Industry, Commercial, Press & PR Photography
Anna’s mechanical engineering degree and a previous life working in technical journalism and the oil&gas industry have fostered a deep interest in photographing industrial and commercial subjects in a creative yet meaningful way.
Anna works from her base in Edinburgh and can usually move very quickly when jobs arise at short notice, as is often the case with the oil & gas industry. She undertakes a wide range of photoshoots for annual reports, advertising campaigns and PR.
She was the official creative photographer for the £1.5 billion Queensferry Crossing across the Forth near Edinburgh (2011-2017), working for Forth Crossing Bridge Contractors (FCBC). Anna has enjoyed taking spectacular photographs of this beautiful bridge during the day and at night. She has a head for heights and has been to the top of the three tower cranes (250m) to capture the bird’s eye view. The bridge also provided a good excuse to train as a drone pilot to capture more stunning aerial views. It’s work…….honest!
Aerial Drone Photography and Video
She won the tender for Scottish Enterprise photography in 2012 which included a large commission to photograph many of Scotland’s popular tourist attractions from the Borders to the Isle of Skye.
For many years she held the Scottish Executive contract for the former Fisheries Research Services. This required photography on board the fisheries research vessel “Scotia”, and in the offices and laboratories around Scotland. And she carried out regular work for the Scottish Court Service all over Scotland, and for BAM as new PFI schools were opened all over the country.
She relishes travelling with her camera and drone. She has photographed for many oil&gas companies. Previous work includes a gas platform decommissioning for Shell in the North Sea, and drillships in Greenland for Cairn Energy, oil rigs and land seismic in Cameroon for Bowleven, and drilling& oil refining in Egypt for Melrose Resources (Petroceltic).
She values her early training as a journalist on technical magazines which has enabled her to combine a passion for words and photo-journalism. She has produced features for photography magazines including “Professional Photographer” and for skiing magazines such as “Daily Mail Ski and Snowboard”. She was a regular feature writer and one of the “experts” answering readers’ questions in the UK’s leading photography monthly: “Practical Photography”. This led to a commission to write a book on nude photography: “Camera Craft – Nudes”, published by AVA.
Synopsis
The nude has been the subject of artists from time immemorial. In “Camera Craft: Nudes,” beautiful images from top professional photographers are examined to show what makes a successful study of the human form. The innovative series design with its short text bites and diagrammatic explanations make understanding as visual and easy as possible. Technical processes and equipment are explained in a user-friendly way, enabling the amateur to create exceptional images with the professional touch.
Including a broad range of contemporary styles, this practical and inspirational title will be invaluable for both the aspiring and professional photographer.
Author
Anna Henly is not only a professional photographer but also an experienced commentator of images for many popular photography magazines, including ‘Practical Photography.’
Review
This book is certainly worth a look. Amateur Photographer, July 2003
She has won over 30 awards from the Master Photographers’ Association (Scotland). She won tthe trophy for the “Open” award for commercial/industrial/PR/art and illustrative photography no less than three times in five years.
In 2007 she was honoured with an award in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, the most prestigious wildlife photography competition in the world. Visitors to the exhibition at the Natural History Museum in London and website, voted her captivating picture of an Arctic fox into first place! The famous fox has been included in the permanent collection at the new National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh.
In 2012 her image of a vulnerable polar bear on ice floes won the top prize in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year category “World in our Hands”. And she scored a hat trick in 2018, when her image of a tropical tree, shot from a helicopter in Hawaii, won a “People’s Choice” award in Wildlife Photographer of the Year.
She always enjoys creating images involving people, where she quickly puts them at ease, captures their personalities, and brings out the best in them. Often her subjects are busy people in hazardous environments so the work has to be carried out quickly, but sensitively.
Although she no longer photographs weddings, she excelled at reportage wedding photography and was awarded “Reportage wedding photographer of the Year 2007” by the MPA Scotland. If you can create a beautiful wedding portfolio when everyone involved is under extreme emotional and time pressure, and there is absolutely no room for error, then she believes you can photograph anything!
She strives for strong images with attractive composition and depth. She wants her images to contain a sense of interruption. Each image should freeze the subject’s energy, capturing the moment at precisely the right millisecond. Her images embody the atmosphere of what’s gone before, and ignite an interest in what’s about to happen.
She is thrilled with the quality of her top pro digital cameras which also record broadcast quality video. Product and portrait photography is carried out in her large photographic studio in Edinburgh.
Kind Words
In 2011, Anna Henly was appointed one of the Project Photographers on the £1.4bn Queensferry Crossing construction programme working for FCBC, the international consortium responsible for the design and construction of this major new road bridge across the Firth of Forth. She is an invaluable member of the team, capturing not only all of the construction processes and significant milestones along the way, but also many hundreds of portrait photographs of the men and women proud to be building this magnificent new bridge. Her eye for detail and the interesting angle is second to none. Her photographs, all of a superb quality and taken on every part of the project from below sea-level to 200m above, are used in a number of ways on the Project including newsletters and websites. In due course, they will provide the all-important visual content of a book celebrating the life and times of the Project.
Anna is not only a hugely talented photographer, she is also a delight to work with. She gets the very best out of her subjects when shooting portraits in particular, by putting people very much at their ease. Her recognition with multiple photographic awards speaks for itself.
The oyster and mussel shots for Scottish Shellfish are looking excellent. Remember not to cook the mussels too much or boil them, as this will cause the flesh to shrivel. Want to have nice plump flesh! Your kitchen looks like mine on a good day!!
Just had a chance to look through the Alba pictures. They catch the day really well, and I was transported back. Thanks very much, as I know it’s a very difficult type of event cover.
We are delighted with the pictures of the pike. Excellent work!
Just a quick email to say thanks very much for accommodating our presenters over the two days. Every single one of them commented on how at ease you made them feel . They were particularly impressed by your beautiful home and its location.
Thanks very much for the really fantastic pictures they are spectacular. Really like the amazing kitchen photos, the chefs are whizzing around! The tattooed arm is much admired!!! We were all sad about the owlet but the photos will help us to remember it.
I have been printing your images from St George’s all day and I can’t tell you how pleased I am with them. You are very talented!! Everybody here thinks they are fabulous and have been commenting on them.
Yesterday it was the Official Opening of Carlibar Primary School, Glasgow. I will pop a couple of the brochures we produced for the opening in the post to you. Everyone has been delighted with your photographs. Many Thanks.