about bespoke lifestyle portrait sessions

Approach

My aim is to capture your family’s love and sense of fun, with beautifully natural and timeless photography presented ready to display in your home and enjoy each and every day.  I feel that photographs are more than just pictures and become more and more precious with each passing year.

I adore natural smiles, thoughtful expressions and spontaneous laughter, so look for moments beyond a smile to camera, but I do love those shots too!  With children I tend to observe and document, though I do gently direct, especially with older children and adults, and always for your group shots.  It maybe just asking you to sit in a different location to continue your conversation or game; or suggesting you do something silly to achieve some giggles.  For child and sibling portraits I will often ask a parent to stand behind, or to the side of me, to talk to them and hold their attention.

Locations

All bespoke family sessions take place on location, either your, home and garden (if large enough) a favourite park or somewhere else that you enjoy spending time.   This approach does require careful planning, weather watching and flexibility, but is very rewarding, great fun and the results are far more meaningful and natural.

What to Wear

On booking you will receive a ‘Style Guide’ with more tips and information but do remember when planning your session clothing, that simple is best!  Busy designs and lettering on shirts will be very distracting in the final images, and please avoid vibrant colours as they don’t photograph well and are overpowering.

For group shots try to think of clothing as coordinating rather than matching, it’s helpful to choose a few soft colours that work well together and have everyone dress in some combination of those colours.  Layers of textured, solid coloured clothing work best, though sparing use of small subtle patterns can also look good.   Please feel free to bring a change of clothes  and with young children, it’s best to bring a few changes and plenty of wipes!

Young Children

With younger children it is best not to make a ‘big thing’ about the photo session and keep the whole occasion low-key and relaxed.  Please don’t bribe them with promises of treats as they then tend to be eager to finish!  If children do act up, don’t panic we can take a break.  Every child is different and we want it to be fun, so we’ll adapt and roll with whatever works best to keep them calm and happy.

Timing

Light is extremely important and will have a huge impact your finished portraits.  Winter light is beautiful as the sun (when it appears!) stays fairly low in the sky throughout the day. During the Summer months, early evening or very early morning are best unless your home is suitable to shoot in.   Taking into consideration the age of your children, your chosen date and location, we will work out the best time to schedule your session.

It’s difficult to know how long a session will last, it depends very much on the individuals. Usually between an hour, and an hour and a half is sufficient, however everyone is different so please keep your day as free as possible, so we can carry on if needed without clock watching.

Food

If children need a drink and a bite to eat,  please avoid chocolate or brightly coloured foods/drinks that will stain tongues and clothes; unless it is towards the end of the session and you’d like some ‘messy’ shots!

Your Investment

As well as investing your time, there is also the financial side to be considered: 

I shoot with frames in mind, these start at £300 and print collections start at £600.  There is never any pressure to buy, however I would recommend a minimum budget of £750 for Park Sessions;  and £1200 for Custom Sessions, as I can guarantee you will be delighted with your images and want more than one :)