Skip to main content

Creating Real Portraits and Valuable Keepsakes.

Since I began as a photographer it has been my goal to provide more than just a photograph.  I don't want to provide snap shots of a person but instead create something about the person.  Just yesterday I heard an educator in the field refer to one of his friends who said that a photograph is OF someone but a portrait is ABOUT someone.  And that is what I want to create for my clients, portraits about them, whenever I get the opportunity.


I've recently, thanks to my Fellowship, developed a style that is perfect for photographing a child that shows a little about themselves.  And while creating my Fellowship I was fortunate enough to have a client like one of the images and ask for it for her daughter.  She said her 3 year old loves dolls and doll prams and that shot would be perfect for her.  So I asked her about her son and what he likes to do so I could come up with something for him.  "He plays rugby", she said.  Perfect I thought.  "How do you feel about getting him muddied up for a portrait in his kit?"


I was so pleased she was keen on the idea. 

I knew I wanted the intense stare for what would be the perfect portrait in my eyes.  But just in case I made sure I got the a nice smiley one too.  I know that artistically I am drawn to less smiley portraits but that not all my clients are, so I do like to play safe and capture a variety.  In this case though my client chose the same one I did to be framed for their wall.  I often find myself mesmerised by this portrait I love it so much.  He did a perfect job.  Although much to my surprise, it took him a bit to warm to the idea of playing with the mud.  I think it was the idea of the obviously necessary shower he was going to need when he got him that was putting him off. 


During these sessions I also create the standard simple portraits because I know my clients might need a variety of images for a variety of purposes. 



I've recently had another opportunity for one of my real portraits which I am hoping to share here soon and I definitely hope to get more opportunities in future.  If you're interested in having a personal portrait like this of your child or children please get in touch.  I'd love to help you create a true keepsake.  Give me a call on 01455 611069 so we can discuss. 


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Its a Dog's Life

When life gets tough I always look at dogs or my cats and think how lucky they are. I know not all are treated well but those lucky enough to be in a good home, like the ones who come into my studio, have a really great life. They look so happy and its a wonderful thing to see.  I honestly love photographing dogs. They are a joy to work with and its almost impossible to produce a bad portrait of a dog which does of course make my life a little easier. I am someone who really needs to love the work I create. I can't help but love the portraits I've created of all the dogs I've photographed over the years. And this shoot was certainly no exception. I found it a real pleasure using a lighter background this time too. I do often gravitate towards darker looks but seeing as this dog had a light coloured coat I thought I'd produce lighter images. This gave me the chance to use a canvas I painted a couple of years ago but never really used and I absolutely love it

Never Work With Children or Animals

Or so the saying goes. But I have to say that working with dogs has been so lovely. They have been almost entirely a dream to work with. I say almost entirely because we have had a few moments where a dog has needed to settle. And one moment where the dog had settled but one of my cats decided to have a look through the glass door which, as you can imagine, rather quickly unsettled the dog. Still, that didn't stop us from creating incredible work. In fact it was during that shoot with the cat instance when I created two of my favourite pieces, shown below. (It was while sitting on the couch here when he noticed the cat peering through the curtain) I don't know if I've just been lucky or all dogs are just easy to work with. I photographed a french bull dog puppy and I thought that would be tough as he hadn't had time to be properly trained yet. But he did everything we wanted in no time at all. And this included the props we used here (below), which to me

Teen Portraits - Prom Season is Just Around the Corner

If your child is heading to prom in the next couple of months I'd say there is probably no better time than now to have portraits created of your growing teen. With the purchase of a new (and probably expensive) outfit wouldn't it be nice to capture this milestone with a portrait created by a professional. Across the pond this is a hugely popular time to create portraits, and although I am not American (I'm Canadian) I wholeheartedly agree that this is a special moment to record. My prom was a key memory in my teen years and in fact I myself had professional portraits created also. I think I'll go dig them up if I can, though admittedly I think my mother has them back in Canada. I wonder if I can get her to scan one for me. My daughter is currently making plans for college and in the running is one that will move her away from home, as many others are probably experiencing for themselves, particularly those who are 18. This makes it all the more important to

Headshots and Portfolio Shoots: Here's What we Offer

Headshot requests are becoming more frequent so I thought I'd put together a post to share some recent work and explain the packages I offer in greater detail. Headshots are typically a simpler and quicker session so my packages are also a little simpler than what I offer in my full studio sessions. If headshots are what you or your child need its really important that you get good quality headshots that can stand out amongst the crowd. A headshot is a representation of you and often the first impression you are giving out to your audience, whether its casting directors, agents or college officials considering your application. A good headshot is more likely to get you noticed and ultimately get you further along your path. Making your headshots the best they can be should go a long way in helping you progress in your chosen path. I offer 2 different levels of service in order to make it as affordable and appropriate as possible. The first is a simple straightforwa

London in Spring, Whats Not to Love?

Well I know there is still a lot not to love but I'm choosing to see the great things about London at the moment. I am having a ball this year visiting London as often as I can. Which is unusual for me since I usually prefer the comfort of my own home, in rural old Leicestershire. Staying home and avoiding people has always been the easy option. But this year, possibly due to the wonderful weather we keep having, has me longing for venturing out. Again, just like my last trip, I headed out with my good friend Panikos Hajistilly . Living in North London he finds it easy to meet up for our shoots. This time though I had more of an idea of the sights I wanted to use as the backdrops for my portraits. With it being spring I was in search of colour, preferably flowers. Admittedly. I didn't quite get what I was looking for. The white fronted terraced houses with pink magnolia trees we did not find unfortunately. But I did make it to Peggy Porchen's which was a must see on m