Posts Tagged ‘business portraits’

I really like it when my subjects know what they want from a photoshoot, and they come prepared.  It makes my job easier, and my subjects get results they generally like even more.

I met up with Suraj again recently during one of my business portrait phothshoot days in Central London.

As well as these photos we shot some more “normal” portraits.  However when Suraj gave me his image choices I noticed the fun ‘super’ shots were absent.  I thought to myself, “I’m not having any of that!”, so I picked my favourite ‘super’ photos and sent them to him anyway.

I like them because they are different, they show the Suraj I know, and they will almost certainly be remembered once seen.

Being a little bit different in business isn’t a bad thing, but always be yourself.  Don’t try and fake it.

On my recent trip up to London I had the pleasure of photographing businessman Sohail Khan.

This is my favourite photo of him.

For more information and to book a session on my next London Business Portrait day please follow this link – http://businessphotos2.eventbrite.com/

It was May bank holiday weekend in London.  It was stupidly cold, pissing down with rain, and it was the nastiest conditions I’ve had to take photos in for a good long while.

We used a couple of Watford hotels, hiding under umbrellas and roofs to stay dry.

Did I mention how bloody cold it was?

We shot a little at the first hotel, then moved half a mile up the road to a slightly nicer one.  We shot inside and out, and got the results.  Hard work in such conditions, but we done did it!

Thank you to my models and lovely new clients Donna & Hannah.

It was cold though.  Did I mention that?

James Brown & Paul Newton using a photo of them I took recently.

Savour this photograph.  You don’t often see Paul Newton (right) looking all sensible and serious.

This shoot, done in just a couple of minutes after Paul had stepped “off stage” from doing a few magic tricks during Wooden Tigers VIP Event at Business South 2010, were for a training seminar that Paul and James Brown (left) are doing in a couple of weeks time.

The blurb on the Facebook event says;

“At last, James Brown and Paul Newton are going to teach you – yes YOU how to use some of their techniques to gain the following:

More belief in yourself AND your business
More money by making employees and clients happier
More time – by getting other people to do more work for you – happily!
More Confidence – and easy access to it whenever you need!
More Understanding – ever had a “I wish I had done this instead” moment? We’ll show you how to think outside that horrible box as and when it happens.”

At just £35 of your British Pounds this is a bargain price for two most excellent people.

The event takes place at AFC Bournemouth on 22th March and runs from 0900 to 1230.

To book contact Paul via his website – www.paul-newton.co.uk

Oh, and just incase you thought the photoshoot was all sensible, you’d be wrong.

Late last year I changed my look.  For the first time in my adult life I didn’t have the same hairstyle.

I used to really hate having my photo taken but since becoming more confident with myself I really don’t mind now.  I have a rough idea of what I want, and of course I came prepared with hat and camera.

Having good photos taken really can help with business – people often recognise me now because of the hat and as a result I’ve had more business.

The photos taken at my last shoot in the summer now look dated, I needed some new ones done to show how my hair has migrated south for the winter.  So when my good friend Jules Addison was in town this afternoon, I thrust my camera into his hands and he snapped away for 10 minutes.  These are a few of my favourites.

I’d photographed Emily in Lincoln recently.  I asked her to write a few words about the shoot and more importantly why she needed professional photographs of herself.

This is what she had to say.

“As part of my work, I sometimes have bylined articles placed in various publications online and in print. In many cases, the editor will ask for a picture to accompany the piece. It’s also kind of expected that I have a decent(ish) pic on my website and social media profiles, so a small stock of professional photographs of myself is a must.

As such, I’d been meaning to sort out a shoot for some time but for one small problem: I hate having my picture taken. I really do freeze, then skew my mouth into a crazy shape and manage to roll my eyes back, exorcist-style just as the shutter clicks. But needs must, so despite my dread, I’d been keeping an eye out for a good photographer.

Michael’s name kept cropping up so I had a look at his portfolio. What convinced me to book with him was the natural expression on the faces on a number of his subjects. They seemed relaxed and genuine, so I figured maybe he could get me to look less like a frightened rabbit.

By the day of the shoot, we’d already had a few chats, so he was forewarned about my severe lack of modelling skills. We headed to uphill Lincoln and retreated from the icy fog for a coffee. When we went back outside, the situation hadn’t improved. In fact, it was foggier and colder, so we decided to go to my village in the hope that the conditions would be better – they were.

As we trundled about finding interesting backgrounds to shoot against, I had almost forgotten I was about to have my most unflattering facial expressions immortalized on film. Except, it didn’t happen that way – Mike put me entirely at ease. He got me smiling and laughing in a natural way and, to my surprise, was soon showing me shots that actually looked like me. Even more surprising, I was enjoying myself.

Mikey has a great eye for locations and the final pictures all have a little of the character of the village I grew up in. The stone walls, greenery, Victorian doorways and church arches all make for something a bit different. I don’t think I look awkward in my pics (you may disagree!) and I don’t think I look like I’m trying to be a ‘model’. I think I just look like me, and anyone who’s tried to photograph me before will know that’s not an easy thing to achieve.”

Emily Cagle
Director of Emily Cagle Communications
http://www.emilycagle.co.uk

I’ve probably taken more photographs of 4Networkings Managing Director Brad Burton than anyone else during the last few years.  We had another photoshoot, our first since the release of Brad’s “Get Off Your Arse” book last week after a 4Networking meeting in Lincoln.

A photoshoot with Brad is unlike a photoshoot with anyone else.  It’s typical Brad, high energy, fast paced but the job gets done.  This shoot was no exception.  Brad knew what he wanted and the shoot from start to finish took no more than 3 minutes.

I’m not talking about Brad just because I get a credit in his book, because I’m his official photographer or because I consider him a mate but also because of the way we really got talking and working together is featured in the book.

It was around 2 years ago, I’d met Brad at a 4N breakfast in Poole, and a few days later he called me to ask how I was doing.

To quote a few lines from his book…

“Normally the response would have been ‘Fine‘, but it went something like this.

‘Do you want the truth or the BS‘

‘Give me the bull.‘

‘Yeah business is great; I got orders coming in from all angles.‘

‘The reality?‘

‘Debtors piling up, no leads, feeling ill, and I don’t know where to turn.‘”

It just goes to prove that sometimes honestly is the best policy.  A few weeks after the phone call I found myself at the 4Networking headquarters in Taunton photographing Brad, Tim, Terry, Tasmin and Abby.  My work has gone on to feature on the first 3 covers of the their 4Community magazine.

To find out more about 4Networking – www.4networking.biz, and to find out more about GOYA - www.getoffyourarse.biz.