Ordinary to Extraordinary: Portraits in Crappy Locations (The Societies Convention)

Ordinary to Extraordinary: Portraits in Crappy Locations

There’s a special kind of location photographers know all too well.

Not a “location”, really. More a “this will do” space.

A meeting room with ceiling lights that flatten everything into corporate sadness. A corridor with carpet that’s seen things. A basement that feels like it was designed by someone who actively dislikes joy.

And yet these are the places we’re asked to make portraits. Not golden hour in Tuscany. Not a beautiful studio with big north-facing windows and a coffee machine that makes you feel like a functioning adult. Just a slightly awkward space and the polite instruction to “work your magic”.

Last week at The Societies Convention, we leaned right into that reality with my Superclass: Ordinary to Extraordinary: Portraits in Crappy Locations.

The group were brilliant. Proper up for exploring, experimenting, and laughing as we wandered around the hotel looking for pockets of light and backgrounds that didn’t scream “conference package”.

That’s the whole point of the class: building a repeatable process you can use when the location isn’t helping and you don’t have time to sulk about it.

We had two absolute stars to work with. The gorgeous Emily – Irish, very tall, wonderfully expressive – and her partner Joe – Welsh, also very tall, and an absolute joy to photograph. The kind of models who make teaching easier because they can move, react, and give you expression without needing ten minutes of explanation and a small interpretive dance.

We started in the meeting room. It’s the perfect reminder that you can make something strong even when the environment is doing its best to resist you. We looked at how to assess a space quickly, find usable light, simplify the frame, and get clean compositions without loads of kit or a minor renovation budget.

Then we did the sensible thing and nipped outside. The group switched into full “hunt mode”. We found light, reflections, and angles that made the hotel feel less… hotel. A bit of bright sky became a softbox. A reflective surface gave us depth and interest. It’s amazing how quickly things improve when you stop fighting the ceiling lights and start treating the place like a puzzle.

My favourite images of the whole afternoon came from a little corridor behind the escalators. Not glamorous. Not dramatic. Just useful. Great lines, manageable light, a clean-ish background, and enough separation from the chaos to make the portraits feel intentional. That corridor proved the point perfectly: you’re not looking for “nice”. You’re looking for workable.

And then we finished in the basement. We started by playing with what was around us – teaspoons and perspex card holders, using reflections to create little highlights and unexpected shapes. Then we brought out my video light and the Phottix tube lights, added the red and blue filters, and suddenly the basement stopped being a basement and became a set.

Bold, graphic, cinematic portraits from a space that, five minutes earlier, looked completely uninspiring.

I was at the show as part of the judging team as well as speaking for The Societies and Elinchrom. Honestly, I can’t think of a better way to start the year. Tiring, yes. But also a real creative energiser.

And if the photographers who joined the Superclass left feeling even a slice of that, then I’m a happy man.

Small and portable kit I had in my bag

NEEWER BASICS RGB Photography Flashlight – Amazon – around £45
Phottix T200R RGB LED Tube Light – Wex / Amazon / The Flash Centre – around £50
SmallRig RGBWW Video Light – SmallRig / Wex / Amazon – around £70

Thank you to Barnett Photo Studio for the BTS images.

Dramatic spotlight portrait of suited man against plain wall, Societies Convention 2026

Photographer demonstrating LED light tube positioning on portrait subject at Societies Convention

Dramatic low-key portrait of bearded man in black suit, dark studio lighting

Black and white male portrait shot at The Societies of Photographers Convention London

Black and white portrait of woman in quilted jacket at The Societies Convention London

Photographers crouching low to shoot a portrait in a London courtyard

Couple sharing a joyful moment during portrait masterclass at The Societies Convention London

Black and white couple portrait from photography masterclass at The Societies Convention London

Black and white couple portrait from Societies of Photographers Convention masterclass, London

Photographers shooting outdoor portrait session at The Societies Convention London 2026

Dramatic portrait with warm rim light against deep blue background, London 2026

Dramatic blue-toned portrait of woman with silver hair at The Societies Convention London

Photographers reviewing camera shots during portrait masterclass at London convention

Woman in black leaning against glass wall in modern corridor, convention portrait

Woman in black leaning against metallic wall at Societies of Photographers Convention London

Woman in black leaning against wall in modern corridor, Societies Convention London

Model posed in striped corridor during Societies of Photographers Convention masterclass

Blonde woman in black outfit leaning against white wall in polished corridor, The Societies Convention London

Black and white studio portrait of woman leaning on white table at Societies Convention

Photographer shooting female model at hotel reception desk during masterclass

Studio-style portrait of a woman leaning on a reflective white surface at The Societies Convention

Black and white portrait of woman leaning on white piano at photography convention

Photographers shooting portraits in a hotel corridor with dramatic red and green lighting

Blonde woman leaning on reflective surface bathed in dramatic red neon light

Dramatic red-lit studio portrait of blonde woman at The Societies Convention London

Dramatic studio portrait with red and blue gel lighting at The Societies Convention

Photographers practising portrait techniques in a hotel lobby at The Societies Convention

Dramatic silhouette portrait against vivid blue spotlight at photography masterclass