So you don’t think there are any photos to be had in your workplace?
When chatting with people it’s not uncommon to be told that there’s nothing of worth to be photographed at work.
Frankly, this is never the case.
Whatever your business there is a mine of great photos which can be used to promote your company and brand. You may already realise this and create your own photos for your website and social media. You may already work with a photographer. But if you think your business isn’t photographic, think again.
I’m going to showcase some photos I did for Conduct Culture.
“We are strategically focused business advisers, helping FCA regulated firms deliver better outcomes, through positive conduct and culture”
Their welcome description is sharply to the point, tells you exactly what they do, but does lead you to think there’s not much to photograph. Well in this case the obvious subject matter is themselves.
This is the thing that so many people forget, clients and customers respond well to seeing the people behind the brand. Personally I think companies should look to all their people as the face of the company. ‘Backroom’ people, those not customer facing are often overlooked but they can be so included they become personalities to the clients and customers too.
Cultivating and evolving all of your people, as visual ambassadors across your website and social media, strengthens your narrative connection with your clients and customers. So if you say to me ‘we’re just in an office and aren’t interesting’ then I say ‘tosh!’
What to expect when I arrive.
We will have had some conversations about the shoot to build some images and I will have a good idea as to what you want, your vision for the photos, combined with my vision for the porfolio.
My first thing having lumped in my shooting equipment (this could range from a simple set up of camera only up to multiple lighting kit depending on the shoot plan) is to explore your environment and meet your people. After that it’s bespoke because whilst there are naturally commonalities, every shoot is different. This is because, yes, your business is different but your people are each unique. Conduct Culture was a team of four (well five, if you count the ‘Fifth Element’) and I was immediately struck by a willing playfulness and enthusiasm for the day.
We started with headshots on a white backdrop.
Headshots might not be part of a narrative day, it depends on your brief and how many headshots there might be to do but this is where we started at Conduct Culture.
Team Photos?
Then it was time to create a set of photos which would showcase the team in their environment but first up was a team photo. We didn’t want this to be against the white background and we wanted something relaxed. This meant shifting furniture and we had quite a few outtakes, largley from the four of them messing around! Team cohesion is everything!
Moving through the day, team photos kept popping up so we ended up with alternatives. These were not planned, they evolved around shooting narrative photos and meant that it’s often good to be flexible with the plan.
Shooting Scenes.
When shooting scenes around any business some are going to be candid and some staged. Some are in between, where say; a real meeting is taking place but I’ll chose the location, how people are arranged and positioned for light and camera angles.
Telling a story
Then a moment to grab some portraits with brand logo…
Not forgetting the ‘Fifth Element’
To summarise, Conduct Culture embraced the shooting day which is a big element to a successful shoot. They were fun to spend time with and they were fun with each other, which is another important element. Also, having a belief that there are good photos within your business is a great starting point.
These photos are just a small selection of what we produced and have given Conduct Culture a portfolio to call on.
Their thoughts?
“When searching for a photographer to take our company photos, Matthew Birch Photography stood out to us from the start when viewing the excellent website for his business. The second refreshing element that stood out for us was Matthew answered the phone straight away and we chatted through our requirement at length. Matthew's experience shone throughout our conversation. The attention to detail Matthew provided and discussed with us was also very reassuring for novices in this arena. Booking the shoot and payment through the website was excellent. From meeting Matthew to saying goodbye after a wonderful shoot we cannot recommend Matthew highly enough. His patience, fun, creativity, and experience guided us all through a long and fruitful experience. The results were amazing. Our web designers and marketing partners also took the time to feedback to us how excellent the photography was and of a quality standard rarely come by. Matthew captured the essence of who we are, and we are considering ways to work with him again in the future. Matthew's photography also captures the essence of who he is, exceptionally talented, professional and someone who cares.”
Andy and Nichola Sutherland - Directors
Conduct Culture
www.conductculture.co.uk
If you’re interested in seeing what your business looks like through the lens, get in touch. Contact Me.