Shooting Griff for Casio
Some shoots start the moment you walk into the space. The atmosphere, the subject, the client — all of it fuses together, and you know you’re about to create something memorable. My recent portrait session with Griff for Casio was exactly that.
A Bit of Background
Griff is one of those rare artists who carries her own weather with her. A BRIT Award winner, songwriter, and producer, she’s built a reputation on individuality — blending emotional honesty with a bold, modern edge. There’s a quiet confidence about her that fills the room before the lights even fire. Photographing Griff isn’t just about capturing a likeness; it’s about finding that energy and translating it into an image that feels both intimate and powerful.
The Setting
The location was a restaurant in the middle of London. Not your typical studio — but that’s part of the challenge I thrive on. Restaurants are meant for conversation, for noise, for movement. On this day, we needed to turn it into something else entirely: a place where time slowed down and the focus narrowed to a single subject.
So we built a studio from scratch. A cloth backdrop went up against the wall, neutralising the chaos of the setting and carving out a space that was entirely Griff’s. With the background in place and the lights carefully positioned, the restaurant melted away. What remained was a controlled environment, intimate and cinematic — proof that with the right vision, you can create a studio wherever you happen to be.
The Lighting
Lighting Griff was about balance. I wanted softness, but I didn’t want to lose the strength in her features. A five-foot Octaserved as the key, positioned close to wrap her in gentle, sculpted light. It gave the images warmth and intimacy, while still holding on to that edge of drama. To open up the shadows and keep a touch of detail on the far side, I brought in a strip light on camera right. It was subtle, just enough to add dimension without flattening the portrait.
The setup was simple, but simplicity is often the hardest thing to achieve. Everything had to feel effortless — the light, the backdrop, the mood — so that Griff’s personality could take the lead.
The Result
The final portraits carry a kind of duality: they feel as if they were shot in the quiet of a private studio, yet they hold the immediacy of being created on location, in the middle of London, in a space that wasn’t built for photography. That tension gives the images their edge.
Griff comes across as she truly is — creative, modern, and unmistakably herself. And for Casio, it delivered the exact balance of personality and polish their campaign needed.