Capturing Growth, Nature and Culture at Viper Innovations’ Woodland CSR Project
Some projects feel like they sit at the intersection of business, people and purpose, and this recent commission with Viper Innovations was exactly that.
Based in Portishead, Viper Innovations have recently taken a significant step in their corporate social responsibility journey by acquiring a woodland near Crowcombe. As part of their long term commitment to sustainability, the team has already planted around 900 trees, helping to actively restore and regenerate the site.
They wanted to bring this story into their workplace environment more meaningfully. Their office had an existing wall display, but the image quality no longer reflected the scale or ambition of what the woodland project had become. The brief was simple, create a set of updated, high quality visuals that better represented the site, the team involvement and the spirit of the project.
I joined their marketing team on site for a full day visit to the woodland. From the moment we arrived, it was clear this was not just a location for planting trees, but a space that the team genuinely connected with.
We spent time walking through the woodland, taking in the natural environment and identifying areas that would work well visually. The aim was to capture the character of the site, not just wide scenic shots, but also the detail that tells the story of regeneration and care.
A key part of the shoot involved drone work, which allowed us to capture the scale of the woodland from above. Seeing the layout of the land, the newly planted areas and the surrounding landscape from that perspective added a completely different dimension to the story. It helped translate the impact of their CSR work in a way that ground level imagery alone could not achieve.
Alongside the landscape work, we also focused on people. The team took part in a brainstorming session during the visit, and this provided a natural opportunity to capture them in action. These images helped balance the project, showing that this is not only about trees and land, but about the people behind the initiative and how it connects back to their everyday work.
The weather played its part perfectly. Clear skies and soft light gave the woodland a calm, open feel throughout the day, which made the entire shoot feel relaxed and enjoyable rather than staged or rushed.
To round off the visit, the team finished the day with a barbecue in the woodland. It was a simple moment, but one that reflected the culture of the business well, collaborative, grounded and willing to step outside the office environment to connect with a wider purpose.
By the end of the day, we had built a strong library of imagery covering the landscape, the drone perspectives, and the people behind the project. These assets are now being used to refresh their internal office visuals and better communicate the story of their woodland CSR initiative.
Projects like this are always rewarding because they go beyond traditional marketing content. They capture real investment in environment, team culture and long term thinking, all in one place.
It will be exciting to see how the woodland continues to develop as the 900 trees grow and the project evolves over the coming years.