Finding rhythm in Barcelona’s corporate event calendar can be a whirlwind.

My January suddenly filled with three major bookings over the same three days.

This included a large-scale exhibition at Fira de Barcelona for ICE Europe. Then, as often happens in this industry, schedules shifted. I was now focused on a single, standout evening: an after-hours client event for the innovative team at Odys.

(Luckily, a last-minute editorial sports assignment for The Sunday Times that afternoon kept the creative gears turning—but that’s a story for next time.)

This Odys event, held at the sleek Nuara restaurant in Port Vell. The day was a perfect example of the dynamic, hybrid logistics required of a Barcelona-based corporate photographer. It demanded a quick pivot. Rushing from the daytime shoot, managing files, and ensuring all gear was powered for a long evening. It’s this precise, professional orchestration behind the scenes that guarantees seamless coverage for clients.

The Venue & Vibe: Nuara’s Mood as a Photographic Asset

Odys hosted a curated buffet and networking event for their clients, and Nuara provided an ideal canvas. The space featured dramatic form and mood lighting—a dream for atmospheric shots, but a technical challenge requiring the right equipment and expertise to balance ambient warmth with crisp, professional-grade clarity.

This event also presented the perfect opportunity to debut a new, streamlined lighting setup. A constant pursuit in my work to deliver superior results with minimal intrusion.

Technical Insight: Innovating On-Location Lighting for Corporate Events

I have a strong preference for avoiding on-camera flash as a primary (key) light. It can feel harsh and disruptive. I typically use it subtly for fill light. A ring flash can create a distinctive, edgy look, it can become cumbersome for the fast-paced, mobile demands of a corporate event.

My solution comes from Godox, whose consistent innovation is a boon for working photographers. My new setup centers on their compact Godox IT30Pro Compact TTL Mini Speedlite. This powerful little unit acts as both an on-camera fill flash and a wireless controller for off-camera lights. It can even hold its own in sunlight a a fill-in unit.

The Human Element: Capturing Authentic Connection

The crowd was a classic Barcelona tech cohort—think smart casual, a lot of grays and blacks, and that focused, slightly awkward energy that blossoms into genuine connection over great food and conversation. My goal is always to capture that authentic shift: the engaged listening during speeches, the laughter over cocktails, the moment of genuine rapport.

And yes, the food at Nuara was exceptional. In my professional (and personal) opinion, croquettes are the ultimate litmus test for a Barcelona venue—and theirs passed with flying colours.

Why This Approach Matters for Your Barcelona Event

This Odys event at Nuara encapsulates my core philosophy: Corporate photography must blend technical precision with an intuitive, human touch. It’s about understanding the unspoken rhythm of an evening, the brand narrative (Odys’s innovative spirit), and Barcelona’s unique aesthetic—all while operating with flawless, unseen professionalism.

Planning a corporate gathering, product launch, or executive retreat in Barcelona? Let’s discuss how to document your story with the same strategic approach and technical artistry.

Lee Harris
Barcelona Corporate Event Photographer

‘Balancing Corporate & Creative – An Evening with Odys at Nuara’ first appeared on the Lee Harris Photography website.

Why I’ll Probably Always Say Yes to American Clients

There’s something uniquely satisfying about working with American clients. Whatever dumpster fire is currently raging across the United States, it hasn’t ruined their greatest export—clients who actually pay on time, don’t quibble about budgets and are appreciative if you do a good job..

The College of Charleston Shoot

When the College of Charleston reached out to document their environmental studies program in Barcelona, the process was seamless from the start. The initial call was direct, the expectations were clear, and the deposit arrived before the first shoot day. Compared to the endless back-and-forth often endured with other clients, this was nothing short of miraculous.

Sagrada Família: Controlled Chaos

The first location was, predictably, Gaudí’s masterpiece. While the exterior swarmed with tourists, the interior provided a striking contrast—ample space, dramatic lighting.

Dressed in white, There was something of the religious cult about them. The 2 women who chaperoning them were slightly bemused by what looked like a definite coordinated turn out. Check the image above.

Beach Cleanup: When Fashion Says ‘Screw Practicality’

A few days later, we hit the beach near Sant Andreu de Besos, where the group would be cataloguing washed-up debris. I was curious—would they dress for sand, sun, and manual labor? Of course not.

Shooting on a beach hand handling an off camera flash, a neutral density filter with a mind of its own and a second camera was onerous as hell.

And the sand? It got everywhere (definitely don’t change lenses on a beach).

Flipped screens on cameras are a god send but if it’s so bright you can hardly see, framing shots in a lot of guess work.

We were there at the worst time for photography but flash can turn that to your advantage

After the shoot they had a lunch and I was invited. I was gasping for water and drank maybe 3-4 litres whilst there.

So the shoot ended, we all went our separate ways and I expect there won’t be any complications … unlike the job I had a week later, with a client whose name might sound a little like ‘amazing’ but that they most certainly aren’t.

‘Shooting Americans (With a Camera, Obviously)’ first appeared on the Lee Harris Photography website.

Corporate Event Photography

Adapting to Difficult Lighting Conditions

Professional Tips for Conference Photography

Positioning Strategies for Event Photographers

Evening Event Photography: Dinner and Entertainment

Lighting Setup for Corporate Dinner Events

Creative Techniques for Capturing Live Performances

‘Corporate Event Photography: From Conferences to Cultural Performances’ first appeared on the Lee Harris Photography website.

Creating Professional Business Portraits and Office Environment Shots

This might well be the last proper job of the summer.

Lugging my equipment out to the taxi I felt the heatwave had arrived. Everything was going to feel like a slog from now on. I was glad to know I would be in Greece within the week.

The office was on Aribau. It was a product of the 80s I guess; you could feel the ghost of old technology, wooden cubby holes for mail, and the carpets… that colour… hmmm.

The brief was to get a set of portraits, group shots and some stock-like images of people working.

They asked if I could replicate the look of previous portraits… uh oh.

The examples I was sent were mediocre, as I feared they would be.

Trying to copy good work is often easier; shit stuff, is way harder, it has its own kind of integrity.

So how to do this? And even where?

There were not a lot of options. The glass walls I found though fine to make the grey backdrop they asked for, were way too close to other walls to allow for decent separation.

It occurred to me that I don’t photograph stuff like this that much anymore. 

Mostly the companies just visit Barcelona these days so everyone can finally meet their Zoom colleagues, who can be based anywhere in the world.

But this was an old-school company, with traditional 9-5 workers. 

Once in a while many years ago I would work at places like this as a freelance designer.

I kind of enjoyed it, most certainly knowing it was only for a few weeks. The routine was a novelty, just like clearly defined weekends and the office culture.

If the assignment was long enough you became part of the team, the gossip, the silly antics, and sometimes even the occasional flirtation.

And a sense of security I guess.

As someone who mostly avoided a regular 9-5 job, one can certainly see its allure.  On those miserable cold and rainy days back in London, when work was thin on the ground and things looked bleak.

Back to the office

I could feel the arrival of a photographer and all his equipment was an event that created a bit of a buzz.

And as always the initial reticence of being photographed gave way to enthusiasm.

The trick of getting them to come in twos always helps. They get to mess around, crack jokes and relax a little.

The stock shots also seemed popular, people were really getting into acting and improvising. You can guarantee there will be one person who is really enjoying their moment in the spotlight just a tad too much.

I had finished in a couple of hours and then  back on a busy street burdened with gear, waiting for a taxi, feeling slick with grime and sweat.

Not soon enough it would be Greece, a decent beach and a very cold beer.

‘Corporate Photography: Creating Professional Business Portraits and Office Environment Shots’ first appeared on the Lee Harris Photography website.

The Pre-Event Party

The Job with JPI was a fairly standard conference gig.  However they wanted me there the night before to capture the attendees arriving. An informal party where they could meet for the first time, in a long time, or perhaps just for the first time…

I have done quite a few shoots like this in the past. There was an era when I used a particular lighting set up that was a little cumbersome but I really liked the results.

It is fairly normal for most pro shooters to use some flash in situations like this, but I went through a phase of using 2!

One was a ring-flash mounted on the camera and then held in my left hand, the principle flash giving me something akin to ‘Rembrandt  Lighting.’ The ring flash if done right can kill excessive contrast and also add its own particular magic. 

You can get something similar with a standard on-axis flash (on the camera). But for me it just lacks that certain something. I would guess it is because the ring flash does not really add any shadows of  its own (if exposed right).

Anyway, this is all well and dandy but I stopped doing this because I thought my ring-flash had died.

Trying to find someone to fix it turned out to be a real pain in the arse. So back into the cupboard it went.

But then I decided to take another look…

I found out it was still working (kind of). I just needed to clean and adjust the battery contacts.

There was also an issue that meant the standard shooting mode would not work but after some cursing and head-scratchingnI found a way to get round that.

I had recently bought a mannequins head to use for tests. This was perfect as I could figure out lighting ratios with the workaround and be fairly confident that on the day I would not need to make too many adjustments.

The problem with using manual flash is that subject distances can vary a lot, this is complicated with just one unit but with 2… uffff.

You definitely should use zooms for this this in order to not mess up lighting ratios too much.

So long story short it worked.

I really like the vibrancy it gives to the subjects. Usually you get the vitality from decent catch lights in the eyes.

It is definitely worth the extra effort. I have another job coming up soon that might benefit from this technique. So time to get the mannequin head out and start experimenting.

‘Corporate Events 2: The Pre-Event Party’ first appeared on the Lee Harris Photography website.

Corporate Events: the Quirky World of In-Person Meetings

Corporate events can mean many things, but if it lasts for 4 days there is a good chance most options will be covered.
Well, actually I did not have to do 80 odd portraits with full lighting and backdrop this time…

So, I was contacted by a Madrid based ( Nanook Agency )agency regarding this job.

The event took place at Sofitel Clipper Hotel in Poble Nou.

The Client was JTI (Japan Tobacco International) . I had to look that up and realised I could have asked for more when I saw how big they were! The meat of the job was photographing various speakers explaining the ins and outs of production at various sites around the world.

It soon became apparent that this event was one of a subset of quite a few; big companies are made up of entities with the workforce and budgets of many mid-sized companies.

But why the insistence on assembling the entire division under the same roof? Is it the magical aura of fluorescent lighting? Or the enchanting aroma of decent coffee and pastries wafting through the air?

Well, maybe… The stated purpose of the event was to get everyone up to speed on various production issues but also to allow people who have never met or at least not since pre-Covid to finally connect again and hopefully make everything more efficient and cooperative, the hope that proximity will somehow infuse everyone with a burst of creativity, like osmosis for jaded souls…

It is still true people like to meet people, and stay in touch beyond the zoom screen; humans are creatures of habit, and the trust of the handshake and the face-to-face meeting still matter.

Technical matters.

My preferred lighting set-up for events like these is to use at least 2 flashlights off-axis. never rely on the house lighting!
I like one light to be almost parallel to whatever the screen is and the other around 45 degrees. this gives flexibility and some drama. the parallel light can mimic light from the screens and so get gelled accordingly, the other is meant to be more natural.

Any ambient light can be added to the mix if needed.

After all this is sorted out one can range freely with a good quality fast telephoto zoom.

The thing I like about this set-up is the ability to position yourself concerning the lights to get some interesting effects. If you can get the subject between you and the light there are some quite fun and rather theatrical shoots to be had, especially if the person has the right kind of hair, these shoots should be obvious in the selection below.

‘The Quirky World Corporate Events’ first appeared on the Lee Harris Photography website.

Bloody hell a paid job, thanks OOH Capital.

Post-Covid is still proving to be difficult. Work is not back to its normal level.

This job with OOH Capital is pretty typical of what was common pre-pandemic.

A set of headshots and a group shot or 2.

We were working at the Almanac hotel just off of Passeig de Gracia.

A corporate headshot should show the person in a professional environment, such as in a business suit or in a office setting.

In most cases, corporate headshots are taken in a studio with a plain background and professional lighting. The photographer will often use a flash to ensure that the person’s face is well lit.

My usual set up is the same as I use when shooting ‘home studio.’

Your business is only as good as your image. In today’s competitive market, first impressions matter more than ever. Whether you’re a small business or a large corporation, your corporate headshots are an essential part of your branding.

Your corporate headshots should be professional, approachable, and consistent with the image you want to project.

While the term “headshot” technically refers to any photograph of a person’s head, in the corporate world, it has come to mean a specific type of photograph: a close-up portrait in which the focus is on the person’s face.

There are a few things to keep in mind when having photos taken. First, dress professionally. Wear clothing that you would wear to a job interview or to work. Second, relax and be imagine you are talking with someone you like The photo should reflect your personality, so don’t try to be someone you’re not.

Lastly, don’t forget to smile once ins awhile!A smile says a lot about you and will make your photo more memorable.

Keep these things in mind and you’re sure to have a great corporate headshot that will help you get ahead in your career!

‘OOH Capital’ first appeared on the Lee Harris Photography website.

The Client was Humaans.

After a few quiet months a decent job! and for Humaans.  Not a typo, its a company name.

You can only rely on foreign companies to pay anything half way decent, the local market is basically for pocket money.

The job for Humaans came via a recommendation from a mother job I did back in November.

Basically they were having an offsite event and Barcelona is popular for these. Especially if you come from colder climes.

The remit was similar to a few others I have done. A load of corporate style headshots and then some more reportage style work. And is more and more common these days, video as well.

The job was split over 2 days. After the work done exclusively at the hotel the following day was a kind of team building event. We went to a part of Barcelona I am not so familiar with but which kind of reminded me a little of Berlin.

Which is probably why the team building event was a session of learning how to do graffiti.

Not an obvious choice but in the end a successful one.

I have learned that mixing video and photography on one camera is a pain in the neck. Too many settings have to be altered because of this. Maybe there is an easier way, I really need to find out. Otherwise 2 cameras is the best option but also a pain in the neck.

The other issue is also if you want to use any lights. Flash is pretty straight forward in the day, but LED lighting for filming would be pretty hard. The units tend to be much bigger if you want any decent output.

So basically the guys doing graffiti have a place at Nau Bostik, a kind of cultural centre, museum.

Like I said, not a part of town I know so well and so probably worth a revisit.

‘Working with Humaans!’ first appeared on the Lee Harris Photography website.

JC & The Echo Chamber

I met JC from JC & The Echo Chamber at Soho House when I was a member.

He asked me if I would do some photos of them whilst they shot a video.

This was the start of a series of shoots I would do.

Publicity work, rehearsals, and a few live gigs.

But let’s go back to the beginning…

The shooting of the video was somewhere away from the centre of Barcelona. There was quite a bunch of people there; the whole thing felt very professional.

They asked me to shoot pictures. But I was also keen to shoot some video but I was using an Olympus PenF although this camera is pretty basic in terms of video options. I got some stuff that was decent enough to be included in an actual video they made later.

Another time we did a publicity session, one rainy day in Poble Nou, It was a luxury to have an assistant along to help, a bit of a luxury for them as well as I could actually pay them something!

I like Poble Nou for shoots like this and the grey day kind of fitted with the industrial feel of the place.

They also had a couple of live gigs one at Espai Zowie were to be honest the lighting for crap; whoever was responsible must have left the building after setting everything to red.

The second one at xxx was a better experience and I like the results. I again shot video just for the hell of it and the quality was pretty decent.

I am not sure gig photography would be something I would ever want to specialise in. As someone who likes to light things, at gigs such creativity is kind of out of your hands, more interesting on a long term basis would be the documentary element of behind the scenes, be it tours or rehearsals, etc.

‘JC & The Echo Chamber’ first appeared on the Lee Harris Photography website.

Pento event at the Arts Hotel.

As I mentioned in another post there was a brief hiatus in the ongoing Covid saga that allowed me to get some real work.

Another one of these clients was Pento who held a quite large event over several days at the Art Hotel.

They contracted me to go there for 2 sessions and shoot portraits for around 50 people. 

Each session was 2 hours so that means working quite fast. But even with people not turning up at their allotted times we still managed to finish ahead of time. 

One of their staff was helping to organise things which are very useful. When someone does not come forward or is not assigned to do this I go out of my way to find someone who can help.

Trying to organise so many people whose names you don’t know will result in a lot of time wasted and the possibility of missing out on someone.

I have found that shooting so many people needs a different tactic than normal portrait shoots.

Usually, it is a process of psychology and chatting spread over the best part of an hour.

These types of jobs are an entirely different beast. The tactic is perhaps more akin to a mugging, in that you have to surprise the person into reactions without giving them time to think. It’s effective but kind of exhausting, as I imagine trying to actually mug 25 odd people in 2 hours might also be.

On the last day, at the last minute, I was asked to shoot some video. This is a common occurrence and one most people don’t realise can be problematic. Most people don’t realise that sound is more important than the actual video. Without a decent mike handy you are screwed.

I was shooting the interviews outside near noisy restaurants on a beach. Luckily the sound solution I came up with worked well enough meaning minimal issues to deal with in post-production

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‘Pento; 50 Portraits in Four Hours’ first appeared on the Lee Harris Photography website.