In January I spent the day shooting a bank of marketing images for James at Caldicot Painting and Decorating, a local business that has recently starting to attract a lot of work. As part of my goal to spend more time this year shooting for brands and businesses, this seemed a great place to start!

James wanted some action shots of him on the job, but also wanted to capture some of the finer detail of his work with a more ‘arty’ feel to the images. Essentially he wanted to stand out from his competitors and project a professional vibe that was also friendly and welcoming.

It was impressive watching him work and witnesses his attention to detail (I can totally relate!), and made for some great visuals! The man’s a ninja with the paint roller and makes a decent brew too!

Thanks for having me, James!

Decorator knelt smiling at camera while holding a yellow paint tub and brush

Decorator sanding down door frames with motion blur on hands

Black and white shot of decorator using an electric sander above his head

Close up of a gloved hand wiping down a window sil with the light reflecting off it

Black and white close up of hands opening a tin of Johnstone's paint with screwdriver

Arty close up shot of white paint dripping from a paint mixer

Close up of hands poruing white paint into a yellow bucket

close up of blurry fireplace with decorator painting in the background

Paint brush running along skirting board with blue tape underneath

Decorator stood up loaqding up a big roller with paint surrounded by tools

Decorator's feet stood on a dirty blue work ladder

Colourful shot of dirty paint brushes sat in a storage box

What a crazy one this was! In June 2022 I entered a competition to win a commission shooting a marketing project for FOR Cardiff to promote all of the shopping arcades around Cardiff city centre. All that was required was to take an abstract photograph that captured the energy and vibrancy of Cardiff. The competition was open to anyone of any ability, and could simply be taken on a phone. Not expecting to win, I entered with the intention of a free bit of publicity and marketing exposure to a broader audience.

Three weeks later and before I knew it, my phone started going bananas with alerts and messages notifying me that I’d been shortlisted into the top five after 600+ submissions. I was contacted by the organisers and asked to write a short piece about the image (which was actually taken 3 years previously – see below!).

After a lot of love and support, my image was eventually voted the favourite and I won the commission. Two weeks later and I’d received the project brief and the final images were delivered shortly after, much to the satisfaction of FOR Cardiff. Below is a small selection of snaps that were captured during the shoot. Thank you to Emma and the team for the brief and for having me a long for the ride!

You’ve got to be in it to win it!

Cardiff Castle with Castle Street opposite, reflected in a passing bus — The winning submission

A brief rationale and explanation of the winning photograph on a red background, in keeping with the TDI branding — The story behind the photograph

Some of the final images delivered for the commission:

The front of High Street Arcade in Cardiff with people walking past

Candid shot of a barber cutting a clients' hair with client's face reflected in a mirror

Exterior shot of people sat outisde of Castle Arcade in Cardiff

Tall portrait image of a busy Morgan Arcade with colourful flags draped from the roof with people shopping below

Abstract shot of the Morgan Arcade sign taken through some greenery, giving a sense of depth

Two female friends sat at a table in Morgan Arcade in black and white

Friendly female manager of the Talking Shop stood smiling inside of Castle Arcade

Portrait of a female barista making a coffee, backlit by a warm yellow sign