British Business Like You’ve Never Seen It Before – Samsung Partners with Daredevil Photographer to Capture the Wonder of Small Businesses

The ‘Wondershots’ photography series by Lucinda Grange was commissioned by Samsung, celebrating the unique nature of UK SMEs as businesses redefine themselves post pandemic

LONDON, UK – 29 November 2021 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. has today unveiled a unique photography series titled Wondershots, which celebrates the bold, diverse, and eclectic side of small businesses in the UK. From an indoor climbing wall sprawling through a Bristolian church, to the sprawling hills of the Yorkshire Moors showcasing a local llama trekking business, Wondershots celebrates the raw essence of modern British business through the power of photography.

Commissioned on behalf of Samsung for Business, the documentary-style series has been captured by British extreme photographer Lucinda Grange, who travelled across the UK with her team to put her daredevil camera techniques to work. The Series is a celebration of the dynamism of small British businesses who are able to work wonders from anywhere, powered by technology.

The launch of Wondershots arrives at a time of increasing prominence for small businesses across the UK. Recent research conducted by Samsung for Business revealed that one third of people would prefer to work for a small business, which peaks at nearly half (43%) for those in the 18–24-year-old age bracket. The study also found that over a third (34%) of Brits would prioritise shopping at a smaller business in their local area for products including food and flowers, highlighting the nation’s shift in values post pandemic towards more individual and smaller community-driven organisations.

The businesses involved in the Samsung Wondershots photography series are:

• In Good Company: a curated street art project founded in Leeds that connects with a network of global artists online and offline to bring more art, fun and colour to the city’s architecture.
• Lealholm Llamas: a llama trekking company providing unique tours of the Yorkshire Moors with its four amazing llamas: Tina, Debs, Cher and Dolly. They were able to pivot digitally during the pandemic, helping them support new revenue streams and connect with customers online.
• Plane Industries: from 35,000 feet to the middle of your living room, a team of designers and manufacturers at Plane Industries build furniture from authentic aircraft parts. Technology is essential to the design and concepting of new products so they’re heavily reliant on tech to get to a finished product.
• The Climbing Academy: with walls of varied shapes and angles up to 12m high, The Church is one of the UK’s most unique climbing wall locations. With a friendly team of experienced experts – who turn to tech to plan and follow their latest routes – The Church provides climbing experiences for all skill levels.

The collection of photographs taken by Lucinda is available to view on the Samsung Work Wonders web page here.

Reflecting on her role in the series, Lucinda Grange said: “Just like the risks I take with my photography, UK businesses are also taking on their own risks to be able to run profitable companies. I loved the idea of being able to capture these unique businesses in unconventional ways, reflecting the fact that business doesn’t have to be static if they’re powered by the right tech. I loved the ambition of Samsung’s photography series and was thrilled to be able to bring their vision to life in a bold and dynamic way.”

Commenting on the launch of the Wondershots photography series, Joe Walsh, Director of Business Technology Solutions at Samsung said: “The pandemic sent shockwaves through the world of work, but it also spawned the creation of new sectors and supercharged the potential of SMEs in all parts of Britain.

Whether that’s effectively connecting employees no matter their location, supporting productivity when on the move, or providing a platform to drive sales, technology has been the fuel propelling SMEs to work wonders from wherever – something many thought wasn’t possible during the pandemic. By partnering with Lucinda to launch our Wondershots photography gallery, we wanted to show that business doesn’t have to be from behind a desk, and this photography series lifts the lid on the vibrancy of UK businesses powered by technology.”

The importance of tech in the world of business has undoubtedly increased since the pandemic, with 61% of people agreeing that remote working and digital tools have made them more productive and efficient.

While there has been an increase Brits’ interest in working for smaller business, SMEs take note – 65% of people would not apply for a new job unless the employer offers mobile devices to support work on the move, proving that employers need to get ahead of their tech solutions to maintain an engaged and enthused workforce.

Laura Welington, founder of In Good Company who were photographed in the series, explained: “From my watch through to my phone and laptop – technology is vital for my small business and connecting me with all of my partners and collaborators. For me, it’s all about work/life integration, not work/life balance. Running my business is all-encompassing in the best possible way and technology helps me in achieving that equilibrium – quite literally, every minute of the day.”

Samsung’s research was conducted by Samsung for Business to celebrate Work Wonders, a new platform which showcases the vibrancy and variety of modern UK businesses. With the reassurance of Samsung’s end-to-end ecosystem of products, tools and services, Work Wonders is designed to help businesses of all sizes get the confidence they need to take it all the way in this new era of hyper-flexible working and new workplace norms.

For more information about Samsung for Business and Work Wonders, please visit here.

Notes to Editors:

Research was carried out by One Poll, on behalf of Samsung. A total of 1,000 UK office workers were surveyed between the 17^th-19^th September 2021.