I love capturing personalities and so, as I’m sure you can guess this is one of my favourite types of work. I work with people and pets of all ages and enjoy every session to the full. My style is very informal and relaxed allowing you to enjoy yourselves resulting in some beautiful photographs that you will treasure. In the galleries part of the website there is a section dedicated solely to portraits for you to have a peep at. Please have a look at this to see if they’re the kind of photos you like. Other than that I thought I’d try to answer some of the most common questions that I’m asked regularly regarding my portrait shoots.
Q: Where will the session take place and do you have a studio?
A: I do not work from a studio and do not have one on site for you to visit. All of my work is shot either at your own home or on location. I personally feel that this allows my portrait work to remain fresh and exciting. By working in an environment that you have chosen rather than in a studio, we are already well on our way to capturing some enthralling and amazing images as you will feel relaxed and at ease. I feel that this is especially important with young children as put in a studio environment they will often act completely out of character which is the exact opposite of what I am hoping to capture for you in your images.
Q: I notice you are in Suffolk – do you travel further than this for a session?
A: Yes, I’ll travel pretty much anywhere if you’d like me to. Although the majority of my portrait work takes place in Suffolk I frequently work in the surrounding counties (Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Essex). Within these four counties the travel costs are included within your session price. If you live outside of these counties and would still like to arrange a session then please still get in touch and I’ll advise you on any additional travel costs.
Q: Would you recommend a session at home or on location?
A: This depends on who is being photographed. For babies I would definitely recommend a home shoot as everything is to hand that parents may need and things such as the temperature, feeds, nappy changes etc can all be controlled by you. Also for new parents (who are often experiencing sleepless nights) it takes a lot of the pressure off when you don’t need to travel or remember anything for your session as you’ll have everything there!
For toddler sessions, ideally we would do a mix of the two. If we start at home they can show me their toys and we can progress at their pace as they become more confident in front of the camera. As their confidence grows it is often nice to end the session outdoors. This can be either in your garden (if you have one) or at a local park etc where they can just play and forget that they are being photographed.
For older children, pets and adults it is entirely up to you. Both location and home shoots work well and I can do a combination of the two if you’d like.
Q: I love the photos – could you tell me how much a session costs?
A: In general a portrait session costs £150 which would include:
- The session itself
- A proof book which is yours to keep
- A DVD slideshow which is yours to keep
- Your images in colour, black and white and mixes depending on what you would like
- Retouching on any of your chosen images if you would like
- All time, travel (if within East Anglia) and any applicable taxes
There are often special offers running and if I have photographed your wedding or you have had a portrait session with me before you may well be eligible for some large discounts!
Q: Is it you that takes the photos?
A: Yes it is! Unlike weddings, I work on my own for the majority of my portrait shoots. As numbers are usually small I am able to be capture everything going on without needing a second pair of eyes! It also means that young children don’t feel overwhelmed by too many new people surrounding them.
Q: Do I need to do anything before the session?
A: There will be a very small amount of preparation work before I arrive such as choosing outfits, thinking about props etc. I prefer to advise on this one once I have details for your shoot as it varies from session to session. This is simply because what I would recommend thinking about for a baby shoot in the home for example would not be the same as what I’d suggest for a pet session on a beach!
Q: What happens on a session day?
A: When I meet with you on the day we will discuss styles and approaches as well as where the focus of the session should be e.g. some parents just want their baby photographed whilst others would prefer to be in the photos as well. I will listen to your ideas and thoughts on this as well as giving you some suggestions as to what I think will work well.
Q: How long does a session last?
A: On average a session lasts for an hour. Basically, I make sure there is plenty of time surrounding your session so if we need to take breaks or you overrun a little it doesn’t matter (and you won’t be charged any additional costs).
With babies and small children their attention span is often short and so I try to work quickly and un-fussed to get the images. In reality every session is different and I am prepared for this. With a baby session for example I wouldn’t work for an hour continuously. It is likely to be 10 minutes taking photos and then you feed them for 10 minutes, I then work for another 10 minutes and then they have a nappy change etc. I try to keep the time I spend with you as relaxed as possible so that everyone enjoys the time we have together and at the end of it they’ll be a good selection of photos for you to choose from.
Q: What if I need to rearrange the session?
A: Usually, there’s not a problem with rearranging a session at short notice without incurring a charge. I will always contact you the day before the session to make sure that everyone is well. Ideally, you will not need to cancel on the day itself but if you did there is a small cancellation fee of £20 to cover any travel undertaken.
Q: When and how will I see my images after the session?
A: Your images will be ready for you to look at about 4 weeks after your session. You will see all the images in both colour and black and white as well as some different effects. The time delay between your session and seeing the images is due to your bespoke proof book being made which takes several weeks. Once it is back from the printers I will then send you this together with a DVD slideshow – both of these are yours to keep.
Q: What end products do you offer and do I have to buy anything?
A: Firstly, you are not obliged to purchase any products after our session unless you want to (which I hope you will once you see your photos). I offer a wide range of beautiful products to compliment your images. These include prints in mounts (starting at £10 for a 7x5 print), framed images, canvases, books and albums.
Q: I like what I see on here and the photos are great, what do I need to do now?
A: Please go to the ‘Contact’ section and get in touch. I am happy to answer any further questions you may have, arrange a session with you and confirm any booking details.