Lifestyle portraits at the South Bank, London

Booking a portrait can be a daunting experience unless you know what to expect and have a plan. While every portrait is unique,  there are many details that can be planned for to ensure your experience runs like clock work.

Let’s look at a real portrait session taken during the Easter holidays along the South Bank terraces with V. Or you can jump to part 2 here.

“Thank you so much for all of the photo’s you have sent over i love every single one of them and so does my friend – you’re an amazing photographer! will recommend you to all! <3 Thanks for a great experience would love to do it again sometime xxxxxx” V

Communication is important

If you’ve never booked a portrait session, you need to when things are going to happen. This is why communication with your photographer regarding the niggly details of a photo shoot is important – the times and location, how you are travelling there, how much time you have for the session, which locations you are thinking of and what style of photograph appeals. Ask your photographer for a welcome pack that explains the who, what, why and where for your portrait session.

If you know as much as possible about the day plan, any issues can be addressed well in advance of the portrait session rather than on the day itself.

Build a connection with your photographer

I really enjoy photo shoots because it gives me a chance to to get to know new people like V. here. It gives me an opportunity to build a rapport and really get to know a person ensuring they are comfortable in front of the camera. V. contacting me after a friend recommended my sessions at the South Bank, she was looking to update her social media profile, but had never worked with a photographer before.

Arrive early

Very often you will have seen lots of pretty images on a website, but don’t know how those images were captured. You might not know what to expect and have some anxiety about having your picture taken. A portrait session gives you a chance to have fun with each other and get excited about having your life and lifestyle captured by a photographer.

Arriving early gives you the opportunity to create beautiful images in an environment that is not stressful – there are no time constraints, there are no distractions and emotions are not running high.

Allow for 2 hours

Portrait sessions often last 2 hours. They may run over if you are travelling to a few locations or if you’re get into a groove. You don’t want to feel pressed for time, so let everyone know what to expect ahead of time. If you like to do on-location shoots with natural light, try to schedule your sessions for late afternoon, about 2 hours before sunset. That way, the light is better towards the end of the session when you’re starting to relax and have fun.

Follow the ‘what to wear’ guide

Most photographers will give you a ‘what to wear’ guide (ask to see the style pack I use with new clients). Most people appreciate some guidance, by talking to your photographer beforehand, you’ll usually avoid common pitfalls. Whilst you don’t want ‘matchy’ outfits it is good to wear clothes in the same colour family without overwhelming your style with patterns or stripes. You want to feel relaxed and look comfortable, so choose clothes that you can move about it and don’t mind sitting on the ground in can really help.

Tel: 07898621187 or drop me a line

I’ll be posting more ideas next week, for now enjoy these other posts:

• the secret to natural smiles
• planning your portrait session
• what to wear

My aim is simple – to ensure a truly wonderful experience.  I customise each photo session, from the beginning of the shoot right until your items are delivered. My goal is to personally look after you every step of the way. That way I know you’ll get a service that is second to none.

If you have any questions about this process, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME.

Call 0789 862 1187