Anna Saverimuttu's Photography Blog

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Barnett Hill Photography

A few weeks ago (when the sun was shining!) I went back to Barnett Hill in Wonersh to take some photographs for their marketing use.  This was in return for them kindly letting me do a recent model shoot at the venue.

Barnett Hill was built in 1905 by Frank Cook, the grandson of the travel agent, Thomas Cook.  It's now a conference centre and hotel, but during the Second World War it was used as a hospital by the Red Cross. 

The place was really looking at its best when I visited; the newly manicured lawns had benefited from all the rain and the sky set off the whole place perfectly.  I could have stayed all day!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Family Portrait Session, Farnham, Surrey

Such a great session with a really lovely family.  This little one was so much fun to photograph and loved being tickled!  Once she'd escaped from mum and dad though, there was no stopping her and she was off exploring everywhere.  We did manage to distract her for a few moments by getting her to water the seedlings, although I think they might have got rather too much of a soaking, poor things - more of a deluge than a gentle sprinkling! 

Here are some of my favourites - I love the "dandelion-tasting" one!

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 
I think she was laughing at my singing in this one (and I can't say I blame her!)

 

 

 

 

 

Actor's Headshot Photography Guildford

A couple of weeks ago I did some headshots of Charlie in and around Guildford, as she needed photos to send off for castings and to agents.

We spent a very pleasant morning in town using various backdrops and locations, and she was a real joy to photograph - very easy to direct and open to different ideas and suggestions.  It's not easy to conjure up an authentic and meaningful expression from nowhere and at the drop of a hat, without it looking contrived or false, but Charlie rose to the occasion; I made a few suggestions for different moods and emotions by describing particular scenarios to her and she reacted in just the right way. 

I love the fact that you can see the emotion in her eyes and that each look is different, but in a very subtle way.  A good portrait definitely doesn't always have to be about big smiles and although it may be a cliche, the eyes really are the windows to the soul.

One of the great advantages of photographing on location and locally is that I know all these places so well and also when the light is going to be at its best in each particular one.

The photos she will use will be in black and white, but I really like the colour versions too, plus the extra shots I took in a slightly different style towards the end of the session, and which are more informal in pose.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Does Your Business Headshot Cut the Mustard?

Top Tips for Getting a Good Business Headshot and Why it Matters

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, blogs - whether you have a presence on all or some of them, or you simply have a website, your business profile is being scrutinised all the time.

 
 

And what's one of the first things that people want to see when they visit the above?  Well I for one always like to put a face to a name before I do business with anyone, and judging from the comments I've heard lately from other entrepreneurs, they feel exactly the same as I do.  There's nothing more annoying than visiting someone's LinkedIn or Facebook page to be confronted with that headshot silhouette.

But if you want to make a good impression with your clients, why would you use that dodgy, fuzzy holiday snap that was taken five years ago or get your best friend or colleague to take a couple of quick shots of you at your computer?

It may be a cliche, but first impressions really do count, so if you want to come across as professional then here are some tips to get you started:-

• First and foremost, as a professional yourself, you should hire a professional.  Do your research and find someone whose style you like, whose work shows they have an understanding of lighting, posing and the particular demands of business portraiture, and who will help you to project the right image for your business.

 

• Prepare for your portrait session - don't just turn up having thrown on any old thing and expect the photographer to work miracles!  Dress appropriately for the image you want to convey, whether that be a more corporate, business-like look, or something a bit more relaxed but still professional.  If you're a woman, always wear makeup and if you're a man, please make sure your tie, jacket and shirt complement each other!

 

• It's all in the eyes!  For those of you who hate smiling to order, this should come as good news.  If you've ever watched an episode of America's Next Top Model, you'll be familiar with the word "shmize", which basically means smile with your eyes.  Cheesy, toothy grins are definitely out, but a warm expression which comes from the eyes will reveal the authentic you.  Which leads me nicely on to my next point ....

 

• Don't just sit there - think!  If you just plonk yourself down in front of the camera with a blank stare, thinking about how much you hate having your photo taken, and just waiting for the photographer to "get on with it", then I'm afraid the photos will live up to your expectations; you'll look grim, resigned and will probably scare any customers who drop by your website.  Instead, engage with the photographer by remembering that there's someone behind that camera; think of someone nice or something nice; look interested and animated.

Need a new corporate headshot for your business or simply some advice? Then click here to visit my corporate website.

Model Shoot - Barnett Hill, Guildford, Surrey

A couple of weekends back I had the pleasure of doing a model shoot at a beautiful location just outside Guildford. 

Barnett Hill is a Queen Anne-style country house set in wonderful landscaped grounds which provide the most amazing backdrops for taking photographs.

The shoot came about when I got chatting to Julie Gore at a recent business networking event run by the Best of Guildford.  Julie is the Business Development Manager for the Sundial Group who manage Barnett Hill and two other similar venues. I mentioned to her that I would be interested in doing a photoshoot there and she very kindly arranged everything for me. Quite fortuitously I also met Isla, my model, at the same meeting!

The day was pretty-near perfect for outdoor portraits using just natural light and I was spoilt for choice location-wise.  We also managed to squeeze in some shots indoors, making use of the stunning decor.  Here are some of my favourites from the day.

Huge thanks to Julie and her colleagues at Barnett Hill, and to Isla for looking beautiful and being very patient!

Wedding and portrait photographers and film-makers - if you're looking for a beautiful location, then get in touch.

 

 

 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Here's to An Extra Day Off

 

A Visit to Rye, Sussex

There are so many beautiful old buildings in Rye that it's difficult to know where to start; every cobbled street lends itself to being photographed and almost every building seems to have been the home of a famous artist or writer: notable residents of the town have included Paul Nash, Henry James, E F Benson and Radclyffe Hall. 

Walking around the town really is like stepping back in time, and the remnants of its more recent past that remain in the form of old advertisements for long-forgotten brands, lend it a quaint and quirky atmosphere that's unmistakeably English - almost like one of E F Benson's novels in fact.

 
 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 

Spring

I'm probably tempting fate by even mentioning the word, but anyway...

 

 

Business Networking - the Benefits

As a business owner, I receive a steady stream of cold calls from companies offering me everything from website design to SEO services and advertising.  Most of them I have never even heard of: I've no way of knowing if they're genuine callers and even if they are, one phone conversation with a person I've never met is not going to persuade me to do business with them.

Doing business is all about getting to know people and finding out how you can help them (which is quite different from bombarding them with information about your products and services even if they're not remotely interested).  One of the best ways I have found of promoting what I do is by meeting other business professionals in an informal but business-like setting i.e. networking.  It's a great way of interacting with others and giving them information about yourself in a non-threatening and non-intrusive manner.  Again, it's not about seeing how many business cards you can thrust at people in as short a time as possible; it's about building trust.

I met Mark a couple of weeks ago at just such an event and it turned out that he needed a mixture of formal and informal business portraits for promotional purposes.  We swapped cards and he checked out my website and contacted me to book a session, which we did last week in Guildford.

The weather was bright and sunny but absolutely freezing.  I'd got my locations all worked out though, and took a good selection of shots for him which we were both very pleased with.  Job done - with absolutely no hard sell tactics!