In this section you will find information and answers to some questions which I am frequently asked regarding my portrait photography. I hope that you find some of the information useful. However, if you have any particular interest please do not hesitate to contact me.

My aim is to offer something a little more stylish and individual than the ubiquitous mass-production high street portrait studios

In general I cater to a range of requirements:-

• Parent and child portraits
• Family group portraits
• Executive and commercial portraits
• Lifestyle portraits
• Fashion portraits
• Artistic and sophisticated sexy portraits
• Complete makeover portraits

Portraits can be taken in the studio, on location, in the office or at your home. All other things being equal, the studio is to be preferred as the lighting can be controlled to be the most flattering and to maximum advantage to the style you would wish me to create.

In all cases though, I try to produce something which is unique to you and captures your personality or inner self. Because of this, I usually like to meet or at least communicate a little by phone or email to ascertain something of your thoughts and feelings as to exactly what you are looking for. With this in mind, I will provide advice on what to wear and bring, although I also have access to a large wardrobe of clothes and props suitable for a range of looks and styles.  

I will provide assistance with posing and of course feedback on whether we are getting what you are looking for, be it a serious business portrait, a classic artwork for wall mounting or just something wild for yourself. The lighting arrangement and equipment used will be chosen according to the situation. Most of all, I try to make it fun.

Parent and Child & Family Group Portraits

For family type portraits especially those involving young children, I am aware that the biggest difficulty is maintaining their concentration and interest for any length of time. I can provide some suggestions on best preparing your child or children for the event. Normally, I would try to do a couple of set-ups where the photographs are taken in quite short bursts. Any such group photographs can be interspersed with individual portraits. However, please note that, sadly these days it is essential that for any photographs involving minors, an adult must be present at all times. This is for my protection rather than that of your children. A session might range from 30minutes to 2 hours depending upon your requirements and everyone's concentration span!

Executive and Commercial Portraits

I am aware that time is usually of the essence in these cases. Normally I would set up in a spare office and staff would visit at appointed times. Alternatively if a photograph is required in someone's own office, setting up can be done with a minimum of fuss though preferably during a meeting when the office might be vacated.

Lifestyle Portraits

These are photographs taken in places you like, indulging in favourite activities, participating in events, - wherever your lifestyle takes you!   Some examples are shown in the Lifestyle Gallery but this is by no means exhaustive. The price of photography is the same as for a studio portrait session but if the time taken for the shoot is likely to be in excess of four hours or involves significant travel then additional costs may be involved.   Please email or telephone to discuss your requirements in detail.

Fashion and Sexy Portraits

For these types of photograph, I normally assign 3-4 hours. You will be surprised how quickly the time passes and it is not all hard work. Usually the session would be broken into four segments. In each segment we would try to create a different look and mood according to discussions we may have had previously either in person, over the telephone or by e-mail. Between each segment there is an opportunity to get changed, have a cup of coffee, take a time out, have a look at some of my latest photographs and to generally chat and relax. Each photo segment will depend entirely upon your requirements. To give you some idea though, most of my clients tend to choose:-

•  A casual outfit or the favourite black dress to get into the swing of things,

•  A business suit, a favourite nightclub outfit or something really elegant.

•  Something more daring ranging from a) wearing lingerie only, b) strategically covered nudity as per the Women's Institute calendar, c) veiled and/or heavily post processed figure studies to convey the mood whilst showing little, up to d) tasteful and artistic full figure nudes, according to how audacious you are feeling.

•  By now you will be fully in the swing of things, having discovered that having your photograph taken properly does not hurt that much after all and is really quite good fun! Let's do something really wild for your husband, boyfriend or even just yourself! This is your chance to indulge in a bit of fantasy: be photographed dressed up as Lara Croft, become an ancient goddess or act out being a damsel in distress.

However, the choice is entirely yours!

Makeover Portraits

In general, I aim in my portraits to make you as good looking as possible through control of lighting and post processing techniques, whilst retaining your natural look. However, if you would really like to go the whole way and have a complete makeover, then professional hair styling and/or full photographic makeup can be arranged prior to the photo shoot.

Do you use traditional film or digital cameras?

Although I have been using digital processing since 1994, until recently I had continued to use film cameras for capturing the image. Digital capture has for some time now been almost universally used by press photographers but this has been predominantly for speed. At the end of an event, the photographer can download the photographs to a laptop in the car or press box and immediately zap them down a line or through a mobile phone to the editor. No more rushing the film to a processor and then rushing the prints to the office. It is all instantaneous. But the quality demanded by newspaper printing or for a small photograph in a magazine is not great.

Portrait photography is more about quality than time. At the higher end of the market, which I cater for, film has prevailed and until very recently, I still used a Nikon 35mm film camera and a medium format Mamiya RZ67 (6cm x 7cm negative size) for the more formal shots likely to be used for large framed portraits.

However, that said, earlier this year, I came to the conclusion that the technology had finally reached a point where it is not just more convenient but superior in quality. I took delivery of a Canon EOS 1Ds, 11.1m pixel full frame digital camera. This camera system is not cheap but the image quality is just amazing, surpassing my medium format camera. As a result I now use this for all my work.

This means that I now have an all digital 'work-flow' as all post capture processing is carried out digitally. This affords much better control over the final prints. Printing is done using top end professional equipment giving a quality and longevity of prints in excess of traditional consumer chemical printing and far in excess of consumer digital printers.

The only exceptions are my infra-red photography, for which I use film processed in my own darkroom and for specialist prints such as portrait prints using platinum chemistry (see below).

What is the life expectancy of our photographs?

The very highest available quality of materials and techniques are used in producing your photographs to ensure the highest possible resistance against fading due to ultraviolet light and chemical pollutants. Properly looked after and out of direct sunlight, these photographs should have a life of 75 years and more before there is noticeable ageing (1000 years is believed to be the life of Platinum prints). This is far in excess of high street photographic materials and way beyond the life expectancy of images produced on normal consumer ink jet printers. Nevertheless, if longevity is important to you then it is vital, as with any valuable photograph or painting, that the framing materials or any album used to present the photographs are free of varnish solvents, glue solvents, acid in the mounting board or album pages and preferably include ultraviolet light resistant glass in frames.

Framed Platinum Prints

Platinum is one of the most stable and valuable metals on earth. In recent years though, traditional non-digital photography has been based almost universally on metal silver. This was not always the case. Before the 1914-18 war, photography based on Platinum technology was popular. However, the need for Platinum for weaponry ended its availability and its use never recovered. However prints made using Platinum technology are believed to last for 1000 years.

Platinum printing is entirely a hand process requiring highest quality artists' paper to be hand coated with light sensitive compounds and hand processed. Each print is therefore individual and cannot be repeated exactly. Because the platinum sits in the fabric of the paper rather than in a gelatin surface layer as with modern machine made photographic papers, the blacks are not as deep but instead the prints give a beautiful range of subtle and delicate tones ideal for portrait work.

The high cost of this material and the labour intensive nature of their creation means that Platinum prints are expensive. But consider their value as a family heirloom. A work of pure hand-crafted art.

What are the payment arrangements?

The sitting fee or photography fee is payable in advance. This is your only commitment. Once you have seen the photographs you are free to choose as many or as few as you wish. Payment for photograph orders is required when the order is placed.

What do you charge for a portrait session?

For a list of prices please return to the Information Menu and click on portrait photography prices.