There are certain moments in your photography career where you stop, look around, and think:
“Bloody hell, this is actually happening.”

Demoing Capture One at the BIPP Bash inside Holborn Studios was absolutely one of those moments for me. You got to appreciate, there was a time when I was told (to my face) to be less me and more inkeeping with what people expect. So being asked to do this was proof I should never have listened to anyone but myself on how I present.

As a BIPP Ambassador, this was a huge milestone. Capture One is one of those industry powerhouses you secretly dream about working with… and then when they actually ask you to demo their software in front of a room full of professional photographers, your internal voice goes WTF babe.

And then Nikon casually dropped a Z9 into my hands for the day. I’m not kidding. Nikon. Z9. Just handed over like I wasn’t about to run off and start a new life with it.

Thankfully, I only needed to bring my own lenses of choice, which made travelling to London significantly less chaotic. Thakfully the hotel I was put up in was about 10 mins walk away from the studios. No one wants to lug loads of equipment on the underground.

Why I Chose Akari as My Model

If I’m going to demonstrate the power of Capture One, particularly around real colour grading, real skin work, and real retouching. So you KNEW I was not calling in the stereotypical “easy mode” model with poreless skin and zero texture.

I chose Akari
👉 (Instagram: @styleakari) because she has presence, personality, and a beautifully rich, diverse skin tone that actually benefits from thoughtful retouching, not mindless smoothing. Akari brings energy. She brings movement. She brings that “I’m not here to just stand still and smile politely” vibe that makes a demo actually worth watching.

Plus, if I’m going to talk big about authenticity and skill, I damn well need a model who lets me show it.

The Setup: Infinity Curve, Capture One, and a Room Full of Pros

Holborn Studios’ massive infinity curve is the stuff photographers fantasise about.
It’s like standing in front of a blank sheet of paper the size of a house so that meant endless possibilities, zero shadows to hide behind. The amazing Essential Photo and Video stepped in to sort out my lighting. My vision was keep it simple but impactful. So two strobe blasting straight into the weight ceiling and gelled with red. This meant a red/pinky tone gradient would fall onto the background. I then opted to use an octobox above my model, slightly feathered to give soft but angular light.

Imagine demoing on that while a crowd of seasoned photographers watches your every move.
Casual. Relaxing. Not intimidating in the slightest.
(…You can hear the sarcasm, right?)

But honestly? Once I started shooting, the nerves dropped away.
The Nikon Z9 sang.
Capture One handled every adjustment like butter melting on hot toast.
And Akari moved with so much intention that the whole demo just flowed.

The response was incredible.

The Reaction: Praise, Curiosity, and “Who Is This Woman?” Energy

After the demo, I had photographers (people whose work I genuinely admire) coming up to tell me:

• they loved the lighting choices
• they learned new tethering workflows
• they appreciated seeing real skin retouching
• they were blown away by Akari
• and more than one said,
  “i loved watching you’. I did laugh at the person who said yes b*tch you rocked it!

That’s huge.
Not because I need the validation, but because I’ve worked bloody hard over the years to be more than just “someone who takes nice photos.”

I want to be an educator people trust,
a photographer people respect,
and a voice in the industry pushing for honesty, diversity, and actual craft.

This demo felt like a big step in that direction.

The Images

These images have already gained a lot of attention on social media and within the community — which is wild considering they were created during a live demo while I talked, explained, and tried not to trip over cables.

But that’s the beauty of photographing someone like Akari with gear like the Z9 and software like Capture One:
even under pressure, you can create something powerful.

Final Thoughts

Being invited to demo for Capture One wasn’t just a cool moment, because frankly it was a career milestone.
It reminded me why I love educating, why I love shooting, and why I’m so committed to pushing my craft further.

I walked into Holborn Studios nervous.
I walked out feeling like I’d stepped into the next chapter.

And trust me…
I’m only just getting started.