Shooting in Stanglwirt Spa Resort and Hotel, Austria.

I just got back from Austria, shooting a private tennis tournament. I am lucky enough to photograph this every year for the same client. The last 5 tournaments have been in the incredible five star spa resort and hotel Stanglwirt, in Austria.

This place is seriously amazing. Stanglwirt is a huge site, with lots of world class sports and leisure facilities, all against the most amazing backdrop of the Tirol mountains. Stanglwirt has one of the most amazing spas in the world, with several swimming pools inside and out, saunas, steam rooms, plunge pools, jacuzzis, with massages and treatments also available. Stanglwirt also has one of the best tennis centres in Europe, it's own golf course, equestrian school, as well as a host of other activities available including cycling, hiking and some amazing skiing in the Winter months. It even has it's own organic farm, which supplies much of the produce used in the Hotels amazing restaurants. This isn't a sponsored post (although I wish it was and Stanglwirt would give me a free holiday ;).

Here are some of my best Stanglwirt shots from the last five years:

Group Photos

There are lots of factors to consider in order to get a great group photo. Here are some key points:

Location. Is there a good space availble, which looks good and where everyone can fit comfortably? If the group is large then they should either be arranged on multiple levels, ie on a slope, stairs, etc. If this isn't possible then is there a way that the photographer can look down at the group from above?

Lighting. When shooting indoors I will almost always use flashes, so lighting isn't a problem, however when shooting outdoors direct sunlight should be avoided as it can cause uneven lighting across the group, harsh shadows and squinting. The only way to easily include sunlight is from behind, but carefully as when it can give people red ears, due to the sun shining through the blood in the ears.

Posing. When posing groups it can be a good idea to incorporate furniture, architecture, etc for people to sit, recline or lean on. This will give a more natural feel to the shot and create a more dynamic composition. Posing each person individually will influence the overall composition, which should be balanced visually. Also groups should be arranged in such a way that peoples heights balance out, men and women should be interspersed, and colours of clothing should also be taken into account.

Atmosphere. Body language and facial expressions are important, so it's important the photographer brings out the best in a group to create a natural and relaxed atmosphere.

In this group shot for Expedia the idea was to show each individual with items or styling that portrayed something about their personal interests.

Another group photo for Expedia showing everyone as world travellers.

A beach barbeque themed group shot, also for Expedia.

A simple, yet bold group photo, with nice natural backlighting, for Barclays.

A relaxed group photo for Villiers using natural light and a good use of depth.

Another shot for Villiers, showing the team in a natural, candid way.

A quirky take on the group photo, also for Villiers.

A documentary style team photo of the Avanton team.

A group photo taken at a Herbalife event. Stairs can be very useful for arranging groups.

A group photo taken on top of a half finished skyscraper, for Mace.

This large group photo needed a lot of lighting to illuminate all the people in the scene. It also involved me being up a very tall ladder. I added the logo and the client, Bayer, sent a printed version to all of the delegates at its event.

Using furniture was very useful in this group shot for cool gaming company Gram Games.

You can never go wrong with a bit of sunshine and nature. Shot for Portman Dental.

Case Study : Shooting for Certitec

I recently shot for one of my favourite clients, Certitec. I have shot for them several times over the last few years, I love what they do and there's always good energy there. Certitec offers Adobe authorised software training in a host of creative programmes on site at its 3 locations in London Covent Garden, Bristol and Cardiff. Whether you want to learn Photoshop, lightroom, Premiere Pro, Illustrator or After Effects, check them out: www.certitec.com

Below are some of my favourite shots.

Getting a decent team photo for recruitment

Last month I was shooting headshots for fabulous architects RLB. They also wanted a natural teamshot to use on their global recruitment pages. The image needed to be candid, natural, bright and reflecting the diverse nature of the company. It also had to be cropped wide.

We knew that we wouldn’t have long to actually shoot it as we had a lot of headshots to get done and also we were taking people away from their work. First we found a large communal desk that we knew we could easily fit 4 people around. We also wanted to include windows. However this was a dark December afternoon in London, so I knew I would have to work hard to get it looking bright both inside and out, whilst retaining a nice crisp image. This was made even harder by the ubiquitous poor office lighting.

Here is a phone snap of the space we chose

After selecting the best location I had to decide on the lighting. The examples they had shown me looked like they were all shot in California in Summer, so how was I going to transform this dark London afternoon? Well I started with 4 flashes; 2 at the front, bouncing off the ceiling to light the subjects faces with a broad, soft light, then 2 flashes behind pointing at the walls. These 2 were lighting the background, but I had to be careful they did not reflect in the windows. I fired a few test shots with my helpful stand in model and although the shot looked pretty good, it seemed a bit flat, not like a sunny day in Silicon Valley. This is where a bit of fake sun came in. So I grabbed another flash, positioned it high near the window, the same angle as the sun would come in and I pointed it right towards my subjects. I zoomed the flash in so it was a tight, hard light and I put an orange gel on it to give that warm sunny glow. This light really made a difference and was the missing piece of the puzzle I was looking for. You can really notice it on the 2 people on the right of the image. The shadow cast by the womans hair on her face and the backlighting on the guy.

This snap shows 4 of the 5 flashes I used to light the scene, another was hiding behind the wall on the left.

This is the selected photo straight out of the camera, unedited.

As above, cropped wide.

With basic exposure, contrast and colour adjustments. Notice how dark it is outside.

Photoshopping those windows really made a huge difference, check out how much better and brighter it looks outside.

The final photo. With a bit of tonal correction and extra brushing to brighten the top right corner and darken the bottom left.

I was pretty pleased with the end result and I feel I did well to transform a dark December day and dull office lighting into something bright, sunny and natural.

Time to book your Christmas Party Photography

Christmas get’s earlier every year, but it’s never too early to book your photographer. Document your company relaxed and in fun mode, enjoying a well earned party!

I'm still taking bookings for Christmas parties in London and the South. So if you still haven't booked your photographer yet, check out my party photography gallery.

Ho Ho Ho!

What can conference organisers do to ensure good photography?

Aside from all the millions of things you have to think about to organise a good conference and once you have chosen the right photographer, here are a few little tips to make their job a bit easier and ensure you get some awesome imagery:

1. Don’t bother using an app for asking questions. Firstly, they can fail and from experience often do. Also, they can distract the session chair and it doesn’t look good in photos when the speaker is talking and the chair is just looking at their phone. An app also limits audience interaction, so the photographer would not get those cool shots of people holding mics asking questions directly.

2. Make sure projectors aren’t shining on people during panel discussions. Often the tops of people’s heads can be skimmed with the light of the projector. This is almost impossible for a photographer to remedy and looks pretty terrible. Either aim your projector higher or project from behind. If you can't do either of those then prepare a slide with the conference logo in the top half and have the lower half blank. Ask AV to display this slide during panel talks if the above issue arises.

3. Create custom branded items such as toys, goodie bags, gifts, programs. These can make for really cool, quirky shots that do well on social media.

4. Have lots of branding in the form of signs, banners, projections. The bigger the better. Hung just above head height is best. Also, it’s best to give these a matt finish to prevent unwanted reflections.

5. Make stage lights bright. It’s surprising how many venues don’t light their speakers well. The lights should illuminate the speaker/speakers/panel well, but not be so harsh that they squint. This improves photos greatly and if I can shoot without the need for flash it’s even better.

6. Make sure that there aren’t overly distracting items on the podium when people are speaking, eg mics in the way, laptops, water bottles, etc.

7. Seat as much of the audience near the front of the auditorium. If they are too spread out then the venue may look less full in the photos. You may need to rope off areas at the back to encourage delegates towards the front.

8. Give your photographer a good shotlist and itinerary. Best as a printout, as checking apps can be annoying when you are already juggling a couple of cameras.

9. Elevate static videographers on a platform. This will ensure the photographer does not obstruct their line of sight.

10. Feed the crew well! This is something that usually happens anyway at conferences, thankfully. But it can be very tiring shooting a conference and so it’s important to keep the crew energised.

In summary, we live in a visual age, when billions of photos are uploaded to the web every day. Images are vital selling tools and ensuring you have bold, slick photos will help your conference stand out and look its best. I hope these insights of a conference photographer were helpful to you and they help you create even better photos at your events.

Case Study March 2018: Future of Utilities Conference

Marketforce never fail to deliver a great conference and this years Future of Utilities was no exception. Etc venues St Pauls is a great London conference venue and I always look forward to the bento box lunch (thanks EY)! Here's some of the conference highlights:

Slide of the day here. You can't beat multiple dancing Carltons!

My Favourite London Evening Venues, Part 2.

In no particular order:

7. The Langham

Located on Regent Street, The Langham is classical, luxurious and stylish.

8. A Thames Cruise

A really great way to see the sights of London from a unique perspective. Sit down and enjoy dinner, drink and dance whilst some of the worlds most iconic landmarks pass beside you. I loved shooting on the Elizabethan, a beautiful old style paddle steamer.

9. The Natural History Museum

An iconic location. Party with the dinosaurs!

10. Old Billingsgate Market

A large, sophisticated market conversion. The riverside terrace has great views of the Shard.

11. Sky Bar

The Sky Bars modern and stylish interior sits right on top of the Millbank Tower, offering incredible views over the city.

12. The Arts Club

Oozing with timeless cool the Arts Club is incredibly stylish.

13. The V&A

Another London landmark, and a fascinating place to visit.

My Favourite London Evening Venues, Part 1.

In no particular order:

1. Grange St Pauls Hotel

A great hotel in the heart of The City, beautiful and modern roof terrace with stunning views.

www.grangehotels.com

2. Gibson hall

A very large, grand, classical banqueting hall in The City.

3. Tobacco Dock

A huge and impressive, converted and listed warehouse space.

4. Kensington Roof Gardens

Beautiful, stylish rooftop venue in Kensington.

5. Tower Bridge

Everyone knows the iconic landmark, but did you know they host events in the high level walkways? They also have a section of glass floor, so if you are brave enough you can stand on it and wave to the boat passengers passing below!

Looking across from one walkway to the other

The view from Tower Bridge

6. The Painted Hall Greenwich

The Painted Hall is part of The Old Royal Naval College, in Greenwich. It is absolutely astounding. Often referred to as "The Sistine Chapel of the UK" words cannot do it justice.

A great use of drones to light mountainous landscapes

I'm loving these serene night portraits of mountains by Reuben Wu. Ethereal and inventive, Wu uses drones to lightpaint the nocturnal landscape.

http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2018/03/light-paths-of-drones-by-reuben-wu/

Here's his Instagram: www.instagram.com/itsreuben/

Why I love shooting Conferences

1. I love learning

I often find myself really appreciating interesting talks and debates. I have very broad interests and have enjoyed learning about science, tech, marketing, medicine, and politics as well as motivational talks by specialist speakers. We are living in exciting times, scienctific, technological social and political revolution abound, bringing forth a brand new world. Photographing conferences allows me to bear witness to these developments from the inside, which sometimes feels pretty special.

Amazing displays at The Hunterian Museum

A fascinating historical tour of Manchester Town Hall

2. I love meeting interesting people

Conferences are a great place to meet people who are passionately engaged in their subject. There's always a good buzz. Occasionally a special speaker or VIP guest also shows up.

Referee Pierluigi Collina, balloonist and adventurer Bertrand Piccard, with a robot.

The mighty Evander Holyfield

Football referee Pierluigi Collina

President of the Supreme Court Lord Neuberger

3. I get to go to some really interesting places

I have ended up in some great venues over the years in London and all over the UK. Some of the best places my conference photography has taken me include: The houses of Parliament, Tower Bridge, The Hunterian Museum, The Crystal, The London Eye, The Churchill War Rooms, The Natural History Museum, The Painted Hall Greenwich, The Royal Pavillion Brighton, Manchester Town Hall, The Emirates Stadium. Attending conferences means I get to go to places I would not have done otherwise, often I might not even know they exist.

Manchester Town Hall

The events space at the top of Tower Bridge

The Hunterian Museum

The V&A

4. I get to participate in fun activities and see great shows

I get to meet some great entertainers, including magicians, musicians and theatrical displays and I always enjoy their shows.

5. I enjoy the shooting style

Each photographer has their own preferred style. Personally I enjoy documentary and location portraiture. Conference photography offers me this opportunity. I even end up shooting a bit of product, interiors, architecture, food, action at conferences.

6. I like the variety

Each conference is different and I never get bored. I am constantly encountering new people, places and subject matter.

My favourite Entertainment Company

Several times over the past year I have run into the same magician at different events. He is very friendly and very talented. He leaves everyone aghast with his mind boggling tricks. His name is Kevin and he runs his own entertainment company called Blank Canvas.

www.blankcanvasentertainment.co.uk

Kevin the Magician

Kevin leaves more people baffled and astounded

Confusion and amazement manifested in laughter

Blank Canvas are awesome. They have an amazing array of the finest entertainers in the UK, including magicians, dancer, musicians, circus skills, caricaturists, and many more. Chancers are if you've been to any events recently you've encountered someone on Blank Canvases books.

The mesmerising "Calvos"

Calvos

The hilarious "Singing Waiters"

Singing Waiters

Singing Waiters

Singing Waiters

So if you are looking for entertainment at your event check out Blank Canvas, they are awesome!

Click here to see more of my London Corporate Event Photography

Londons Best Conference Venues (Part 3)

13. The Royal College of Surgeons

Another iconic classical space with a great modern makeover.

14. The Royal Horseguards Hotel

Grand, charismatic hotel with beautiful meeting spaces.

15. Claridges

Another classic London hotel, perfect for sophisticated meetings.

16. Etc Venues St Pauls

Modern conference venue in the heart of The City. Great city views from the atrium.

17. The Churchill War Rooms

This is a bit of a quirky venue for a conference, but there aren’t many places as historically significant as Winston Churchills wartime bunker, where the fate of World War 2 was drawn up. A fascinating place.

Check out my gallery of conference photography

Londons Best Conference Venues (Part 2)

7. 30 Euston Square

Modern, clean and smart in a great location.

8. The QE2 Centre

A huge, purpose built centre in the heart of Westminster.

9. The Royal Society

A classical, historic venue upgraded nicely.

10. The Excel Centre

A huge exhibition and conference space, which stages some impressive shows.

11. The Royal Society of Medicine

A nice modern conference space with a bright glass ceiling atrium.

12. The Crystal

State of the art architecture make this a truly unique building.

Check out my gallery of conference photography

Londons Best Conference Venues (Part 1)

There is an amazing amount of top quality conference venues in London, offering a whole variety of styles and catering to a mixture of needs. From luxury classical hotels, to state of the art dedicated conference spaces, from corporate spaces to something quirky. Here is a break down (in no particular order) of my favourite spaces where I have shot conferences. There are so many in London I am going to post this in three parts.

1. The IET: The Institution of Engineering and Technology
A great venue on the Embankment. Beautifully merging the classical and modern. The roof terrace offers some of the best views in London.

2. Etc Venues County Hall
Inside the Iconic County Hall on the Southbank of the Thames. Plenty of space, nice modern facilities.

3. The Langham
Located on Regent Street, The Langham is classical, luxurious and stylish.

4. More London
Cutting edge architecture in a great location, offering amazing views of the City and Tower Bridge.

5. Etc Venues Bishopsgate
Beautiful lighting and clean crisp design in the middle of The City of London

6. The Landmark Hotel
Another classic hotel, this time in Marylebone. Extremely spacious, with a large glass roofed atrium.

Click here to see more of my conference photography

In the lab again...

I love science, so shooting in a lab is always a fascinating experience for me. It's never easy, as a photographer, with all that glass and chrome bouncing the light about and causing crazy reflections, but I always relish a challenge. My recent shoot at BPL labs was no exception, but we got some great shots!

Click here to see more of my science photography