FAQs

• What's the difference between you and a high-street photography studio?
  
  I specialise in location-only portraits. This means that whereas a typical studio portrait session will involve a variety of poses in front of a studio background, because I visit you in your home or at a nearby location, we can make full use of lots of different environments in which to take your portraits. There is no formal "posing" as such, except with some of the larger family groups, and I don't do the sort of shots which have families leaping around in the air against a plain white background - I know it's popular, but it's just not my style; I'd rather use your surroundings to help express your individuality.
  
  If after looking through the photos on my site, you decide that you're after a different style of portraiture, then I'd be happy to recommend some studios to you.

• Do you offer your prints unframed?
  
  All prints larger than 7" x 5" are presented in a range of frame styles that you won't find on the high-street. Prints up to 7" x 5" can be purchased unframed.
  
  I believe that when you purchase a print from me, it deserves the best setting in order to enhance its appeal. Therefore, all your images will be printed by a professional laboratory (not a local photo-lab), on traditional photographic paper (not inkjet paper). They will then be attached behind a special mount to create the right setting for them and also to keep the picture from sticking to the glass, signed by me and finally, framed in a style that complements your decor.

• I've seen photo canvases offered by local high-street photo labs. Are yours the same?
  
  Canvas prints are extremely popular. However, the quality can vary immensely. Those that I supply are again printed by a professional photographic lab and, rather than being printed directly onto the canvas, are printed onto traditional photographic paper which is then bonded onto artists' canvas. For added protection of your images, the canvas is then coated with a laminate, before being stretched around a wooden frame. These are not the same as those available in your local photo store.

• Do you retouch your photographs?
  
  Always. Many people think that a photograph is ready to print straight from the camera. For holiday snaps this may be true, but for professional photographers, retouching is a must.
  
  Professional retouching should not be obvious, but it should be looked on as the icing on the cake, that sets a professional photograph apart from a snap.

• Do you offer refunds?
  
  I care about my work and I want my clients to be delighted with their pictures, so if after viewing your proofs, you are not happy with the images from your session and decide that you don't want to order any, then I will either do a reshoot free of charge, or offer you a full refund of your session fee, whichever you prefer. Please note that as individual items are hand-made, once your order for prints, frames and canvases has been placed, no refunds can be offered, unless the products are damaged in any way.

• Do we need to tidy up the house before our photo-shoot?
  
  Don't worry too much having everything neat and tidy - after all it's you and your children I'm photographing, not your furniture and belongings! Once I've met up with you at our pre-meeting, I'll have a better idea of where I want to take the photographs, and we can take it from there.

• How long will our portrait session last?
  
  I prefer not to set a rigid time limit for portrait sessions, but generally speaking, for family and teenage sessions, I would allow anything between 2 -4 hours plus some time for breaks. Baby portrait sessions will be usually be shorter.
  
  However, timings aren't set in stone as they will, of course, depend on how your children are feeling on the day. It's important that no one feels rushed, but at the same time, small children can tire quickly and their boredom thresholds are very low! If they do show signs of getting bored or tired, it's best to take a break, and then see how they are feeling afterwards.

• Do we get to see every single picture you take?
  
  During your family portrait shoot I will take a lot of photos, using a variety of different backgrounds and setups. These will be edited down and I will discard any where the expression isn't quite right or where someone has blinked.

• How long do we have in which to choose our photographs?
  
  Your photographs will remain on my website for 1 month, to allow plenty of time for you to choose which images you would like.

• What should we wear for our portrait session?
  
  My portrait sessions will often allow for a couple of changes of clothing so that we can capture a series of different looks.
  
  When you're being photographed in a group, the best approach is for everyone to wear a similar style and colour of clothing. This doesn’t mean that you all need to look absolutely identical, but clashing colours and styles should be avoided as they can date a photograph very quickly. One of the best looks for a family portrait is jeans with either a white shirt or tee-shirt. The look is both simple and timeless. Children and babies can go barefoot if preferred.
  
  For younger children, try to choose bright, plain colours and restrict patterns to just one item; for instance, bright blues, greens, pinks and reds look great, especially when teamed with jeans. Logos are generally best avoided, as they will date a picture quite quickly.
  
  Teenagers and older children, however, will probably prefer a more individual look which best captures their personality.
  
  Accessories are also perfect for transforming the look of an outfit, so if your child has any hats, baseball caps, colourful wellington boots etc, then do feel free to have them to hand. For little girls, tutus and tiaras, if you have them, (or even a pair of mummy’s high heels!) can also work well. If your children have favourite toys, these can also be incorporated. Babies look great either au naturel or in simple outfits in either pastel colours or white.
  
  We can discuss all the different options in more detail during our pre-session meeting.