Here are some questions we get asked most frequently with regards to portrait sessions.  If you have a different question you’d like answered then please get in touch and I’ll try to answer it for you.

Where do you work?

For my portrait sessions I work in East Anglia only at present.

Where will the session take place and do you have a studio?

All of my work is shot either at your own home or on location (usually in East Anglia).   I do not have a studio and do not rent them for sessions.  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.

Is it best to have a session at home or on location?

I think that this depends on who is being photographed.  For babies I would definitely recommend a home shoot as everything is to hand that you as parents may need to keep your little one happy such as feeds, toys, nappy changes, familiar environment etc.  By keeping this in your control you’ll also feel more relaxed.  For new parents (who are often experiencing sleepless nights) I also find that it takes a lot of the pressure off when you don’t need to travel or remember anything for your session.  For all other ages the choice is entirely down to you and what you’d prefer.  With toddlers I often start at the home (so they can show me their toys and get familiar with me photographing) and then when they get a little restless we go out for a walk or to a nearby park etc so they can let of some steam and to capture another side to their personalities.

Is it you that takes the photos?

Yes it certainly 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.

Do I need to do or prepare anything before the session?

There will be a very small amount of prep 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.  What I would recommend for example for a baby shoot in the home would be completely different to what I’d suggest for a pet session on a beach!

What happens on a session day?

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 with the baby.  I will listen to your ideas as well as giving suggestions as to what I think will work well.  Our session will then begin and I’ll start photographing.

How long does a session last?

On average a session lasts between 1 and 2 hours.  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.  With babies and small children their attention span is often very short so I try to work quickly to get the images and chop and change things round in the session to keep it as interesting as possible for them.  In reality every session is different and I am  prepared for pretty much all eventualities.  With a baby for example the session wouldn’t be a whole 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 once our time is over you’ll have plenty of images to choose from.

How many images will I see?

This variously enormously between sessions and how many people I am photographing.  For example, a session where I’ve photographed a baby on its own I’d expect to show around 30-40 photos whilst a family session would usually be in the region of 50-100 images.  I don’t limit myself so if the image makes the cut you will see it.

When and how will I see my images after the session?

Your images will be ready for you to look at about 2-3 weeks after your session.   They will initially be put onto a password protected online gallery for you to view.  Depending on what package you’ve gone for will depend on the next stages.  If you’ve just paid for the session itself and wish to order prints afterwards you will be able to do this directly through your online gallery.  If you have chosen a package which includes all your images digitally transferred to you that will also be done at this stage.

We’re very shy and have our reasons why we don’t want our images appearing online afterwards is this possible?

Yes, of course.  We have photographed many portraits (and weddings) over the years where people don’t want to be on the internet at all for various reasons (usually involving remarriages, child protection issues, adoptions etc) and we’re fine with that.  Whilst as a matter of course in the terms and conditions you sign you agree that we can use your images for our publicity if you let us know that you don’t want them used in advance then we can adapt this for you.  There are usually varying degrees that people mean when they say they don’t want them online e.g. I’m happy for a password protected gallery online but would rather you don’t write up a blog story or use them in your publicity etc.  Alternatively, if you don’t want them ever reaching the internet through us then we will look at other ways of giving you your images and would respect this completely.   Just let us know your wishes if you have strong feelings on this before we get to the stage of popping them online.

What end products do you offer and do I have to buy anything?

If you have gone for a session only package you are not obliged to purchase any images after our session unless you want to (which I hope you will once you see them).  If you’ve included the images as part of your package then these will be sent to you and again you don’t have to purchase anything further through me unless you want.

I offer a wide range of beautiful products to compliment your images.  These include digital downloads, prints, framed images and canvases.  I can also offer you books and albums should you wish to display your images like this.

What if I need to rearrange the session?

There’s no problem at all with rearranging a session at short notice without incurring any charges.  I will always contact you the day before the session to make sure that everyone is well and that you’re happy to still go ahead with the session.  Ideally, you will not need to cancel on the day itself but if you did there is a small cancellation fee (only if I have already set off travelling) of £20.

I would like to buy a session as a gift for someone – is this possible?

We have given this an awful lot of thought and have decided to no longer offer sessions as a gift. There are a number of reasons for this but mainly because we want to make sure that we’re the right choice for the people we’re photographing and that we shoot in a style that they would like. We are more than happy for you to get in touch and discuss potentially paying for a session in the future for someone else but before we book these (or you pay for them) the session would need to be discussed with the person/s who will be photographed and agreed with them.

I like what I see on here and the photos are great, what do I need to do now?

Please contact me to arrange your session