Location Corporate Portraits

Corporate Portraits by California Photograpehr Alyn Stafford One of my favorite genres to photograph is the corporate portrait. Like weddings and other types of photography genres, no two corporate portraits sessions are alike. People are different, settings different, and themes are different.

For this particular assignment, I was commissioned by a graphic designer out of Denver to photograph an executive at ESRI in Redlands, California. Now, if you haven't worked with professionals on corporate photo sessions, then let me tell you something, as a photographer, you typically have a very narrow window of time to work with. My allotted time was about an hour, if that. Keep in mind, sometimes you are walking in to an environment where you have never photographed before and don't have a clue about lighting. This is why I pack a lot of Speedlights and stands with me when I do a session like this one.

My assistant and I arrived about half hour prior to the session and scouted the interior of the building. It was a photographers dream, a nice modern building and lots of North facing windows. About the only thing I needed was one Speedlight for fill, and I could have gotten away with just a reflective bounce. After setting up my single flash, I was ready to bring the busy executive out for the quick corporate portrait.

Corporate Portrait Photography by Alyn Stafford At first, I didn't think he wanted to spend too much time shooting. I mean, he wanted to get in and out of the session rather quickly. However, after working with me through a few test frames, it was obvious, the executive began to like being photographed. There's something about being in front of the camera that transforms most people into pseudo models. But hey, that's what makes for good photos and I'm always happy to pump their egos.

Needles to say, once we where done in the main area, the executive had suggested taking more shots in his office, a clear indication that he enjoyed the photo shoot. I have to say, I did too. I always enjoy working with people who like to be photographed. And if they don't like it, by the time I get them warmed up, they don't want to stop.

Location Flash Photography Book

I think when I took on this project, for reason thought it was going to be easy. After all, I know the subject of flash photography and location portraits, but when I sat down to actually begin writing the book and planning the shoots, I truly discovered the enormous task ahead of me. Now with about a month left to my deadline to get the book to the publisher, I find myself scrambling to get the rest of the photo shoots completed. But hey, don't get me wrong, this isn't a complaint session, but one which is an awakening and enlightening experience; juggling my regular shooting assignments, planning and shooting for the book, writing the book, and maintaining my personal life and relationships. I think I've learned a lot from myself over the past several months as a photographer and person and to what extent I am able to push myself personally and professionally. However, the real results will be known if I can make my deadline and create a book of valuable substance. So, it's not over yet. Stay tuned for a follow-up in a month.

For sample shots of possible images I will be using for the new book, see below:

Commercial Advertising Photo Shoot

This months featured project is centered around a recent commercial lifestyle photo shoot I did. The basic concept was centered around a group of actors in a lifestyle role. I photographed with a few other photographs inside a Malibu Canyon mansion back in January. Working together, we where able to pool our resources together and create some stunning images. Below, check out some of the images from the shoot, behind the scene photos as well as an ad slick mock-up for one of my commercial accounts.

Samples of the lifestyle photos I shot during this session: