Simon Ridgway Photography

On assignment at a typical corporate portrait shoot.

I was commissioned to shoot some portraits of a lady who is training to be a priest and was the subject of a magazine feature. The shoot had been scheduled for midday on one of the hottest, sunniest days of the year so far. As most photographers will tell you, midday sun does not make for ideal conditions for photography.

When you photograph a makeup artist, the one thing you don’t have to worry about is the makeup!

So, what are the worst possible weather conditions in which to shoot cardboard cutouts? Hmmm, wind perhaps? Yes, the day we shot these pics was INCREDIBLY windy with just a little bit of torrential rain!

Following a successful shoot with David Tennant, Comic Relief asked me to shoot the filming of a special Red Nose Day episode of “The Sarah Jane Adventures” featuring Ronnie Corbett as a special guest “baddie”.

Llandaff Cathedral is a great location for portraits but, like most old buildings, its dark – really dark.

I don’t usually work for free, but when Comic Relief ask you to help out by shooting a bona fide “celebrity” for their Red Nose Day publicity, you say “Yes”. Well, I did.

One of the most common PR photo shoots is the “competition winner” and one of the most common photos sent out as a press release is the “competition winner is presented with giant cheque” picture. Picture editors hate these – or at least the ones I’ve worked for do.

My favourite shot by far though was a simple portrait in the gardens. The castle was lit perfectly by the sunshine and there was an interesting sky (a boring, flat grey sky can kill a picture). I liked the combination of blue sky, green grass and red ivy on the castle walls.

An example of being “visited by the photo fairies”.