
Life’s a beach. The sun always shines. Our jobs are easy. And we have plenty of spare time to spend with family and friends.
The key difference between Pinterest and life? It’s just not true. Life is a helter-skelter of frazzled demands on our time and with it, our creativity falls. Spiralling down along with doubt, self-judgement and an inner critic nestling comfortably on our shoulder, whispering toxic messages.

“Mandy’s approach to photography is pure class. She aims to create stunning photographs and her work reflects this. I loved the lighting setups, mood board and wardrobe suggestions by Mandy- she has all of the ingredients of a talented photographer and I loved the results!”
If you’re like most models, photographers or simply someone who likes pretty pictures, you’ll be curious how I create the below photographs whilst juggling a full-time job.
Planning for my photoshoots involves a lot of head-scratching whilst I figure out the right model for my mood board, struggle with how I’m going to style my model and use a storyboard to plan how I’ll direct the poses and expression to create fabulous photographs.
I know when I’m close to success when I start to find the right person because they bring so much value to the session.
Getting the right person is electrifying. But does it happen naturally? Never. So I work hard to connect with aspiring models that are eager to work with me.
And when I want to produce beautiful imagery I get quietly determined. I turn up the heat. The thing I really like is nattering about a plan that combines colour, style, textures and luminous lighting.
The portraits in this blog present a fabulous, internationally published model Helen Diaz LINK. Working with someone at her calibre enabled me to finish the summer holidays on a high.
I’m always flattered when I read my reviews and Helen and Jessica from last week LINK summed me up perfectly: a bit quirky, full of energy and determined to produce the very best that I can.
To understand the true value of my photography, you need to recall why I picked up my first camera. I knew in my heart I wanted to reach out and connect with people upon my return from Asia (a short story about how I started photography). I just didn’t’ realise just how rewarding this hobby would become.
Although I’m always super scared of setting new goals and going after my dreams. Taking a big leap is exhilarating, especially when my plans come to fruition.
Summer is coming to a close. If you’ve enjoyed these photographs, tell me why. I’ll be planning my next mood board in the non-too distant future. I’d like to get a revolution going – natural, beautiful portrait for everyday people.
Join my vision – Luxurious photography for everyone.
Amanda Herbert | Isle of Wight
Email: [email protected]
Comments