Yesterday, I found myself in The Independent on Sunday newsroom in discussion with The Picture Editor, Art Director and Graphics editor trying to solve a tricky problem. We needed to illustrate a story about the ridiculously poor service offered by parcel courier firms, who managed to loose thousands of deliveries on the run up to Xmas… Not easy, especially as it was needed for the front page.
 

 
Most of our creativity hinged around battered boxes and a cheeky mock-up of a failed delivery note in a letter box. In that vain I gathered some brown paper and got wrapping. Now, even though I had opportunity to practise over recent festive season, my wrapping skills aren’t amazing, but in this instance “boy wrapping” was exactly what was needed. As any man will admit it’s all very stressful so my next step was to take out those frustrations on the box, to give it a battered look.
 

 
I went about shooting the parcel in a variety of locations, always allowing space for the designers to add the masthead and various other text on the page. Finally ending up back in my makeshift studio, carefully trying to craft the right amount of shadow on to a white background.

 

Once I’d finished photographing a box in various corners of Kensington we still wanted to try the delivery note idea. The Graphics Editor, Cath Levett had mocked-up a brilliantly sarcastic UK-Fail delivery note. Again after crumpling it, I gingerly wedged it into the front door of what looked like an empty town house and rushed the pictures back to the office.
 

 

While the image of the delivery note told the story, it was still probably a bit word heavy for the front. After a few different page designs, the final consensus was to use the beaten up parcel on a white background which made a strong, graphic front page.
 

 
It’s not the most exciting picture I’ve ever taken, but sometimes the route to achieving a goal makes it worthwhile. I’m lucky to be able to give my input into these ideas and work with such a small but perfectly formed team.
 
You can read the full story by Susie Measure here.