Reverend Richard Coles recently bought his ‘An Audience With’ Tour to Birmingham & as a Midlands Editorial Portrait Photographer it was a huge honour to photograph the star. Back in 1987 when I was a spotty teenager at Art College, The Communards were one of my favourite bands. The energy & umistakeable voice of Jimmy Sommerville, combined with the musical talents of Richard Coles were a force to be reckoned with. Fast forward to 2018 & Richard has formed a successful career on his own with words like Author, Broadcaster & of course Reverend to name but a few credits added to his incredible CV.
I met up with Richard at The Core which is based in Solihull at the Touchwood Centre. Previously known as ‘The Solihull Arts Complex” the building is a multi-purpose Arts Venue containing a 336 seat Theatre, Studio, Courtyard Gallery & Eatery. The perfect space for an intimate Audience ready to hear Richard talk about his incredible life. A warm & generous man with a fabulous sense of humour, Rev Coles was relaxed throughout the shoot & an absolute joy to photograph. I wanted to capture a selection of images that conveyed both his personality but also the awesome location. I loved the purple colour of the seating & once illuminated with the house lights created the perfect backdrop for the Editorial Portraits.
Using a combination of the ambient Theatre lights together with my own location lighting, ensured striking Portraits would be captured. As a Professional Photographer I always use the best equipment & my choice of lighting comes from Profoto. Powerful lights that are both portable and reliable are a must for a Photographer who shoots on location. The Profoto system can be set up in minutes, which is perfect when photographing celebrities with a busy schedule. I can then concentrate on ensuring a great connection & I chatted with Richard as I captured these portraits. Natural expressions & personality are key elements to my Portraiture work. Here is one of my favourite images from the set, which I think captures his warmth & friendly personality:
Take a look at More Portrait Photography Posts:
Rapper Professor Green launches new book ‘Lucky’ in Birmingham
Miles Hunt of The Wonderstuff performs Acoustic Set in Birmingham
Editorial Portraits of Author Rosie Goodwin
Portraits of Lord Henry Plumb at his Warwickshire Home
