Case Study: Rebranding images for Kaneff Golf

Written by Megan Lowdon

Megan is the Director of Operations at Robert Lowdon Photography. Megan has 10 years of experience in project management and logistics planning, having worked in the event and hospitality industry for large companies for many years.

Published November 28, 2022

Golf course photography

The following is a case study about a photography & videography project we completed for Kaneff Golf, an established golf company in Southern Ontario. Our client was in the process of completing a total brand refresh and needed high-quality visual assets that aligned with their newly established brand identity. We were tasked with completing landscape photography, lifestyle photography, drone photography & videography, as well as capturing and putting together a promo video.

Our Client:

Who is Kaneff Golf?

Kaneff Golf falls under the umbrella of Kaneff Group, which is a leading real estate developer, builder, and property management company spanning Southern Ontario. Specializing in building housing developments, building and managing commercial plazas and office centres, as well as managing their own fleet of public golf courses. Kaneff Golf operates 6 golf courses:

  • Lionhead in Brampton
  • Carlisle in Burlington
  • Royal Ontario in Milton
  • Royal Niagara in Niagara-on-the-lake
  • Century Pines in Hamilton
  • Streetsville Glen in Brampton

What makes Kaneff Golf different?

Kaneff Golf is different from other golf courses in the area because of their commitment to excellence. The company offers a premium experience for all levels of golfers and promotes inclusivity at their 6 public courses.

Their courses are designed with respect to nature, utilizing existing natural features which emphasize the beauty of the landscapes. Although some of the courses are in close proximity to bustling cities, Kaneff does an outstanding job at transporting you into a secluded, quiet, and tranquil environment.

You can also visit any of the 6 locations and trust that you will be receiving top notch service. They have made it a priority to implement service standards that apply to all locations so golfers can enjoy a seamless experience no matter which course they visit.

Lionhead – Masters

Early morning landscape photo of golf course.
Early morning landscape photo of golf course.
Aerial image of golf course, with city scape far in the distance.
Aerial image of golf course, with city scape far in the distance.
Sand trap with sprinklers in the background.
Sand trap with sprinklers in the background.
Lionhead masters signature hole 16.
Lionhead masters signature hole 16.
Golfers retrieving clubs from bags.
Golfers retrieving clubs from bags.
Golfer swinging club.
Golfer swinging club.
Golfers driving golf cart to the next tee.
Golfers driving golf cart to the next tee.
One golfer putting while the other holds the flag.
One golfer putting while the other holds the flag.

Lionhead – Legends

Aerial image of sand trap with water features in the background.
Aerial image of sand trap with water features in the background.
Telling the story of the quiet and peacefulness of the course.
Telling the story of the quiet and peacefulness of the course.
Sand trap before the sun has fully risen.
Sand trap before the sun has fully risen.
Signature bridge at lionhead legends.
Signature bridge at lionhead legends.
Golfer putting on the green.
Golfer putting on the green.
Golfer swinging club with signature bridge in background.
Golfer swinging club with signature bridge in background.
Golfer with golf clubs.
Golfer with golf clubs.
Golfer laughing.
Golfer laughing.

Objective:

Why was new photography important for the rebranding of Kaneff Golf?

Kaneff recently embarked on a rebranding journey, changing their traditional red and gold logo to a luxurious dark green and gold. The marketing team wanted the branding of each course to reflect its unique strengths, namely their natural environments and the premium experiences they offer.

Each golf course has their own redesigned logo that tells the story of that course. For example, Carlisle’s logo features a design of 3 trees placed closely together, inspired by East Hole 5, which features a number of densely spaced large and lush trees surrounding the green.

With the focus of the rebranding so heavily based on the natural environment of the courses, it was essential for Kaneff to acquire photo assets that fit within that story. We provided a course overview with landscape photography, as well as images of the finer course details and landmarks. To really showcase the scope and size of the courses, we also completed drone photography.

What are the benefits of a promo video?

As part of the rebranding project, it was important to really draw people in and get them excited about the Kaneff Golf brand. A promo video is a great way to do that. We put together a promotional video that was centered around the landscapes, the people, and the experience. The promo video plays on the homepage of their website, as well as in the pro shops of each of the 6 golf courses. The video also features their new signature tagline “more than just a game.”

Century Pines

Aerial image providing an overview of a large portion of the golf course.
Aerial image providing an overview of a large portion of the golf course.
Aerial image of golf course during sunrise.
Aerial image of golf course during sunrise.
Sunrise at century pines within a treed area.
Sunrise at century pines within a treed area.
Sun peeking through the trees on the green.
Sun peeking through the trees on the green.
Club house with pond in the foreground.
Club house with pond in the foreground.
Model on golf course.
Model on golf course.
Two golfers walking to their golf balls.
Two golfers walking to their golf balls.
Golfer hitting golf ball out of sand trap.
Golfer hitting golf ball out of sand trap.
Golfers posed in golf cart.
Golfers posed in golf cart.

The Process:

Landscape Photography

In order to display the golf courses during optimal lighting, this project occurred over six days and we scheduled the landscape photography for sunrise. Epic sunrises (or sunsets) can’t be controlled, but we wanted the best possible opportunity to capture dynamic lighting.

In order to successfully achieve the project goals, it was necessary that golfers not be included in any of the landscape photos. We wanted the photos to tell a story of quiet and peacefulness at each course, with only the surrounding birds and a light breeze from the wind as company. With the early morning start time, we were also fortunate to see morning mist rising from the ponds.

Drone Photography & Videography

Drone photography helps to show the subject matter from a perspective that traditional photography can’t achieve. We often use the drone with architectural photography, as it shows the building as a feature of the surrounding environment, further emphasizing scale.

For the golf courses, traditional photography allowed us to capture landscape images of a singular hole or area, while drone photography allowed up to capture landscape images that provided an overview of the entire course (or a large section of it). The importance of these images is to show customers the sheer size and landscape of each course, communicating exactly what they can expect when the book a tee time with Kaneff.

Lifestyle Photography

A secondary goal of the project was to capture lifestyle photography of golfers. The client wanted to have a variety of assets to share on social media to promote the courses. Lifestyle photography helps potential customers envision themselves in the experience, over time creating a connection with the brand.

We decided to use different golfers in each of the courses so that our client would have a more diverse set of people in their photos, resulting in a larger variety of assets to share without constant repetition.

At each course we would complete a site visit upon arrival to identify the most visually dynamic or appealing holes. We would then plan to return to those holes later in the day with the golfers to capture photos of them golfing, driving the cart, interacting with each other and essentially having fun.

Royal Ontario

Epic sunrise aerial photograph of clubhouse.
Epic sunrise aerial photograph of clubhouse.
Aerial image of signature holes at royal ontario with clubhouse in background.
Aerial image of signature holes at royal ontario with clubhouse in background.
Light pink sunrise over the greens with red flag.
Light pink sunrise over the greens with red flag.
Landscape image of golf course during sunrise.
Landscape image of golf course during sunrise.
Reflections in the pond.
Reflections in the pond.
Sun peeking through the dense and lusciously green trees.
Sun peeking through the dense and lusciously green trees.
Golfers in conversation.
Golfers in conversation.
Lifestyle image of golfer laughing.
Lifestyle image of golfer laughing.
Golfer about to exit golf cart.
Golfer about to exit golf cart.
Golfers chatting.
Golfers chatting.

Usage

The client now has a variety of landscape, drone and lifestyle assets to use in their marketing. The imagery is being used on the brand’s social media, web pages and promotional materials. Photography was an essential piece of Kaneff’s rebranding process and our images can be found throughout their newly designed website and social media channels, along with our promo video.

Royal Niagara

Aerial image of royal niagara golf course with vibrant red sunrise
Aerial image of royal niagara golf course with vibrant red sunrise
Aerial image showing lush greenery of golf course.
Aerial image showing lush greenery of golf course.
Golf course with canal bridge in distant background.
Golf course with canal bridge in distant background.
Signature landmark of an old iron bridge, which is the namesake of one of the three courses at royal niagara.
Signature landmark of an old iron bridge, which is the namesake of one of the three courses at royal niagara.
Close up of royal niagara flag in focus, blowing in the wind.
Close up of royal niagara flag in focus, blowing in the wind.
Golfer in process of swinging their club.
Golfer in process of swinging their club.
Lifestyle image of golfer laughing in golf cart.
Lifestyle image of golfer laughing in golf cart.
Golfer retrieving ball from hole.
Golfer retrieving ball from hole.
Golfer watching the ball they just hit.
Golfer watching the ball they just hit.

Carlisle

Aerial image of golf course during sunrise. Client will be adding new branding and logo to tower.
Aerial image of golf course during sunrise. Client will be adding new branding and logo to tower.
Aerial overview of course.
Aerial overview of course.
Reflection of club house in the pond.
Reflection of club house in the pond.
Sunrise on the green.
Sunrise on the green.
Secluded and heavily treed pathway for golf carts.
Secluded and heavily treed pathway for golf carts.
Golfer teeing off.
Golfer teeing off.
Golfers walking and talking to the next hole.
Golfers walking and talking to the next hole.
Golfer focused on putting.
Golfer focused on putting.
One golfer putting while the other two golfers watch.
One golfer putting while the other two golfers watch.
Golfer putting.
Golfer putting.

Conclusion

We hope that this case study has provided you with some insights into our approach to photography and how we work with our clients to achieve their goals. If you have any questions, or if you would like to learn more about our services, please contact us. We would be happy to discuss your specific needs and see how we can help.

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