I’ve been increasingly taking bookings for commercial shoots. I really enjoy doing these and they are something a little different to my family work – which I also love. I’ve photographed quite a few local businesses now – Candy Cartwheels, Parker & Me, The Bamboo Wardrobe, Wrights of London, Hall of Cakes, The Hair Movement, IG interiors and other local entrepreneurs.

More recently I’ve found myself travelling up to London so I was very excited to be asked to photograph the Chelsea Branch of Knight Frank. I was even more excited when the venue was to be the fabulous Timothy Oulton, on the King’s Road. 

As with all my commercial shoots, I had a chat ahead of the day to find out exactly what was required from the shoot. I was going to be photographing a team meeting, taking some casual head shots, and then some sub-team and full team photographs.

Timothy Oulton has to be seen to be believed. I actually did an Instagram story with the lighting shots I had taken, wishing I had actually stayed back after and photographed the venue properly! Every corner you look round has something unique and unusual to look at; light fittings surrounded by old wooden tennis racquets, walls of cricket bats, bowling balls in feature walls, the lighting and upholstery is out of this world, and – I kid you not – there is a space ship that you can actually sit in. The place sometimes hires itself out for private functions too.

The day of the shoot was a lovely bright day, and I jumped on the train straight from dropping my youngest at school to get there in time. I was able to go and have a look around the store ahead of everyone turning up, which was particularly handy as it gave me a chance to do some lighting and setting test shots.

I had a fantastic time photographing the meeting, particularly when the issue of housekeeping and the team rounders match came up! Everyone was laughing so much which was the perfect opportunity to capture everyone having fun. After this, I took the two teams to one side, took shots of them in their casual groups, and really enjoyed photographing the entire team, both inside and outside the store. I love getting my clients to relax and have a laugh, as this lends itself to some really natural and genuine shots (which all have to be in my signature black and white, of course!!). 

Some more formal head shots followed for the team. Whilst these were taken in landscape, I will deliver them both in landscape and portrait so that the client has both to suit different occasions. The whole session took around 1 hour 15 mins, and everyone headed back to the office, and me on a bus back to High Street Kensington tube station 

If you’re looking to have a commercial shoot, in my casual style, please do get in touch, and check out the other examples on my blog and commercial page. Nina@3boysandmephotography.co.uk If you’ve enjoyed reading this, please click here from more of my blogs and sessions.