About Roj Whitelock Photography,
Reviews & Awards
Creative Connection
With over 30 years of agency experience I've cast and directed everything from radio commercials to large scale commercial photo shoots and TV ads. This has given me a unique perspective as a full-time professional photographer on what works creatively and commercially for brands, editorial, agents, casting directors, creatives and actors. I can understand precisely where and how your portrait or headshot needs to fit into your personal promotional jigsaw - and guide you as much as you need.
The common thread running through my whole career is my love of creativity and people. From actors headshots to personal branding, lifestyle, commercial and editorial commissions - if there are people you'll find me there with a camera, working to understand their needs, make life easier for them and to get the best possible results every time. For me it's all about creative connection.
When I look back I think my love for photography began with my Mum. Not that she was a great photographer, (sorry, Mum!) but she loved taking photos and cameras - which were always part of our lives
and around the house. As fascinated as I was, a rather obnoxious photography lecturer at art college propelled me in a different direction and my early career was in graphic design (which really helps with understanding composition and shooting editorial), before eventually running creative teams as a Creative Director and then an agency as a Managing Partner.
But that fascination with photography never left me and on a photo shoot
I was directing back in 2011 on Grand Bahama it finally broke through. I came home, set my heart on photography and I've taken photos every single day since. Since then I've been in numerous magazines,
won awards, shot for household name brands, been selected as an Associate Member of Headshots Matter
and exhibited in the National Portrait Gallery. But it's the adventures I've had and the people I've met
along the way that really matters.
Headshots Matter Associate Member
I'm proud to be an Associate Member of the Headshots Matter Network, a dynamic and creative community of photographers focused on the development of headshot and portrait photography around the world.
Reviews
I'm proud to be recommended by some of the UK's leading agents, casting directors and brands. And I'm very lucky to work with everyone from actors to models, dancers, singers, musicians, artists, creatives, entrepreneurs, brands and businesses. From treading the boards to the boardroom, here's what they have to say about me.
100+ 5 STAR RATED REVIEWS ON GOOGLE - TAKE A LOOK
"Roj, you ruddy genius you! I love the pics. Really love them. Thank you so much! They make me look my best - my age group but glamorous. I can't wait to get them uploaded everywhere. My agent loves the pics and says they make me very castable."
—Jules Shevlin
"Roj immediately made me feel comfortable and offered excellent ideas for my headshots and portraits. His talent for capturing people is enhanced by his professionalism, kindness and strong work ethic. I love the results and my only challenge was choosing the best shots!"
—Tank Dhamala
"Roj made me feel really at ease throughout the session. I told him that my main goal was to get shots that looked more authentically me, and that’s exactly what he did for me! I tend to find getting headshots quite a tricky thing and struggle to relax, but I very quickly felt relaxed with Roj and he gave me so much time to get settled into each outfit/character. He went above and beyond and I’m so happy with my new headshots.
Thanks again Roj!"
—Elle O'Hara
"Meeting Roj for the first time was awesome. Both my eight year old son and I needed headshot updates and we were so pleased with the results. Roj made us feel very welcome in his studio, taking the time to help us select outfits and to style the shoot. Roj was recommended by a very good friend and I would definitely recommend Roj - a great service from day one of enquiries right through to the finished edits. I can't wait to work with you again, Roj!"
—Louise Kempson
"Love it! My agent is super happy with them as well. Thanks again, Roj – it’s really appreciated. I think this is going to do great things for my casting opportunities this year."
—Sam Bird
"I’ve just ordered my photos on Photo Workflow and wanted to drop a message your way and thank you for looking after me last week! It was an absolute pleasure, and the past few days have been very painful as I make the difficult choices about what to keep! It’s not been an easy task!
I have a strong set selected, with a really good mix of looks, whilst looking like ‘me’.
I really appreciate everything, can’t wait to start using my new headshots and I’ll be certain to recommend!"
—Chris Chandler
"Added my headshot selections to Spotlight and within 30 minutes I had an agent reach out."
—James Morrell
"Having worked as a model and actor now for many years I’ve had the pleasure of working with some amazing talent. I can honestly say Roj is one of the best.
He’s always honest, professional, punctual, has great ideas and is really easy to work with. Roj is a great conversationalist and a very pleasant guy!
His shots have enabled me to join great acting agents and are loved by my model agents. Headshots are an essential tool for acting and modelling and I really cannot recommend Roj enough!"
—Stuart Dunstan
"I recently booked a session with Roj as I needed some fresh natural headshots to update my Spotlight profile. He delivered exactly what I required. Roj is a great guy who gets the job done in a friendly and relaxed environment which shows in the final images. Highly recommended!"
—Glen Power
"Working with Roj was a brilliant, creative experience! Roj is so professional, well prepared, open-minded and flexible. He’s very willing to follow the model, but he also has plenty of advice and helpful ideas. What I liked the most is the trust we built, which helped me to be my best, authentic self around Roj. Which really shone through in the headshots. I’m more than satisfied and I cannot recommend Roj enough – if you are looking for headshots or portraits for your socials and portfolio, he’s the one!"
—Izabela Zwierzyńska
"Thank you again for a wonderful session, you really made me feel so welcome and comfortable.
I’ll be recommending you in a heartbeat!"
—Evie Henbest
"My goal was to get one or two good shots. I ended up with nine really great ones. No pressure and a relaxed setting."
—Daniel Cristofori
"Thank you so much!!! Josie had an amazing time! You put her at ease and we can’t wait to come back!"
—Debie Cooper
"Roj thank you so much! I love my photographs and loved the process! I was a bit nervous, but you made it such a calm and enjoyable environment and have really helped with my confidence 😊 see you soon!"
—Missey Fitzgerald
"Roj was an absolute delight to work with! He understood what I wanted from the session and although we did a 3 hour shoot, it didn’t feel tiring or boring. I had an amazing time, lots of fun and a good laugh. He is extremely professional and makes sure that you get the best out of the time you have with him. Very prompt with his replies as well and very clear about what he needs from you. Would 100% recommend Roj to every actor/artist I know. Absolute pleasure and would work with him again!"
—Isabel Melim
"Getting to work in front of the camera with Roj was a fantastic experience! He makes you feel at ease and with his many years of experience, he has so many great ideas on how to tailor your headshots to what you are looking for. He is also very affordable which is ideal in times like these. Thanks Again Roj, I will definitely be returning!"
—Aaron Carpenter
"I am over the moon with my images after working with Roj! He made the whole process an absolute joy from the very start – from developing the concept with me, putting on background music during the session, making me feel more relaxed and finally choosing the final images together. I couldn’t have had a better day with a nicer person so thank you SO much! I would recommend Roj to absolutely everyone and anyone who is wanting not just beautiful photos but a genuinely wonderful experience.”"
—Emmy O'Dell
"Thanks for the amazing photos and how fantastic you were with me on the day of the shoot. I originally only wanted to pick 3 or 4 but ended up picking 7 because they – and you – were so brilliant! Thank you again for everything. I can’t wait to show everyone my photos and rave all about you to my friends and family!"
—Nicole Lockwood-West
"Honestly so happy with the results – amazing work! I’m definitely going to be working with Roj again. Great attention to detail and all round excellent service."
—Temmy Atoyebi
"Roj is exceptionally talented but he’s also a really nice person, and so I feel that the ease he put me at comes through in the photos! You can tell how much he loves his job when you shoot with him and that was a joy to see. So glad I found him!"
—Della Thielamay
"After cutting my hair I was in desperate need of a complete portfolio update. A friend recommended Roj to me and I am honestly so happy I went with him and with the results.
Roj is a true professional, he made me feel at ease straight away, giving clear instructions, helpful hints and plenty of advice to help make my headshots look the best they could. It made choosing my favourites incredibly hard and the editing was beautifully done. I could not recommend him enough."
—Charles Lowe-Riddle
"Bottom line is that working with Roj was great fun. We sat down at the start, had a cuppa and discussed what I wanted. He got it straight away and then despite the brief being ‘serious’ we had great fun and he knew how to get exactly what I needed. Would 100% use him again and cannot wait to work on some portrait stuff together.”"
—George Foster
"Roj is a gentleman, down to earth and great with a camera. The session happens with ease, comfort and creativity. Definitely recommend him 100%."
—Rom Blanco
"Recently did a photo session with Roj and the afternoon was fun, relaxing and productive. This is all down to him being easy going but at the same time efficient. Top guy, top afternoon and top images. The turnaround for contacts and edits was super quick. Very happy."
—Shane Matthews
"The images all look amazing, it was so hard to choose! I loved the detailed adjustments you gave to each setting, which worked brilliantly with the three characters I wanted to incorporate. Besides being super friendly and easy going, you were also very funny (we ended up with some lovely laughing photos) and that really helped creating the most comfortable environment.
The studio was fantastic but all the magic came from you. It was an absolute pleasure - you can bet that I’ll send all my actor friends."
—Juliana Barros
"Working with Roj has been an absolute pleasure!
When preparing for headshots I always feel quite nervous and camera shy but all my worries were washed away immediately. Roj was so professional and helpful throughout the whole process. Clear instructions and plenty of advice.
My final edits were beautiful. I was very happy with the natural, clean and crisp editing.
I couldn’t recommend him enough for anyone looking for headshots or portfolio!"
—Anna Knowles
"Roj was really great to work with! He offered really helpful and creative direction which made me feel comfortable and confident in front of the camera. I’m really happy with my headshots and have booked work with them since updating my portfolio. A very high quality service and would highly recommend to those in need of some fresh shots."
—Caitlin McCarthy
"I couldn’t recommend Roj enough for photography. I shared the ideas I wanted to achieve with my headshots, we then decided on the best ways to go about it and then click – off we went. Roj is great to work with and has the patience of a saint!! He also has a great turnaround rate too, which is ace when working to deadlines. I loved my images – very happy with the results!"
—Raychel Addo
"Having looked through the work of multiple headshot and portrait photographers, I settled on Roj to produce my new acting shot. I was overjoyed with the results, as were my UK and international agencies. This refresh immediately produced a string of work. Book Roj with confidence – you won’t regret it!"
—Charles Towning
"Working with Roj was a total breeze, not only is he a lovely human, he makes you feel totally relaxed and manages to capture your entire essence. I adored every single photo taken and would, without a doubt, work with Roj again!"
—Nadia Lamin
"Can’t recommend Roj enough. Sitting for photos can be surprisingly daunting for actors and I’m definitely out of my comfort zone posing for the camera. But Roj had done his homework and he knew the shots he wanted to get specific to how he saw my casting. He had several lighting set ups ready to go and had me relaxed and laughing for the whole shoot. All this is super obvious in the final edit – the pictures are beautifully rich and varied, and I think they’re probably the most ‘me’ headshots I’ve ever had."
—Pete Grimwood
"My headshot session with Roj was just brilliant and he is such a gas, had me in stitches between shots. In his Greenwich studio the sublime view of the Thames and mellow tunes created such a great relaxed atmosphere. He is so creative with lighting and made the whole session so relaxed and fun and I went out smiling all the way home. I am so thrilled with the final pics and can’t recommend him too highly."
—Marianne Sheehan
"Where do I begin? I left your studio ecstatic, I’ve flaunted all the proofs to my co-workers on the set of the indie film I was working on the past week. Everyone was impressed! Thank you so much for an amazing session and your great energy. I’ve never had a shoot like it."
—Noah Butt
"Roj was awesome. He knew exactly what he was doing whilst being so calm and conversational, providing a relaxed shoot with top quality results. I’m convinced his portrait has won me many jobs."
—Luke Maskell
"I had the best time in my headshot refresh with Roj. He is super professional, down to earth and friendly. I highly recommend and the new headshots are epic too!"
—Lou Mussington
"After shooting some initial headshots with Roj I just had to book him for an update! He’s really easy to work with, plays great tunes and makes you feel comfortable and at ease in front of the camera. Loved my shots both times!"
—Bethany Slater
"Shooting with Roj was great. I ended up with a great range of options for my headshots. And all that in an hour!"
—Zelda Rosset Colon
"Had the best time working with Roj! He made me feel super comfortable and the shoot really felt like a collaboration. Loved the final shots and I look forward to working with him again."
—Jamal Franklin
"I had a great experience shooting with Roj. He is a calm and attentive collaborator, and has a great eye for lighting. I went in expecting a casual photographic collaboration and went out with a set of gorgeous new portraits."
—Delaney Conway
"I’d been meaning to have a headshot session with Roj for a while and it was absolutely worth the wait! The shoot was nice and relaxed, Roj was so lovely to chat with. We covered so many different looks during the shoot, choosing the final set was really difficult – I loved so many of the images!"
—Megan Tremethick
"Roj is a creative and unique photographer. I’ve had three sessions including portrait, headshot and artistic and have valued the varied and standout portfolio I’ve received every time. I was recommended to him and have recommended him to other clients – the sign of an approachable and professional service with an edge. A five-star service."
—Kate Gee-Finch
Awards
Awards 2025
Selected for the Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize and Exhibited at The National Portrait Gallery
Awards 2024
IPA Honorable Mention 2024 – Book:People
IPA Official Selection 2024 – People:Portrait
Awards 2023
IPA Honorable Mention 2023 – People:Portrait
IPA Official Selection 2023 – People:Portrait
Awards 2022
IPA Official Selection 2022 – People: Portrait
IPA Official Selection 2022 – People: Portrait
IPA Official Selection 2022 – People: Portrait
IPA Honorable Mention 2022 – People: Portrait
IPA Honorable Mention 2022 – People: Portrait
Awards 2020
IPA Honorable Mention 2020 – People: Portrait
IPA Honorable Mention 2020 – People: Portrait
IPA Honorable Mention 2020 – People: Portrait
IPA Honorable Mention 2020 – People: Portrait
Shortlisted for Landscape Photographer of the Year 2020
Commended for Landscape Photographer of the Year ‘My Isolation Landscape’ 2020
Awards 2019
IPA Honorable Mention 2019 – People: Portrait
IPA Honorable Mention 2019 – People: Portrait
IPA Honorable Mention 2019 – People: Portrait
IPA Honorable Mention 2019 – People: Portrait
IPA Honorable Mention 2019 – People: Portrait
Awards 2018
Shortlisted for Outdoor Photographer of The Year 2018
BLPA Highly Commended 2018 – Portraits
IPA Honorable Mention 2018 – People: Portrait
IPA Honorable Mention 2018 – People: Portrait
IPA Honorable Mention 2018 – Deeper Perspective for ‘Suspect Device’
Awards 2017
Shortlisted for Outdoor Photographer of The Year 2017
BLPA Highly Commended 2017 – Rural Life
IPA Honorable Mention 2017 – People: Portrait
IPA Honorable Mention 2017 – Advertising: Beauty
Awards 2016
IPA Honorable Mention 2016 – People: Portrait
Awards 2015
Shortlisted for Black and White Photographer of the Year 2015
IPA Honorable Mention 2015 – Deeper Perspective
IPA Honorable Mention 2015 – Special Categories
IPA Honorable Mention 2015 – Advertising: Other_AD (joint mention with Chris Reeve)