My other passion starting in my university days and continuing to this day are endulging in the joys of a good whisky, wether straight, with a drop or two of water and sacrilegiously to a Scotsman, even with ice!!

I am lucky to know Paul Flatts whose business Whisky Drams finds and acquires for whisky connoisseurs fine and rare bottles of whisky. He holds a range of Whisky tasting events in selected pubs in Chelsea and Mayfair in London where he pairs whiskies from all over the world with a variety of foods whilst enlightening those present with the both the history of the whiskies offered and the subtleties of how they can best be appreciated through all the senses, on their own, with water etc. and how different combinations produce different results – and I go along to photograph it all, whilst participating too! Joy!

I show below a selection of photos taken at the famous Punch Bowl pub in Mayfair a week before one such dinner whilst preparing for it with the chef and staff and then on the night itself, celebrating an Alternative Burns Night, all with the Leica M9 and Elmarit M 21mm F2.8 lens and the fabulous Noctilux 50mm F1.0, lenses.

If you would like to participate in a Whisky Drams tasting please contact Paul Flatts directly on paul.f@whiskydrams.co.uk

The start of any successful project begins with developing  a detailed brief together, then all parties concerned doing what was agreed. I outline such a process below which will remove any stress from the clients side and which enables me to deliver the results they need.

Developing the brief begins with a series of questions such as:

• What are the pictures to be used for?
• How will they be used: on a website or for social media, press releases, or a brochure?
• Who are the likely audiences?
• Using a studio, or a plain wall in the home or office?
• If on location, posed or at work?
• In one location or several?
• Informal or formal portraits?
• Formal and/or informal clothing?
• Do we need a makeup artist, hairdresser or stylist?
• Headshots only, waist up or full length?
• People on their own or in groups?
• Will there be any props, such as furniture, products, notice boards or posters to be features of background details to be obscured?
• In what formats will they be needed?: files for print or web, what formats, size and resolutions, if prints then what size and paper type?
• When will the people be available for the shoot and for how long?
• When are the pictures needed?
• Who are they to be delivered to? Delivery by DropBox, a file delivery service, CD/DVD, courier or post?

We then go on to the day of the shoot:

• Allow plenty of time to arrive at the agreed location, park, put on and adjust the clothes selected and freshen up, makeup, hair etc, as necessary.
• It is my job to make you feel at ease during the shoot and you will need to keep in mind the image of yourself and your colleagues, that you want the public to see in particular relation to the context of the page, website or brochure the pictures are being taken for.
• If there are props to be included, ensure someone has arranged to have them to hand, repaired, cleaned and functioning as required.
• If not at a studio that I have arranged, make sure the space has not been booked by anyone else for the time needed, nor that any works are to be carried out in the area.
• I plan to work quickly as all clients are busy people! and I know that one tires rapidly when facing the camera.
• I will shoot a variety of poses, changing clothes and accessories as necessary.
• I will help you be your best self.

Within two days of the shoot or earlier as agreed, I send the client a link to a private slideshow of the pictures taken and:

• Selections can be made for use and/or
• for some tweaks and changes, such as
• re-cropping, removing the odd spot or two and having black and white versions.
• if major post production is then asked for such as cut outs, dropping in new backgrounds or extensive retouching this is first quoted for on a time basis.
• The pictures are then delivered in the media, files and formats pre agreed.

If now, armed with this knowledge you would like to book a photoshoot, please contact me via the contact page on the website: https://www.stefanlubo.com/contact/ or email stefan@stefanlubo.com

or by phone tel: 0207 385 0773 Mob: 07770 946479

A recent shoot I really enjoyed was commissioned by Zib Nyatito, an entrepreneur launching the *Frank Godley UK fashion brand with a very stylish cap! The shoot took place in a trendy apartment close to Brick Lane with three models, hairdresser, makeup artist, stylist, videographer, Zib and me.

Zib likes to work collaboratively with everyone making suggestions, experimenting and mixing up ideas, and so the whole team was carefully chosen with that vision in mind. My pictures simply capture proceedings. The resulting marketing campaign using the video, and still images I took is taking place on Social Media and through conventional channels. As more fashion products are launched there will be fresh creative shoots bringing them to the public.

Published February 2016

*Sidney Frank Godley was awarded a Victoria Cross in Belgium for valour during the Battle of Mons on 23 August 1914. As a result, he became the first private soldier in the Great War to be awarded the decoration.

I recently completed a corporate photoshoot for FCI, one of London’s largest contemporary furniture showrooms. My task was to photograph everyone in this long-standing family owned business, from the Managing Director to interior designers, project managers, accountants, fitters and drivers; captured as individuals and in groups.

It was left up to me to decide where to take the pictures. For the group shots, I set up two Elinchrom studio flash units in a sofa suite area which had a plain background and a modern vibe. For the individual portraits, I took each member of staff either to a spot they liked, or to where I thought it would make a strong image. All the time it was part of my job to make people feel relaxed in front of the camera and to be themselves. The selection shown represents a snapshot of my work which the client really liked.

Published February 2016

In recent months I have worked in three very different environments, with Gregory Mandry of Big Yellow Feet, a corporate video production company. In brief, I have been taking various “making of” pictures, with regard to videos he has been producing for his clients. And these pictures are for a variety of purposes including staff training, employee awards schemes and internal communications.

Working separately from Gregory, I created and shot still life set-up scenes from his videos, portraits, and very specific images to be used as full size cutouts, internal /external posters… oh, and fly sheets. It has involved some 8am to 8pm shoots, working to a tight schedule with detailed and often fast changing scenarios. I interacted with a lot of very different people from Managing Directors to Actors; Croupiers; Chefs; Doormen; Sound Recordists; Waiters… all of whom have to be made at ease in front of the camera. It’s exhausting but rewarding work, made easier by the sheer professionalism of everyone involved. Here, I am showing a small selection of the 100’s of pictures taken.

Kit-wise, I used my trusty Nikon D800 (which creates large detail packed files to meet the needs of demanding corporate environments) plus a range of Nikon and Sigma lenses; my Elinchrom studio lights; and time and time again my Gary Fong Lightsphere II comes up trumps, creating great light in even the most challenging situations!

Published February 2016