This is me, the collection.
A collection of exquisite portraits.

The first thing to say, is that this is essentially free. I will give you three images of your choice. If you would like any further images, they will be £5.00 each and I will make a donation to WBUH.

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When we first start chatting, I like to actually talk to you, so I'll phone! We can meet - I'll buy you a coffee. If not, an email or DM, I'll explain that, on "the" day, right from the moment you get up in the morning,  you need to prepare. This is going to be a great day!

I want you to feel your best, so start from the skin up, wear your favourite perfume! Have you hair (I don't have any) in your most preferred style. Prepare a couple of changes of clothes, for different looks that you might like. Have your jewelry/watches or whatever ready. I think a hat and/or a scarf give a different emotion to the image.

I believe that colour is really important. The colour of your skin and any makeup (or not) you might wear. The colour pallet of the clothing you choose, it all has a huge influence upon the way that you will look in the completed image.

During the shoot, I will guide you, and make suggestions about, how to stand, how to hold your body, how to hold your hands, how to have your mouth, how to have your eyes. Each little bit we will hone to perfection to get the best possible image of you, that you have ever seen. Frequently during the shoot, we will review the images. We need to be sure that you are happy. I need to be sure, that each bit is correct. Its surprising how often people blink, just as I press the shutter release.

Once the shoot is over I have to develop or process the images.  It takes between two and ten minutes to process each photo. I like to this quite promptly, whilst the shoot is fresh in my memory. This bit takes a couple of days to complete, it requires a lot of concentration. I don't like to over process the images. I will however take out obvious skin blemishes, spots and the like. I often crop out bits of the background to make the subject more prominent. Out of the total number of photos, I hope to get fifty to seventy five decent images. Usually then, there are five or ten outstanding ones. If I am lucky!

If you would like a chapperone, or your partner or whoever, to be preset, please feel free to do so. Even better if they can bring a bottle of prosecco!

On the day, the first thing is coffee. We need to have a chat. Most people I photograph, I have met before. Occasionally I have not met you, so we need to get to know each other a bit. After all, you are trusting me with something very important. Apart from that I like coffee a great deal! Whilst we are drinking our coffee, we will chat through how the session is going to be. I like to have a look around the venue and choose a couple of places, where to do the image making. The most important bit is the space, not the light, I bring the light with me. Sometimes, an outdoor set is good, sometimes different spaces around the venue. Each space brings its own feeling and image. Once we have sorted out the initial setup, clothing, space, lighting and whatever else. Let the shoot begin!

The whole thing takes between, two and three hours. Some people prefer the morning, some the afternoon. Sometimes it is the evening, whatever works best for us. The light is very different in the late afternoon, early evening, so that we can get different types of shots - afternoon light and then in the dark. This might seem like a  like a long time, for me, it absolutely flies by. Often people don't want the shoot to end. For reasons of deep human psychology, it takes quite some time to settle into the routine of image making.

I sometimes get a few good images in the first hour, the second hour really goes well, and if we get a third hour, this is when the magic really happens. You are relaxed with the process, we have worked out the best light, clothing etc. It's now that we get the truly fabulous images. I take between 150 and 250 photos during that time. 

 I love to get a few of these final images printed. A printed image is a proper work of art, they are just fabulous. I have a friendly printer and framer just up the road.

I would like to be able to come and see you to go through the final images, but sometimes, that might not work out.

That's it then until the next time. I would absolutely love it, if you could refer people to me!