Portrait Photography Newport
Portrait photography is what I take most pleasure in (despite loving all aspects of photography) as I love meeting and chatting to new people. I am equally happy shooting portraits of professional models/ celebrities/ sportspeople/ royalty (who are all used to the camera) as I am photographing 'real' people. I shoot portraits from my photography studio in Newport, or can bring a portable portrait studio setup to your place of work.
Getting a Great Portrait
Getting a great portrait is a collaboration between myself and my sitter, who has to be relaxed enough to engage with me and my camera. I've lost count of the times that some staff member has walked into the room in a portrait session and announced "I hate having my photo taken". This is natural as many people are uncomfortable about having their portrait taken. If I took a portrait right away it would look stiff and forced, but give me 10 minutes with the sitter in these situations and I can get them to relax in my company enough for me to capture their natural character. I see this as my photography superpower - the ability to connect with people from all walks of life, all ages, all life experiences in order to get them to relax for a great photo portrait. This has come from years of practice - shooting thousands of portraits with people of all ages, and backgrounds.
Actor or Social Media Portraits / Headshots
Actors and Models need headshots for their careers - typically actors require a range of photos on a Z-Card (or comp card) to go to casting agents and acting websites. If you need a high quality photographic portrait for LinkedIn, actors Z-card, or whatever reason, then please get in touch using our contact form or call on 01633 674418.
Company Portraits / Corporate Headshots
Do you need photographic portraits of your team for your website, or company brochure? My portable studio allows me to come to your location to photograph your staff portraits/ headshots, or else I can shoot on location at your corporate event. Take a look at some of my corporate headshots then Get in touch to discuss your portrait requirements.
Making the Connection
Getting a successful portrait is so much more than positioning your sitter in from of the camera, saying 'smile please' and sending them on their way. To get the shots I want, I need to make some connection with each and every sitter. I need to get them to relax and the best way to do this is simply by chatting to them, sharing stories, asking questions and making a real connection. I've come to see this ability to connect with anyone, whatever their background, age, ethnicity, gender (etc) as my photography superpower, and it is the connection that I make with the sitters that gets me the photo that later allows the viewer to similarly connect.
We seem to have gone backwards in terms of acceptance of 'others' over the last ten years or so with social media and shyster politicians amplifying and spreading fear of the other for their own gains. This project is my attempt to rebalance this slide into fear of others, though I strive not to be overtly political. I try to show that people are people are people - each one an individual and all the same on a fundamental level despite cultural or religious differences.
I've met an photographed people who originally hail from over 30 different countries but have made Newport, and Wales their home.
Shot in 2019, these are some of the first photos from my Welsh From Everywhere / Cymry o Bob Man project. Shot in Community House in Newport's Maindee area, the project aims to investigate the rich cultural diversity of the region. The local school has over 30 nations represented, and as many first languages spoken at home in Maindee. I'm looking forward to adding to the project over time, when social distancing restrictions allow.
Jessica Morden MP was kind enough to have her portrait taken and offer the following kind words for a video showcasing some of the portraits:
"Rhys's wonderful portraits draw attention to the strength of Newport as a city - by emphasising how welcoming our community is, and how much richer our culture is as a result. This is especially true of Maindee, where I live, and in Community House, Eton Road, where these portraits were taken. Here we welcome and celebrate the cultures of people from all backgrounds, making Wales a home for all"
There's a short video about this project available on YouTube.