What a year! In 2023 I picked up my camera for a very colourful cause, offering mini headshot sessions to local business owners in exchange for a donation to Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity. I set myself a £500 target, blasted through it early on, and by the time the last gallery was delivered, 32 wonderful people had been photographed and we’d raised a fabulous £2,224.
Here’s a look back at how it all came together…
How it worked
The idea was simple. Local business owners made a donation to Rainbow Trust (£50 minimum) through my JustGiving page, and I went to them for a relaxed mini shoot. No fuss, natural light only, just capturing them being them.
- 100% of every donation went to the charity. I donated my time and expertise.
- Everyone chose their two favourite photos from a small gallery, and could donate a little more for extras.
- It was open to local businesses within about 30 minutes of Uckfield, East Sussex (plus the odd lucky person whose area I happened to be visiting!).
- Everyone shared their portrait on social media, tagging Bexphoto and Rainbow Trust with #ShareYourRainbow and #BexphotoHeadshots, so the charity got a lovely boost in visibility too.
It was never meant to replace a fully planned brand shoot, but it gave lots of local business owners a brilliant starting point, and plenty of them had never had a professional photo taken before.
Why Rainbow Trust?
This wasn’t my first charity project. Back in 2019 I ran Hello Yellow for Young Minds, taking commercial portraits featuring the colour yellow for World Mental Health Day, and raising over £600 including Gift Aid.
When I started planning a second fundraiser, a client made a great point: not everyone wants yellow in their photos if it clashes with their own brand colours! That got me thinking, and I remembered Rainbow Trust, the charity we’d supported with the colour edition of This Detailed Life, the photography magazine I founded during lockdown. Then I spotted their #ShareYourRainbow hashtag and it just clicked (see what I did there?!). It couldn’t have been a more perfect fit for my rainbow-loving brand.
Rainbow Trust provides emotional and practical support to families who have a child with a life-threatening or terminal illness. As a mum, that’s a cause very close to my heart.
Your colour, your brand
The twist for 2023 was that every participant got to choose their own feature colour, any shade of the rainbow (or the whole spectrum, like me!), so their headshot would sit perfectly with their brand. It was such a joy seeing how differently everyone interpreted it, from an artist standing in front of one of her own green paintings to a aesthetician in green scrubs in his clinic.
A few awards came out of it too!
One very proud moment: dentist Ashley Sim’s charity headshot was accepted onto PhotoVogue!
Edit: And these ones from the mini sessions all received awards from the Lifestyle Photographers Association, including my first gold medal. These five charity headshots, among others, earned me the title of No.1 Business Portrait Photographer in the world in 2024!
What people said
A lot of the people who signed up told me they hated having their photo taken. By the end, they were laughing.
“I hate posing and smiling for photos but Bex made it so easy and relaxed. It was a great experience and my new photos are fantastic.” Dr Ahmet Bilginer
“I REALLY dislike having my photo taken but Bex was able to work through this, make it enjoyable and I am really happy with my photos. I have had some amazing comments about them already.” Ashley Sim
“I’m so pleased with my photos, Bex makes having your photo taken so easy. She is fun, friendly and professional.” Arabella Roberts
When I asked for three words to describe their photos, I got answers like “smart, professional, natural” and “natural, colourful, happy”. Which is exactly what I hope for, every time.
The fabulous faces who took part
A huge thank you to everyone who donated and stepped in front of my camera, including:
- Dr Ahmet Bilginer (Facial Aesthetics)
- Antonia Thompson (Artist)
- Victoria Turner (From Victoria Shop)
- Nik Maini (Facial Surgeon)
- Emma Nixon (Laser Hair & Tattoo Removal)
- Kirsty Hamilton (Photographer)
- Anda Ponsford (Dental Hygienist)
- Arabella Roberts (Dental Nurse)
- Margaret Dodé-Angel (Sussex Support Services)
- Sara Morrissey (Unlimited Shop)
- Emma Murphy (Taller Big Marketing)
- Gillian Devine (Mentor)
- Gordon Mankelow (Relativity Ltd)
- Nicolle Smartt (Actor)
- Quintin Wood (Practice Manager)
- Ally Clarke (Photographer)
- Annabelle Briscall (Management Consultant)
- Emily Gregory (Emily Rose Hair)
- Jane Griffin (Positive Story PR)
- Kate Scott (Artist)
- Jacob Davidson (Dentist)
- Jackie Haywood (Dental Hygienist)
- Ashley Sim (Dentist)
- Ian Noble (Uckfield Chamber of Commerce)
- Lucy Brandram (76 Media)
- Samantha Stas (Artist & Maker)
- Aga Mortlock (Photographer)
- Gemma Morris (Off The Wall Entertainment)
- Elle Pinkard (Adventures By Elle)
- Steve Stark (Then Somehow)
- Donna Weller (DWD Communications)
- And myself, Bex Maini (Bexphoto)
Thank you, and what’s next
This project reminded me why I love running a business in a community like ours. Local businesses got a confidence boost and a fresh headshot, and together we raised £2,224 for families who really need it. Win-win!
I run a charity project like this every few years, so if you’d like to be first to hear about the next one, join my Iridescent Insiders.
And if a mini headshot has given you a taste for more, a fully planned brand shoot is the next step. Book a call and let’s chat about telling the story behind your business. 🌈
