Like dress-down Friday, the idea of portraying your business in a more friendly, relaxed way using more casual business photography is increasingly popular. This suits Matt’s style of corporate portrait photography down to the ground. There is, of course, a place for serious and posed corporate portraits, but the general trend now for many businesses’ brand image is for a more natural approach for their business portraits and for office-based photography. This is sometimes called reportage or environmental photography. Or candid and board photography. It often includes photos of meetings in progress and of people at work as well as photography of the architecture and office interiors too.

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!

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.

Congratulations to Samuel Aranda of Spain, who has won the 2011 World Press Photo Contest. The contest draws entries by professional press photographers, photojournalists and documentary photographers from across the world, with 5,247 photographers from 124 countries participating this year with 101,254 pictures submitted by the mid-January deadline.

The winning picture, taken while Aranda was on assignment for The New York Times, shows a woman holding her wounded son in her arms, inside a mosque used as a field hospital by demonstrators against the rule of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, during clashes in Sanaa, Yemen on 15 October 2011.

Taken at face value, it seems to show the emotion all Mothers feel when their child is injured, the courage of ordinary people brave enough to demand change and the often-unseen role played by women in times of conflict.

But there’s more going on here. Many people have noted that Aranda’s image closely resembles Christian iconography such as this painting ‘The Pietà‘ by another Spaniard - Luis de Morales (1520 Badajoz – 1586).

I’ve read commentaries pondering why such a profoundly Christian visual language was used for the news, without any accompanying explanation, that such biased Western values have no place in news photography and also worrying that projecting Christian imagery onto a Muslim event in a news story is not a good idea.

But, I think if we agree that Aranda’s image is reminiscent of Christian iconography, then we must also remember that Jesus is regarded as an important prophet in the Qur’an who predicted the coming of Muhammed and that Mary is revered in the Bible and the Qur’an.

Viewed in this light, perhaps Aranda’s image is one with which Christians and Muslims can both identify. And if, by using Christian iconography to comment on an event in a Muslim country it is also saying that human suffering is not confined to any single religion then it’s right and one Mothers and children everywhere will identify with, regardless of their religion.

The PM Society Advertising Awards 2011

The awards were announced on January 27th 2012. Congratulations go to all the winners and runners up, of whom Langland must be saluted for an impressive number of wins and commendations. Congratulations to all the healthcare advertising agencies commissioning original photography to help their campaigns succeed and help them scoop awards.

Full details can be seen here: http://www.pmsociety.org.uk/report/Advertising-Awards-2011-Results

The awards are open again – until 2nd April 2012. Awards announced 28th June.

The IPA Best of Health Awards showcase and reward the best in creativity in healthcare advertising from all mediums. Last year, from the 374 entries, six Gold, 26 Silver and 63 Bronze awards were presented, as well as the two ‘Best of Show’ awards and Special Prizes for best use of photography, illustration, copywriting and art direction.

To view photos from the event, click here . To view the creative work, click here .

Langland and McCann Healthcare Sydney were awarded ‘Best of Show’ and Steve Stretton, Founding Partner, Archibald Ingall Stretton and Chairman of Judges commented they were: “two great examples of creativity in healthcare communications from opposite sides of the world.”

‘Best Use of Photography’ went to Pan Advertising with this lovely image by Alex Telfer.

Stop Trouble Before It Starts

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.

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!

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…

LIDF 2010 aims to explore the differences between photography and film-making as well as considering how they converge. Professionals from the film, photography and radio industries will all join panels and lead workshops and participatory events. There are two documentary photography workshops, a photographic treasure hunt around Bloomsbury and a visual exploration of Hackney and NE London. Among the exhibitions is Toby Smith’s ‘Madagascar: Bois de Rose’ and we wish him every success. Smith has been documenting illegal deforestation in Madagascar, within UNESCO-protected rainforests. Part of the LIDF, the exhibition runs from 17 to 26 April 2010 in Barbican Mezzanine, Silk Street, London. Admission is free.

For more information about the LIDF visit http://www.lidf.co.uk/