very tight restrictions on flying a drone in London. Gaining special permission to fly in one of the world’s most populous cities is essential. We were delighted to be granted this permission as it’s a location with a spectacular view over London. It takes in the Natural History Museum, the Royal Albert Hall, Hyde Park, and further away, Battersea Power Station, the London Eye and the City of London. Thus, users can understand the context of the school’s location in its immediate neighbourhood and within the wider city. The aerial view conveys much of the vast beauty and excitement of being schooled in London itself, with its architecture, opportunities and buzz. It also provides a dramatic introduction to the ground-based 360 tour.

    We hope you enjoy exploring the school virtual tour, and of course please feel free to get in touch with any questions.

    Drone 360s

    If you’re interested in finding out about our drone 360 service, and how we can achieve these click here to read more.

    Virtual tour services

    As a professional virtual tour company, we pride ourselves on producing high quality content that showcases your space at its very best. You can find out more about our virtual tour services, or please get in touch to have a chat or book a demo – we’d be delighted to help.

  • Aerial Virtual Tour: The University of Warwick

    Aerial Virtual Tour: The University of Warwick

    Aerial virtual tours can be a valuable marketing asset. This is especially true for large or striking locations. Offering a sweeping overview of a location or giving viewers a new perspective can really help your brand stand out amongst its competitors.

    Still taken from the aerial virtual Tour at the University of Warwick

    The University of Warwick

    The University of Warwick is a world-leading institution and is one of the Russell Group of Universities. It is ranked as one of the UK’s top 10 universities. As a result, it attracts students from all over the globe. In fact, over 40% of Warwick’s students come from outside the UK. It’s vital that these students and their families are able to get a thorough understanding of the university before applying. They need to interrogate the academic facilities. They want to understand what university life can offer at this particular institution. Circumstances or government guidelines may mean that domestic students could also be unable or unwilling to tour the university in person.

    Still taken from the aerial virtual Tour at the University of Warwick

    Aerial Virtual Tour – a different means of navigating

    The University of Warwick campus covers an area of over 700 acres. The 360 virtual tours could have been linked together for users to navigate through with a map. Instead, the University of Warwick team came to us because they wanted something a little different. They wanted students to be able to get an idea of the campus’ scale and position using aerial virtual tours. These aerial 360s give them an overview (quite literally) of the campus. They show them how academic buildings and student accommodation relate to each other. They can see the styles of architecture. And of course, the tours let them ‘dive down’ to explore the buildings that interest them.

    Students can see where the running track is in relation to Jack Martin Halls, or Westwood Campus. Viewers can see Coventry beyond the campus on one side, and green spaces surrounding the others. Therefore the tours help students and their families understand a little more about the local area.

    Google Maps Integration

    You can use Google Maps within the virtual tour. Thus you can see where you are at all times, and even which direction you’re facing in.

    Virtual open days

    The 360 tours give useful insight into academic facilities and campus life. This is especially true for students outside the local area or overseas. Now however, Covid has made university virtual tours absolutely invaluable. Ultimately, prospective students have remote access to locations that they cannot currently tour physically. In effect the University has a permanent ‘virtual open day’!

    We’re delighted to have been invited to work with the University of Warwick on their 360 project. Finally, please click here to see the aerial virtual tours.

    Discover more

    If you’d like to find out more about our aerial virtual tour and drone video service, please click here to read more. To talk more about how our virtual tour service can help you meet your objectives, please do get in touch.

  • Regent’s Crescent

    Regent’s Crescent

    Regent’s Crescent 360 tour: a view inside the remarkable new development of an exceptional piece of London’s history.

    John Nash was the architect at the heart of creating Regency London. He conceived Park Crescent in the early 1900s. Nash was responsible for designing many of London’s most iconic historic buildings. He designed Marble Arch, the Royal Mews and St. James’ Park and remodelled Buckingham Palace. George IV (who was Prince Regent during his father’s mental illness) commissioned the crescent. Intended as a vision that incorporated the pastoral and the cosmopolitan, that vision remains intact 200 years later.

    Regent's Crescent 360 tour - gardens

    The entire Grade I listed crescent has been redeveloped. The designer’s have created a stunning series of apartments overlooking the gardens with Regent’s Park beyond. The beautiful private gardens offer residents over an acre of tranquil surroundings in the heart of central London. Residents enjoy further exclusive access (via an historic Nursemaids’ Tunnel) to the residents-only eight acre Park Square Gardens.

    We were honoured to be selected to create a 360 tour of this extraordinary development. The aim was to showcase the surroundings in fine detail, allowing visitors to tour an apartment. Using the tour they can take their time to look around and become familiar with the environment and features.

    Multi-level Floorplan

    We created the tour around a multi-level floorplan. Viewers can use the map to visit areas on different levels. These are the lower mezzzanine, first floor and upper mezzanine. Additionally, viewers can use the left hand menu to navigate directly to the room they wish to visit. If the map is open when they do this, it also shows them where this location is within the apartment. To sum up, the multi-level floorplan ensures viewers know where they are within the space at all times. Likewise, viewers can understand how different areas relate to each other.

    Regent's Crescent 360 tour - reception

    Info pop-ups

    Info points highlight features of interest, especially those that might be missed at a glance. Thus demonstrating attributes such as security features, concierge contact, home entertainment systems and the materials used.

    Regent's Crescent 360 tour - reception

    Brochure Download

    Users click a button within the tour to download the brochure. A gentle (mutable) soundtrack plays in the background.

    We are delighted to have had the opportunity to create the Regent’s Crescent 360 virtual tour. This is a development of unparalleled prestige on the threshold of its next two centuries as an iconic London landmark.

    Please click here or on the ‘View 360 Tour’ button above to see the Regent’s Crescent virtual tour.

  • Gigapixel Treasure Hunt

    Gigapixel Treasure Hunt

    Celebrity Cruises

    We were commissioned to create gigapixel 360s of several European cities. These were to be the centrepiece of a fiendishly difficult gigapixel treasure hunt campaign for Celebrity Cruises.

    The aim was to have such high resolution 360 images that viewers could get lost in them whilst seeking out the code which allowed them to win the prize. The prize was highly desirable to cruise fans – a cruise for two on the brand new luxury liner Celebrity Apex. A new cruise liner on its maiden voyage. 

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    The shoot

    We were to shoot in Bruges, Amsterdam, Berlin, Cophenhagen and Oslo. All are excursions that travellers on Celebrity Cruises can go on from the ship. The brief for the shoot was a very exciting one, but not without its challenges. Firstly, it had to take place in October, so there was not the luxury of reliable weather. We had to deal with grey skies, near constant rain and high winds through much of the schedule. Secondly, we had to find city locations where there was enough interest throughout the whole of the image, and where there was a high vantage point we could get permission to shoot from.

    We were lucky to have a brave agency and client who trusted that we’d be able to achieve the results they needed. They agreed to a very flexible schedule. So, we only booked outward travel to the continent, and everything else had to move depending on the weather conditions. We travelled by train between countries, which is efficient, climate-friendly and most importantly – can be booked and changed very last minute!

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    Thanks to our project manager back in our London studio, we were able to find and negotiate some really fantastic locations on the fly. As the schedule changed, we had to be dynamic and find new locations – again all undertaken by the project manager back in London while the photographer was travelling between locations. Having captured the footage, each evening and rainy day saw us back in the hotel room, checking the images and arranging post-production back in the UK. Oslo being furthest north was the trickiest location weather-wise, but we were lucky to score a great vantage point with views out over the opera house and fjords.

    Post-production

    Post-production on gigapixels is always a time-consuming process, but we had to shorten this as much as possible to meet a tight deadline. We had multiple operators working on the post-production to ensure we could turn the images around swiftly. Once this was complete, we were briefed to put in the codes. They really are diabolically tough to find, and the operator who added the codes was sworn to secrecy!

    Treasure Hunt Goes Live

    Press coverage in various national newspapers and websites generated great interest in the competition and drove traffic to the website.

    Social media engagement

    People were spending vast amounts of time on the Celebrity Cruises site seeking out the codes. Many took to social media, reporting spending days going through each image inch-by-inch.

    Screenshot of facebook comments on the treasure hunt
    Screenshot of facebook comments on the treasure hunt

    In a world where people spend ever-smaller segments of time on any given media, it’s very hard for companies to increase viewer engagement. We’ve all heard the stats of users spending mere seconds on website content, and even less for ads. Bucking this trend, fans were spending many hours on the Celebrity Cruises site, exposed to the Celebrity Cruises brand. Using the gigapixel treasure hunt mechanic Celebrity Cruises were able to start conversations with their fans all over social media.

    Click the links below to see the Celebrity Cruises gigapixel treasure hunt images, and good luck finding the codes!

    Oslo Gigapixel

    Copenhagen Gigapixel

    Berlin Gigapixel

    Amsterdam Gigapixel

    Click to find out more about what a gigapixel is, and how we create our gigapixel images.

  • Virtual Tourism: Inside Royal Palaces

    Virtual Tourism: Inside Royal Palaces

    Virtual tourism is a phrase we’re all becoming more familiar with. Although lockdown is easing, the prospect of rolling and localised lockdowns, travel restrictions and quarantine are all set to become part of our lives.

    This ‘new normal’ will see us all travelling virtually much more. Your desire to see a famous landmark or city may have to be assuaged by documentaries, reading or 360 virtual tours instead of risking quarantine or even Covid itself. These resources enable viewers to explore and offer a taster of what they can one day see in person. It’s not an ‘either / or’ situation though – in the longer term as restrictions ease, places visited as a virtual tourist will be on the list to visit in person.

    Jemima Rellie at the Royal Collection Trust, spoke to Vanity Fair about the Royal virtual tours.

    There was a time people wouldn’t want to put virtual tours online for fear the public wouldn’t want to come and see it in real life, but there is so much to see online and in person. No one physical visit would enable you to see everything on offer so by visiting virtually it’s very easy to revisit and perhaps absorb more.

    The 360 virtual tours Eye Revolution created for the Royal Household and The Royal Collection Trust have been getting “record numbers of visitors”, according to Rellie.

    Virtual tourists are much more likely to engage with high quality content. Where visuals are crisp and beautiful and with useful, extra content that’s clear and easy to navigate through.

    Become a virtual tourist

    To experience virtual tourism at Buckingham Palace, please click the ‘View 360 Virtual Tour’ button above or click here to be taken to the Buckingham Palace Virtual Tour

    You can see some of the other Royal Palaces we’ve captured in gloriously fine detail on our site. Click the links to visit the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Windsor Castle or St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.

  • 70 St. Mary Axe

    70 St. Mary Axe

    Commercial Property Photography at 70 St Mary Axe

    Our 360 Commercial property photography has the power to bring prospects inside the building.

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    70 St Mary Axe – ‘The Can of Ham’

    70 St Mary Axe opened in late 2019. Although it’s shorter than some of its famous fellows, it marks another distinctive addition to the City of London’s skyline. The building’s graceful arch was designed to respect the existing views in the City. Its curved profile led to it being known as ‘The Can of Ham’ in a nod to old-fashioned tins of ham. The architects, Foggo Associates, aren’t deterred by this. Foggo sees nicknames as a mark of an iconic building. It shares monikers with other instantly recognisable local buildings like The Gherkin, The Cheesegrater or the Walkie-Talkie. Its arresting style sets it apart from its neighbours outside. And inside, the design is spectacular. From the double-height atrium with its expansive brutalist reception desk, to the striking balls of light in the reception seating area, there’s something to fascinate at every turn.

    The project

    We created a series of 360 images and stills for 70 St Mary Axe to promote certain floors of the building. They also make remote viewings possible. On the shoot day we captured a number of stills to show the floorplates. Additionally, we shot 360s to give prospects a more in-depth understanding of the space. As a result, viewers are able to explore at their own pace, plus zoom in to see the detail close-up!

    You can view some of the stills above and below. To dive straight into the 360s, you can click the ‘View 360 Virtual Tour’ button above.

    We’re always ready to talk about photography. So, whether your project is commercial property photography or something totally different, we’d love to hear from you! Please click here to get in touch.

  • Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler

    Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler

    Martin Yeoman Exhibition: ‘Over Three Decades’

    Welcome to a new interior design virtual tour of the Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler showroom. It shows the ‘Over Three Decades’ exhibition by renowned painter, draughtsman & sculptor, Martin Yeoman. The exhibition was curated by Jenna Burlingham Fine Art.

    Martin Yeoman is a British artist. He has worked extensively in Europe, North Africa, The Middle East, India and the Far East.

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    He was the first young artist to accompany HRH The Prince of Wales as tour artist in 1986. Yeoman travelled on further Royal tours, including to Hong Kong, India and Nepal. Among many notable portrait commissions, Yeoman gained recognition for his portrait drawings of HM The Queen’s grandchildren at the National Portrait Gallery, London.

    He has exhibited at some of Britain’s leading galleries. His work is in many prestigious public and private collections worldwide.

    Interior design virtual tour - still from the Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler showroom

    Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler

    The UK’s oldest design firm, it was started by Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler in the 1930s. Their reputation in the field of interior design have made them synonymous with the best of British design and styling. Their recent move from Mayfair to Pimlico’s design quarter provides an inspiring new showroom for their designers to showcase their skills, from traditional to cutting-edge contemporary.

    It’s a great privilege to shoot 360s at such a renowned interior designer. It’s an ideal environment for putting high resolution detailed 360s to work. Viewers can zoom in, seeing the fine detail in the paintings, the fabrics and wallpapers. We particularly love the fabric swatch room. Here, you can zoom in on the smorgasbord of colour and texture, encouraging viewers to go and experience for themselves.

    In conclusion, designers can bring customers and prospects closer with an interior design virtual tour. Your virtual doors remain open, even when your showroom is closed! On the other hand, if you don’t have a showroom, it can allow you to showcase client’s projects without compromising their privacy.

    Please click the following links if you’d like to explore some of our other showroom or retail 360 virtual tours.

    Interior design virtual tour - still from the Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler showroom
  • Smallbone of Devizes Kitchen Showroom Virtual Tour

    Smallbone of Devizes Kitchen Showroom Virtual Tour

    We were privileged to be invited to shoot a kitchen showroom virtual tour for Smallbone of Devizes, the world-renowned kitchen designers.

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    For over 4 decades, Smallbone have been creating handcrafted kitchens, which the designers plan alongside their clients. Smallbone wanted to keep their doors open virtually 24/7, with a flawless virtual tour that allowed prospective customers to zoom in to see the detail.

    We created 360s of several of Smallbone’s kitchen collections – from their classic handpainted range to modernist kitchens.

    Each tour features info pop-ups where they can read information about that particular item and see close-up still images. Info pop-ups are incredibly versatile, even allowing e-commerce links.

    Customers can use the kitchen showroom virtual tour to help them fix on an overall style, or to find out more about particular elements they’d like to include within their chosen kitchen. Because the resolution is so high, they’re able to zoom in to see the detail and really interrogate the pieces.

    As a professional virtual tour company, we love to talk all things 360, so if you have a project you’d like to discuss, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

    You can also take a look at the virtual Tour on Smallbone’s site here.

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  • Chawley Grove Care Home

    Chawley Grove Care Home

    We were invited to create a new care home virtual tour at Chawley Grove Care Home in Oxfordshire. Chawley Grove offers first rate nursing, dementia and respite care within a luxury environment. Residents can spend their spare time in a wide variety of ways within the home itself. There are beautifully decorated communal spaces like the Bodleian Bar, a cosy lounge, dining room. There’s even a private dining room ideal for hosting family events. Residents can also enjoy the cinema, a wellbeing and beauty salon and a cafe. Plus there are beautifully landscaped gardens and balconies to relax in.

    The shoot was undertaken quietly and discreetly, ensuring that there was no disturbance for the care home’s residents or staff.

    The 360s allow potential residents and their families to really get a feel for the surroundings. The 360s are very high resolution, allowing viewers to zoom in and really examine the details in the rooms, or simply look around getting a feel for the care home as a whole.

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    This ability to view 360s online has become increasingly important as the events around Covid-19 have meant care homes cannot allow visitors into their spaces. As a result, care homes with a beautifully crafted 360 tour are at an advantage in a competitive market in being able to showcase the surroundings remotely.

    If you’d like to discuss how a care home virtual tour can help your business negotiate sales, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch. As virtual tour specialists we’re always happy to talk through your project. We can discuss any concerns you might have about how the logistics of a shoot will work. We will help you plan and execute the project seamlessly to achieve the best possible results.

  • Virtual Showroom for Bulthaup Mayfair

    Virtual Showroom for Bulthaup Mayfair

    A virtual showroom – enabling the sales process in lockdown

    Businesses faced enormous challenges during lockdown, especially those for whom a physical presence is vital. With their showrooms closed, these businesses were losing valuable passing traffic. And for those prospects who were already considering purchase, because they could not now visit to select products, the sales process was being massively impacted.

    For kitchen companies, a vital element in the sales process is face-to-face time with designers who help them put together their perfect kitchen. As lockdown was becoming inevitable, we were commissioned by bulthaup Mayfair to create a virtual showroom for them.

    Door of bulthaup's virtual showroom - showing the view as customers step up to the door of the actual showroom in Mayfair. It's a grand stone entrance with a large glazed wooden double doorway.

    bulthaup Mayfair

    bulthaup was the original kitchen shop on Wigmore Street in Mayfair, in what has become a shopping destination for high-end kitchens. bulthaup is renowned for its stylish, minimalist design, but functionality is always paramount. For example, a backsplash area incorporates a function box to hide unsightly essentials, so they’re always close at hand. These are kitchens which centre the user, not just the viewer.

    The virtual showrooom

    We shot 8 zones around the showroom. Prospective customers can browse through the ranges, clicking on info pop-ups to read more about products they like. They can click to view close-ups and lifestyle images, read text, download brochures and click links through to product pages. They can zoom in when they want to explore an eye-catching product or finish. This really allows customers to understand how the kitcken would work for them. How the various elements work to create a space which is practical and orderly as well as beautiful.

    The virtual showroom allows the designers to work remotely with customers to help them envisage how the products will look in situ, designing their perfect kitchen remotely.

    We commissioned Eye Revolution to create a 360 degree tour of our showroom just before the Covid-19 restrictions came in and were delighted with the quality of the photography and ease of use of the tour. We worked closely with them to add in around 30 information pop ups for visitors to find out more about the ranges and specific items that they could see along their way. This has provided us with a powerful tool to add to our website and for our design team to use with clients while unable to physically access the showroom. We were very impressed at how quickly and professionally everything was done and would have no hesitation in recommending Will and his team for 360 architectural photography and developing a tour to suit the bespoke needs of the client. Eye Revolution are a joy to work with and exceeded our expectations in making the whole process fun and stress free – we are thrilled with the results!

    Shooting in lockdown

    We were able to shoot safely during lockdown, following government advice and with certain precautions in place. If you’d like to understand how we can help you keep your doors open virtually and safely whatever is happening in the world, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

    Virtual showroom image showing on of the minimalist kitchens available in the bulthaup Mayfair showroom.

    Please click here to see the bulthaup Mayfair virtual showroom.

    If you’re looking for a virtual tour company who will exceed your expectations and showcase your space to its best advantage, please get in touch with us.

  • COVID-19 – Shooting 360 Virtual Tours in Lockdown

    COVID-19 – Shooting 360 Virtual Tours in Lockdown

    Coronavirus has brought us all to unprecedented times, with the UK and much of the rest of the world currently in lockdown or quarantine. Currently, the first question people ask us is of course “Can you shoot virtual tours in lockdown?”. We’ve put together some answers to this and other vital COVID-19 frequently asked questions here:

    Can you shoot virtual tours in lockdown?

    Yes, we can shoot 360 tours in lockdown whilst complying with government regulations. We can shoot your 360s safely, with your cooperation and by taking sensible precautions.

    How do you get to us?

    For safety reasons we cannot currently use public transport and thus would always travel to a shoot by car. This may have a small impact on travel expenses but will otherwise make no difference to our clients.

    What about on the shoot itself?

    We keep personnel to a minimum with just one photographer from our side. We can ensure that social distancing regulations are adhered to. We take other precautions, such as keeping touching of doors, furniture etc, to a minimum. We use disposable gloves where appropriate. Every shoot is different and we take sensible precautions on each one.

    Why should I consider having a 360 tour now?

    This depends entirely on your business and set-up. Many businesses are struggling because they can’t physically allow prospective customers inside their premises. In the hospitality sector, a virtual tour allows online viewers to see inside, thus encouraging them to make remote bookings for when lockdown ends. For retailers, being able to virtually ‘open your doors’ is good content that will generate interest. But in addition, the 360s can also be used as part of the sales process, as it is for this kitchen designer. Companies may have spent thousands or even millions on an exhibition stand which nobody can currently see. By having a 360 tour you can still bring the exhibition to a global audience. Similarly with art exhibitions – they can still reach an audience online. A manufacturer of controlled entry systems can move their sales process online, with customers scoping out the different systems in situ.

    Isn’t it better to wait?

    Again, this depends on your business. What we do find is that this is often the best time of the year to shoot 360 tours when exterior 360s are required – the grass is green, trees are in leaf and the light is mostly sunny and bright with less risk of grey days, rain or high winds. This is often exactly how clients want their exteriors immortalised in the 360s. There are certain advantages in that there are fewer staff and no general public on site which makes it easier!

    While it’s impossible to recreat a face-to face experience, we are all having to adapt, and this can be a great opportunity to improve your remote selling capability.

    We hope that this helps answer some of your most pressing questions, but please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you’d like to discuss this further.

    Stay safe and well, with best wishes from the Eye Revolution team.

    Header image by Pete Linforth
  • Brookmans at Heal’s

    Brookmans at Heal’s

    We create luxury retail virtual tours for brands who demand finely-crafted 360 photography to showcase their products. Each 360 is the product of a workflow refined over two decades. Where our post-production studio handcrafts each image to showcase your location at its most stunning. Where we ensure that the tours boast cross-platform functionality. Where viewers can use added functionality to become truly familiar with the brand and location.

    luxury retail virtual tours

    Heal’s is so synonymous with stylish, contemporary interiors it seems incredible that they’ve never before offered kitchens. In 2019 they invited Brookmans of Smallbone to launch a collection exclusive to Heal’s in the flagship store. In the early stages of lockdown we were asked to shoot the Brookmans concession, ensuring that they could open virtually during this very challenging time for businesses.

    The 360 tours allow prospective customers to view the K1 and K2 ranges, plus the cabinetry and bespoke furniture that Brookmans offer. The tours have become part of the sales process on the Brookmans site, with a virtual design consultation utilising the 360s to help customers design their style, colour palette and fittings.

    The process for the shoot is straightforward. We’ve been doing this for a long time, and are here to support you at each stage of the process. We provide guidance in advance to help you prepare and get the most out of the shoot. A single photographer visits the location and determines the best shoot positions. If the space is clean and prepared the shoot is relatively swift. Once back in the studio the post-production process can commence and you’ll usually see the image within 5 working days or sooner. Once your images are approved and delivered, we can help you get the most out of them by providing resources you can use on your social media channels, for example.

    You can click to view some of our other kitchen virtual tours or if you’d like to discuss how we can create luxury retail virtual tours for you please do get in touch.

  • Shooting Car 360s: Planning to get the best results from a 360 car shoot

    Shooting Car 360s: Planning to get the best results from a 360 car shoot

    Shooting Car 360s

    If you’re considering creating 360s of a car interior, we can help you plan for the best results.

    Where do you shoot the interior 360s?

    One of the most frequent questions we get about shooting cars is ‘why can’t we shoot my car interior 360 on location in Scotland / Paris / South Africa? Well, we could. But that definitely doesn’t mean we should. It’s something we aim to avoid because the best possible results come from shooting in the studio.

    Why? Because we simply cannot control the lighting outside. In the space of 5 minutes, the light can fluctuate significantly. Because car 360s are made up of many of individual images, it can take several hours to shoot one 360. In this time, the sun will have moved and you’ll have images that vary wildly between light and dark. This could be fixed but it would increase the time in post-production and compromise the end result. It’s best to get as much right in-camera as possible.

    New car models are years in the planning. Million of pounds go into the development of the design and technology. This investment won’t get the 360 portrayal it deserves by attempting to shoot it in a field in Wales. In the studio, we control the intensity and mood of the lighting, and ensure the car is perfectly lit. Ultimately, this will allow the viewer to see all the detail in the car, even in darker areas, such as footwells. If the designer has spent years perfecting the design of the pedals then it’s vital to showcase this.

    Location shoot in Switzerland - 360 Photography and Video
    Location shoot in Switzerland – 360 Photography and Video

    Car Studios

    We use specialist car studios which provide clean, controlled environments. And don’t underestimate the power of clean when you have a car full of perfect surfaces you want to remain dust-free! These studios have all the infrastructure in place for the shoot – endless lighting options, overnight secure storage and the systems in place for secrecy on embargoed models.

    The Cars

    The car has to remain powered for the shoot, so we can have the console and other interior lights on. This brings its own challenges, as cars aren’t meant to be powered but immobile for hours on end. Usually, car clients send a technician along with the car who not only can keep it powered, but who also knows the quirks of the car, especially if it’s a pre-production model.

    360 Photography vs 360 Video

    You can opt for 360 video of the interior if you’re OK with its limitations. The quality of 360 video is still far from perfect. The much lower resolution cannot showcase the craftsmanship in the car’s interior. However, it’s great for experiential content, such as test drives, or showing the car on racetracks or rallying.

    360 photography won’t give you a driving experience, but will tell you all about how it feels to sit in that car before you start the engine. You can view the car in glorious detail, relishing the textures and features.

    shooting 360's in a car studio
    Shooting 360’s in a car studio

    Backgrounds for Car 360s

    We add the background (a.k.a. backplates) in post-production. This can be as simple as an abstract pattern, or be a scene from around the world. We’ve used cities, deserts, mountains and dramatic roads. The background needs to be shot at the correct height and, if on a road for example, you may need to think about the car’s position on that road depending on the market. The backplates can sometimes be sourced from a library, but shooting to the brief is almost always the best option.

    Car Photography - Interior 360 of the Mercedes-Benz X-Class
    360 Backplate

    Platforms

    The final 360 can be displayed on desktops, mobiles, tablets and VR headsets. They can be used within kiosks at exhibitions, or at city dealerships / car retailers. Plus, there’s a growing number of platforms which support 360 content, such as Facebook and YouTube.

    Fancy a chat about car 360s?

    We love creating great car 360s, and talking about it comes pretty close. So give us a call if you want to chat through how it could work for you. We’re on +44 (0)20 360 30231 or click to use the contact form and we’ll get right back to you.

  • Gunnebo Showroom Virtual Tour

    Gunnebo Showroom Virtual Tour

    Gunnebo Entrance Control required a showroom virtual tour which would allow prospective customers worldwide to get an overview of the products in their showroom.

    Who are Gunnebo?

    Gunnebo create entrance control systems which manage the security and flow of people in buildings throughout the world, from airports to offices, stations to sports stadiums.

    Why 360s?

    Using the 360 tours, customers can select the control system that interests them – for example stiles for sports stadia, and click to read the details about that particular system. The showroom virtual tour opens up the showroom to visitors worldwide, not just prospects in the local area.

    Each info pop-up contains an overview of information – both text and multiple images showing the systems. These images bring the products to life – showing them in situ in a variety of places and also being used, showing the flow of people through them. By clicking the ‘Find Out More’ button on each pop-up, the prospective customer can be taken directly to the information page on Gunnebo’s website for that particular product. The 360s are nicely integrated with the website, thus becoming a valuable part of the sales process.

    Please click here to visit the Gunnebo showroom virtual tour

    A pleasure to work with, the Eye Revolution team produced a great looking virtual showroom tour with impressive results delivered after a brief 1-hour shoot. They were very receptive and accommodating with feature requests and I always felt confident in their in-house technical and creative talents. Highly recommended!

  • Soho Art Gallery Exhibition 360’s

    Soho Art Gallery Exhibition 360’s

    We were commissioned to create exhibition 360 tours at an art gallery in Greek Street, Soho, London.

  • Accessibility Virtual Tours: Battle Of Britain Bunker 360

    Accessibility Virtual Tours: Battle Of Britain Bunker 360

    Take a look at our Battle of Britain bunker accessibility virtual tours. The Battle of Britain Bunker was home to Fighter Command (RAF Uxbridge) in World War II. It was the control centre for air operations during the D-Day landings.

    The Battle of Britain Bunker

    The momentous decisions about which air squadrons to scramble to defeat the Luftwaffe were made here at the Bunker. Winston Churchill visited on several occasions. It was here in 1940 he was first moved to speak the words: “Never in the history of mankind has so much been owed by so many to so few”.  The Bunker is 60 feet (18 metres) underground, and was suceesfully kept secret from the Nazis during the second world war. Its success as a secret command centre unfortunately makes it inaccessible to many people who would love to see it.

    Accessibility Virtual Tours – Making Inaccessible Spaces Available for All

    The Bunker’s setting is deep underground, and only accessible by the 76 stairs.  Thus the elderly or infirm, the disabled or claustrophobic could all be unable to visit. The solution was a high resolution 360 virtual tour. This tour can be viewed by visitors to The Battle of Britain Bunker Exhibition and Visitor Centre.

    We are delighted that our photography will open the Battle of Britain Bunker’s doors to people who would otherwise never be able to see inside. Please click the ‘Launch Project’ button above to be taken to the tour.

    To enquire about how we can help you meet your accessibility goals, please do get in touch.

  • Old Harry Rocks

    Old Harry Rocks

    Aerial 360s – Old Harry Rocks, Handfast Point

    On the Jurassic Coast in Dorset, the gloriously named Old Harry Rocks are a dramatic trio of rocks (more properly known as stacks). Here you can explore the views from above in these aerial 360 views.