Commission Jo when the images need to carry humanity, credibility and commercial accuracy. Jo creates editorial, portrait and commercial photography shaped around people, place and story. Her work is built around character, context and atmosphere — creating images that feel human, intelligent and relateable.

Jo creates editorial, portrait and commercial photography for agencies, publications, brands and organisations. The work is people-led and can include campaign heroes, environmental portraits, workplace narrative, brand photography, documentary-style coverage and image libraries where tone, consistency and use all matter.

What makes the work useful to agencies and art directors?

The value is in how the brief is interpreted, not just how the images are taken. Jo understands that photography has to work inside a wider visual system: headlines, layouts, crops, campaign messages, brand tone, social formats, press requirements and client expectations. The images are made to feel strong on their own, but also to hold their place within the larger creative idea.

What is Jo best known for?

Jo Hanley is an editorial, portrait and commercial photographer known for making people look natural, confident and believable on camera — even in formal settings, tight schedules or shoots where the subject would rather be almost anywhere else. Her work is people-led, but never just about putting a person in front of a lens. Jo uses direction, humour, timing, light and location to draw something real out of the subject. The result is photography that feels relaxed without being loose, polished without being bland, and useful without looking over-produced. Clients often comment on the same two things: how comfortable the shoot felt, and how much was delivered from the time available. Jo works hard, reads people quickly and pushes each setting for everything it can give — not just one safe image, but a stronger, more useful set for editorial features, portraits, campaigns, corporate communications and wider brand use.

How is corporate photography handled differently?

Corporate photography does not have to mean generic headshots and safe office imagery. Jo works with corporate clients on headshots, leadership portraits, workplace photography, narrative image libraries, internal communications, recruitment stories, annual report imagery and brand profile photography. The aim is to make people and organisations look credible, specific and visually considered — not polished into anonymity. The difference is in the direction, location, body language, light and restraint. The images need to feel professional, but they also need enough character to work beyond the immediate requirement.

How is editorial photography approached?

Editorial photography is approached through story, atmosphere and point of view — but the work starts with the person, not the category. Jo looks for a setting that belongs to the subject in some way: a location that reflects their work, personality, energy, restraint, humour or contradiction. The environment is not just a backdrop. Wind, rain, awkward light, clutter, quietness, scale, colour, texture and movement can all become part of the photograph if they help tell the truth of the person or story. For agencies, editors and communications teams, the value is photography that feels observed and intelligent, not over-produced. It gives the subject visual weight without making the image feel staged.

How is commercial photography approached?

Commercial photography is approached with a clear understanding of the campaign, audience and final use. This can include advertising imagery, brand campaigns, campaign portraits, launch assets, recruitment campaigns, stills captured alongside TVC production, and wider commercial image sets that need to work across layouts, crops, formats and media placements. The photography has to support the creative idea, not compete with it. For art directors and agencies, the value is control without stiffness: images that hold the campaign tone, give enough range for different outputs, and still feel human enough to be believed.

Can Jo work from a tight creative brief?

Yes. Jo can work from a defined art direction, campaign concept, shot list or visual reference, while still bringing judgement to what happens in front of the camera. That matters because real locations, real people and real time constraints rarely behave exactly like the deck. The work stays aligned to the brief, but responsive enough to find stronger moments, better light, better posture and more useful images as the shoot develops.

Can one shoot deliver a wider image set?

Yes. A well-planned shoot can produce hero images, portraits, supporting moments, location context, details, social crops, press options and wider image-library material. This is where experience makes a difference. The strongest shoots are not just about getting “the shot.” They create a set of images with enough range to serve different formats, channels and future uses without losing visual consistency.

Jo is commissioned by creative agencies, art directors, picture editors, publications, communications teams, brands, cultural organisations, public-sector bodies and commercial clients. The common thread is usually the need for photography that feels considered, credible and distinctive. The client is not looking for stock-style business imagery. They need photographs that can carry tone, story and identity.

Do you work across Scotland, the UK and internationally?

Yes. Jo is based in Scotland and works across the UK and internationally. Commissions can be shaped around a single portrait, an editorial feature, a commercial campaign, a workplace story, a multi-location brief or a wider brand photography project. The approach is led by the creative requirement, not limited by geography.

What should clients expect on set?

Clients should expect calm direction, visual awareness and a photographer who can work with real people without overworking them. The process is professional but not heavy-handed. Jo can manage subjects, read the room, adapt to the location, protect the creative direction and keep the shoot moving. That is especially important when the subject is not a model, the schedule is tight, or the images need to feel natural without being left to chance.

What is Editorial Photography?

Editorial photography is image-led storytelling for people, places, organisations and ideas. It brings together portraiture, location, detail and documentary-style observation to create photographs with context, character and credibility. For brands, publications and communications teams, it gives you images that feel authentically human, while still doing a clear job across press, campaign and digital communications.

What is editorial photography used for by businesses, brands and publications?

Editorial photography is used to tell real stories about people, places, work and purpose. Businesses, agencies and publications use it for press features, founder profiles, campaign imagery, recruitment, annual reports, websites, social content and brand storytelling. The value is that the images feel credible rather than staged. They give a subject more depth than standard corporate photography and create a stronger visual narrative for communications teams, editors and audiences.

What does an editorial photographer do?

An editorial photographer creates images that support a story, feature, profile, campaign or message. That can include portraits, documentary-style images, workplace photography, behind-the-scenes coverage, location details and wider scene-setting images. The role is not just to take attractive photographs. It is to understand the story, read the subject, work with the available environment and create images that are visually strong, publishable and useful across multiple channels.

Do you work as an editorial photographer for brands as well as magazines?

Yes. Editorial photography is now widely used by brands, agencies, public-sector organisations, charities and corporate clients, not only magazines and newspapers. Many organisations want photography that feels more intelligent and human than standard corporate imagery. Editorial-style photography gives them images that work for press, campaigns, websites, social media, internal communications and long-term brand storytelling.

What is the difference between an editorial portrait and a corporate headshot?

A corporate headshot usually shows what someone looks like. An editorial portrait shows who they are, what they do and why they matter. Editorial portraits use location, light, expression, body language and context to create a more distinctive image. They are often used for press features, founder profiles, leadership stories, interviews, business media, campaign pages and publication use.

Can you photograph real people who are not models?

Yes. Most editorial commissions involve real people, not professional models. That can include founders, staff, customers, technicians, artists, business owners, patients, families, community members or members of the public. The shoot is directed enough to make the images strong, but not so heavily staged that people look false. The aim is to make people feel comfortable while still creating images with editorial quality and visual authority.

Can editorial photography be used for PR and press?

Yes. Editorial photography is one of the most useful forms of photography for PR and media use because it gives journalists, editors and communications teams stronger images to work with. It can support founder announcements, funding stories, interviews, campaign launches, profile pieces, public-sector communications, charity stories, business features and brand news. Strong editorial photography gives a story more chance of being noticed and used well.

Do you shoot editorial photography on location?

Yes. Editorial photography is often strongest when it is created on location because the setting helps tell the story. That may be a workplace, studio, home, public building, production space, cultural venue, industrial site, customer environment or outdoor location. The location gives the images context and makes the final photography feel more specific, believable and useful.

What is corporate editorial photography?

Corporate editorial photography uses an editorial approach for business and organisational storytelling. It is less formal than traditional corporate photography, but still highly controlled in quality, direction and usage. It is often used for leadership stories, recruitment campaigns, internal communications, annual reports, brand campaigns, case studies, customer stories and website imagery. The aim is to make the organisation feel credible, human and visually distinctive.

What makes strong editorial photography?

Strong editorial photography has a clear point of view. It does not just show a person or place; it helps the viewer understand why they matter. The best editorial images feel natural, but they are not accidental. They rely on strong direction, timing, light, composition and judgement. The result should feel authentic, but still visually considered and professionally controlled.

Can one editorial shoot create images for several uses?

Yes. A well-planned editorial shoot can produce a flexible image library for press, websites, social media, campaigns, reports, presentations and internal communications. This is often more valuable than commissioning one narrow image. A strong editorial shoot can include hero portraits, working images, wider scene-setting photographs, details, documentary moments and supporting images that give the client more long-term value from a single commission.

Do you work with agencies, editors and communications teams?

Yes. Jo Hanley Photography works with agencies, editors, producers, communications teams, public-sector organisations, charities, brands and direct clients. Editorial projects can be commissioned for publication, campaign use, brand storytelling, PR, web content, recruitment, internal communications or wider image-library development.

Do you work as an editorial photographer in Scotland and across the UK?

Yes. Jo Hanley Photography is based in Scotland and works across the UK and internationally. Projects can be delivered as single-location shoots, multi-location editorial stories, press portrait sessions, campaign photography, documentary-style commissions or broader image-library projects.

What kind of final images are delivered from an editorial shoot?

Final delivery depends on the brief, but an editorial shoot can include hero portraits, supporting portraits, documentary images, location photographs, working moments, detail images and wider narrative coverage. Images are professionally edited, processed and supplied for the agreed usage, whether that is press, web, social, campaign, internal communications or publication use.

What is corporate photography?

Corporate photography is professional photography created for businesses, organisations and leadership teams. It can include headshots, corporate portraits, business lifestyle, staff photography, leadership portraits and narrative image libraries. At its best, corporate photography does more than make people look presentable. It helps a business look credible, current and human. The aim is not staged office theatre. It is useful, intelligent photography that shows the people and culture behind the organisation.

What is the difference between corporate headshots, corporate portraits and narrative photography?

Corporate headshots are clean, consistent photographs of individuals. They are usually used for LinkedIn profiles, team pages, email signatures, speaker bios, press packs and internal directories. Corporate portraits are more considered and editorial in feel. They use location, light, posture and expression to show more personality, seniority and context. They are often used for founders, leadership teams, expert profiles, press features, annual reports and campaign pages. Narrative corporate photography, often called business lifestyle photography or workplace photography, shows people within the life of the organisation. It captures teams, conversations, leadership, working environments, details and culture, giving the business a broader image library beyond individual faces.

When should a business choose headshots?

Headshots are the right choice when a business needs a consistent set of professional profile images across a team. They are useful for websites, LinkedIn, email signatures, pitch documents, speaker bios, press use and internal systems. The job is simple but important: make everyone look credible, approachable and aligned. A good corporate headshot should still feel human. Even in a clean setup, people need direction, ease and enough personality to avoid looking stiff, blank or painfully aware of the camera.

When should a business choose corporate portraits?

Corporate portraits are better when an image needs more presence, character or story than a standard headshot can carry. They are often used for founders, senior leaders, directors, experts, consultants, board members and public-facing teams. A corporate portrait can sit closer to editorial portrait photography, using location, atmosphere and body language to say something about the person, their role and the organisation around them. The subject still needs to look professional, but the image should have more weight than a basic profile photograph. It should feel considered, specific and worth publishing.

What is narrative corporate photography?

Narrative corporate photography shows the people, culture and working life of a business. It is sometimes described as business lifestyle photography, workplace photography or corporate storytelling. This can include people in conversation, teams working, leadership in context, client interaction, office life, production, collaboration, details, spaces and moments that show how the organisation operates. It gives clients a flexible image library for websites, recruitment, campaigns, reports, social media, presentations and internal communications. Done badly, it becomes fake meeting-room theatre. Done properly, it gives the business visual credibility, atmosphere and texture.

Can one corporate shoot include headshots, portraits and narrative images?

Yes. A well-planned corporate photography shoot can combine headshots, corporate portraits and narrative workplace photography in one production. That is often the most useful approach. The business gets consistent team images, stronger portrait options for key people and a wider set of natural working images for websites, recruitment, campaigns, reports, social media and future brand use. The key is structure. Headshots, portraits and narrative images each have a different job, so the shoot needs to be planned around those uses rather than treated as one vague “content day.”

How do you make corporate photography feel natural?

Jo directs people clearly, keeps the process calm, uses humour where it helps and works quickly enough that people do not have time to overthink themselves into a version of someone being held against their will. The aim is to make people look confident, approachable and believable, even when the setting is formal or the subject hates being photographed. The difference is often small: posture, hands, expression, timing, space, light and knowing when someone has finally stopped performing.

What makes Jo’s corporate photography different?

Jo’s corporate photography is shaped by an editorial eye rather than a standard office-photo formula. The work focuses on making people look like themselves at their most credible, relaxed and useful. That means using the environment properly, drawing people out, finding the right tone for the organisation and pushing the available time to create more than one safe image. Clients often comment on the same two things: how comfortable the shoot felt, and how much was delivered from the time available. Jo works hard, reads people quickly and gives them space to enjoy the process.

Who commissions corporate photography?

Corporate photography is usually commissioned by marketing teams, communications teams, creative agencies, PR teams, founders, business owners, HR teams, internal comms leads and brand managers. Typical uses include company websites, team pages, LinkedIn profiles, press releases, funding announcements, recruitment campaigns, annual reports, pitch documents, thought-leadership content, brand refreshes and internal communications.

Do you photograph senior leaders, founders and teams?

Yes. Jo photographs founders, directors, leadership teams, employees, consultants, experts, creative teams and wider staff groups. The approach changes depending on the subject and the intended use. A founder may need something more editorial and distinctive. A leadership team may need consistency and authority. A wider staff shoot may need pace, ease and a process that keeps people relaxed while still producing strong, professional images.

Do you work on location at offices and workplaces?

Yes. Jo works on location. Corporate photography is created in offices, workplaces and client sites. This reduces disruption and time consumption for staff and leadership. For leadership portraits and narrative workplace photography, the location is part of the value. It gives the images context, texture and a stronger connection to the organisation. Headshots are set up as a studio space within a meeting room or similar space. For outlying staff, remote teams or people without access to a suitable office, a space can be arranged. The aim is always the same: create professional, consistent and natural images without forcing people into a setting that feels false.

Do you work across Scotland, the UK and internationally?

Yes. Jo is based in Scotland and works across the UK and internationally for corporate, editorial and commercial photography commissions. For global brands and multi-location businesses, the value is consistency. A single photographer can establish one visual approach across different offices, teams, countries and working environments, so the final image set feels joined-up rather than stitched together from different local suppliers. The value of using Jo company wide is visual consistency, easy briefing, clear direction and a stronger final image library. For brands that care about how they are seen, visual continuity is not a luxury.

What is commercial photography?

Commercial photography is photography created to sell, position or promote a brand, product, service, person or campaign. It can include advertising photography, campaign hero images, brand photography, commercial portraits, unit stills, stills captured alongside TVC production, social campaign assets, OOH imagery, website photography, launch imagery and image libraries for wider marketing use. The job is not simply to make something look good. The job is to make the image work for the brand, the idea, the audience and the placement.

Why commission Jo Hanley for a commercial photography brief?

Jo’s work is built for agencies and brands creating advertising, campaign hero images, unit stills, TVC companion stills, OOH, print, digital and social assets. When assets have to serve a clear idea without feeling over-produced. When the images need to hold to the layout, fit the campaign and still give the viewer something real to respond to. For agencies, the value is a production partner who can protect the creative direction. For brands, it is a set of images that feel human driven, with purpose, clarity and consciousness while delivering complete usability. For the audience, it is the difference between an image that simply does the job and one that feels considered, believable and worth noticing.

How do you approach a campaign photography brief?

A campaign photography brief starts with the idea: what the image needs to say, who it needs to reach, where it will be used and how it fits within the wider campaign. From there, the shoot is shaped around art direction, location, casting or contributors, tone, format, crops, usage and delivery requirements. The aim is to protect the creative direction while leaving room for the images to come to life once people, light and locations are involved. A strong commercial photograph should not just match the deck. It should make the idea solidify.

Can you work from an agency concept, art direction or campaign deck?

Yes. Jo can work from a defined agency concept, campaign deck, visual reference, shot list or art direction. The job is to understand the idea properly and translate it into still images that work in the real world. That means knowing what needs to stay fixed, what can flex and where a stronger image might appear once the shoot is underway. For agencies and art directors, that balance matters. You need a photographer who can follow the creative direction without becoming passive.

Do you create campaign hero images for advertising, OOH, print and digital use?

Yes. Campaign hero images are a central part of commercial photography. A hero image needs to carry the campaign idea clearly across formats. It may need to work for OOH, print advertising, digital display, campaign landing pages, press, social, internal launch material and wider brand communications. That means the image has to be composed with use in mind: copy space, crop flexibility, visual hierarchy, expression, resolution, clarity and impact. A strong hero image needs to look good, but it also needs to survive the layout.

Can you shoot stills alongside a TVC or moving-image production?

Yes. Jo can shoot stills alongside TVC, video and moving-image production. This can include unit stills, complementary campaign stills, portraits, social assets and OOH-ready stills connected to the same campaign world. The stills should not feel like leftovers from the moving-image shoot. They need to sit naturally beside the TVC while standing as proper photographic assets in their own right.

What is your approach to unit stills and complementary campaign stills?

Unit stills need awareness of the moving-image production: schedule, crew, talent, lighting, blocking, continuity and the pressure around the main shoot. Complementary campaign stills need more deliberate photographic control. They may use the same talent, location, styling, wardrobe or campaign world as the TVC, but they are composed and directed for still-image use across advertising, OOH, print, digital, press or social. They are connected jobs, but not identical ones. Unit stills extend the production. Campaign stills carry the campaign.

How do you make directed commercial photography still feel believable?

Directed commercial photography still has to feel human. Jo works with posture, expression, gesture, timing, humour, light and environment to stop controlled images becoming stiff. Whether the subject is talent, a customer, an employee, a founder or a real contributor, the aim is to make the image feel intentional without making the person look over-managed. That is usually where the best commercial photography sits: clearly directed, but still believable.

Can one commercial shoot deliver hero images, supporting assets and wider brand content?

Yes, a commercial shoot can deliver campaign hero images, supporting stills, portraits, social crops, press options, digital assets, OOH and wider brand-library content. The risk is trying to capture everything without giving each asset a clear role. The strongest shoots create range without losing consistency.

How do you maintain consistency across different campaign outputs?

Consistency comes from clear visual decisions: lighting, tone, composition, direction, colour, location use, subject treatment and post-production style. This matters when images need to work across OOH, print, digital, social, PR, web and internal brand channels. The crops and uses may change, but the campaign should still feel visually joined-up. Good consistency does not mean every image looks the same. It means every image feels like it belongs to the same idea.

Do you work across Scotland, the UK and internationally for commercial campaigns?

Yes. Jo works locally across the UK and internationally for commercial photography, advertising campaigns, brand photography and agency-led commissions. She is experienced working with different locations, production structures and campaign environments, from local to national and international commissions. Whether the shoot is small and direct or part of a larger production, Jo is comfortable working with agencies, producers, art directors, clients, contributors, talent and crew. The value is calm experience: understanding the brief, reading the room, adapting to the location and delivering stills that feel considered, useful and aligned with the campaign.

[ uk based editorial, corporate, commercial photographer ]

Human-driven narrative and portrait photography made for agencies, publications and brands across the UK and around the world

I know how to work with people who are nervous, powerful, guarded, brilliant, impatient, funny, awkward or simply short on time.

I understand the brief, the people in the room, the pressure on the client, the role of the agency, the potential of the location and the fact that images have to do more than look good in a collection. They have to earn their place in the world — on a campaign, in a publication, across a website, within a brand and in front of an audience that can move on quickly.

Working from bases in Edinburgh and London, Jo creates editorial, corporate and commercial photography for agencies, publications and brands across the UK and internationally.

Her work combines technical control, creative instinct and a clear understanding of how images need to perform across campaigns, publications, websites and brand communications.

Jo’s brand-conscious work is tailored to the needs of each project.

ADVERTISING / CAMPAIGN / KEY ART

LEADERSHIP / NARRATIVE / HEADSHOTS / RECRUITMENT

PORTRAIT / NARRATIVE / FEATURE

London based Commercial Photographer Jo Hanley

How do you make an octopus giggle?

Commissions for agencies, publications and organisations across editorial, corporate and commercial photography.

Selected clients include:

· Amazon · Apple · Google · BT Group · NHS · Comic Relief · JPMorgan Chase & Co · Lloyds Banking Group · PwC · NatWest Group · Bank of Scotland · Whyte & Mackay · Grant’s · Diageo · Pernod Ricard · OurWhisky Foundation · Sony · Twitch · Polydor Records · Rolling Stone · The Wall Street Journal · Financial Times · The New York Times · The Sunday Times Magazine · Qantas · British Airways · Boeing · Toyota · Volvo · Bentley · World Health Organisation · Getty · BP · Nike · Scottish Rugby · Runner’s World · Everllence · BAE ·

Much of my work is protected by client confidentiality or privilege.
To learn more about my experience and what I can do for you, get in touch.

If your requirements are complicated or time-sensitive,
feel free to call directly.

+44 (0) 7765-881-693

VAT Registration Number GB457489930
Part of the Swagger Productions Group.
SWAGGER PRODUCTIONS ltd.
EDINBURGH – Scotland.

©2008 – Infinity.
When I go, I’m going like Elsie.

[ uk based editorial, corporate, commercial photographer ]

Human-driven narrative and portrait photography made for agencies, publications and brands across the UK and around the world

ADVERTISING / CAMPAIGN / KEY ART

LEADERSHIP / NARRATIVE / HEADSHOTS / RECRUITMENT

PORTRAIT / NARRATIVE / FEATURE

Much of my work is protected by client confidentiality or privilege.To learn more about my experience and what I can do for you, get in touch.

VAT Registration Number GB457489930Part of the Swagger Productions Group.SWAGGER PRODUCTIONS ltd.EDINBURGH – Scotland.©2008 – Infinity.When I go, I’m going like Elsie.

Much of my work is protected by client confidentiality or privilege.
To learn more about my experience and what I can do for you, get in touch.

VAT Registration Number GB457489930
Part of the Swagger Productions Group.
SWAGGER PRODUCTIONS ltd.
EDINBURGH – Scotland.

©2008 – Infinity.
When I go, I’m going like Elsie.