Make it look bright

Sometimes being a photographer in the midst of a Scottish autumn (more like winter) can be trying. My brief on a recent assignment, ‘shoot some outdoors portraits of him, make it look bright, cheery, smiling’. It’s October, it’s raining, it’s cold and he’s a politician. What could possible go wrong?

Sometimes such a portrait shoot can be trying, the weather is against you, sometimes it can even feel like the sitter is against you, everything is against you. But that’s where experience plays its part, and you make it work. You don’t complain and whine to the sitter, or the client. You make it work.

Couple of weeks back I had a portrait assignment one wet weekday morning to photograph Wes Streeting, Labour party politician. It could easily have all gone a bit wrong, many factors weren’t looking good. Not least Mr Streeting wasn’t aware he was coming to a portrait session type of photo shoot.

Wes Streeting, Member of Parliament for Labour Party, Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care of the United Kingdom, in Rutherglen, Glasgow, Scotland, on 5 October 2023. ©Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert 2023.

But it all worked, calmly and with patience myself and the politician’s PA negotiated some details, and Wes Streeting himself took it all in his stride, gets my vote. Oh, a portrait shoot? – Boom, he stops off to buy a shirt and suit jacket with 15mins notice on way to meet me. Oh, it’s raining? – boom, no problem, he bought an umbrella. Oh, it’s outdoors? – Boom, no problem he’s happy to stand over here, in a little sheltered area. The man was easy to photograph, accommodating, patient, willing to do what it takes.

It’s not all about cameras, and lenses and f-stops in this job. It’s about communicating, and being flexible, got to stay calm, stay patient, and make it work.

Wes Streeting, Member of Parliament for Labour Party, Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care of the United Kingdom, in Rutherglen, Glasgow, Scotland, on 5 October 2023. ©Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert 2023.

See more portraits by Glasgow-based photographer Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert. And for some more Labour politician portraits, see here for those of Lord John McFall.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *