One café became two
A social media post led to a photography commission for an independent café in Haslemere. When The Lion’s Den later expanded into Midhurst, we were invited back, this time with a very different place and a much broader story to photograph.
It started with a simple Facebook post
Some commissions arrive through an enquiry form or an introduction. The Lion's Den began when I put a simple call-out on social media asking local cafés if they needed fresh photography.
Among the first businesses to respond was The Lion's Den, an independent café at Weyhill in Haslemere.
I was immediately drawn to what they were doing: good food, an independent spirit and a café that clearly had its own personality. We arranged a shoot and started with the thing at the heart of it all…the food.
Food with plenty of character
The Haslemere commission was about building a useful library of food and drink photography that reflected the café rather than making everything feel overly styled or precious.
From colourful vegan dishes and generous breakfasts to coffee and cakes, the food had plenty of texture, colour and personality to work with.
Alongside the still photography, we also created short-form content around the café in action, capturing some of the movement and everyday rhythm behind the finished dishes.
And the story grew.
Not long afterwards, The Lion's Den opened a second location in nearby Midhurst.
This wasn't simply another café requiring another set of food photographs. The new venue had its own architecture and character, so the photography needed to broaden with it.
We were invited back to document the space itself — its interiors, exterior and the details that gave the new Lion's Den its identity.
Seeing the bigger picture
For Midhurst, the commission extended beyond the front door.
Alongside the interiors and exterior photography, we took the camera into the air to capture elevated views of the building and its surroundings. That gave The Lion's Den a much broader visual library and helped establish the new location in a way that ground-level photography alone couldn't.
What began as food photography for one café had evolved into something considerably wider: food, interiors, architecture and aerial photography across two locations.
“Marlon at Sequoia came and took some awesome shots of our two locations, food and interiors. We have used the shots extensively throughout all ad campaigns. Would highly recommend.””
Andy Godley · Owner, The Lion's Den Cafés
Photography that grew with the business
What I particularly like about this commission is that the photography changed because the business changed.
The first brief was principally about food and the energy of a busy local café. The second asked us to look at the business differently — at architecture, interiors, location and the character of an entirely new space.
That's one of the advantages of working with independent hospitality businesses over time. Their needs rarely stand still, and the photography shouldn't either.
The images have since been used across The Lion's Den's website, social channels and marketing, giving the business a visual library that spans both locations while allowing each to retain its own character.
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