Cody James

Mercury Fund

Commercial Lifestyle Portrait Photography

Woman with long auburn hair and tortoiseshell glasses in a navy blazer over a white collared shirt, smiling slightly and looking off camera in warm natural light
Man with dark hair in a textured gray ribbed t-shirt standing with hands in pockets against a cream wall, warm sidelight casting a soft shadow
Woman with long honey brown hair in a cream tweed jacket with gold buttons, smiling warmly with soft natural light against a blurred library backdrop
Man with a reddish brown beard in a burgundy wool sweater seated in a chair, hands clasped, looking off camera with warm side light against a dark wood paneled wall
Man with dark hair and beard in a charcoal blazer over a sage green shirt with arms crossed, smiling broadly with warm light against a textured yellow framed backdrop
Young man with blonde hair in a navy double pocket workshirt looking up and off camera with soft natural light against a cream toned wall
Man with a shaved head and full dark beard in a heathered gray t-shirt, gazing off camera with directional warm light and a dark backdrop behind him
Woman with shoulder length dark hair and tortoiseshell glasses in a chambray blazer over a navy ruched top, standing with hand on hip beside a bookshelf with globe and arched golden screen
Man in clear framed glasses and a black leather bomber jacket over a light blue button down, seated in a patterned upholstered chair with hands clasped, looking off camera in warm directional light
Three people in conversation in a sunlit Houston office lobby, a woman in a yellow suit gesturing while a woman in a white t-shirt with green beaded necklace and a man in a navy plaid blazer listen, downtown skyline visible through floor to ceiling windows
Woman with long auburn hair and tortoiseshell glasses in a navy blazer over a white collared shirt, smiling slightly and looking off camera in warm natural light
Man with dark hair in a textured gray ribbed t-shirt standing with hands in pockets against a cream wall, warm sidelight casting a soft shadow
Woman with long honey brown hair in a cream tweed jacket with gold buttons, smiling warmly with soft natural light against a blurred library backdrop
Man with a reddish brown beard in a burgundy wool sweater seated in a chair, hands clasped, looking off camera with warm side light against a dark wood paneled wall
Man with dark hair and beard in a charcoal blazer over a sage green shirt with arms crossed, smiling broadly with warm light against a textured yellow framed backdrop
Young man with blonde hair in a navy double pocket workshirt looking up and off camera with soft natural light against a cream toned wall
Man with a shaved head and full dark beard in a heathered gray t-shirt, gazing off camera with directional warm light and a dark backdrop behind him
Woman with shoulder length dark hair and tortoiseshell glasses in a chambray blazer over a navy ruched top, standing with hand on hip beside a bookshelf with globe and arched golden screen
Man in clear framed glasses and a black leather bomber jacket over a light blue button down, seated in a patterned upholstered chair with hands clasped, looking off camera in warm directional light
Three people in conversation in a sunlit Houston office lobby, a woman in a yellow suit gesturing while a woman in a white t-shirt with green beaded necklace and a man in a navy plaid blazer listen, downtown skyline visible through floor to ceiling windows

About This Project

I partnered with Mercury Fund on a commercial portrait photography project to capture over 20 founders and CEOs as part of their new website refresh. Mercury Fund is a venture capital firm based in Houston that invests in early-stage software, hardware, and life sciences companies across the central United States. We spent two days shooting on location at the Thompson Hotel in downtown Houston, working through back-to-back executive portrait sessions with founders from across their portfolio. My goal was capturing warm, approachable founder portraits that showed each individual as a person first and a leader second. A natural and inviting feel was an important part of the creative direction, and we leaned on the hotel's daylight-filled lounges and quiet corners to give each portrait its own setting while keeping the series cohesive across so many subjects.

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