Jon Enoch is an award-winning London advertising photographer and director with a bold, uncomplicated approach to his images.
In the competitive world of advertising photography, success often hinges on pivotal moments in one’s career.
These moments shape an individual’s unique style and set them apart from others in the industry.
In this blog, we sit down with a renowned portrait and advertising photographer to explore their journey. And delve into the experiences that have contributed significantly to their success.
From photographing The Arctic Monkeys during their early days to working with high-profile clients like Neymar and Facebook.
We gain insights into their creative process, adaptability, and the pressures of meeting the expectations of renowned brands with your brand photography.
Q1. Can you share a pivotal moment in your career that you believe contributed significantly to your success as a portrait & advertising photographer?
Ans. Very early on while I was at university, I did a week of work experience at the local newspaper. It wasn’t part of my course, it was just something I organised myself.
The newspaper got a call from a national music magazine asking if they could recommend someone to shoot a few bits for them.
I was sitting there on the desk next to the picture editor and he passed the phone to me.
The music magazine wanted me to take some photos at a little gig in a local pub, which I did. The band turned out to be The Arctic Monkeys, who were still at school. I guess it was a pivotal moment. A good dose of fortune but you also make your own luck.
Q2. Your approach to images is described as bold and uncomplicated. How did you develop and refine this unique style, and how does it set you apart in the competitive world of advertising photography?
Ans. I learned early on that it’s really important to have a distinct style, which was then confirmed for me when I signed to an agent. I spent a long time refining my style, which develops over time with endless practice and work.
It really does help to stand apart from other photographers because you get known in the industry for a signature style.
Of course, the end goal is to be requested by name by clients because they want the look that only you can produce.
This doesn’t mean you can’t evolve and grow your style over time, as long as it’s a natural evolution, and not an overnight change in what you do.
I am known for producing bold, strong portrait photography and my use of lighting.
Q3. Working with a diverse range of clients, from Facebook to Stand up to Cancer, must present various challenges. How do you adapt your creative process to meet the distinct needs and expectations of different brands and organizations?
Ans. I would say the most important element is communication. The process starts long before the photo shoot does.
I spend a lot of time working through the brief, asking questions, planning the creative look and ensuring that everyone is happy before we even begin the shoot.
There is always a delicate line between working within each brand’s own guidelines and their look and the creative process. This always gets easier with time, and I’m constantly learning as I move through my career.
Q4. Can you take us behind the scenes of a memorable shoot with one of your high-profile clients, and what were the key elements that made it successful?
Ans. I shot the footballer Neymar in Paris for a beer brand, which is as high profile as you can get.
Logistically it was a bit of a nightmare – the flights were on strike which meant the Eurostar train was full so we ended up having to drive, so that was all a little stressful.
It was a hugely important shoot, so I was in the studio early, hours ahead of when we might be shooting.
This was really important to the success of the shoot because I wanted to set up a number of lighting setups and then have the ability to switch between them in seconds.
On a high-profile shoot like this, the most important thing is to prepare for the worst-case scenario – which will inevitably happen.
It could be that he will be late, or even worse, very late, and our allocated time is crunched right down to allow for all the other things he has to do for the brand.
And this is where experience comes in. With the amount of prep I do, I can shoot in ten minutes which might have taken me around an hour to shoot when I was starting out.
It’s also about being unflappable, no matter what is happening. As you can imagine, someone like Neymar has a fairly large entourage.
Then throw in 25 more agency and client people and then cut the time down dramatically. It takes a certain mentality to be able to block out the noise and focus on producing the shots required, and essentially your best work under a large amount of pressure.
Q5. Being equally comfortable on location and in the studio is a valuable skill. How do you decide whether a project is best suited for on-location shooting or in-studio work?
Ans. This depends on so many different elements of a brief – on the final look that is required, the budget and the lighting requirements, for example.
Usually we know pretty early on, whether the client is planning around a location shoot or a studio shoot or what will work best.
Q7. Working with NGOs and large enterprises adds a philanthropic dimension to your work. How do you approach storytelling through your images when working with organizations like Stand up to Cancer or The RNLI?
Ans. My style tends to lead and is applicable across many different areas. Whether it’s a corporate photoshoot or a sports personality, or a brand advertising campaign.
Even my personal projects still stay within my own style and brand – it is important that my style remains cohesive. Some clients allow for a little more creativity, while others know exactly what they want – and that’s fine.
Ultimately, it comes down to a gut feel and of course, what you chose to show in my end portfolio. A good image doesn’t necessarily belong in your portfolio if it sits a little too far outside of your world.
I think as your career progresses you can narrow that field – largely as you have more to choose from. It’s sort of counterintuitive in a way.
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Q7. Working with NGOs and large enterprises adds a philanthropic dimension to your work. How do you approach storytelling through your images when working with organizations like Stand up to Cancer or The RNLI?
Ans. I think as you mentioned, it’s really important to remember that storytelling is the key focus when working with charities or NGOs.
I really need to understand who they are and what their objectives are in order to get across the messages and the narrative in the work.
That part is a really important part of the brief – I ask them for the full details around their objectives and the specifics of that campaign to fully understand what they need.
Q8. With a client list that includes major names like Facebook and American Airlines. As an advertising photographer, how do you handle the pressure of meeting the expectations of such renowned brands when it comes to brand photography?
Ans. Obviously the bigger the brand, the bigger the pressure but at the same time the teams involved tend to be far more experienced.
They have been there and done that and so know what is involved in a photoshoot.
The largest hurdles really come from the smaller brands or those that are trying to push up.
Sometimes this can mean that you as the photographer have to bring them along with you in terms of setting out what is required to meet their expectations.
Comparatively, an established brand will have been through that process a number of times. So we are both likely to be on the same page around how the process works, budgets, expectations etc.
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Q9. What do you like to do other than photography?
Ans. Following sports keeps me fairly busy. I have a dog that I love to walk around the neighborhoods as I am a London photographer.
There is also a pretty active restaurant and bar scene that I like to dip my toe into.
Q10. What are your plans for the next 6 months?
Ans. I’m very fortunate to have been very busy since various global Covid-19 lockdown situations were lifted.
My next six months are also looking pretty busy in terms of booked client work. I’m planning a working trip to Cape Town, South Africa.
Q11. As a portrait and advertising photographer, your list of clients is impressive. Is there a project that you haven’t worked on yet but would love to pursue in the future?
Ans. I love working with sports personalities. So anyone that is up and coming, or a legend in their field, would be on the list.
Apart from that, I’d love to keep working with brands that have big ideas and are happy to give me creative freedom. Throw in a bit of travel, and I’m happy.
Final Thoughts
The path to success as an advertising photographer is paved with dedication, perseverance, and a distinct style.
Our conversation with this talented advertising photographer reveals many things. Like the importance of seizing opportunities, developing a unique approach, and constantly evolving to meet the diverse needs of clients.
From memorable shoots with high-profile clients to philanthropic endeavors, Jon’s journey is a testament to the power of storytelling through images.
As they continue to push boundaries, create captivating visuals, and explore new horizons, their future promises exciting possibilities in the world of advertising photography.
View more of Jon’s work here
