When Public House first called about collaborating on FBD's second-iteration SME campaign, I was all in. They wanted to build on last year's success by visiting business owners in their own spaces, and they'd seen my personal work on SNIP | LONDON and knew I could bring that same authenticity. The brief was simple but ambitious: 11 businesses in four days, covering 1,200 km of Ireland.
From day one, the goal was to capture each business's true character, but with consistently beautiful light. I proposed a lightweight yet versatile kit: four lights with interchangeable modifiers, plus a big reflector head for punching warm, window-filtered "sunlight" through any spaces we could. This setup let us shape and supplement whatever natural light we found, rain or shine, while maintaining a welcoming, warm tone. For each stop, we'd spend about two hours: framing our hero key visual, then ditching the tripod to shoot action shots that show owners at work.
When Public House first called about collaborating on FBD's second-iteration SME campaign, I was all in. They wanted to build on last year's success by visiting business owners in their own spaces, and they'd seen my personal work on SNIP | LONDON and knew I could bring that same authenticity. The brief was simple but ambitious: 11 businesses in four days, covering 1,200 km of Ireland.
From day one, the goal was to capture each business's true character, but with consistently beautiful light. I proposed a lightweight yet versatile kit: four lights with interchangeable modifiers, plus a big reflector head for punching warm, window-filtered "sunlight" through any spaces we could. This setup let us shape and supplement whatever natural light we found, rain or shine, while maintaining a welcoming, warm tone. For each stop, we'd spend about two hours: framing our hero key visual, then ditching the tripod to shoot action shots that show owners at work.
Space and time were tight, everything had to fit in my car alongside my assistant, Thomas, so portability was key. Our main key-light stayed constant for consistency; the other three lights were used to sculpt background elements or add drama. By lighting the entire scene, not just a single shot, I could quickly come off the tripod and shoot the action shots.
We didn't have room for a digi to come with us, so I brought my portable digi kit, tethering to my laptop, with an iPad for the agency and clients to review as we shot. Before the trip, I'd made a grid-overlay guide, so every frame was ready for its final OOH format. We even overlaid mock-up artwork on-site so business owners could see their future billboards in real time, a lovely touch to build the excitement.
By day two, our rhythm was locked in: three metres from camera to subject, consistent tripod height, and a clear lighting style. Every new location became a an exercise in finding our frame, some more challenging than others but I love a good creative challenge.
This campaign wouldn't have been possible without an all-hands-on-deck mindset. From load ins/outs to client liaison, everyone chipped in to keep us moving and on track. After four days on the road, we wrapped shooting and immediately moved into selects and retouch prep.
I brought on Matt Brewin for final retouch, and his artistry elevated these images to a whole new level, he totally understood the warm, authentic vision and ran with it. Seeing the campaign live, triptych billboards nationwide and print ads rolling out, has been incredible. While I haven't retraced that 1,200 km loop to see every board in person, I've loved watching business owners share photos of "their" billboards on social media.
Want a behind-the-scenes look at how it all came together? Check out the BTS video to feel the energy and teamwork that made this campaign happen.
