I am asked to do commercial photography for many North East PR and marketing agencies, and I was pleased
when long-time contact and managing director Lisa Holt chose me to take the photographs
to publicise her new company, Teesside-based The Creative Alchemist.
The company’s strong and memorable brand identity runs through the stylish offices and includes a bright yellow wall that from a PR and marketing photographer’s point of view was an absolute gift for the interior shots.
The same room had a series of framed images on the wall which proved useful reflectors from which to bounce images off. I was working closely with designer Kerry helping me highlight key areas like the frames, seating and the modular bookcases, giving me a chance to create frames by shooting through them from the back.
As we moved outside the weather was kind to us and not too sunny. Although you wouldn’t think it, sunlight can be very harsh to work with, in contrast to a slightly cloudy day with its softer light.
We did a mixture of exterior shots using the building as a backdrop. It’s a joy to photograph at Boho One as it’s the flagship building of Middlesbrough’s new exciting Boho Zone, which forms the digital, creative and business hub of the Tees Valley.
Designed by xsite architecture, the £9m building stands on Bridge Street West in central Middlesbrough and presents great opportunities for commercial photography, with its mixture of textures and colours plus branded doors, windows and interior partitions.
Doing some of the commercial
portraits outside gave me the chance to incorporate some greenery into the
shots too, and a use a bright red wall and grey clapperboard cladding to add
some background contrast.
I like
to approach corporate portraiture slightly differently, preferring to get
people to look sometimes away from the camera to achieve a more thoughtful shot that
captures the personality of the subject.
Some of the pictures were
done on a covered walkway, and as with most photography shoots there were some
comical moments. These occurred when the girls’ high
heels were occasionally getting stuck in the wooden floor slats, generating some genuine
laughter.
The Creative Alchemist crew
were a fantastic team to work with and I hope their very real passion and
positivity shines through their new image library and helps them grow their
client portfolio across the North East.
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