A Branding Shoot for Dr Sharief Ibrahim
Designed to produce narrative photos to align with the publishing of his book.
Dr Sharief Ibrahim is an extroadinary individual.
I was asked to put together a photo narrative which can be used both in the promotion of his forthcoming functional medicine book and for any other use that may crop up within his promotional need. The shoot wasn’t meant to be complicated but just enough to promote him personally and create a sense of situational context.
Photographing at his home, we planned some plain background headshots and portraits followed by some photos in his study, kitchen and home generally, whilst talking with a client. We also wanted a garden shot showcasing his marathon achievements which are themselves worthy of a book!
We started with the ubiquitous white background headshot which provides the widest flexibility for usage and added some character portraits some of which became quite expressive.
We introduced ‘the white coat’ which immediately suggests a clinical context and whilst white on white isn’t a problem, we felt that dropping the background to a mid grey gave contrast, but retained the anonymity of situation, lending the photos to be used in largely any scenario.
Every doctor spends time at a desk, and for Sharief, sometimes it is configured for sitting, at other times for standing. Understanding that standing, not sitting, can help with posture, circulation, balance and general wellbeing is not a new idea but once embraced it becomes second nature for desk work.
We gathered a few photos for those ‘at my desk working’ illustrations.
We then moved to the phase for consultations. Starting with a few environmental portraits we added my assistant for the shoot to the mix, giving us an over the shoulder perspective, keeping Sharief the subject but extending his narrative to the interpersonal skills of his job.
These photos were shot using the natural light from the window blended with flash bounced into the opposite corner of the room.
Functional medicine is a lot of things but one aspect is tied to what we eat. Sharief is passionate about diet to a genetic level and runs extensive and very detailed tests with expansive data to drill in to what each individual should and should not eat.
Hence the portrait in the kitchen!
Sharief is a marathon runner and in no half measures. One year he ran 40 marathons and is so continuously fit that he can simply run a marathan with no build up, no training as such. His running regime is contantly keeping him marathan ready at the drop of a hat.
