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There’s been an awareness lately regarding the value of dedicated employees. You read about this company or that giving praise and recognition to the folks who actually make the wheels turn. This dovetails beautifully with my latest offering: custom photo packages of your company at work. In my last post, I featured a few images from a local client , but there were so many more I wanted to share. These pictures shouldn’t be hidden on a hard drive — just like hard-working employees shouldn’t be hidden behind the scenes. Are you proud of your team and what they bring to the table each day? Let’s start building your library of authentic employee photography.

A longtime client and leading global research group decided it was time to refresh their corporate image. Their marketing team wanted to move away from overused stock and create fresh photography that reflected a more personal side to their company. At first they were reluctant to photograph their own employees, but using models was counterintuitive to their goal. So I shared several samples where companies around the country had brought me in to capture their own workers in their element. My client loved the idea of getting great shots of folks who were the actual fabric of their organization, without a bunch of lights, staging or hassle. The results made them believers.

“Hi honey, how was your colonoscopy?” isn’t something you hear very often, as people tend to put off those types of exams. Wilmington Gastroenterology decided to combat that procrastination by creating a new website featuring their beautiful offices and caring team of medical professionals. The idea was to show the friendly faces that make your visit there a better experience. That’s where I came in. Their new site lets you “meet” their staff in the privacy of your home and softens the stigma around the services they provide.

Every once in a while we need a little reminder that most of us have it really, really good. New Hanover Regional Medical Center called and needed an environmental portrait it in a hurry, so I didn’t get a lot of background on my subject. All I had was a name, a time and an address. I like to go into my shoots a little more prepared than that, so I dug a little deeper. Come to find out my subject had a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery. Some women are very self conscious in front of a camera, but not her. I only spent an hour there, but her bubbly personality and positive outlook on life were nothing short of inspirational.

You might have seen those posts that show “What people think you do” vs. “What you really do.” Well, this is not what I typically shoot, but somebody has to do it, right? When a local entreprenuer needed promotional pics for his niche business Custom Woven Towels, he knew I would give it my best shot. These luxurious towels are customizable promotional products; your company or team logo can be weaved directly into the the fabric for added durability. The main challenge with this job was that the shoot took place in March. It’s pretty chilly here in early spring, and a sea breeze coming off the 55° ocean didn’t help much. Here’s to the ladies (including former Miss North Carolina – Jessica Halso) who made it look easy!

Every photographic assignment has its challenges. One product category that I’ve always considered especially challenging to shoot is window coverings. Not only are you dealing with the dynamic range of light inside versus outside, but the blinds or curtains have to be the star of the room. For more than 75 years, Strickland’s has been helping Wilmington homeowners “dress” their glass and needed a few updated images for new branding efforts. Careful lens selection, camera position and of course proper lighting came together to create this three-part series.

When I was a kid I was enthralled by trains. So when I got the chance to go see how a hopper car was built and create a series of images for Vertex, I was in heaven. Photographing in a factory is super challenging. When you combine constantly changing lighting conditions, huge pieces of machinery dangling overhead with dirt and noise galore — most shooters would call that hell. But to me, industrial locations are “target rich environments.” You get to find art amid the enterprise. Hopefully this is only my first trip to this railcar birth place. It’s also where great photos are born.

One of my many business trips last year took me to Cleveland, Ohio — the home city of KeyBank. My role there was two-fold: director of photography for corporate short films and still shooter. Since we had been filming for several days, I grew very familiar with the folks and the many floors in their multiple buildings. It definitely didn’t look like any bank I was familiar with. Corporate America seems to be striving for a more hip, contemporary vibe in their workplaces. Which begs for fresh marketing materials to match. If you’ve got a similar need, wherever you (or your client) are located, let’s talk about how I can help.