Corporate photography is an essential need for most firms. Other kinds of commercial photography may not require the same kind of expertise and techniques that are required in corporate photography. Companies that are looking to hire a business photographer have to judge the worthy candidates on several criteria to make sure that they fulfil the needs of the business:

Versatility is an important quality that a corporate photographer must possess, so that he can manage many types of tasks and responsibilities like events coverage, shots for annual reports or advertising photography for marketing brochures, non-cheesy headshots and natural-looking business portraits. A preferred corporate photographer should always be keen to fulfil all these responsibilities.

Fast-paced corporate events don’t allow photographers to leisurely plan various angles or go for retakes, so high alertness on the part of the photographer is vital. Many unforeseen things crop up at corporate events, and a casual approach on part of the photographer will ultimately have an adverse effect on his photographs. Thus, a corporate photographer must have a sharp presence of mind and must always be aware of the happenings around him.

It is also important for a corporate photographer to be capable of working under constraints and limitations and yet provide excellent pictures. For instance, in an indoor corporate event, he might have to do with insufficient light and handle the crowd.

Another important factor that must be considered is the photographer’s work ethic and the importance he gives to his job. It is necessary for a corporate photographer to have an idea of the priorities of the firm and also what the firm seeks from him. A good business photographer should be able to create a personal rapport with the staff, as they need to be comfortable when the photographs are being taken at official or informal events in the organization. Besides, the photographer must not be a tough person to work with.

Infrastructure, bridge construction, hoover dam,

Projects: Life on the Edge – Formation – Infrastructure

Matt’s Life on the Edge project comments on how we live and affect our environment. The project took Matt to Iceland, the Outer Hebrides (Scotland) and the American Southwest. The images reflect several different and distinct Western societies – those living and working in tight communities in harsh climates and those living alone, while surrounded by urban life.

Whilst in San Francisco, Matt took several portraits of people living on the streets. In Keeler, a town on eastern shore of Owens Lake in Inyo County, California, Matt captured some extraordinary images. Once a mining town, Keeler was deserted after water exports began from the lake for Los Angeles. Eventually, the lake dried up, causing noxious alkali dust storms to blow through Keeler, driving residents away. Few people remain, but their belongings do, slowly being reclaimed by the desert.

While in Iceland, Matt was struck by the planet renewing itself before his eyes. And how time and pressure affect many aspects of life. And so he began Formation, which observes different landscapes, how they were shaped and how they are evolving. Running alongside Life on the Edge, Formation also explores how we live with these environments, how we affect them and how they change us as societies and as individuals.

Also part of the Life on the Edge series, Infrastructure concentrates on the structures we need to build to support our societies, often in bleak environments.

As a people photographer, Matt’s Life on the Edge direction often resulted from the need for change, to be alone for a while, to return refreshed. But it’s interesting that even whilst craving solitude, he is still interested in humanity.

Matt has two current projects. Node to Node, a study into the human web and the idea of the six degrees of separation. A series of portraits, each ‘node’ nominates the next, so the choice of subject is out of Matt’s hands.  Mind the Gap is a project considering the disparity between rich and poor people and how this affects society in the UK.

‘Safe as Houses’ 

The feel of the image is kept light and bright to add weight to the chilling action.

In a seemingly secure environment, life can change on a dime.

Healthcare advertising photographer Matt Wain specializes in evoking emotion

and keeping it natural – when the reality is anything but.

Client: Carillion, Construction Services

Brief: Document an 80-metre bridge lift

Carillion’s challenge was to lift into place four, eighty-metre steel beams to complete a bridge for the A27 road upgrade in East Sussex, when the main rail line could only be shut for five hours, from 1 until 5 in the morning. Over successive nights Carillion achieved their objective.

Tanja Clark, Business Development Manager for Carillion comments:

“Working with Matt is always a pleasure. He has that special something, that rare ability, to capture a sunny moment in an otherwise dull and dreary day…or night!”

Matt documented the lift and captured a fabulous shot that won an honourary mention in the Lucie awards this year.

He explains: “I really love this shot, it reminds me of those 1950′s American Steam railway photographs by O Winston.” (www.linkmuseum.org)

prospectus photography

Client: Hendon Prep School

Brief: School prospectus and Web literature

“I am one happy customer! I nearly didn’t call because I thought I’d never be able to afford you!”

Leah Brown, Marketing Manager, Hendon Prep School

Hendon Prep School was planning a new prospectus and looking for a range of shots that captured the personality of the school and its pupils. As well as featuring in the prospectus the shots would also be used on their website and across a broad range of promotional literature.

With his trademark natural style, Matt’s candid images are moments captured – a day in the life of the school, from the serious business of learning to the youthful energy displayed on the sports field.

Matt achieved all they needed in one day and teachers and pupils had a good time alike.

We will always do our level best to work to a budget and will not let a tight budget get in the way of a good result.

Brand images – the company and its people represented in pictures. The way a company makes use of its business or corporate photography reflects the company’s ethos, the pictures it uses should tell a story about that company. The images should say what that company stands for – should visualise their message. Images are critical – to rely on another’s image library to express yourself is limiting at best. To have images that say what you want rather than working your messaging around existing images, you need to commission original photography – and a good corporate photographer.

An excellent business photographer conjures up the essence of the company, its employees and its public image.

There are many uses for corporate photography – but why commission a corporate photographer:

• Raise the profile of the business. High quality, well taken pictures can often raise the profile from a small struggling business to one of a powerful professional outfit that clients want to engage with
• Create awareness. A good business photographer will be able to assess and identify quickly and accurately the key elements in any situation and demonstrate the company’s offering in the best light; as well as understand what the company needs to say, working within their corporate guidelines
• Brand Identity. If you are going to try and create a brand awareness campaign then it is absolutely essential that the images you use are the best you can achieve – and that the images say what you want
• Public relations and announcements. Using good quality images gets the point across quickly and efficiently and with corporate portraits, it means the company values their employees
• Company Magazine or Annual Report. Often a great source of repeat marketing used to engage current clients to want to do more business or even gain new ones. Any literature, online or printed, that doesn’t use good strong pictures will be falling short of the impact they hope to achieve. A dull, boring company magazine is just that so creating sharp, exciting images of the company, its brand, key employees and products can deliver a glowing view of the company and attract more enquiries
• Online. To be noticed at all, you need an interesting and relevant image to go with the words you’ve taken the time to write – that says what you want to say
• Company Brochure. This is the one place where you must never compromise on the quality of the pictures you use. and you need original photography that reflects your business alone
• Exhibition materials. Creating great images that can be blown up quite large without losing quality is the first consideration, but equally important is to get pictures that will compel delegates or visitors passing your stand to stop and want to engage with you
• Website. Successful companies only use carefully chosen images that are professional and outstanding in quality, which reflect them alone
• Company Reception Area. Use images that create the right first impression for your company. Are these stock images or ones that you commissioned that reflect your company alone?

When it comes to getting the right image for your company then Corporate Photography can play a massive part and often save you time and money in the long run.

Healthcare advertising photographer Matt Wain specializes in evoking emotion

and keeping it natural – when the reality is anything but.

Keeping it natural and specialising in capturing emotion.

Photos with Feeling

It may be because the Olympics are round the corner, but getting your image library in order seems to be a priority right now. Whether it’s imagery to represent your company, ad shots that say what you want, corporate portraits or photography for your annual report – for photos with feeling and movement, you need an experienced corporate photographer. So, you’ll be needing to go through the images you have and then commission a business photographer who can deliver the images you need – and keep backup copies for you, safe for years to come, there whenever you need them.

Selecting the appropriate corporate photographer involves a lot of careful consideration. We agree with the British Journal of Photography, that “good photography at a reasonable price” is not enough and that “the differentiators for success are: highly distinctive imagery reflecting a clear and compelling aesthetic vision, marketing savvy, sharp business skills, adaptability and persistence. Today’s professional business photographer must deliver nothing less.”.

If you want a library of useful images, and you need images that convey emotion, then you need to select a photographer that has the skill to say what you want in pictures. This is particularly true for corporate photography, where the photographer is required to think on his feet.

Companies that are looking to hire a good corporate photographer have to judge the worthy candidates on several criteria to make sure that they fulfil the needs of the business:

• Versatility – A corporate photographer must manage many types of tasks and responsibilities. Corporate photography requires the experience and flexibility to cover events photography, photography for marketing literature and creative corporate portraits. A preferred corporate photographer should always be keen to fulfil all these responsibilities – with a weather eye on the clock and with a meticulous eye for detail.

• Vigilance - Fast-paced corporate events don’t allow photographers to plan at their leisure various angles or go for retakes, so the corporate photographer must be on the ball. Many unforeseen things crop up at corporate events, and a casual approach on part of the photographer will ultimately have an adverse effect on the photographs. Thus, a corporate photographer must have a sharp presence of mind and must always be aware of what’s happening.

• Appreciation – A corporate photographer has to understand their client’s needs and be capable of working under constraints and limitations and still provide good pictures. As well as corporate guidelines on style, there may be challenges such as insufficient light or a crowd at an event. A good corporate photographer will adapt to any situation and knows how to handle challenging situations. Even in such difficult situations, he should be capable of creating good quality pictures.

• Dedication – A corporate photographer must take their job seriously, but not themselves, and have a good work ethic. They must seek out and take on board the priorities of the client and what they need to achieve. A good photographer should be able to create a rapport with the staff, as they need to be comfortable when the photographs are being taken at official or informal events in the organization. And the photographer must make it easy for the client – and have fun along the way too!

A stills project, ‘Mind the Gap’ explores the ever-expanding disparity between rich and poor. Each image is of a person reflected, their social circumstances reversed. The images ask us if we in turn can look ourselves in the eye and do we mind the gap? We experience the gap widening, what happens if we don’t address it?

The education inequality gap between children of differing economic backgrounds widens during middle school and expands increasingly thereafter. Do we mind the gap?

The widening mortality gap between social classes persists. For women this is currently 11%. Should we mind the gap?

London portrait photographer Matt Wain’s ‘Node to Node’ project is a visual trip into the human web and social networking. Having chosen the initial ‘node’ himself, each subsequent node is nominated by the current node – and so the journey continues.

Naturally, Node-to-Node has a Facebook group page:

http://www.facebook.com/groups/235364889856741/

Client: PAN - Advertising Agency. Brief: Portraits for their Christmas Card

“We had worked with Matt Wain Photography before, so when we were looking for a one-stop solution for our Christmas shoot they were the natural choice. Matts’ personable nature, good humour and his ability to get the most out of people, was a massive help in guaranteeing a painless shoot for what, potentially, could have been a creative and logistical nightmare!”

Roy Robertson, Creative Services Director, PAN Advertising

PAN Advertising is a full-service healthcare advertising and communications agency. PAN came up with the concept of a hospital scene for their Christmas card and our brief was to produce a funny image based on this concept using every single member of Pan’s 35-strong staff. PAN also wanted us to orchestrate the whole shoot so that all they had to do was turn up on the day. We did just that: we sourced the location, the props and wardrobe. On the day, we shot the image in 7 sections, which were then digitally combined to produce the final shot. And the end result went down a storm!

Rhein II by Andreas Gursky.

It’s been mooted that Gursky is successful and accepted as a fine art photographer because he has never been a commercial photographer – the art world frowns on photographers who dare to do both. However, I read (in a Dissent Magazine article) that Gursky had been a commercial photographer – as were (are?) both his parents. I’m finding it hard to think of a fine art photographer who hasn’t done commercial work – Adams, Weston, Salgado, Penn & Bailey – for starters – it doesn’t stop the greats. Personally, I always rather liked Gursky, but not since the digital manipulation though. It just reminds me of how disappointed children are when they find out amazing things they see are created on computer and not real. Kids are rarely wrong in these matters. Here’s to keeping it real!

Client: WFCA Agency for Budgens

Sector: Advertising - http://www.wfca.co.uk/advertising-agency/

Brief: Independent Retailer Recruitment

“I’ve got a rather nice brief for a Budgens photo project and I thought of you!”

Jo Cornford, Budgens Account Director for WFCA

WFCA is a complete service agency and for that past two years have been a Campaign top 30 agency and a Sunday Times Fast Track 100 business. WFCA’s client, Budgens, has local stores that are a viable alternative to the superstore.

Independent retailers, working in partnership with Budgens, own many local Budgens stores. They care deeply about the quality, provenance and value of the food they sell and the communities, which they serve. Budgens and WFCA are working hard to convey this message.

Updating their existing image library plays an important role in their communications – they wanted to capture the spirit of shopping at Budgens as it is today. They need natural lifestyle shots – of the stores and, of course, the people.

It’s an ongoing project (Budgens has over 227 stores!) and we continue to shoot on location all over the UK using Budgens staff, friends, family and a few models.

Jo Cornford explains further:

“We asked Matt to carry out this project because we know we will get the high standard of imagery that we need. Matt’s ability to put people at their ease and capture natural lifestyle shots is exactly what we require.”

Richard Avedon’s close, show-every-follicle approach to portraiture can be jarring, but his ability to render both his and his sitters’ personalities in each image he creates is uncanny. An obituary, published in The New York Times following Avedon’s death said that his fashion and portrait photographs had helped to define America’s image of style, beauty and culture for the last half-century. 

A bit about Matt

Son of an ad man, Matt understands advertising and how images are used to convey messages. His style is natural and his images capture emotion, keeping it real – even when the circumstances are anything but.

Matt works with agencies and corporate clients directly, appreciating that the images he takes exist to represent a company’s brand – whether the photos are of people or places they reflect the business’ ethos and the way it wishes to be portrayed and perceived.

Foremost a people photographer, commissions take Matt into all sectors of commerce. He’ll be in a classroom one day, a boardroom the next and dangling out of a helicopter the day after!

Matt finds inspiration in many places and appreciates the work of many photographers – favourites are Richard Avedon, Don McCullin, Sabastiao Salgado and Andreas Gursky.

A bit about Polly

Polly Harrison manages booking and production for Matt – calendar, estimates, assistants, props, models, stylists, locations and wardrobes and always goes the extra mile to ensure clients get exactly what they need – every time.

Before joining the business, Polly spent over a decade in corporate marketing, PR and marketing consultancy: “I hope that my broad experience helps me appreciate our clients’ needs and I always support them however I can – making sure we exceed their expectations and deliver what they need on time and to budget.”

The 2010 IPA received nearly 15,000 submissions from 103 countries. These images from Matt Wain entitled ‘Paradise City’ won Matt an honorable mention.

Captured on location in the American Southwest, the images form part of Matt’s ‘Life on the Edge’ project.

All project images are documentary style – candid and unstaged.

So, I see it’s welcome back to the Tetley Tea Folk this week. And they don’t seem any worse for wear 10 years on. Wish I could say the same – I saw some photos of myself recently and was quite surprised to see all the wrinkles on my smiling face!

Matt did a lifestyle photography shoot in London last week and the owner of the business said he had to get some portrait photography done soon of himself. Matt offered to do a corporate portrait of him while he was there – and he quite literally ran out of the room saying: “Not now, too busy!”.

Many of us don’t like having our photo taken, but if it has to be done ‘for work’ then go to a people photographer. A true people photographer puts people at their ease and captures emotion – you’ll see no forced smiles in their portrait images – even for the corporate headshots!

On advertising photo shoots, when the brief is to capture a lifestyle shot, a moment in time and a particular emotion, even models sometimes find it hard to lose the cheesy grins and act naturally. Which is where a people photographer comes into their own. With the production team to support them it’s happy creatives, happy managers & happy clients all round – job done.

Right, now for a cuppa…

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