Last month, I had the privilege of being commissioned by Fortune magazine to shoot a portrait of Julia Hoggett, CEO of the London Stock Exchange, for their cover feature on the Top 25 LGBTQ+ CEOs in the World. It was a fast-paced, high-stakes shoot with a very specific goal: to capture a powerful, engaging image of one of the most influential leaders in finance today, in the limited time we had.

We had just 30 minutes with Julia, and we needed to shoot in three different locations within the London Stock Exchange. With such a tight schedule, I had to make every second count. Thankfully, I was working with a fantastic team—Pim Van Baalen, and David Buckley, who helped to ensure the lighting was clean and dynamic, perfectly complementing Julia’s commanding presence.

The first shot we captured (pictured above) was actually taken within the first 10 minutes of meeting Julia. I’d say that’s a testament to her natural poise and the ease with which we all settled into the shoot. Despite the whirlwind pace, Julia’s professionalism and charisma made it incredibly easy to work with her. She was calm and collected, which allowed me to capture her personality in that first shot. 

Lighting was a big part of what we wanted to achieve with these portraits. We opted for a clean and engaging setup, making sure that the lighting not only highlighted Julia’s features but also created a sense of depth and warmth. It was important to me that the shot felt personal and authentic, reflecting the multifaceted nature of Julia’s leadership and the significant role she plays as a trailblazer for the LGBTQ+ community in business.

Overall, I’m really pleased with how the shoot turned out. Julia’s image on the cover is not only a representation of her as an accomplished CEO, but also a powerful portrayal of her as an individual who leads with integrity and purpose.

It was an honour to be part of such a meaningful project, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to have worked with Julia and the team at Fortune magazine.