About Jo Hailey – Commercial Photographer, Matterport 3D Specialist & Google Expert

What Jo Delivers

At Striking Places, Jo provides a comprehensive suite of visual and technical marketing services:

• Google Business Profile (GBP) Optimisation & Rescue:
  Far more than just uploading photos, Jo has earned a reputation as the “Google Whisperer.” She helps businesses untangle complex local SEO issues, solve verification loops, rescue hijacked listings, and combat malicious fake reviews to protect their online reputations.
• Matterport 3D Virtual Tours:
  Creating immersive, high-converting digital environments that allow customers to explore spaces virtually.
• 360° Virtual Tours & Google Street View Inside:
  Seamlessly mapping commercial interiors to maximise visibility on Google Maps and local search.
• Time-Lapse, Drone Photography & Video:
  Capturing dynamic, large-scale perspectives of properties and projects.
• Commercial Brand Imagery:
  Delivering high-end event, product, and professional headshot photography tailored directly to each client’s marketing goals.

High-Profile Masterpieces & Nationwide Scale

Jo’s portfolio spans from delicate, world-famous heritage sites to massive corporate retail rollouts, proving her incredible technical adaptability and logistical mastery.

Westminster Abbey

In a landmark project for the Abbey’s Education Department, Jo brought the 1,000-year-old coronation church into the digital age. She captured stunning, high-definition Google Street View imagery of the historic interior, including restricted areas like the Cosmati pavement. She then developed a bespoke interactive overlay for the Westminster Abbey website, complete with advanced navigation and educational video hotspots. This groundbreaking work even earned Jo a featured interview outside the Abbey on BBC London News.

Kwik Fit Nationwide Rollout

Demonstrating her ability to execute large-scale corporate operations, Jo managed a massive multi-site rollout to support Kwik Fit’s multi-million-pound modernisation programme. Operating from her famous “Striking Places Mobile Office,” she travelled the length of the country, from Inverness to Penzance, to photograph hundreds of newly refurbished centres. To boost digital engagement, she brilliantly gamified the project by hiding a “golden spanner” inside the 360 tours for customers to hunt for online.

Commercial & Heritage Venues

From seamlessly mapping the shops and cafes of The Stable Yard at Hatfield House to creating vibrant, immersive tours for destinations like Rothamsted and Harper Luxe Serviced Apartments, Jo excels at transforming physical spaces into captivating digital experiences.

Business Insight Meets Creative Delivery

Before launching her photography business, Jo spent 15 years in finance, gaining elite qualifications including AAT, ACCA, a BA in Accounting, and a postgraduate qualification in Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development. Throughout her corporate career, she managed major projects, including a Malaysian Government initiative to elevate teacher training to degree level, and played a key role in implementing the core finance system at the University of Hertfordshire.

This heavyweight corporate background gives Jo a highly structured, results-driven approach. She speaks the language of business, understands operational logistics, and ensures every creative project is delivered with clear commercial objectives, whether that means boosting local search visibility or maximising ROI.

More Than Just Photography

Jo is also the co-director of Borrow My Garden Limited, an innovative platform connecting people with unique outdoor event spaces across the UK. Merging her love for the outdoors with her entrepreneurial drive, she is also developing Overland Escapes, a bespoke campervan travel concept focused on curated, experience-led adventures.

Community & Connections

A passionate advocate for local business and collaboration, Jo was a member of BNI for over a decade and served as an Ambassador for a Milton Keynes chapter. She is also an Ambassador for Business Buzz in Harpenden, actively connecting local enterprises. Now a member of Grafter Networking, she is focusing her energies on helping trades optimise their Google presence and enhance their marketing with professional online imagery.

Commitment to Sustainable Practice: Certified Climate-Aware Photographer

As part of her ongoing dedication to ethical and responsible business operations, Jo recently completed the Association of Photographers (AOP) Climate Awareness Course, earning her official certification as a Climate-Aware Photographer. This specialised training provides deeper insight into the environmental impacts of the creative and commercial imaging industries, equipping Jo with the practical knowledge to minimise carbon footprints on set and during nationwide productions.

From optimising travel logistics for the “Striking Places Mobile Office” to adopting sustainable digital workflows, this qualification ensures that her high-performing visual solutions are delivered with a proactive commitment to a greener, more sustainable future.

Beyond the Camera

Jo’s passion for striking locations extends far past her professional life. An avid adventurer, she completed the Machu Picchu trek in 2017 and successfully reached the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in 2025. When she isn’t behind the lens or climbing mountains, Jo enjoys the quiet creativity of knitting and crocheting in the winter, and riding her Suzuki Bandit 600 motorcycle when the weather warms up.