Monday, 6th September, 2010 · 10:37 am
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The Longest Day

Three in the morning is sleeping time if you ask me. For some, it’s the start of the working day. And if they are your client, you have to fall into step as a documentary photographer.

The same goes if your client runs their operations deep into the night. It’s not like you can ask them to bring everything forward so you can get home in time for your tea.

I’ve worked both sides of spectrum before, but last Friday I did so in one day for three separate clients. It was my longest day.

O'Keeffe's Bakery - Loading Delivery Vans

Delivery vans being loaded at O'Keeffe's Bakery, Ballincollig, Co Cork, Ireland. The bread is baked during the night by a shift that starts at around 6pm and works through to about 3am. (c) Roger Overall 2010

O'Keeffe's Bakery - Loading Delivery Vans - Corporate documentary photography photojournalism by Roger Overall

(c) Roger Overall 2010

O'Keeffe's Bakery - Loading Delivery Vans - Corporate documentary photography photojournalism by Roger Overall

(c) Roger Overall 2010

The bakery shoot finished just after 6am; in time for me to get to my regular Friday morning BNI meeting, where I was going to photograph my SmarterEgg friend Aodan Enright giving a presentation for his promotional material.

Aodan Enright - SmarterEgg - Speaking at a BNI meeting in Cork, Ireland

Aodan had a six-minute speaking slot, barely enough time to get a half-dozen photographs of him in action. (c) Roger Overall 2010

By 8.15am I’d already done two commercial assignments. Normally, by 8.15am I’ve had a cup of coffee and that’s about it.

My next shoot wasn’t until the afternoon. I had hoped to have a quick nap, but there is some sort of construction work going on over the road from us – NOISY construction work. Instead, I did the post-production on the morning’s work.

After lunch, I headed off to Fota Island Resort, where I’m shooting a six-month documentary project. The plan was to photograph the staff working a wedding – a quirky twist for me.

I'm really impressed with the staff at Fota. I've photographed three weddings behind the scenes there now. They really care for their wedding guests and are never phased by any last minute or left-field requests. (c) Roger Overall 2010

Two staff helping to set up the wedding cake the mother-of-the-groom baked and iced for the couple. Again great smiles.

I’d initially thought to finish once the couple had made their entrance to dinner. However, it struck me that the hotel would benefit from a photograph of the first dance. In fact, I had in mind it would be the signature image of the night, and we didn’t have one from the previous weddings. I went home for dinner, with a view to returning in time for the start of the dancing. At this point it was past 7pm. I’d been working for 15 hours. I wasn’t sure how I’d be at 9pm, when the dancing began.

Turns out, I felt fine.

The meal was only just drawing to a close when I got back, so I took some some additional shots of staff at work. I also spotted this:

Little boy eyes the cake at a wedding in Fota Island Resort, Cork, Ireland

In case you're wondering: he didn't. (c) Roger Overall 2010

And then the main event.

Bride and groom dance at their wedding in Fota Island Resort, Cork, Ireland

I pre-visualized this shot. The spot of light on the floor meant that as the couple moved around the floor, they would occasionally be caught in it. Then it was a matter of hoping for a nice expression. Bingo! (c) Roger Overall 2010

7 Comments

Filed under Corporate Documentary Photography, On Assignment, Photographs

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  • http://someprettythings.com Shannon

    I think 17+ hours is totally worth it just for that boy with cake shot. So awesome :)
    I would be up for 15 hour days, I think. Although, with two kids and a dearth of babysitters, I’ll probably never put it to the test.

  • http://www.rogerverall.net Roger Overall

    Thanks Shannon.

    I felt fine at the end of the day, surprisingly, and felt great at the wedding the next day. Come Sunday, though, I was wrecked.

  • http://www.corinbishop.com Corin

    you’re mad! I don’t know there you get the energy. Well worth it for the shots though! cool.

  • http://www.ronanpalliser.ie/blog/ Ronan Palliser

    Great post as always. And yep, that is a long day!

    I’m wondering if you were tempted to unleash your hidden strobist for that first dance shot at all – perhaps to boost your chances of getting something that you were happy with? On a general note, do you stay clear of flash for all your corporate assignments as much as you try to for weddings?

  • http://www.rogerverall.net Roger Overall

    @Corin – It’s the kind of madness that makes me drive three hours to hear a colleague speak from the heart about his passion for child portraiture ;-)

    @Ronan – I used to use a flash during the last dance, then one evening did a couple of pictures without and was stunned by how much better they were. If you let the light show do its work, you get quite remarkable results that can look quite three dimensional. This year I’ve been shooting weddings without any use of flash at all. Previously I’d use flash only for the quick family and bridal formals, now I’m relying on natural light sources and reflective surfaces. It’s starting to make me a better photographer because I’m learning to see light better.

    Flash is pretty much verboten on my corporate shoots. One of my USPs is that I don’t interfere with what is going on and that I don’t distract. Popping off flash in a control tower, on a ship’s bridge or inside production facility doesn’t make you popular. It also broadcasts that you’ve just taken a picture, which can lead to a reaction of its own. Again this is forcing me to look harder at the available light, which is helping me grow as a photographer.

    That said, I don’t wear this as a badge of pride. I think that learning about light you can control (strobes) is a great way to help you understand light that you can’t (ambient/available). It is also great fun.

  • http://www.corinbishop.com Nic_Bishop

    The boy with the cake shot is an absolute winner – fantastic shot, hope it goes into the awards! You’re a clever & talented Dutchman! I Love your work.

  • http://www.rogerverall.net Roger Overall

    Thanks!

    The shot is award-embargoed for the IPPA, though. I made a public statement at the beginning of the year that the reportage wedding photography award was moving purely towards a “Cute Kids At Wedding” category, so I said I’d only enter pics with adults in them, preferably the bride and groom. I should point out for fairness that previous wins of mine included kids, so if someone else wins with kids at weddings I can have no complaints.

    Anyway, so far it has backfired spectacularly at the IPPA preliminary judgings. Kids at weddings are still getting buckets of golds. Adults silvers. Ho-hum.

    Of course, the embargo only applies to IPPA awards…