Behind the Scenes
Finished images rarely reveal everything involved in creating them.
This collection pairs selected campaign imagery with moments captured behind the scenes—on location, in the studio and during set construction. From lighting difficult environments and building bespoke backgrounds to working with water, motion and unpredictable weather, each assignment presents a different creative and practical challenge.
Have a challenging brief? Let’s discuss how to make it happen.
#1 EquiAmore Fragrances
Principle Imagery for Launch
The brief
EquiAmore founder Nikki had personally developed and formulated a distinctive collection of equestrian fragrances. With the website launch only a week away, she needed high-quality product imagery that reflected the care, quality and character of the new brand. The finished photographs would be used across the EquiAmore website and social media channels.
Behind the image
The dark bottles, metallic gold detailing and highly reflective surfaces required particularly careful lighting. Drawing on my experience in beverage photography, I used Profoto stripboxes and LEE 216 diffusion to create controlled gradients that revealed the shape of each product while retaining the richness of the gold finish.
I also produced a custom colour-matched background for every fragrance. By allowing each background colour to reflect subtly along the edges of its corresponding bottle, the products remained clearly defined and visually connected to the wider brand palette. This avoided the pale, indistinct edges that reflective products can acquire when photographed against plain white.
Despite the short lead time, the complete collection was photographed and prepared in time for the website launch.
Technical setup
Hasselblad H6D camera system with HC 100mm f/2.2 lens
Profoto lighting with stripboxes
LEE 216 diffusion
Custom colour-matched backgrounds
#2 Chorq Artesian Water
Principle Imagery for Launch
The brief
A client I had first worked with almost 20 years earlier approached me to photograph Chorq’s range of premium bottled and canned spring waters.
Alongside clean white-background photography for the e-commerce website, Chorq needed a collection of hero images for its website, social media and printed water menus. This location image was created to connect the product visually with the natural environment from which the brand draws its inspiration.
Behind the image
The bottle was positioned within a flowing stream, with the camera placed close to the water to create a strong sense of immersion and depth. I supplemented the available daylight with carefully controlled studio lighting, adding shape and clarity to the bottle while retaining the natural atmosphere of the location.
The finished image feels spontaneous and untouched, but the additional lighting was essential in ensuring that the product remained the clear focal point.
Technical setup
Hasselblad H6D camera system with HC 100mm f/2.2 lens
Profoto B10 Plus lighting with stripbox and diffusion
Location-based production
#3 Chorq Artesian Water
Principle Imagery for Launch
The brief
For Chorq’s principal hero image, I developed a concept inspired by the chalk geology through which the water is naturally filtered. The aim was to create a distinctive key visual that communicated the product’s provenance while retaining the refined, premium character of the brand.
The finished image would be used across the website, social media and printed promotional materials.
Behind the image
Rather than photographing within a natural cavern, I constructed the entire environment in the studio. The chalk wall was carved from 100mm Celotex insulation, coated with plaster of Paris and finished with finely sieved plaster to reproduce the grain and texture of natural chalk.
A bespoke tray was fabricated from black acrylic and filled to the brim with water. Gently tapping the tray during the exposure created the controlled ripples and reflections visible in the finished image.
The lighting combined a snooted backlight with a Profoto stripbox softened through LEE 216 diffusion. The pale chalk surface also provided a natural reflection along the right-hand side of the bottle, helping to define its shape without making the lighting feel artificial.
The result was a completely fabricated studio environment that convincingly communicated the natural origin and premium positioning of the product.
Technical setup
Hasselblad H6D camera system with HC 80mm f/2.8 lens
Profoto lighting with snoot and stripbox
LEE 216 diffusion
Hand-built chalk set and bespoke black acrylic water tray
#4 Dakine Running Shoe
Concept Imagery for New Product Launch
The brief
Dakine footwear is one of several brands designed by Bennett & Baxter, a longstanding client with whom I have worked for more than 20 years.
This concept was developed as a potential poster image for a new running shoe. Inspired by cross-country running through mountainous terrain, the aim was to create a dramatic sense of impact, movement and rugged performance while showcasing the different materials and construction of the footwear.
Although the client ultimately selected a location-based direction for the finished campaign—which I also photographed—this studio concept demonstrates the creative development and practical experimentation involved in exploring an alternative approach.
Behind the image
The rocky environment was constructed from Indian sandstone. I broke several slabs into smaller fragments and individually painted each piece to create a background that complemented the colours of the shoe.
The shoe was suspended using fine fishing line, while concealed wire within the laces allowed them to hold their flowing, windblown form. To create the burst of stone debris, I connected a compressor to a quick-release valve and channelled the air through a concealed tube filled with small rock particles behind the shoe.
A snooted backlight and hard reflector were used in place of soft, diffused lighting. This deliberately harder light enhanced the textures of the sandstone, sole, fabric and individual materials used throughout the footwear.
The resulting image captures a fleeting moment of impact, although every element—from the suspended shoe to the airborne debris—was carefully constructed and controlled in the studio.
Technical setup
Hasselblad H6D camera system with HC 100mm f/2.2 lens
Profoto lighting with snoot and reflector
Custom-painted Indian sandstone set
Compressed-air debris system
Fishing-line suspension with wire-supported laces
#5 LeMieux Trax Trainers
Principle Imagery for Launch
The brief
Following the studio photography created for the launch of the LeMieux Trax trainer range, the campaign moved on location to produce a broader collection of model-led lifestyle imagery.
With the model selected by the client, we spent a full day travelling between locations along the South Coast. The objective was to create a varied library of launch assets that presented the trainers in authentic outdoor environments while demonstrating their practical, weather-resistant qualities.
Behind the image
Some of my favourite photographs from the day were created at the seaside. To achieve the strongest perspective—and properly explore the waterproof nature of the trainers—I waded into the sea and photographed from close to the surface.
Working at water level created a much more immediate sense of movement and placed the product directly within the environment it was designed to withstand. Portable lighting was used to retain shape and detail in the trainers while balancing naturally with the available daylight.
It is a simple behind-the-scenes moment, but one that reflects my approach to location photography: adapt to the conditions, find the most effective viewpoint and do what is required to get the shot.
The resulting collection was used extensively by LeMieux across both printed and digital campaign materials.
Technical setup
Canon EOS R3
Profoto B10 Plus lighting with Magnum reflector
South Coast location production
#6 LeMieux Trax Trainers
Principle Imagery for Launch
Studio Based Photoshoot
Technical Setup:
Camera - Hasselblad H6D / HC100mm f/2.2 / HC150mm f/3.5
Lighting - Profoto B10+ with Stripboxes and Scrims
#7 Vector Stirrup Launch Video
Unique Safety Stirrup - From LeMieux
Studio based video shoot using motion control and mood lighting
Technical Setup:
Camera - Canon EOS 1DX Mk3
Lighting - Profoto B10+ Heads
Slider - Glidetrack
Format - 4K RAW
#8 LeMieux Elite Clothing
Social Media - Instagram Reels
Studio based video shoot using Chroma key & a treadmill!
Technical Setup::
Camera - Canon EOS 1DX Mk3
Lighting - Aputure
Format - 1080p
#9 SS22 Photoshoot Spain
Core Imagery
Location based in Southern Spain
Technical Setup:
Camera - Canon EOS R3
Lighting - Profoto B10+
#10 LeMieux Advent Calendar
2023 Christmas Imagery
Studio Based
Technical Setup:
Camera - Hasselblad H6D
Lighting - Profoto B10+ Heads