The Norwegian Job

I’m a commercial photographer in Preston. So naturally my latest commission was in Norway. I’m not complaining.

There are some questions that, as a professional photographer, you just say yes to:

Want to work for Hewlett Packard? Yes.
Want to shoot an Olympic champion? Yes.
Want to go to Norway? You see what I mean.

That’s how I ended up on a plane to Oslo, briefed by Preston-based agency Forepoint to shoot images for a new HP campaign that would find its way online, on billboards and onto the side of Norwegian buses.

The campaign was for HP’s Team Aktiv initiative, and would feature portraits of HP staff getting active. The star of the shoot would be Norwegian Olympic and World Champion cross county skier Kristin Størmer Steira, who was a regular fixture on podiums at events between 2005 and the Sochi Olympics in 2014.

But as I sat on the plane heading north, I didn’t know all that. I knew the basics, but I didn’t know the details, so I didn’t know what equipment and lighting I would need. And it’s tricky to pack everything ‘just in case’ when you have to deal with baggage limits.

In the event, it was a real smorgasbord (appropriately enough) of conditions: a dim fitness studio, the wide city streets of Oslo, bright conditions on the running track at the Olympic stadium, and dazzling snowscapes at Holmenkollen, home to a famous (and terrifying) ski jump. Fortunately, the portable flash lighting and reflectors I had to hand were up to the task, and I’m grateful for the help HP gave me on the day, with the client doubling as photographic assistant.

It was a really fun shoot, the variety of subjects and locations creating an exciting, busy project of individual portraits and lifestyle images, which culminated with Kristin, in the snow of Holmenkollen, in her branded skiwear.

Thanks to Forepoint for again giving me a peach of a commission, and to HP, Kristin and all my subjects for making it such an enjoyable experience.

If you happen to have any commercial photography projects that require international travel, feel free to Give me a call!

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