CREATIVE
Commercial, branding & headshot photography
With soul and personality
for individuals, brands & organisations who care
My style & approach
My images are inspired by my genuine love of people and their stories. I specialise in natural, vibrant and artistic photography that captures the individuality, style and personality of my clients.
I love to work with adventurous, big-hearted people who place value on soul, creativity, purpose and character. Whether you’re an artist, musician, school, small business owner or a larger organisation, I can offer you exciting, creative, bespoke photography that is as unique as you are.
I pride myself not only on the high quality and creativity of my images, but also on being an easy person for you to work with. Years of experience as both a photographer and teacher mean you’re in safe, professional, capable hands.
I’m calm, proactive, adaptable and unflappable but also ensure I bring positivity and warmth to every job I undertake. I don’t just want to give you great pictures – I want you to feel totally at ease in my company and thoroughly enjoy the whole process from start to finish.
“Anna is a dream to work with. From the start of our project together, Anna understood my brand values and vision for the shoot which was so important to me; she was able to take my words and form them into wonderful images. We had so much fun on the day and both agreed it was one of the best days at work we’d ever had! Anna’s photographs of the Acorn & Pip look book were joyful, playful and full of character – just like Anna.”
– LUCY, ACORN & PIP
CHECK OUT MY
Portfolio
HELLO, I’M ANNA
A little bit about me
Based in Manchester, I’ve nearly 20 years experience working as a photographer all over the UK.
For the last decade I’ve also been a well- respected photography educator, running workshops, courses, communities and mentoring programmes for photographers, helping them to develop and grow their own businesses, as well as regularly speaking on podcasts, panels and at major photography events and universities both in the UK and overseas (details here).
As a past secondary school teacher and one of the country’s leading family photographers, I specialise in, and particularly love working with, family-focused brands, early years, the public sector, education and social care.
Past clients include Tommee Tippee, Family Fund, Primary Languages Network, Lion Eyes TV, Acorn & Pip, Conexus Medstaff, Blackpool Council, Boltholes & Hideaways, Tameside College, Wild Rumpus & Forward Institute.
“Working with Anna was so easy. She understood our brief perfectly and was able to deliver some really contemporary photographs of our school, which capture the heart and soul of the children and staff, and not just the bricks and mortar. We have had so many compliments on our new suite of photographs and will definitely use Anna again in the future.”
“I’m absolutely delighted with the photos Anna has taken for me. They have a freshness and an individuality that I have seen nowhere else. Using only natural light, and no fuss, she created a stunning selection of natural and captivating pictures that I’m thrilled to be able to choose from. On the day, Anna made the shoot so easy and enjoyable that I would love to do it all over again! I cannot recommend her enough.”
“All I can say is WOW. I’m genuinely in awe of how fab the photos are. I had high expectations having seen your portfolio but they’re even better than I imagined. It’s been lovely to work with you; you’re so unbelievably good at what you do. We’ve had so many compliments internally and externally on your pictures, so your contact has already been passed around a lot!”
YOUR UNIQUE
Requirements
Every commercial photography client is unique and I’m experienced in a range of different types of photography, listed below. Many clients require a hybrid of these different types within the same shoot, depending on budget, locations, objectives, brand identity, audiences and practical requirements.
Brands
I can capture a 360 degree view of your business so that potential clients see not only the products/services you offer, but also the person/people, ethos, personality and message that underpin what you do – the full story of your own unique brand.
We can capture any/all of the following: your products/services (including lifestyle shots of them being used in situ), premises & interiors, behind the scenes, you (and your team if you have one) at work, headshots, team shots, flat lays, packaging and happy customers.
We can either use your own premises or a location of your choice if you have one in mind, or I can advise on other suitable locations that will seamlessly align with your own brand.
As a family photographer and qualified teacher, I particularly specialise in photographing family and educational brands, artists and creatives.
Headshots
Whether you’re after photographs for your own website or for professional or personal social media profiles, I’ll give you a set of creative images that are not just relaxed, artistic and memorable but that portray your own unique style and personality.
If you’re nervous about being in front of the camera, don’t worry one bit – I don’t ‘do’ stuffy portraits – the process will be quick and painless, I promise not to tell you to say ‘cheese’, and there’s a strong chance you’ll end up actually having fun, most people do!
We’ll ideally take some outdoors, wandering around a little for a range of different backgrounds. We can go with a more urban backdrop, something more green and natural, or a mixture of the two. If you like, we can also head indoors for some more relaxed, cosier shots. These can be taken either in your own home or at a location of your choice, such as a favourite café or office/work space.
Schools, nurseries & colleges
As a fully qualified secondary school teacher and experienced family photographer, working with children and teenagers is very much in my wheelhouse and something I’m extremely passionate about! The most rewarding part of taking these images is helping to foster pride, confidence and a sense of being valued and belonging among each community by showing all the hard work, dedication and magic that make these special places such an important and impactful part of people’s lives.
Whether it’s early years, vocational or academic, and whether for a website, prospectus, press or social media, I can capture everything that makes each place unique – buildings, displays, facilities, resources, extra curricular activities, sports, classes in action and of course most importantly, the staff and young people themselves.
Community organisations
I specialise in working with care-focused organisations – big-hearted enterprises that firmly place human wellbeing as their core priority. With a background in education, I’ve a real passion for working with people who want to make a difference, and especially love undertaking work for social care, family support services, community outreach programmes, youth organisations, care homes, non-profits, social enterprises, councils, healthcare providers and charities.
I can capture service users, staff (at work, headshots and/or behind the scenes), facilities, resources, literature, events, premises and interiors. Whether the images are needed for websites, posters, billboards, campaigns, press or social media, I am committed to capturing the heart and soul of what you do, who you do it for and why.
Events
I love photographing events – they’re chock-full of my favourite things – people, stories, energy and often exciting, unrepeatable moments. Whether it’s a festival, charity event, corporate seminar or team-building day, awards ceremony, convention, trade show, workshop, launch party, networking event, conference or cultural celebration, no two events are the same, and I love telling each unique story through exciting, soulful, dynamic images that transport you right back to seeing and feeling what it was like to actually be there.
With a background in photographing weddings (I shot them for over a decade) I’m an expert in dealing with the various rigours large events demand – being quick on your feet, unobtrusive and stealthy, calmly dealing with the unexpected, coping with tricky and changing lighting, knowing exactly where to be and when, proactively spotting and anticipating special moments, staying calm among the chaos and putting large groups of people at ease – I’ll have it all under control so you can just relax and enjoy it.
Food, cafés, pubs, bars & restaurants
As a lifelong gannet, food has always been right up there on my list of priorities, and is, in my opinion, one of life’s biggest pleasures. Combine that with spending time in good company in a welcoming environment and you have a winning combo that’s hard to beat. I love little more than spending happy hours sharing good food, drink, laughter and chats with those close to me in our favourite cafés, pubs, bars and restaurants.
I enjoy taking photos of the food and hospitality industry as much as I relish being a customer, capturing vibrant images that bring each individual establishment to life. Whether it’s for a website, social media, press or menus, I can capture premises, interiors, décor, food, drinks, staff and happy customers – any and all of the elements that showcase each place’s unique style, taste, personality and atmosphere.
Musicians
As a creative myself, I love collaborating with other artists and creatives, and musicians are so much fun to capture thanks to the tangible presence, energy and emotion that’s generated when someone skilled sings or plays their favourite instrument. Many musicians are also up for experimenting with creating artistic, dramatic, unusual images that more traditional professions might shy away from. Everyone is different; whether classical or modern, individuals or bands, creatively posed or candidly documented, I capture and celebrate the individual identity, personality and style of the person behind the music.
I can document the intensity, passion and atmosphere of live performances, the quieter, more intimate energy found backstage and in studio sessions, and can bring to life artistic vision and personality through promo shoots. For all these, I deliver vibrant, soulful, memorable imagery for your album artwork, publicity shots, websites and/or social media that powerfully connects people with both you and your music.
Architecture & interiors
With a keen eye for design and a personal passion for interiors, I love creating beautifully and carefully constructed images that show spaces in their absolute best light. My style is dynamic, focusing on bold lines, precise crops and carefully chosen angles and compositions. I balance wider exterior / interior shots with attention to the smaller details such as materials, décor, furniture, fabrics and textures that make each space unique. Using a balance of natural window light and interior ambient lighting I aim to capture the atmosphere, mood and soul of a space, not just its fixtures and fittings.
Whether warm, airy, modern, historic, dramatic, simple, maximalist or minimal, and whether a home, office, institution, hotel, historic building, holiday let, corporate headquarters or brand premises, I can ensure it is captured in its full glory, looking as appealing and inviting as possible so that it’s a space people can imagine themselves in, and want to be in.
As seen in
SOME
Client love
“Within minutes of seeing Anna’s wonderful work online we got in touch to see if she’d be open to doing our latest brand promo shoot. From the word ‘go’, Anna was attentive, proficient and bursting at the seams with ideas and always happy to go the extra mile, full of smiles. When the photos arrived we were blown away with the colour and dimension she’d managed to get. Anna’s photos now feature extensively in our album artwork and across our website and social media – always receiving high praise and attention.”
“As someone who hates having her photo taken, I was a little anxious about the session. However, the time I spent with Anna was like hanging out with an old friend. She instantly put me at ease, and it showed in the photos; I was spoilt for choice when it came to selecting the images.”
“Before we even got to the shoot, Anna was communicative, flexible, helpful and warm over email. I trusted her artistic judgment already as I’d seen the stunning photos on her website and had already had one shoot with her (yes, this was my second!) Anna found imaginative corners (and, on occasion, puddles!) to capture the most beautiful colours, light and ultimately, photographs. I couldn’t recommend Anna highly enough; choose her as your photographer and you’ll be thrilled with the results.”
Next steps
Download my brochure for full details and pricing.
If you’ve any questions at all, I’d love to hear from you – just drop me a message to tell me a little about what you’re planning and I’ll let you know how I can help. You can do this via:
– Email – anna@annahardy.co.uk
– Instagram DM – @annahardyphoto or
– My contact form
Whatever suits you best.
Let’s chat!
ANNA
