Behind the Lens: The Art of the Athlete Portrait with Zapkam Gloucester

At Pixel PR Photography, we know that a great sports kit deserves more than just a quick snapshot. Our recent session of athlete portraits with Zapkam in Gloucester was all about capturing the intensity and the technical craftsmanship of their latest apparel.

Here’s a look at how we used light and shadow to make this shoot a success.

The Power of "Rim Lighting"

In the studio, our primary goal was to make the athlete and the kit literally "pop" off the background. To achieve this, we used a technique called rim lighting. By placing high-intensity lights behind the subject, we created that sharp, bright outline you see along the athlete’s shoulders and arms. This highlights the athletic physique and separates the dark tones of the Zapkam jersey from the deep, moody backdrop.

Bringing Out the Textures

The Zapcam kit features intricate wave-like patterns and subtle gold detailing on the collar and cuffs. To capture these without them getting lost in the shadows, we used a directional key light. This light was angled to rake across the fabric, creating tiny shadows in the weave that reveal the texture and high-quality finish of the material.

Pro Tip: When shooting black or dark-coloured apparel, lighting for texture is the difference between a flat image and a premium-looking product.

The "Game Face" Focus

Working with local Gloucester sportsmen and women makes our job easy because they bring natural intensity to the frame. For this shot, we kept the focus sharp on the eyes while ensuring the Formation Global and CSA logos remained crisp. By having the athlete hold a well-used football, we added a layer of grit and authenticity—this isn't just "fashion"; it's gear built for the pitch.

Post-Production: Contrast and Clarity

In the digital darkroom, we leaned into a high-contrast edit. We deepened the blacks to keep the focus on the athlete and boosted the clarity to make the metallic gold elements of the Zapcam branding truly shine. The result is a bold, "hero" style portrait that reflects the professional standard of the brand.

Does your brand need high-impact imagery that tells a story? Pixel PR Photography is ready to bring your vision to light.

Precision in Every Plane: Interior Photography for Construction

At Pixel Photography, we understand that for construction companies and fit-out specialists, the finished interior is a testament to months of hard work and technical skill. Our commercial interior photography is designed to do more than just "show a room" it documents the quality of your craftsmanship and the scale of your projects.

Showcasing Your Technical Standards :

Highlighting the Detail: From the seamless joinery of a bespoke fit-out to the clean lines of a new industrial space, we use professional wide-angle and macro lenses to capture both the overall scale and the intricate finishes.

True-to-Life Lighting: We specialise in “flambient” lighting techniques—balancing natural light with subtle flash—to ensure textures like polished concrete, timber, and metal look exactly as they do in person.

Professional Portfolios: High-quality imagery builds credibility with future clients and stakeholders, providing a visual record that simple site snaps can't match.

Site Safety First: We are experienced in working on active sites and adhere to all health and safety protocols, ensuring our presence never compromises your project's standards.

Whether you need a comprehensive library of images for a tender submission or polished "after" shots for your website and social media, we provide the assets you need to stand out in a competitive market.

Are you ready to document your next project completion, or would you like to see examples of our recent work for other construction firms?

Top of the Class: Capturing the Spirit of Your School

Choosing a school is one of the biggest decisions a family can make. While statistics and curriculum details are important, parents are ultimately looking for a feeling. They want to see where their child will grow, who will inspire them, and the moments of joy that happen between lessons.

As a school photographer, our job is to go beyond the standard "staged" shots and capture the authentic heartbeat of your educational community.

A great prospectus photograph does more than fill a page; it tells a story. Here’s how professional imagery elevates your school’s brand:

• Authentic Connection: We capture the "lightbulb moments"—that spark of understanding in a science lab or the focused determination on the sports field.

• First Impressions Count: In a digital-first world, your website and prospectus are often your first "open day." High-quality, vibrant images build immediate trust and credibility.

• A Complete Asset Library: After the shoot, you will receive a gallery of edited, high-resolution images ready for your prospectus, website, social media and large-scale wall displays. 

Two Wheels, 30 Countries, and One Hero at Home

After a year of chasing horizons and navigating 30 countries on two wheels, I’m finally back in Gloucestershire. This wasn't just a solo mission—I had the incredible privilege of sharing the trip around the world with my eldest son, Tom. From mountain passes to coastal highways, having him alongside me made the 35,000 miles truly unforgettable.

While Tom and I were halfway across the world, Pixel Photography didn't miss a beat. That is entirely down to my daughter, Rebecca.

Stepping away from a busy commercial photography business is no small feat. Rebecca took full control, managing client projects and keeping our production standards high. Knowing the "fort" was in such capable hands allowed me to focus on the road.

I’ve returned with a fresh perspective and I’m energized and ready to get back behind the camera.

A huge thank you to our clients for your continued trust, and an even bigger thanks to Rebecca for being the backbone of this business. Tom and I might have seen the world, but Rebecca kept ours turning.

Not at all Cheesey

There is something special about the combination of tradition, patience, and artisan craftsmanship. We recently spent the day with the team at Godsells Cheese to document their process, and it was a masterclass in the art of cheese-making.

For this shoot, we focused entirely on natural light. When you’re photographing food that is this well-crafted, you don't need complicated studio strobe setups. We wanted to let the textures—the rind of the cheese, the creamy interior, and the rustic wooden boards—speak for themselves.

Natural light brings out the authenticity of the product, creating soft shadows and highlights that make the cheese look as delicious as it tastes. Our goal was to capture not just the product, but the feeling of the environment: the quiet focus of the makers and the timeless nature of their craft.

We loved working in such an authentic space. It’s a great reminder that when it comes to commercial food photography, sometimes the best lighting is the light that’s already there.

Are you a local producer looking to elevate your brand with professional, authentic food photography? [Get in touch with us at Pixel PR] to discuss your next shoot.

How to perk up a picture with fancy lighting

When I started my career, most people worked with their hands doing something tangible,usually making or mending something. This was often quite photogenic and this quite easy to create a pleasing picture. Nearly 40 years on and no one does that anymore. Although I try to avoid pictures of people in front of computer sometimes I'm forced to. So today I thought I'd share some ideas to make them a little more interesting.

This was a new university cyber security course for a prospectus. So I used the projector that's often found in classrooms and projected some computery matrix type photos onto the students. Another trick is to use the light of a screen to illuminate the user.

I’ve also used coloured gels on flash's to perk up a dull setting, for instance a bit of blue light on the background can all of the sudden make things look very high tech.

The coloured gels I use on my flashes can also have a wider range of results. Using this effect can enhance and add atmosphere to any shot.

New Kid On The Block

Becky in action on a recent school prospectus assignment a few weeks ago.

I’m delighted to welcome Pixel’s new apprentice, my daughter Becky. She’s been keen on photography ever since she was at primary school. She’s the third generation of Photographers in the Randall family. My dad started his career in the early 1970’s. I’m busy teaching Beck everything I know about the business and she’s joining me on most of my jobs, so hopefully you’ll get to meet her soon. Here are a few of her pictures from the summer.

Latest Video of Brand New White Friars Development in Gloucester

Busy Uni Year for new prospectus

I’ve enjoyed a busy couple of months photographing University of Gloucestershire students at work and play for the new prospectus. Here are just a few of my favourites.

New Cookbook

I’m ashamed at how slack I’ve been at writing blog pieces, but it has been very busy since May when pandemic restrictions were eased. Anyway, one of the things I’ve been doing is a cookbook and I’m delighted to say it’s now published. All proceeds go to The Stroud Women’s Refuge if you would like a copy you can order here.

A few positive words about the book.

‘I have just bought two more for friends. It is inspiring and incredibly thought provoking. The only cookbook that ever made me cry.’

‘I've just bought my copy of the cookbook from Stroud Bookshop - what a triumph. I've been sitting reading and looking at it for the last couple of hours and it's certainly a visual feast! You have done brilliantly in every respect, and I think it's so distinctive in its approach with the artwork, personal stories, and local emphasis. Thank you so much for having the vision and determination to develop the overall concept with such flair and for seeing this project through to completion!’

‘I think it's really fantastic - there is a great range of recipes, including leftovers, which is really excellent, and the photographs of the food are so good. I also like the fact that it's not just a cookbook, I've just been reading about our R.A.S. (which took me back a few years !!!!) and also about 'everything in moderation’ which is a reminder of my years of 'weight watchers' as that was their punchline. So much more than another cookery book.’

‘What a lovely book!  I love the mixture of recipes, artwork, stories and gorgeous pictures of food and it seems a really good idea just to have a limited number of recipes for each type of food so that you don't get overwhelmed by choice.  I've bought one for myself and one for my sister and am thinking of giving it to everyone at Christmas!’

'The cookery book is a huge success! I think I said that the courgettes and chickpeas were yummy. I’ve also made the cauliflower tikka - a winner. It seemed a bit time consuming but that is because the recipe was new to me. Next to try is the butter squash and cashew and coconut korma!' 

Now offering drone photography

Construction Industry

I think it’s fair to say that it’s been a tough year for Photographers. A lot of my business has been hit hard by the pandemic, that’s why I am so grateful for my lovely clients in the Construction Industry. Luckily they have been working throughout and have enabled me to feed my family. Being a director of my own little company means that I haven’t been helped by the government, so their work has been a lifeline. Here are a few of the pictures that have kept me busy.

Fire and Rescue Service

I’ve recently been helping the Fire and Rescue Service with their recruitment drive. I’ve worked for them before and I’m always humbled by their devotion to duty and their selflessness. Most of the guys I’ve photographed are On Call which means they do normal jobs and are ready to drop what they are doing and run to the Fire Station day or night. They really are a smashing bunch of humans that deserve our respect at all times.

Safe Group Shots

You don't have to hold off having business group shots. I can safely position people so everyone is safe and looking good. Drop me a line, my availability is good and my fee is eminently reasonable.

The New Outdoor Studio

Today I went on a shopping spree and bought all that is necessary for a Covid compliant Outdoor Studio. I’ve just tested the idea in my garden in the rain with my long suffering wife Claire and it works better than I could have hoped for.

I can set this whole studio up in in any outdoor space in pretty much any weather, it’s 3x3 metres, so distancing will be a breeze, infact for most shots I will be outside the studio shooting on a telephoto lens.

Now that we can all get our haircut I’m very much hoping this will enable my clients to confidently book me for their headshots soon.

Back to work

I’m delighted to say that this week I went back to work after 3 months. I was very relieved as I am one of the small limited company business owners that don’t qualify for government help.

The first shoot was for one of my long term clients, GreenSquare Homes. When I arrived on site I was given a squirt of hand sanitiser and had my temperature taken. As I expected social distancing was easy as I usually use long lenses that mean I have to be way more than 2 metres away. It felt good to be back, it’s the longest I’ve been away from work for nearly 30 years.

Pandemic Operating Guidelines

New PPE will be used on each shoot.

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To continue working through the pandemic Pixel PR Photography will be adhering to the following guidelines to keep everyone safe:

1. Strict social distancing, this is easily accomplished using telephoto lenses.

2. Thorough hand washing and cleaning of equipment.

3. I will wear gloves and a face mask.

4. If possible conduct the shoot outside.

5. Inside shoots to be in well ventilated spaces and keep the number of people in there at one time to a minimum.

6. Only one shoot per day.

7. Freshly cleaned clothes and disinfected equipment before each shoot.

* Covid 19 Update *

Following Government advice, Pixel PR Photography will be returning to work on the 1st June 2020. Using telephoto lenses social distancing can be adhered to at all times.
Client safety is our top priority in these difficult times so Clint will be using the correct PPE where appropriate and will follow strict safety measures. All photographic equipment will be wiped to ensure that everything is clean and safe to use. 

www.pixelprphotography.co.uk

Photos of the new normal

I’m starting to notice that pre pandemic website and brochure pictures are looking dated. People huddled together and shaking hands just look wrong now, a bit like people smoking in adverts.

Luckily the way I work is almost always done at a distance, the exception being the handshake at the beginning, but that can wait for now. I have always favoured telephoto lenses that blur the background, they also dictate that I have to keep at least 2-3m away from the subject.

Work portraits of individuals still look completely up to date.

Corporate portraits outside can be a great way to keep everyone safe during a photoshoot.