a photographer's profile

Portrait & people shots dominate the portfolios, and success within one of the trickiest areas of photography can be summarised by Chris Clopét's approach:

“Often people are reluctant to have their photographs taken, and by creating a fun and friendly environment, people relax and begin to enjoy the experience. Having a number of ‘set-pieces’ to call upon ensures articulate direction and swift capture, as well as having a friendly, direct manner to organise.”

···· background

Chris Clopét is an award winning photographer with extensive experience. After studying Photography accompanied by Art & Graphic Design, commercial opportunities lured him away from Epsom School of Art and Design, when he secured ad hoc work from PR agencies and corporate companies from the outset.

Chris runs The Digital Lighthouse with his wife Paulina who has a masters degree in business & marketing combined with an art and drama background. They jointly contribute to creativity, post-production and service standards. The Digital Lighthouse operation is based near Hindhead, Surrey, covering assignments across the UK.

···· experience

Nearly two decades later Chris has a wealth of experience working in the challenging field of corporate, industrial & commercial photography on location. His regular clients are market leading companies, organisations, government departments, public relations agencies and advertising agencies. His speciality has emerged with location portraiture, working within limited timescales and challenging environments.

Whether formal (with a set-up studio environment) or as a corporate/situation portrait, using available features/props, the images reflect a co-ordination of good people skills together with advanced technical knowledge and a vision to create an image & style from imagination.

On many other occasions in the last twenty years, he has been commissioned to photograph important events with celebrities & government VIPs attending. He frequently works with Chief Executives and Managing Directors to create key portrait and publicity images for marketing projects, advertising and press releases for wide-spread exposure and recognition.

In recent years he has worked closely with government departments; Surrey Training & Enterprise Council, Surrey Learning & Skills Council and The South East England Regional Assembly.

···· commissions

In 1991 he was official in-house photographer for HRH, Princess Margaret’s visit to The London Clinic and clinched a journal’s front cover from that date working on behalf of 3M (UK) Plc. In 1996 he was official in-house photographer to HRH, The Queen’s visit to Aardmann Animation (home to ‘Morph’ & ‘Wallace & Grommit’). In 2001 he was official in-house photographer for The Prime Minister, Rt.Hon, Tony Blair’s visit to the ACAD centre, Central Middlesex Hospital on behalf of Philips Medical Systems.

···· awards

He has won two awards by camera manufacturers in the past; Pentax in 1987 and Agfa in 2000, and currently works for two camera & film manufacturers on an ad hoc basis.