Written by Mr Guy Cleeve (Photographer, Videographer, Cinematographer and Creative Lead at Medical Sphere).
Portrait Photography or Portraiture is a type of photography which aims to capture the personality, identity and/or story of a person or group. The shot is usually created with strategic use of lighting, backdrops, props and the subject’s position.
In portraiture, it is important that the photographer understands the subject(s), makes them feel comfortable and look natural during the shoot (yep, can be easier said than done!) In this increasingly digital world, this type of photography is used to help brands market themselves so, it is important the shots accurately capture and portray you.
Headshots are a subset of portraiture. A portrait will usually include the head and shoulders, a headshot only includes the head. Action Shots are another subset of portraiture. These could include theatre shots, group photos, in clinic or during a meeting.
Understanding the portrait subject(s).
We work in three stages: pre-production (planning), production (shooting), and post-production (editing). One of the most important stages of portraiture is the pre-production stage. Plenty of excellent portraits have been captured without much pre-planning however, we always have a discovery session to understand you and your goals and a plan. We put together a schedule which includes the shoot list, location, relevant props and suggestions on what to wear (e.g. your scrubs and/or professional wear).
Event Photography is a type of photography that captures guests, speakers and moments at an event such as a conference or gala dinner. They key to event photography is that you shoot candid events as they happen. We will send out one of our photographers to your event and in pre-production we like to ensure we have the itinerary. We then make a plan and shoot list to ensure we capture key speakers and/or moments.
Product Photography is a type of photography that involves shooting products to display, promote and highlight certain features. Examples that we shoot include surgical instrumentation, other medical devices, and equipment in the laboratory.
With our product photography we generally use a clean-cut background, consistency is often important, and we need a list of products from you prior to the shoot so none get missed.
And.. where should you use these photos?
- Website
- Presentations
- Printing collateral such as brochures
- Invitations to events that you are hosting.
- Patient information pamphlets.
- Emails which contain important updates, invitations, and newsletters.
- Your email profile picture.
Photography, when done well, can be used across many platforms and repurposed. So, let us work with you to build an awesome content bank (and steer clear of using stock images…) Our team love producing photography that accurately capture you and your team whether that be in the operating theatre, a clinic room with a patient, lab setting or during a meeting.
Need help with your content? Email: [email protected]