About decoy_
I’m Alex Mead, the photographer behind decoy, a Manchester-based studio specialising in commercial, portrait, and event photography. Launched in 2011, decoy’s mission is to make professional corporate photography both seamless and creative.
With 15+ years of experience, I’ve delivered headshots and creative content for clients like Amazon, Specsavers, and Manchester City Council. I also have extensive experience capturing the energy of live music and theatre. My approach is solutions-focused, whether navigating complex events, shooting executive headshots, or meeting tight PR news cycles.
Partnering with the UK's leading brands
Big enough to deliver. Small enough to care.
While I lead the creative direction, some stories require a larger canvas. Over the years, I’ve built a hand-picked network of Manchester’s finest creatives. When a project demands it, I pull in a trusted team to scale our capabilities:
- Specialist Photographers for multi-stage or large-scale events.
- Videographers & Animators for integrated digital campaigns.
- High-End Editors for rapid-response, high-volume delivery.
You get the personal touch and accountability of working directly with me, bolstered by the horsepower of a full-service production house.
Edits delivered
Projects
Client partnerships
Years of experience
Read what clients have said about decoy_
Rated 5 stars on Google & Trustpilot based on over 100+ reviews.
Friendly, proactive and a pleasure to work with.
Alex was professional, friendly, proactive and produced such high quality photos and videos from our User Summit. He captured the essence of the event, followed our brief and was just wonderful to work with from the first enquiry right through to the delivery of the final product. Thank you Alex!
Incredible service from start to finish.
Our collaboration with Decoy Media was an integral part of our marketing strategy. The programme of work and images delivered by Decoy Media helped our team to achieve a 20% upturn in occupancy levels during a challenging season. What we appreciated most about working with Alex was his ability to understand the project, translate our ideas, to get everyone on board to deliver the expected results and more. We would certainly recommend working with Decoy Media and will do so again in the future.
Professional, flexible and highly skilled team.
Alex was fantastic. He did a series of corporate headshots and made everyone feel comfortable. He respected our brief while adding his professional touch, and produced great results. Very easy to work with and highly recommended.
Extremely flexible, professional and great fun
I can't recommend Decoy enough! We have been working with Alex for a number of years now on our corporate events. He always accommodates our requirements, he is extremely flexible, professional and great fun. The results are always fantastic. Thank you!
Decoy have helped in creating world-class stills and video
Alex and Decoy have been working on various projects with the Specsavers Store Design Team for nearly eight years. During this time, Decoy have helped in creating world-class stills and video footage of new store formats to communicate to our stakeholders and store partners. All of this work has been key to achieving buy-in from our stakeholders. Enabling our store design projects to be rolled out at pace, not just in the UK but worldwide.
A few reasons to partner with us_
Benefits of working together.
Experienced Pro
Years of experience capturing events, people, places, and moments.
Competitive Rates
Professional photography without the inflated price tag.
Quick Turnaround
Receive a preview edit the next day, with the full set of edited images delivered via a cloud gallery in 3-5 days.*
Excellent Rep
Trusted by global brands including Amazon, Microsoft, and the BBC, with over 100 5-star reviews.
Personal Touch
A relaxed, approachable style that makes guests feel comfortable.
Flexible & Adaptable
From boardrooms to banquets, we work seamlessly in any setting.
Photography Services
We specialise in professional imagery that tells your company’s story. While we are a leading event photographer in Manchester, we bring that same level of detail to capturing the people and personalities behind the brand.
From the energy of a major summit to the precision of a high-end executive session, we ensure every project is delivered with 15+ years of creative and technical expertise.
FAQs
decoy is committed to delivering exceptional visuals with creativity and precision. We take the time to understand your goals, ensuring every image reflects your story and strengthens your brand.
Do you charge extra for travel?
Yes. However, to keep things simple for budgeting, all of our quotes are inclusive of travel and expenses across the UK.
The rate we provide is the final price you pay.
Who owns the image rights?
For the vast majority of our projects, we provide full, unlimited usage rights as standard. You are free to use your assets across press, social media, and marketing materials indefinitely.
How quickly will I receive my files?
We offer a small selection of edits for comms/social media on the same or the next day. The full edited gallery is typically delivered within 3–5 working days, with priority next-day delivery available as an upgrade.
Do you offer video as well?
Yes. We can scale our team to provide interviews, highlight reels, and B-roll alongside our photography to ensure a cohesive look for your campaign.
