Case Studies
Commercial Photographer Andy Rasheed | South Australia
Bridge Eye Care
The Client
Bridge Eye Care is a privately owned optometrist situated in Murray Bridge. Operating since the 1940s, it is a well-established practice that has undergone several facelifts. The most recent was a move to the main street of Murray Bridge and into beautifully considered and newly refurbished premises.
The Brief
My brief was to create a selection of commercial photographs for the website update and general advertising. Having previously shot for them we were trying to fill in any gaps created by the move, showcasing the new building and the team whilst matching my previous work. The photography needed to show a vibrant team and an inviting and modern shopfront.
Challenges faced
The task is to end up with a diverse and strong body of photographs including portraiture, customer service, and interior and exterior photography. As is often the case, the talent is staff, friends and family, so I am directing people who aren’t particularly comfortable with being photographed. The main challenge is making sure that people don’t fatigue over the course of the shoot, I need to do consistently strong work but I also need to be completely stress-free and bring good energy. I also had to work with mixing available lighting and studio flash, as well as navigating the customers who came into the practice during the shoot.
Solutions
A huge part of what makes a job like this run smoothly is the energy I bring. Everybody needs to feel relaxed throughout the entire process. It’s important to let everyone know that it’s not possible for them to actually make a mistake. There is no loss if we have to shoot something several times. I put a lot of attention into making people feel that they are doing a good job and keeping everyone smiling.
I believe it’s important to collaborate with the client and that they are part of the decision-making. If they can see the direction the job is taking, and they like the work, the process settles quickly and everybody feels comfortable to contribute. We all bounce ideas around and the strongest idea wins, regardless of where it comes from. Obviously, I’ll assume control if required to make sure that the job doesn’t get derailed but on the whole, this strategy works beautifully.
Rabobank Australia & New Zealand
The Client
Rabobank is an international banking and finance cooperative in the agribusiness sector focused on farming, food production and distribution. They invest heavily within agricultural industries and provide valuable educational programs for their clients.
The Brief
My brief is to develop a large stock library of images shot on location across Australia and New Zealand. The photos feature across a variety of advertising campaigns nationally and internationally. The aim is to emphasise the close working relationship Rabobank clients have with the banking staff. The images must convey an easy connection between the subjects in a backdrop of the farm, and show processes that are state of the art.
Challenges Faced
My job is to improvise, shooting sight un-seen, literally dozens of locations and hundreds of people whom I have never met. The various shoots are primarily in rural areas and can run for weeks at a time. A day could include multiple shoots and hundreds of kilometres of driving. I rarely get more than four hours at each location and there is a large volume of specific images required.
The logistics of pulling together these shoots is huge, both for the bank staff and for me, so I am deeply grateful their staff are so competent.
Solutions
Upon arrival at each location, I need to rapidly build connection with the people/families, especially the children, as I need them to willingly become involved and follow instructions. Then, in consultation with the farmers and the bank staff, we formulate a plan and map out suitable locations. With over 75,000 images shot prior to editing to date, this job has taken me right across Australia and New Zealand. I truly enjoy the generous folk I meet and getting to spend time learning about their operations.
photos copyright Rabobank Australia & New Zealand
Finch Restorations
The Client
Finch Restoration is Australia’s, largest and longest-running automotive restorer. They take on some extremely complex restorations and always deliver stunning work.
The Brief
Extremely high-end photographic documentation of completed projects is very important in this industry. Finch needs photographs of projects in their raw state as they arrive, studio progress photos for halo cars and then a comprehensive shoot of the finished restorations.
Challenges Faced
The vehicles that Finch deal with are often worth huge sums of money. Taking a vehicle off the property, specifically for photography, adds massive complexity to the process. The project would need to be finished and road tested, or trailered, detailed on arrival and above all else, kept safe. Then it would need to be driven or transported back to Finch. I'd need a staff member with me off-site during the shoot.
Solutions
The best option was to work out a way that eyefood could photograph the cars on-site. There was a storage room that had originally been built as a high-ceiling industrial coolroom. We marked off one end and built a black-wall studio space. We hung a false ceiling of polystyrene sheets that spans 8 metres and used a truss system for the black fabric walls. The result is that any vehicle that Finch is working on, in any state of completion, can be driven, pushed or towed into the space, detailed (or not) and then photographed.
The benefits are many.
The best outcome is the consistency of the look of the images adds cohesion to Finch’s branding. Projects can be finished and then shot immediately before departure to the client. Staff need only stop work as required to help move a vehicle. Cost is not prohibitive to do a quick documentary photoshoot.
All of Finch’s restorations, from motorbikes to trucks, filthy unrestored cars, to immaculate six-figure restorations can be captured under perfect conditions. There is even talk that we may compile all of the automobile photography into a coffee table book one day…
Simtrack
The Client
Simtrack are designers and makers of premium horse race starting gates, running rails, steward’s towers and other horse racing equipment. They are passionate, self-styled engineers, always searching for a simpler, safer and stronger solution to problems faced by the horse racing industry.
The Brief
Consolidate a complicated website into a legible, user-friendly interface that shows the breadth and quality of Simtrack’s range and speaks to their position as market leaders.
Challenges Faced
Simtrack’s history stretches back to the 1950s when Lindsay Sims AM built Australia's first horse race starting gate. They are presently world leaders in horse racing equipment with products in over thirty countries.
This was quite a big story to tell.
Like many businesses, Simtrack’s website had grown organically over the years, becoming a mishmash of style, tone and quality. Given their wide range of products and the necessary information that needed to be conveyed this was a complex challenge.
Taking on the role of project manager, researcher, copywriter and photographer, I was able to map out and implement a cohesive web experience.
Solutions
Discovering the real stories of the people behind this business was key to the big picture storytelling. From their problem-solving abilities to their relentless drive to continuously innovate over three generations, allowed for a highly confident tone for their message. I backed this up with images of deceptively simple resolutions to engineering problems faced by the horse racing industry.
New Royal Adelaide Hospital
The Client
This project was a joint venture between Hansen Yuncken and Leighton Contractors for the design and construction of the new Royal Adelaide Hospital for SA Health Partnership.
The Brief
Eyefood was commissioned to create a body of semi-abstract photos of South Australian flora for the Renal Unit of the new hospital. The imagery would contribute to the vibrancy of the area and aid way-finding for the users of the building.
Challenges Faced
The requirement was to have work that carried strong colour, simple composition and expressed vitality. In consideration of people in a stressful and vulnerable position, the images couldn’t be jarring or distressing. The imagery needed to be soft by nature and avoid overt repetition and blood reds.
Working with the relevant stakeholders the final images were whittled down from a much larger body of images.
Solutions
I created a comprihensive body of work from which we were able to select a cohesive group of six images that sat well within the space. The final prints span twenty metres of wall space and define the area.
Angove Family Wines / Stones Green Ginger Wine
The Client
Established winemakers and wine merchants with multiple brands within their portfolio.
The Brief
Photograph forty lifestyle food and beverage images, to be used in a square format, for the recipe section of their website upgrade.
Challenges Faced
We needed to create a body of images that sat well together but didn’t look like they were all shot together. It is ambitious to photograph ten freshly prepared setups per day (over four days) covering a wide variety of styles and props. The hardest part of shooting food is the level of concentration and attention to detail required. The devil is in the detail and small things can be easily missed.
Solution
Photographically I was assessing each setting put in front of me with fresh eyes, aiming to pull the strongest composition from the combination of the props and the food. The planning and contribution from the food stylist are huge in this type of job and Emma Reeves excelled as always.
The team on this job were exemplary, we were focused on a great outcome and the strongest ideas won every time. The images far exceeded the expectations of the client and were subsequently printed as a point-of-sale cookbook in addition to the website.