Jonathan May - Welcome to our home

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Welcome to our home - Jonathan May

Jonathan May is no stranger to a challenging advertising brief. Lürzer’s Archive has named him one of the Top 200 international advertising photographers for the past three years. For the Fiji Airways brief, May had to shoot landscapes in Fiji that would suit a campaign based on the promise of exceptional service, and a warm welcome. Producing the images for the campaign was not just a matter of shooting a few local beauty spots. May had a week to find and shoot just the right places. “With the location ‘recces’, bad weather, and travel between locations, it was an action-packed seven days,” says May.

May photographed the ‘hero’ landscape images without talent, which was then shot separately in a studio. “The technical challenge was to match the lighting, angles and perspectives perfectly,” says May. “We put the talent in chairs that closely resembled airline chairs, and then Limehouse creative created the airline chairs in CGI.” The three elements of background, talent and chairs were then combined to produce the final image. “Limehouse not only seamlessly integrated the images, but also applied their signature look and feel.”

Welcome to our home - Jonathan May

Not all the challenges were technical. While shooting in Fiji, the team also had to respect local customs. During a bure (wood and straw hut or cabin) shoot, just as the sun rose and the light was perfect there was a group of men chatting right in the centre of May’s frame. “We weren’t allowed to hurry them,” he says. “We had to respectfully wait for them to finish and move on.”

The post production was a crucual element, and May says that Limehouse delivered above and beyond in the project. "They really came to the party, and not only seamlessly integrated the images, but applied their signature look and feel as well," he says. "I love working with them, because they are passionate about the craft, and always deliver."

Getting the client’s message across is how May measures success. “We were able to use desirable landscape images to impart a message that shows the airline’s exceptional service,” he says. “I do feel that the final images are a part of my signature style in that they tell a story. That is what I always try to achieve with my work.”