Richard Boll

Author Archives: Richard Boll

Behind the scenes of an International Airport Photography Shoot

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Posted by Richard Boll on 14th October 2024 – 5:51 pm
Filed under Advertising, Advertising Photography, Airlines, Airport Photography, Editorial Portrait, Environmental Portrait, Global Advertising, Lifestyle, lifestyle Photography, Location Photography

International Airport Photography

Managing a complex, large-scale photography shoot on location in a bustling, fully operational international airport comes with a unique set of challenges, including:
• Organising a big production team and a complex shoot schedule
• Navigating airport security with large amounts of equipment
• Working with a mix of airline employees and professional models
• The specific considerations for working with child models
• Shooting in various locations including check-in areas, waiting rooms, business lounges, family areas, and airport corridors
• Arranging for areas to be sectioned off to separate the shoot from public areas of an airport

Emirates Airline, Dubai International Airport (DXB)

I was commissioned by production agency xpogr to photograph an advertising lifestyle campaign for Emirates Airlines on location in Dubai International Airport (DXB). DXB is the primary international airport serving Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and is the world’s fifth busiest airport by passenger traffic, carrying the highest average number of passengers per flight.

Emirates Airline operates the largest airline hub in the Middle East at DXB Terminal 3, handling 51% of all passenger traffic, and approximately 42% of all aircraft movements at the airport. The brief was to shoot a series of bright, colourful, high-quality images showing confident, friendly, and approachable customer service representatives, featuring the iconic Emirates brand uniform. Guests including couples, children, and families were to be portrayed looking relaxed and happy.

As airports are often stressful environments where long waiting times can be experienced, the goal was to create images showing a happy, family-friendly premium experience.

Lifestyle photography for Emirates airline in Dubai by Richard Boll. A female member of the airport staff with a girl at the Unaccompanied Minors entrance.

My photography assistant and I flew from London to Dubai in style with Emirates who kindly provided us with business class seats. It was extremely comfortable and the high level of service and food provided was exceptional!

It was a very enjoyable project over five days with:

• one day for location scouting with the art director and producer

• one day for a pre-production meeting to discuss and finalise all aspects of the lifestyle photography

• three days of photography in various locations around Dubai airport

A family in an airport photographed for Emirates airline by lifestyle photographer Richard Boll.

Clearing large amounts of equipment through security can be time-consuming and needs to be factored into any shooting timetable. It was also challenging taking pictures in a fully operational airport with many passengers and staff members to work around.

The shoot was deemed a great success and several images from the shoot have been used for a global advertising campaign and on the Emirates website. More images from this project can be seen here.

Wharton School & United Airlines Executive

I carried out another airport photography project at Heathrow, shooting corporate portraits of a senior executive from United Airlines for the US-based Wharton Magazine.

A portrait taken by a United Airlines airplane at Heathrow airport by editorial photographer Richard Boll.

United Airlines was formed by the amalgamation of several airlines in the late 1920s and is now a major American airline headquartered at the Willis Tower in Chicago, Illinois. As of January 2024, United operates flights to 238 domestic destinations across the United States and 118 international destinations in 48 countries across all six inhabited continents. The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania was established in 1881 as the first business school in the United States, and the world’s first business school affiliated with an institution of higher learning. According to the 2022 Financial Times MBA ranking, it’s home to the world’s best MBA programme.

It was an interesting experience shooting portraits on the live runway with United Airlines jets in the background of the shots, resulting in strong final portraits which were very well received. These corporate portraits have been used extensively for a business profile interview in an editorial magazine feature for the Wharton Business School.

Airport Runway Photography

Another photography project that I carried out at a large airport involved shooting images in the air traffic control centre and on the runway. I took pictures of planes landing and taking off and photographed different locations including the meet​-and​-greet areas, departure lounges, and waiting rooms.

An airplane at Heathrow airport by commercial photographer Richard Boll.

The shoot generated a lot of strong content, and it was a fascinating insight into the workings of an international airport.

Planes at an airport by lifestyle photographer Richard Boll.

You can see more of more of my lifestyle photography here and more of my portrait photography here.

To discuss your requirements get in touch.

The art of collaboration and relinquishing creative control

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Posted by Richard Boll on 25th September 2024 – 11:35 am
Filed under Artists, Conceptual Photography, Editorial Photography, Environmental Portrait, Exhibitions, Fine Art Photography, Limited Edition Prints, Portrait Photography

The art of collaboration and relinquishing creative control

I’ve been working on my latest project Expression: Portraits of Artists for two years but it’s been an idea I’ve been exploring creatively for the last decade.

The project features visually striking photographic portraits of celebrated contemporary artists: Yarli Allison, Rana Begum, Gordon Cheung, Adam Chodzko, Ann Christopher, Marie Harnett, Bruce McLean, Cornelia Parker, and Gavin Turk. Also featured are Sussex-based artists Stig Evans, Richard Graville, James William Murray, and Jake Wood-Evans. The ongoing project involves elements of unique collaboration with many of the artists involved, inviting each artist to make their mark on the final piece and truly make the portrait their own.

The aim of the project is to celebrate the individuality and artistry of these talented people. Often artists are known for their works, but I wanted to tell the story of the people behind the artworks and capture their creative process.

With traditional approaches to portraiture, the sitter is typically invited to a photographer’s studio and the photographer directs the shoot. With this project however, it’s been more of a two-way dialogue with each artist about how they would like to be photographed, and inviting them to collaborate on the portraits by relinquishing creative control. This has challenged my standard process and opened my eyes to what that creative collaboration could achieve.

Yarli Allison (she/they) (b.1988) is a Canadian-born, Hong Kongese art-worker based between the UK and Paris with an interdisciplinary approach that traverses sculpture, installation, CGI (VR/AR/3D modeling/game), moving images, drawings, poetry, tattooing, and performances. This portrait was taken at her studio in London and she is photographed wearing one of her wearable pieces which references her sculptural and performative works. In this image, we worked together to create the mise-en-scène featuring a series of props, clothing, and headgear.

A portrait of the artist Yarli Allison by Richard Boll. The art of collaboration and relinquishing creative control is Richard's on-going project.

Gordon Cheung, born 1975 in London to Chinese parents, has developed an innovative approach to making art, which blurs virtual and actual reality to reflect on the existential questions of what it means to be human in civilisations with histories written by victors. Cheung raises questions and critiques the effects of global capitalism, and its underlying mechanisms of power on our perception of identity, territory, and sense of belonging. These narratives are refracted through the prisms of culture, mythology, religion, and politics into dreamlike spaces of urban surreal worlds that are rooted in his in-between identity. I took this portrait at Cheung’s London studio. During post-production, Cheung added a collaborative element – he applied his signature digital glitch – an algorithmic blur that distorts the pixels – inviting the viewer to question time, space, and reality.

A portrait of Gordon Cheung taken by Richard Boll and digital glitch applied by Gordon Cheung. The art of collaboration and relinquishing creative control.

Stig Evans (b.1964) is a painter and public artist based in Brighton. Evans’ work investigates concepts of visibility and perception. He uses colour to explore our visual acuity, how we perceive it, respond to it, represent it, and by its historical, chemical and physical and immaterial nature. He paints with an airbrush, building up many layers of sprayed colour creating chromatic colour experiences where boundaries, borders and chroma subtly move and shift in front of the eye. I shot this portrait on black and white film using a Hasselblad medium format camera. The background of antique pigment bottles was constructed by Evans in his Brighton studio. I hand-produced the silver gelatine fibre print in a darkroom which was then hand-coloured by Evans. He also applied 21,915 “strikes” in pencil, each strike representing a day of his life.

A portrait of the artist Stig Evans by Richard Boll. The art of collaboration and relinquishing creative control, Richard's ongoing project.

Jake Wood-Evans (b. 1980) is also based in Sussex. In an age dominated by screens and pixelated images, Jake Wood-Evans’ work feels like a welcome antidote. Drawing on the legacies of Old Masters, his intention is to capture the essence of these historic works without replicating them, depicting familiar, yet obscured subject matter. Creating ethereal images that are both unsettling and beautiful, Wood-Evans’ powerful use of light emerges from a loose and instinctive application of paint. His oil paintings shimmer with luminous and intense layers of colour as bold marks, dripping oils and scored surfaces sit in company with fine, delicate detail. The portraits of Wood-Evans were shot on black and white film using an Ebony 5×4” large format camera in Sussex studio. I hand-printed silver gelatine fibre prints which were then left on the floor of Wood-Evans’ studio for several months. They collected paint marks, drips, and textures from the artist at work. The collaborative portraits explore aspects of time as the prints develop their own history of marks.

A diptych of portraits of the painter Jake Wood-Evans by the photographer Richard Boll

Gavin Turk (b.1967) is a British-born, internationally renowned artist, who lives and works in London. He has pioneered many forms of contemporary British sculpture, including the painted bronze, the waxwork, the recycled art-historical icons, and the use of rubbish in art. Turk’s installations and sculptures deal with issues of authorship, authenticity, and identity. Concerned with the ‘myth’ of the artist and ontological questioning. Turk was included in several YBA exhibitions and his work is held within public and private collections worldwide, including the TATE, Museum of Modern Art New York, Museum MMK Für Moderne Kunst, Musée Magritte Museum, and San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. I shot this performance-style portrait of Turk in his London studio as he writes his signature in the air. It pays homage to Turk’s earlier works including Multiple Signature (1999) and Jazzz Signature (2009), while referencing Gjon Mili’s photographs of Picasso drawing with light, taken in 1949. The use of red and blue references Turk’s pieces I (2015) and That (2015).

A portrait of Gavin Turk writing his signature by Richard Boll.

Bruce McLean (b. 1944) is an acclaimed Scottish sculptor, filmmaker, and painter. He studied at the Glasgow School of Art and at Saint Martin’s School of Art, where he and others rebelled against what appeared to be the formalist academicism of his teachers. In 1965, he abandoned conventional studio production in favour of impermanent sculptures using materials such as water, along with performances of a generally satirical nature directed against the art world. From the mid-1970s, McLean turned increasingly to painting, sculpture, and film work and won the John Moores Painting Prize in 1985. This collaborative portrait is really significant to me as it initiated the idea for the Expression project. The blank canvases seen in the background inspired the idea to add collaborative elements and I invited McLean to apply paint onto the print. McLean added a painting of a sculpture of a jug to the final photographic print. The portrait was shot on a Hasselblad medium format camera using available daylight.

Bruce McLean in his London studio photographed by Richard Boll.

Richard Boll’s photography exhibition Expression: Portraits of Artists will open on the 4th of October at The Regency Town House in Brighton & Hove.

Limited edition prints of the images in the show will be available from the 4th of October at richardboll.art

Event details:
Location: The Regency Town House, 13 Brunswick Square, Brighton and Hove, BN3 1

Exhibition opening times: 
Tuesday – Friday 11am – 4pm

Saturday & Sunday 11am – 5pm

Monday closed

Artist Talk: Saturday 12th October 3pm. Tickets are free but limited: Eventbrite

About Photo Fringe

The biennial, open-platform Photo Fringe festival runs from the 4th of October to the 14th of November with exhibitions and events taking place online and in venues across its home city of Brighton & Hove and along the south coast from Newhaven to Portsmouth. The programme presents a vibrant mix of lens-based work from emerging practitioners and well-established names, in galleries, cafés, pop-up venues, outdoor installations, and other extraordinary spaces. photofringe.org

Q&A with Richard Boll on his show Expression

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Posted by Richard Boll on 11th September 2024 – 6:08 pm
Filed under Conceptual Photography, Editorial Portrait, Environmental Portrait, Exhibitions, Fine Art Photography, Gavin Turk, Gordon Cheung, Location Photography, Portrait Photography

Interview with photographer Richard Boll about his forthcoming exhibition Expression: Portraits of Artists

What inspired you to create the Expression series, and how did you choose the artists you photographed?

The inspiration for the series goes back to 1997 while I was studying at Edinburgh College of Art. I worked on a personal project photographing Scottish artists including Callum Innes, Elizabeth Blackadder, Callum Colvin, and John Houston which was a very enjoyable process and was an experience that really stuck with me.

In 2014, I had the opportunity to photograph Bruce McLean at his London studio and it was this portrait that initiated the idea for the Expression project. I was keen to reference the artist’s work by incorporating the teacup and saucer, which I bought from a charity shop. This references the work Tea on the Knee (1971). The blank canvases seen in the background inspired me to invite Bruce to paint on the final photographic print, which he generously agreed to, and that’s really where the concept was born. We reconnected in 2024 and McLean added a painting of a sculpture of a jug onto the final portrait and I’m delighted with the result.

Bruce McLean in his London studio photographed by Richard Boll.

It’s been a really interesting process of reaching out to artists to be a part of this project. I’ve tried to take a democratic approach inviting a broad range of artists from different disciplines. Some respond positively, some politely decline, and then it comes down to scheduling and availability as they are all busy people with their own creative practice. They all share one thing in the common which is that they all produce inspiring work that I’m keen to highlight through these images.

Can you share some of the most memorable moments you experienced while photographing the artists for this exhibition?

Each portrait shoot has been extremely memorable in its own way. I’ve enjoyed telling the story of the people behind the artworks through these images and I’ve found it interesting visiting their homes, studios, and working spaces. Some artists have embraced the opportunity to add collaborative elements to their portraits.
Visiting Gavin Turk’s studio in London was a fantastic experience. I was welcomed by a delightful team who were very accommodating as I had a series of different portraits planned, including Turk signing his name with a torch. Prior to the shoot, I tested this process at my home studio with a red torch to ensure a good exposure for the final shot. I felt very honoured to see bodies of work in process. For example, Turk’s candle paintings were underway in the studio on the day of the shoot. I then saw the completed paintings at a show at the Ben Brown Fine Arts in the winter of 2022-23.

The studio of the artist Gavin Turk in London. Photographed by Richard Boll.
Another memorable moment from this project was working with the fantastic Adam Chodzko. He was really engaged in the performative element and we spent the day driving around Kent to create some really interesting shots of him wading around in a pond, emerging from the sea in a suit and also dragging some sheets across a car park… It was a slightly surreal and highly memorable experience. I’m very grateful for his time.

The artists Adam Chodzko in a suit in the Sea off the Kent coast.
I also enjoyed visiting Ann Christopher’s home and workshop just north of Bath. It’s a wonderful and inspiring space. Christopher curated the RA Summer Exhibition and had selected one of my photographs for the show, which is how we connected. I invited her to be part of the project and she was really enthusiastic. I enjoyed talking with her and it feels like a very fortuitous meeting.

The workshop of the sculptor Ann Christopher in Bath, UK.

Were there any challenges you experienced?

The biggest challenge was scheduling the shoots. There are 13 different busy artists featured in this project to date and others I have been in dialogue with. Trying to manage shoot days in different locations around my commercial work has certainly been a challenge.
Relinquishing elements of creative decision-making and control has been very good for me, and to some extent challenging to my standard working methods. Each subject and portrait has had an individual approach and some artists have added collaborative elements to the finished photographic portrait. That creates a moment of anticipation during the reveal, not knowing how the artist has made their mark. But each time I’ve been overwhelmed with their contribution, from seeing Gordon Cheung’s digital glitch, to Bruce McLean’s painting of a sculpture of a jug, and Ann Christophers’ cuts and collage approach. Collaborating with artists opens the door for works to be created that are beyond my creative potential and is a very exciting process.

How do you approach capturing the essence of an artist in a portrait?

It all starts with research. I look carefully at each artist’s work and read as much as I can about them. I then try to plan 2-3 specific shots. I am always open-minded about being spontaneous on the day of the shoot, especially as many of the subjects are people I’m meeting for the first time in a space I’ve never seen before. To illustrate this, at Turk’s studio the illuminated signature was one of my original planned shots, but one of my favourite outcomes from the day was the seated portrait where he is facing away which was a spontaneous idea on the day.
Similarly, with Marie Harnett, I was eager to keep the approach spontaneous and fluid to reflect the film-like nature of her work. Not over-planning was the plan…

A portrait of the artist Marie Harnett drawing in a cafe in London.
With Cornelia Parker, I originally planned to use a backdrop and studio lighting. But on the day, I ended up using a handheld Hasselblad with natural daylight for the final portrait negating the need for some of the equipment I had taken, but you don’t always know that in advance. When you’re going to shoot in a space you haven’t seen before, planning is important, but sometimes you need to be open-minded and reactive about how to capture the person most effectively.

How does the project Expression contribute to the conversation of photography, art, and portraiture?

What interests me is the element of representation. The traditional model of photographic portraiture is that the sitter is typically invited to a photographer’s studio and told what to do by the photographer. Often there is not a great deal of input from the subject and I find that power position can be questionable.
I’ve enjoyed the dialogue created through the process that has resulted in a celebration of individuality, artistry, and collaboration. These portraits are an extension of that dialogue.
I’ve been interested in photographic portraiture since I started studying the medium in 1993. It can communicate the significance of these amazing creative people and hopefully encourage people to explore their work further. Photographs can be wonderful triggers for curiosity.

What do you hope viewers will take away from the Expression exhibition?

I hope people enjoy the show and that they have the opportunity to discover artists they might not have been aware of previously, encouraging them to investigate their work and ideas.

How does it reflect your evolution as a photographer?

I frequently carry out portrait shoots for my commercial work but this project has enabled me to explore different approaches to portraiture. From new and experimental methods to using medium and large format cameras which I don’t use in my commercial work, and hand-printing in the darkroom after a break of 20 years. I’ve loved the process and I’m delighted with the results.
I’ve also enjoyed the process of bringing a personal project through to an exhibition and I hope to continue to develop my personal practice alongside my commercial photography. Curating the exhibition has provided an opportunity to pause and reflect on this project, which I see as an ongoing work in progress. I’m already in dialogue with other subjects and plan to keep building on this body of work and to hold future exhibitions.

Expression is a compelling new photography exhibition showcasing a series of portraits of celebrated contemporary artists including Rana Begum, Cornelia Parker, and Gavin Turk. The free exhibition will run from Friday 4th October to Sunday 13th October at the Regency Town House gallery in Brighton as part of the Photo Fringe calendar of events. Limited edition prints from the project will be available to purchase at richardboll.art from 4th October.

Key details:

Location: The Regency Town House, 13 Brunswick Square, Brighton and Hove, BN3 1EH
Exhibition opening times:
 Tuesday – Friday 11am – 4pm
, Saturday & Sunday 11am – 5pm
Monday closed

About Photo Fringe
The biennial, open-platform Photo Fringe festival runs 4 October – 14 November with exhibitions and events taking place online and in venues across its home city of Brighton & Hove and along the south coast from Newhaven to Portsmouth. The programme presents a vibrant mix of lens-based work from emerging practitioners and well-established names, in galleries, cafés, pop-up venues, outdoor installations, and other extraordinary spaces. photofringe.org

Photography Exhibition: “Expression: Portraits of Artists” by Richard Boll

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Posted by Richard Boll on 29th August 2024 – 4:23 pm
Filed under Artists, Exhibitions, Fine Art Photography, Limited Edition Prints, Portrait Photography

I’m excited to announce that my show, Expression: Portraits of Artists will open on the 4th of October at The Regency Town House in Brighton & Hove. The show brings together visually striking portraits of thirteen celebrated contemporary artists: Yarli Allison, Rana Begum, Gordon Cheung, Adam Chodzko, Ann Christopher, Marie Harnett, Bruce McLean, Cornelia Parker, and Gavin Turk. Also featured are Sussex-based artists Stig Evans, Richard Graville, James William Murray, and Jake Wood-Evans. The ongoing project, commenced in 2022, involves a level of unique collaboration with some of the artists involved. These elements infuse the portraits with a blend of creative input, resulting in a dynamic and expressive visual narrative.

Limited editioned prints of the images in the show will be available from the 4th of October at richardboll.art

A close up portrait of the artist Marie Harnett drawing in a cafe in London. Photo by Richard Boll.

Exhibition dates: Friday, 4th October – Sunday, 13th October
Location: The Regency Town House, 13 Brunswick Square, Brighton & Hove, BN3 1EH
Exhibition opening times:
Tuesday – Friday 11am – 4pm
Saturday & Sunday 11am – 5pm
Monday closed

Special Event: Artist Talk
 On Saturday, 12th October at 3:00 PM

I’ll be giving a talk about the creative process behind the portraits, the collaborative nature of the project, and the broader themes of artistry and identity explored in the exhibition. Spaces are free but limited, so please RSVP for the Artist Talk here: EventbritePortrait of the artist Gavin Turk facing away from the camera in his London studio. Photo by Richard Boll.

This exhibition is part of the 2024 Brighton Photo Fringe festival taking place in venues across the city throughout October.

A colourful portrait of the artist Rana Begum in her home in London. Photo by Richard Boll.

 

I’m very grateful to the following suppliers for their help and support in creating work for the show.
Spectrum Photographic have printed my photographs for many years and I can strongly recommend them both for the exceptionally high standard of printing and also for their fantastic customer service.

I hand-printed several of the black and white prints in the show in the fantastic 71 Darkroom in Lewes. Run by the photographer Torz Dallison, excellent black and white printing facilities are available for small, medium, and large formats.

Many of the prints in the exhibition were framed at The Framing Workshop in Hove. I can wholeheartedly recommend their great customer service and very high standards of workmanship.

About Photo Fringe
The biennial, open-platform Photo Fringe festival runs from the 4th of October to the 14th of November with exhibitions and events taking place online and in venues across its home city of Brighton & Hove and along the south coast from Newhaven to Portsmouth. The programme presents a vibrant mix of lens-based work from emerging practitioners and well-established names, in galleries, cafés, pop-up venues, outdoor installations, and other extraordinary spaces.
photofringe.org
Follow @photofringe #photofringe2024

The Impact of Visual Storytelling in Corporate Annual Report Photography

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Posted by Richard Boll on 1st August 2024 – 5:10 pm
Filed under Corporate headshot photography London, Corporate Photography, Publications

Importance of Corporate Annual Reports

Corporate Annual Reports are essential documents for organisations to effectively communicate their business mission, brand values, financial statements, and future vision, as well as highlight their company and employee wins and achievements over the year.

The importance of using strong, professional branded imagery to visually tell your business story, and highlight staff achievements and successful projects cannot be underestimated. High-quality and engaging photography can greatly impact and enhance the effectiveness of annual reports, drawing readers in and creating a human connection to real people that builds trust and credibility.

Corporate Executive Headshots by Richard Boll in London. Image of a businesswoman at her desk.

Approach to Annual Report Photography

I’ve worked on several annual report projects for corporate communications agencies Brunswick and Identity, and directly for organisations such as Octopus Energy, Derwent, Lazard, Citibank, and American Express.

Photography commissions have spanned a wide variety of sectors including:
– Finance
– Investment
– Banking
– Energy
– Civil Engineering
– Technology
– Construction
– Property Development

The brief often requires a single-day or multi-day shoot for corporate portraits of a senior executive team.

Typically, corporate imagery for annual reports will include:
– group portraits of employees
– individual portraits of key people
– interior and exterior architectural images
– ‘fly-on-the-wall’ lifestyle images of people working or having meetings

Corporate Lifestyle Photography for an annual report by Richard Boll. A woman at her desk having a relaxed conversation on the phone.

Derwent London Plc

Derwent London is the largest office-focused real estate investment trust in the UK. I’ve been commissioned to photograph Derwent’s senior executives and employees for three of their Annual Reports, and the corporate shoots are always productive and well-organised. For the 2022 annual report, I shot several group portraits of their various teams including Finance, Health & Safety, Leasing and Marketing, Valuation and Investment, Asset and Property Management, Development and Sustainability, and Building Management & Facilities.
It was a logistical challenge to arrange for this number of people to be present for the shoot. Scouting for suitable locations required recces ahead of the shoots so that the positioning of the often large numbers of people could be planned for accordingly.

Corporate Group Portrait Photography by Richard Boll for Derwent London. The team in the lobby and on the stairs.

Common Challenges

The individuals I’m commissioned to photograph for annual reports are often time-poor, so location recces carried out before the shoot are valuable. Working closely with an Art Director and making up-front decisions on the composition, lighting, and poses needed is essential.
Many people can feel apprehensive about having their photograph taken, so it’s part of my job to help them relax, look comfortable, and enjoy the process.

Final Results

In summary, professional and high-quality annual report photography shot by a creative and experienced corporate photographer, not only engages stakeholders but helps to set your organisation apart.
The results for corporate lifestyle and senior executive portraits should be authoritative, approachable, and professional, and also bring brand elements into the photographs where applicable. On a final note, the beauty of commissioning a full range of corporate executive headshots, group photographs, and lifestyle shots, means the images can also be for your company website, LinkedIn profile headshots, and other promotional materials.

Corporate Architectural Photography in Paris by Richard Boll. Looking up through a skylight.

See more examples of my corporate photography work and email richard@richardbollphotography.com to discuss images for your next annual report.

London Lifestyle Photographer: Cambridge Satchel collaborate with Roald Dahl Company to design new Matilda movie collection

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Posted by Richard Boll on 16th July 2024 – 2:19 pm
Filed under Advertising Photography, Cambridge Satchel Co, Commercial Photography, Editorial Photography, lifestyle Photography, Luxury product photography, Product Photography

Cambridge Satchel

The story of how ‘Cambridge Satchel’ was founded in 2008 is a well-known tale. With only a small budget of £600, the business was established from a kitchen table in Cambridge. 5 years later, the brand was worth over £50 million.

The company celebrates brilliant British craftsmanship and exceptional materials. Combining a blend of old and new, their handcrafted, ethically sourced leather bags and satchels have a traditional taste, brought to life with style, finesse, and fun. Their products are designed to last and carry a lifetime of learning, curiosity, creativity, and adventure.

London product lifestyle photography for Cambridge Satchel Company in London

Collaborations

Cambridge Satchel only collaborates with people and institutions that they admire. In the past, they have worked with the Royal Opera House, the University of Cambridge, The Prince’s Foundation, and the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST). Each of these institutions is founded upon a commitment to opportunity and education.

The movie of Roald Dahl’s ‘Matilda’

I was commissioned as a London lifestyle photographer to take both product and lifestyle photographs, for Cambridge Satchel’s new collaboration for the ‘The Roald Dahl Story Company’. A collection of bags, notebooks, purses, keyrings, luggage tags, and bookmarks, available in 6 limited edition colours, were embossed with designs by illustrator Quentin Blake and quotes from Roald Dahl’s ‘Matilda’.

A satchel from the Matilda movie range by Cambridge Satchel Company in London.

All of the lifestyle photography was shot in and around Covent Garden in London, where the company had set up a pop-up shop. The product photography was taken in the interior of their very elegant London store. Beautiful winter light enhanced the lifestyle photography taken around Covent Garden.

It was a very enjoyable shoot on both occasions, working collaboratively with the company and combining their ideas with my own suggestions. Their handcrafted bags and accessories are both stylish and high quality, and it was a real pleasure to photograph them.

Lifestyle photography in London for Cambridge Satchel Company

Cambridge Satchel were so pleased with the images from the shoot, that they have used several of the lifestyle photographs to promote the Matilda range in various fashion blogs including Fashion Network and Fashion United.

Image taken by London lifestyle photographer Richard Boll of a woman taking a book from a satchel in Covent Garden in London.

To find out more about Cambridge Satchel and their products, visit their website. More examples of my lifestyle photography can be found here and more of my London product photography can be found here.

FLASH SALE: 30 LIMITED EDITION PRINTS AT £30 EACH

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Posted by Richard Boll on 2nd June 2024 – 1:46 pm
Filed under Conceptual Photography, Exhibitions, Fine Art Photography, Limited Edition Prints, Uncategorised

I’m pleased to share that throughout June 2024 I am hosting a special print sale on richardboll.art  There are 30 limited edition photographic prints (10” x 8”) available exclusively priced at £30 each until 30th June 2024.

The prints available include seascapes from the project Six Degrees of Freedom, a series of still-life photographs from the project Memento, and other selected images taken in France, Greece, Iceland, Mauritius, Egypt, and Kenya.

A black and white photograph of Wildebeest on the Masai Mara in Kenya.

 

A storm photographed at night in Mauritius by Richard Boll.

The seascapes from Six Degrees of Freedom were created by attaching a handmade large-format pinhole camera to different navigation buoys in the Solent at different times of day. The diffused visual effect is created by the combination of a long exposure and the movement of the sea.

Limited edition prints of Bourne Gap from the project Six Degrees of Freedom.

Hook, a seascape from the photographic project Six Degrees of Freedom.

The project Memento serves as a study that explores form, composition, and colour. The images were taken in Mallorca in September 2023. A room in an ancient villa with plaster walls and old wooden furniture became an improvised studio. Shutters and linen drapes were used to control the natural daylight that came in through a single window. The subject matter of decomposing fruit and burnt wood was found in the grounds of the villa.

Memento III from a still-life photography project by Richard Boll

Still-fine photograph from the project Memento.

All proceeds from the print sale will contribute to the production costs for my forthcoming exhibition in October 2024 which will take place in Brighton. Buy the limited edition, signed prints at richardboll.art

Thank you for your continued support, Richard

 

Five Favourite Photography Projects from 2023

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Posted by Richard Boll on 14th May 2024 – 4:18 pm
Filed under Advertising, Advertising Photography, Commercial Photography, Corporate headshot photography London, Corporate Photography, Editorial Portrait, Fine Art Photography, Luxury product photography, Photography Projects

2023 gifted me with interesting and varied photographic shoots from still life to portrait, to corporate headshots and lifestyle photography. Here, I share five of my favourite photography projects from last year and the story behind each image.

Memento I – Still-life Photography

Fine art still life photography by Richard Boll from the project Memento.

In September, I stayed in a villa in the mountains of Majorca. Whilst there, I turned the spare room into an improvised photographic studio. It was a great space to work in as I could use the existing shutters and curtains to precisely control the level of daylight.

I explored the grounds of the villa for objects to use in a still-life project and found some citrus fruit in various states of decay. I loved the beautiful colours of the rotting fruit that went from almost black to deep purple through to burnt orange.

This still life photography project was inspired by Memento mori, an element of visual language used in classical painting for centuries to remind the viewer of their mortality.

I placed the images into antique picture frames as a reference to classical painting and successfully entered it into the South West Academy Open Exhibition in Sidmouth, Devon. A series of 10 photographs from this project were also entered into the Sony World Photography Awards.

2. Yarli Allison – Visual Artist Portrait Photography

A photographic portrait of the fine artist Yarli Allison taken in her studio in London.

Yarli Allison is an artist born in Canada, raised in Hong Kong and is currently based in London and Paris. Her artistry uses an interdisciplinary approach that crosses sculpture, installation, CGI, moving image, drawing, poetry, tattoo, and performance.

She has been a subject for a personal project I started in 2022, producing portraits of Visual Artists. As part of this project, I shot some studio portraits in a suitable space in her London studio. Allison organised her wardrobe, choosing a range of different outfits to wear. It was a collaborative and creative process working with Yarli, making mutually agreed decisions on ideas and approaches for the shoot.
It was particularly satisfying to have time to play and experiment with lighting and different approaches to portraiture with such a great artist.

This portrait of Yarli is one of my favourite images from the shoot. I love her wardrobe choice and I feel the image captures her profound strength of character and identity. You can see some of Yarli’s work on her website here.

3. The lasts of Thomas Patrick John Anson, 5th Earl of Lichfield – Still Life Photography

Fine art still-life photograph of the John Lobb wooden lasts of the 5th Earl of Lichfield.

John Lobb have been crafting exquisite bespoke footwear and leather goods for Royalty and celebrities alike for over 170 years. Central to their process is a pair of unique wooden lasts made to the exact specifications of the wearers’ feet.
In 1863, John Lobb received its first Royal Warrant after crafting a pair of riding boots for the then Prince of Wales. Since then, they have continued to craft bespoke footwear for ongoing generations of Royalty.

As part of a long-term project, I photographed the complete collection of significant John Lobb wooden lasts. It was great to photograph the lasts of Thomas Patrick John Anson, 5th Earl of Lichfield as part of the project. Known as Patrick Lichfield in his professional life, he joined the Grenadier Guards in 1959 and on leaving the Army in 1962, he began to work as a photographer’s assistant. He was asked to take the photographs of the wedding of the Prince and Princess of Wales in 1981, and went on to become one of the UK’s best-known photographers.

I used the same technical approach for this image as for the other photographs in the project, incorporating focus stacking to achieve a sharp image throughout the depth of field, from the top to the bottom of the wooden last. You can see more images from the project here. Original limited edition prints can be purchased here.

4. Swaine London 1750 – Still Life Product Photography

Still life product photography of luxury bags and an umbrella for The House of Swaine.

Swaine London, established in 1750, is one of the oldest and most prestigious luxury brands in the world, providing the finest handcrafted leather goods, hats, and umbrellas and supplying to the TV and movie industries since the 1950s. For example, Swaine have supplied Poet hats for every Indiana Jones film, including the original Herbert Johnson hat worn by Harrison Ford in ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ in 1981.

Swaine have commissioned my work as a luxury product photographer for a range of projects. This image featured on their website was from a shoot for their Christmas promotional campaign photographing a range of luxury leather products arranged into a still-life image. The shoot was a collaborative team effort working with the Art Directors from Swaine.

5. Newcore Capital – Corporate Lifestyle & Headshot Photography

Corporate lifestyle photograph taken for Newcore Capital in London by Richard Boll Photography.

Newcore Capital was founded in 2011 and is a Certified B Corporation. As a specialist investor in social infrastructure real estate in the UK, Newcore invests in assets that are integral to the needs of society. I’ve been commissioned to photograph several corporate portrait and lifestyle projects for Newcore Capital in the past.

In 2023, I carried out two Newcore corporate photography projects. The first was a corporate lifestyle shoot in the summer, and a range of different shots of staff in informal meetings were set up. It was an enjoyable and productive shoot, making the most of the natural daylight that was available.

The second shoot was a large-scale corporate headshot shoot at their London offices, producing headshots of every current employee in the company. You can see more of my corporate photography here.

See more photography projects I shot in 2023 including Derwent London and the OXO Tower Restaurant, Bar and Brasserie.

Cavendish rebranded from BECG Group commission fresh and up-to-date corporate headshot & lifestyle photography

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Posted by Richard Boll on 8th March 2024 – 2:04 pm
Filed under Birmingham, Commercial Photography, Corporate headshot photography London, Corporate Photography, Corporate Portraiture, headshots, Location Photography, London, Southampton

Cavendish

Cavendish (formerly the BECG Group) is a multi-award-winning communications consultancy that specialises in working with corporate and political organisations. Their recent rebrand has unified the Group’s four sub-brands: BECG, Cavendish Advocacy, Liberty One, and LoveThat, marking its journey to become a full-service international communications consultancy.

With a 150-strong team of consultants, their collective knowledge, abilities, and expertise span many different sectors, including Energy & Utilities, Infrastructure, Property, Health & Wellbeing, and Fast-moving Consumer Goods (FMCG).

By combining the company’s specialist corporate communications, public affairs, digital engagement, and creative services teams, the new Cavendish brand will offer its clients a fully integrated solution with the ability to deliver impactful, multi-discipline strategies and campaigns.

Corporate Headshot & Lifestyle Photography

Over 3 consecutive days, I visited the Cavendish Headquarters in London and two of their regional offices in Southampton and Birmingham. I produced a wide range of corporate headshots and lifestyle photographs of their employees that were commissioned to update and reflect their new branding.
The images that were generated combined a range of photography including staff working in their offices, having creative meetings, socialising, and going for walking meetings outside. I also took a range of corporate office lifestyle photography of office interiors and exteriors.

Day 1: Southampton

A man in an office in Southampton taken by corporate lifestyle photographer Richard Boll.

Day 2: London

Two women talking in an office in London in a photograph taken by corporate photographer Richard Boll.

Day 3: Birmingham

Corporate lifestyle photography of two people on a bench in Birmingham for Cavendish by Richard Boll.

The 3 day shoot

In all of the locations, we took pictures inside the offices as well as outside to get the benefit of natural light. During the shoot in London, we took photographs in Westminster due to Cavendish’s specialism in working with political organisations.

As part of this shoot, I also arranged for a hair and makeup artist who I’ve worked with before to be on hand for the headshot photographs. The headshots taken have multiple uses. Cavendish can use the images for their website, and also for LinkedIn profiles, presentations, promotional and marketing materials, editorials in magazines, etc.

A video crew was also in attendance on these shoots creating content at the same time. Combining two mediums to get moving footage and still images is a fairly common scenario on the corporate photography shoots I carry out.

A close-up photograph of marker pens in an office photographed by Richard Boll.

Corporate Lifestyle Approaches

There are two main approaches I tend to use for corporate lifestyle photography. One approach is to take ‘fly on the wall’, documentary-style photographs showing people naturally working at their desks or engaged in meetings around the office. The other is to set up mini scenarios which could be between 2 and 10 people. For example, arranging staff to sit together in a formal meeting, having creative conversations about specific projects, or social scenarios with colleagues meeting up for coffee or having breakfast in the offices. It’s good to mix up these photography approaches to show different sides of office life.

The 3 day shoot was really enjoyable and it was great working with the Cavendish team on this rebranding project, and to see the images being used so extensively throughout their website.

To find out more about the new Cavendish brand, visit their website and see more examples of my corporate lifestyle photography work.

Luxury Brand Product Photography: Diageo Present Eight Limited Edition Scotch Whiskies in Original Fine Art Print Boxes

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Posted by Richard Boll on 1st February 2024 – 10:15 am
Filed under Advertising Photography, Commercial Photography, Product Photography, Studio Photography, Whisky photography

Diageo Luxury Limited Edition Whisky Presentation Box

I was commissioned by the boutique content marketing and digital commerce agency Precious Media, on behalf of Diageo, to take studio photographs of an exclusive luxury presentation box containing 8 limited edition whisky bottles. Diageo was founded in 1997 and is a global brand leader in premium drinks, known for products that include Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff, Guinness, Baileys and Captain Morgan. Only 20 whisky presentation boxes were produced. 10 were sent to the UK’s leading whisky critics and 10 were made available for sale. Each presentation box was created with 8 bespoke compartments, to hold one special edition miniature scotch whisky bottle inside.

Original fine art prints were specially commissioned by several talented artists to be featured on the outside of each drawer and whisky bottle. These designs are also included in the presentation box as limited edition prints.

Whisky presentation box photographed for Precious media and Diageo in Jet Studios in London.

8 Limited Edition Single Malt Scotch Whiskies

Each of the 8 whiskies have a unique flavour and character. The tasting notes for the whiskies are as follows:

1. Singleton: Delicate. Light. Perfectly balanced. Uniquely versatile.
2. Clynelish: Muscular and slightly peaty.
3. Oban: Elegant. Mature. Fruity flavours with rich peat smoke and spicy wood.
4. Talisker: From the Isle of Skye. Captures the elemental wildness and beauty of its birthplace.
5. Lagavulin: Intensely flavoured, smoky and rich.
6. Glenkinchie: Known as ‘The Edinburgh Malt’. Fragrant. Light. Subtle. Floral.
7. Mortlach: Known as ‘The Beast of Dufftown’. Bold flavour. Refined. Complex. Elegant.8. Roseisle: Light. Grassy spirit. Nutty. Malty.

Studio photography of whisky bottles for Precious Media.

The creative process & studio photoshoot

The one-day photoshoot took place at Jet Studios in Fulham, London. It was a collaborative team effort, working alongside several creative art directors and a product stylist. My photographic assistant, Lee Thompson, was also on hand to assist me with tethered shooting and studio lighting throughout the day. Before the whisky product shoot, several weeks of meticulous planning and preparation took place, to decide on the range of images needed on the day, including discussion on optimum lighting, backdrops and angles. There were also ongoing creative conversations on the day itself, to discuss the best approach for the brand photography and any minor changes required.

Close up whisky branding photography for Precious Media.

The brand shots were a combination of illustrative, e-commerce product photography against pure white backgrounds, and creative, stylised shots with a mixture of close-up images showing the finer details of the whisky bottles, and wider overhead photographs of the complete product set depicting the presentation box, 8 whisky bottles and fine art prints. The creative images were shot against a pre-painted backdrop the product stylist had prepared in advance. As the camera was tethered to a laptop, the client was able to remotely view the digital photographs in real-time as they were being produced, providing instant feedback and sign-off for each shot. This made for a highly efficient and collaborative approach to the studio photoshoot, where both the client and the agency were very happy with the final results.
It was a very successful shoot that was well-planned and executed with great lighting, styling and art direction.

Studio product photography of a bottle of whisky and a glass by Richard Boll.

 

The final images have been used on Malts.com. See more examples of my brand product photography work.

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