Yeah… not sure it means anything (at the beginning of a New Year that is shaping up to be disastrous) but…

My first job was supposed to be a corporate event thing. At the last moment I get a call for an editorial shoot the same day but earlier.

That makes me feel better. 

Corporate event stuff is fine. However the chance to have some fun getting creative with a celeb or sports star is usually going to be more fun.

As is usual with The Times guys, the call comes in last minute.

I would have to get over to the Espanyol training ground. I was to shoot a player called Tyrhys Dolan, who is from the UK.

I was working with a writer I have not met before. So the usual insistence on them remembering I would need my own time slot was paramount, they always get carried away and forget. 

Not an issue if you are dealing with flexible and sympathetic people (which Espanyol are)… 

…but if you are dealing with the other kind (yes you Barca FC) then you might find yourself left high and dry.

This why I avoid taking pics during the interview and instead look for other locations and get the lights set-up.

The tactic here is that they don’t see you taking photos and think “he must have enough by now.’

The other thing that concerned me was the weather.

What the bloody hell is going on!

December/January are, reliably, some of the nicest months in the year.

But the glorious year of 2026 has been a shit show.

Miserable in short.

I was hoping to get our guy outside and doing some fancy stuff with a ball, but if the skies opened up, that would be nixed.

I had set up a couple of flashes on one of the pitches and preyed the gray skies would give us a break.

The writer was actually doing the interview outside so I just paced around and waited for my moments to shine.

I was lucky.

I got the time, I got the shots. We even ended before someone started dropping heavy hints.

Tyrhys Dolan was game to mess around, so I got some fun shots and not a spot of rain fell… until later.

Fair enough.

‘Tyrhys Dolan at Espanyol’ first appeared on the Lee Harris Photography website.

Refining the New Lighting Set-up

I have been tinkering with the new lighting set-up when work allows it.

I started by trying to use my giant soft box in my living room. 

This resulted in me having to position it left of the camera which just felt wrong to begin with. 

God knows why. 

I even went online to see if there was a preference for one side over the other.

There isn’t.

I got used to it pretty quick, I wonder if I will return to the right side when space permits.

The other main change is the hair light I experimented with a large  3 by 1 rectangular soft box. God what a pain. 

The light-stand I have for this is massive and even then the boom arm was pretty unstable so I returned to a much lighter stand but with a small flash and grid, this was still precarious and flexed so much that even at full height it still risked bending enough to be in shot.

Anyway I had to shoot some more images for a client and had to make them match those from before.

I decided to go with the new setup which would seem like a compromise, but the results are much better!

Shooting on a dark background also removes the need for one light, though I have an idea to incorporate one in the future to add gradation to the backdrop.

Anyway… I like these images a lot, with a little care you can do more with less lights than going overboard with more.

I have even found myself thinking I would like to shot portraits for pleasure to experiment more but it would be nice to have more space, more flexibility… a bloody studio?

If I could justify it economically sure but I don’t feel confident this will ever be the case in Barcelona.

‘Professional Photo Studio Lighting: Essential Setup Tips for Perfect Portraits’ first appeared on the Lee Harris Photography website.

New Headshots

First job after a soporific summer break.

August seemed to last forever.

I needed to do something to wake myself. When I was contacted by an old client and heard the brief I thought ‘perfect.’

I have several basic go-to set-ups for headshots which I customise depending on the person, location and available time.

The point of this is to avoid technical distractions so you can concentrate on the real work.

Turning someone who usually starts a shoot looking like a rabbit caught in headlights into a happy  human being.

If I can shoot them in my  home this is limited by space so I tend to use smaller light modifiers….

But not today.

I decided to use the biggest ones I had and to mount one of them on a boom arm.

Just to really make a rod for my back.

This required a trip to the beach because the weight bag I have was empty.

I thought there may be a law against borrowing the sand, but the substantial police presence ignored me.

Now the last time I saw Lukas (the client) was during Covid when there was finally some freedom of movement.

The reason I remember it so well is because after the shoot I went to a small party of about 12 people.

10 of us got Covid.

I was wiped out for 2 weeks.

But the shoot went well I guess; returning clients are a good sign.

Lukas has set up a new company and wanted headshots with the 3 new colleagues.

3 very chatty females. Which was perfect as I have realised doing these kind of shoots, which are primarily business headshots, it is better if there are other people present.

They usually distract and help put the subject at their ease.

Very useful when one is preoccupied with technical issues; you are certainly not giving them your full attention whilst you wrangle the lighting.

It all went well and they were happy with the results and I have the working model for a new lighting set-up which I can keep refining…

Assuming I can get more victims that is.

I don’t consider myself to be primarily a studio photographer but if I could justify the expense I would consider it.

Just not having to set up and then break down all those bloody light modifiers would be worth it and the possibilities of extra space and more experimentation would be brilliant.

How to Prepare for Your Professional Headshot Session

Best Clothing Options for Corporate Headshots

Why Professional Headshots Matter for Your Career

‘Professional Headshot Photography: Essential Tips for Perfect Business Portraits’ 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.

Ahhhh… La Zaida…

Many years ago, on a train in Portugal, we passed a place without stopping and I quipped;

“It was a one horse town… and then they ate the horse.”

La Zaida has that feel; a place with a population of 500 that might easily be called nondescript… except for a large chemical plant sat facing it.

Its looming towers and the constant roar of air compressors are a backdrop to a place that might otherwise have slipped unnoticed into oblivion.

The Evonik chemical plant, I tried to make it look pretty.

So why was I now standing on a platform, in the sweltering heat and wind?

Because I got a call.

An agency in Germany needed a portrait of a guy (Sergio) who worked at the plant.

This all seemed straightforward enough.

Then I looked up the final destination on a map.

3 odd hours into the Spanish interior, my final destination was a village about an hour south of Zaragoza.

The people at the plant seemed to think it was impossible by train, but I was determined to not have to rent a car.

Like the old classic TV ad used to say ‘let the train take the strain.’

I love an excuse to just stare out a window and day-dream.

Anyway, I was in luck. La Zaida has 2 trains a day and that suited me just fine; the timing was close to perfect for the job in hand.

So, after changing at Zaragoza, I arrived.

I was the only person getting off, and no one was getting on. It felt like a scene from a western.

As already mentioned it was bloody hot. But health and safety regulations meant a lot of special gear.

My shorts and trainers were not up to the job so I was leant heavy duty trousers, heavy duty boots… and heavy duty gloves, safely glasses, and of course a helmet.

I insisted on using lighting, so was lugging equipment up and down ladders and gantries, which was hard work in itself, but the oversized trousers did not help.

They were at least a size too big and the pockets were loaded with lenses and a bulky device that warned of imminent explosions, it also had a long dangling tube that made it look like an un-plugged colostomy bag.

The trousers were soon sliding earthward, like those of guests of the DOC and wannabe rappers.

So, for 3 hours with the constant scream of air compressors (ah yes, mandatory earplugs as well), I waddled around, hitching up my pants trying, at the same time, to take photos.

It really was quite intense. You only realise when it stops how overwhelming the heat, noise and smell was.

Afterwards in search of something to eat and drink I was wandered around the La Zaida, slightly stunned.

I had a case for my cameras that looks a little like wheelie luggage, so as I hunted down the only place likely to be open (ever), people must have thought I was a bat-shit crazy tourist.

Everyone rubber-necked whilst driving past like they were witnessing an accident.

I found the bar and they had no food to offer but… they did have Estrella Galicia! So I ‘ate’ 2 of those and reviewed the photos.

Despite all the discomfort it was kind of fun and the place was fascinating;  a labyrinth of pipes and infrastructure. I could happily of spent half a day there treating it as an architectural shoot.

After ‘lunch’ I got the other train back to Barcelona.

Again I was the only person at a station that has been shuttered for years, I waited in the heat and dust.

It arrived and only I got on and no one (probably ever) got off.

It was very slow train, but passed through some amazing countryside you never see on the fast routes to Madrid and the like.

We followed the Ebro river for quite a while and it’s really impressive.

Fed by a lot of recent rain it was in full flow. The scenery was also fantastic, amazing rock formations and very green thanks to the river.

I had a lot of time to day-dream and so that’s what I did.

So a travel job? It did feel kind of like it was.  I had that sensation, for a brief moment, you get the first time you step off a plane into a totally new place, the heat and smell, the general unfamiliar…

Then you end up living there and one day it’s gone.

‘La Zaida and Evonik’ first appeared on the Lee Harris Photography website.

The brief: 2 headshots and a group shot, well, 2 guys.

The location turned out to work quite well. I was even worried I would have no excuse to use all the lighting I had brought with me.

I had even dug out the really big octagonal softbox because I was in the mood to make a meal of this shoot.

That is a good sign.  I am determined not to auto-pilot the whole shoot and am in the mood to experiment.

Also, I think the fact that I have not been doing so much film stuff recently, apart from writing scripts, has led to the craving to experiment.

The great thing about photography is how agile it is; filmmaking can be tortuous and slow and you have to deal with people,l and people almost always make life more complicated.

But as I said today I was feeling good and the space at the Paxton Hotel worked well; as soon as I entered I got that little buzz which means ‘I see creative options here.’

The people there seemed very amenable and gave us access to the informal coworking spot they have. We did scare away at least one guy. He kind of passive-aggressively relocated to somewhere where we could still see him; had to be a coder.

So… lots of windows and lots of almost direct natural lighting.

I stood one of them in the space to see what it looked like. The very first test shoot would have worked as a final shoot.

This always freaks me out.

However, I discovered that the oversized light I had set up, fitted with a grid, added a great dramatic rim light.

Excellent. Fee justified.

The idea was 1 hour; 2 headsets and a group shot. We ended up doing more like 3 group shots and the last one worked the best.

The guys were easy to photograph apart from some posture issues and the obvious work you need to do on ‘rictus-smiles.’

The group shots were more challenging, I was not convinced the same location as the headshots worked so well.

After trying a few things we settled on some seats and this worked the best.

I even got to break out another flash unit that needed to be set up in a plant pot… result.

‘Emerald Travel; almost a naturally lit photo shoot’ first appeared on the Lee Harris Photography website.

Rejuversen Revisited

I have done a few jobs for Rejuversen now.

This is the second time I visited their research lab at Parc Scientific Barcelona.

Things have improved a lot there! The last time I visited I ended up having to clean up the images because the lab looked like a bomb had hit a dorm room, after a wild party.

I kind of said as much to Tim, my contact, and he assured me things were better now.

And indeed they were.

Positively professional and a new set of people to photograph.

The space was little crapped but by using the entrance i was able to capture a non specific background that had the feel and colour of ‘science.’

The new crew were young and easy to photograph. I realised long ago that sometimes having too much time is not always a good thing, especially when the people are nervous.

Sometimes it’s actually better to almost mug them, photographically speaking, before they have a chance to get nervous.

This time I also got to visit some of the other facilities they have including the liquid nitrogen and then a clean room with a fairly powerful microscope. 

Gleaming white new tech is always fun to photograph.

My set up consisted of the perennial favourite; the Godox AD200 with a rather old collapsable beauty dish. A large reflector to bounce back some fill, and for a hair light, a smaller Godox TT600. I finally got to use the crappy little plastic stand they come with. 

I had been thinking the week before was it even worth bringing them on shoots.

Never say never.

Anyway it all went well and there was precious little retouching! Result!

I have found my post-production style has changed a little since I started making films and grading them. I have dialled down the look.

‘Rejuversen Revisited’ first appeared on the Lee Harris Photography website.

Ivan The Mysterious

A couple of months ago I rejoined Soho House and fairly quickly met Ivan in the exercise classes they have.

Soho House was always good for meeting new people and potentially new clients.

Ivan became a Soho House friend and then a client. Result.

He was keen to do shots outside which suited me just fine.

We met up at my favourite faux studio near the magic fountains.

It was bloody hot. The weather is definitely changing and this year seems like a phase transition across the globe.

Luckily the place it like to work has options and one of these is shade. Some body had painted hd however done a very bad repair on my preferred wall with a terribly mismatched shade so we moved to the other side.

I was really enjoying the look I was getting with Ivan. He was not looking for smiling shots. He said he is an actor and needed something more moody which suited me just fine.

But god it was hot. And hot means sweaty.

I was using my normal small beauty dish on a Godox AD200, with some fill.

The peculiar effect of the location came from us being in the shade but with a very bright street sandwiched between darker elements behind us. This created a band across his eyes and with me is the middle, forming a thin vertical, that basically gave him cats eyes. 

This was a curious effect that will probably need toning down in post.

I say probably because I have withheld working on the images as Ivan disappeared and I usually prefer to have an official selection to experiment on for myself.

But I feel there are many good images from this shoot and I won’t wait too much longer if Ivan the Mysterious doesn’t reappear soon.

Anyway whatever happens the location will be my go to studio when not doing the ubiquitous white background headshots. 

‘Ivan The Mysterious’ first appeared on the Lee Harris Photography website.

Portrait Photography at Sunrise: Complete Guide to Natural Light Portraits

I have a client for whom I shoot interiors, his daughter Ariadne is a budding actress. He decided it was time she got some professional images for her book.

We decided to start at sunrise… yippee… plus the clocks had just gone back so that was an hour less.

I woke up feeling very ‘fried.’  I got to sleep and then it seemed the alarm sounded.

I did a similar shoot a few months before so knew the ride there on a bicycle would perk me up.

Portrait Photography at Sunrise: Complete Guide to Natural Light Portraits

Barcelona early in the morning is not too bad and you get the sunrise over the beach which is usually worth seeing.

Just like last time we started at the beach gym near Barceloneta. 

There is a moment when the late night revellers make way for the gym bunnies. It seems almost furtive, the switch, the sun is still below the horizon. The party animals hang on a bit longer to see the sun and then disappear like the mist.

Ariadne is quite sporty so we started with her messing around on the equipment. It was still quite cold and I have to say I admired her fortitude.

It was one of those shoots where I knew we were getting some decent images. I liked how she could metamorphose from a kid to a young adult.

It was like photographing 2 different people. In a few months I think she will look completely different. maybe more work for me then!

As the sun rose the charm of the beach disappeared and we headed for somewhere with neutral backgrounds to try and get more studio like shots.

I, as always lit most of the shots. The sunrise often just needed a reflector for some fill. Sunrises are something I want to try and perfect. I may have to try and convince other clients to do the same. Just seeing myself type this is inexplicable!

‘Portrait Photography at Sunrise: Complete Guide to Natural Light Portraits’ first appeared on the Lee Harris Photography website.

Home Studio Siphokazi Oranuba

I got back from holiday and the day after had a home studio shoot.

It has been a while and still being in holiday mode I was not looking forward to it as much as usual.

Plus, these days I kind of prefer to find outdoor locations where I can fake studio looks. It’s a challenge but also working with texture as opposed to the ubiquitous ‘hot white’ backgrounds is a refreshing change.

And I am in Barcelona so being stuck inside seems almost criminal.

The shoot ended up being great fun and very satisfying. She arrived very nervous and we had to work for a while. But then there comes a moment when the subject relaxes and kind of gives up starts to enjoy themselves.

Siphokazi arrived with her husband for moral support! She is a lawyer with her own business that she is now basing in Barcelona.

I t was a hot day and she was experimenting with wigs. It must have been quite uncomfortable, but she was a real trooper and stuck with it, She even finished the shoot wearing a polo-necked dress which was quite frankly bloody heroic!

I have never really thought about it before but now realise there is another way to go about this kind of work, instead of bombarding the client with tips maybe just tell them to play?

I usually end the sessions with something like this and pretty much every person who entered my place with dread left cleaning to have had  a great time.

Lighting wise it was a fairly standard set-up. I threw in some  beauty reflectors as well just to dust them off! I keep finding light modifiers I forgot I owned.

It’s time for a change anyway. When things feel too automatic and formulaic, move on to something new.

‘Home Studio With Siphokazi Oranuba’ first appeared on the Lee Harris Photography website.