Knowledge Bank
What happens if it Rains?
If the weather is inclement an hour or so before your shoot we simply move it by an hour or two, if is solid rain and clearly set in for the day we simply reschedule for another day. The wonderful thing about the great British weather is you never have to wait long for it to change again! So the key is to be flexible and take the forecast with a pinch of salt!
I want my baby photographed with my dog, how does this work?
Well that all depends how old baby is! I recommend waiting until baby is able to sit up completely unaided. Your baby’s safety is very important to me and working out on location we need to be sure that if they do rock backwards or forwards they can do so without hurting themselves. That goes two fold if you would like little one photographed with your dog or dogs. Baby MUST be used to having the dogs around them and the dogs must enjoy being around baby. The same goes if they are toddlers. Safety First then we are good to go!
How long will it take to receive my order?
After you have decided and confirmed what you would like it usually takes about 3 weeks to get the orders back from the lab.
What happens if I don’t like any of the photos?
All my sessions come with a money back guarantee. If at the time of your viewing you are not happy you will receive a full refund, no quibbles, no arguments! It’s never happened though!!But I want you to be reassured that you can have your money back if you are not happy at the time of your viewing.
Will you come to my home for the shoot?
Maybe, this is always a tricky one. If you live on a farm or have landscaped sizable garden’s then the answer is yes. I still could come to your home if your garden is smaller then this but it will limit what we can do together and I usually recommend using one of my key locations.
Do you do Gift Vouchers?
YES! They start at £50 and your welcome to buy artwork in advance or sessions for loved ones or money to put towards this.
Can I bring my own camera along too?
Its not a good idea to bring your own camera along, even the one in your pocket, it can cause confusion for the subjects as they just don’t know where to look and it becomes very distracting. Also you’ve just hired a professional so there’s not a lot of point and you will get much better results if its just left to me.
Are you a member of any governing bodies?
Yes I am! I originally qualified with the MPA, that’s the Master Photographers Association at Licentiate level and was their highest qualify submission that year, and my panel was taken on tour as an exemplary body of work. I am now under the umbrella of The Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers (that’s the SWPP) and The Guild of Photographers. I have won many awards within these bodies and follow their professional codes of conduct. So if you think I am not up to scratch in any way you will have someone to report me to!
Can I be in some of the photos?
Absolutely! YES you can! In fact I actively encourage you to especially if you have children. Your children love you, they want you and they need you, so jump in for one picture and be the Mum who is there with them. You may feel uncomfortable about it now but I can guarantee your children will thank you for it in the future. There are things you need to know if your jumping in too! Essentially you need to think carefully about what you are wearing on the session. I have a Clothing guide for children and adults that you can download with examples of what does and does not work. Essentially the key is to keep it simple!
My dog has to stay onlead is this ok?
Yes Absolutely it is, if your dog needs to stay on lead that’s absolutely no problem at all.Your dogs safety is of paramount importance. Wherever it is possible to do so I will photoshop the lead out of the image for you on all of the images you buy. If the session includes children as well and they are holding the lead sometimes it doesn’t make sense to take it out, but in most instances, it can be removed.
My dog or child is crazy, I don’t know if they will stay still long enough!
Welcome to the wonderful world of working with children and animals! This is bread and butter to me. It does require Lots of patience, which I have by the bucket load so I simply don’t worry about it. For dogs I strongly recommend that they are walked well before the session if they are really hyperactive, just to take the edge off. Clearly when working with dogs and children together if they wont go next to each other then it becomes a problem but find giving dogs and children time and space works well and if for any reason they wont go together on that day we can simply reschedule.
Should I bring toys or treats to the session?
Yes, if you think it will help. If your dog is particularly obsessed with a certain toy, like Lola , she is obsessed by tennis balls, we simply use it to our advantage so do bring them but keep them out of sight to begin with. Treats are also always handy for bribery and its always nice to thank the dog with for being “good”
My dog is elderly or ill, can you help me before they pass away?
Yes of course I would love to help you. I regularly get calls like this and am here to capture your dogs portrait for prosperity. Our dogs are with us for such a short period of time and their portraits can travel with you wherever your life might lead you. All you need to do is contact me ASAP and I will prioritise your session.
Do you have any advice on clothing?
Yes! Clothing for children, and adults is actually really important to the success of a session. Keeping things simple is the way to go. Strictly no logos or writing, why is that? Because we are hard wired to read letters or graphics, it’s the first thing our brains do when looking at an image is decipher what it says. We want all the focus on your children or dogs faces. I have a download for you that your welcome to keep that has examples of what works and what doesn’t, you can find it on my website as a downloadable PDF
How far do you travel?
I travel all across the UK but find most people prefer to come to me.
What kind of payments do you accept?
Bank Transfer, PayPal and Credit Cards are the usual payment types. I also offer terms if you would like to split the payment down.
How long does the session last?
That all depends on how many are involved in the session. On average most sessions are down in around an hour but if you allow two hours you should be well covered. If you have multiple dogs say 4 or more then the time would probably increase.
How many images do we get to choose from.
Its usually around 35-40 I don’t set a limit though and it will change dependent on how many subjects were on the session.
Can I view my images online?
If your prebuying a package then yes, but its really not the best way to view the images. Viewings take place on the same day as the shoot if your booked in for an Experience day. Otherwise we simply make a date and agree a time for you to come to me here in Bishops Tachbrook where your viewing takes place for your comfort on a super soft sofa and a big screen with a cuppa and a cake or biscuit!
My child or dog is very shy, what do we do?
The best thing to do is not to worry about it. My sessions are gentle and are not done in a hurry. We simply take all the time we need, its also a good idea to tell me about the shyness in advance as it will help me to prepare the session for you.
Can I reschedule if my child or dog is ill?
Yes absolutely you can. The record so far on reschedules is 4 dates! That’s highly unusual though and if its necessary to reschedule we simply agree another date together. There is no penalty charge for this. You can’t help it if your children or dogs are ill and just the same as we can’t control the weather. Flexibility is the key to a successful session. Occasionally things happen out on location like cheeky dogs finding deep muddy puddles to wallow in and covering themselves from head to toe, when this happens if the dogs completely covered we just reschedule. The same if your child is out of sorts and just isn’t themselves, they might have something that’s just starting to affect them. So we simply reschedule for when they are feeling better.
Where do we come for our viewing?
My address is 22 Mallory Road, Bishops Tachbrook CV339QX. Your welcome to pull up the driveway but some folks have found reversing out tricky and there is lots of on street parking if you prefer.
Can I bring my children to the viewing?
Your very welcome to but its usually a good idea if they are little to have someone babysit for you as your likely to be in the viewing room for over an hour and little ones tend to get very bored with all the decision making!
Your NOT cheap! How is this value for money?
If your looking for the cheapest service possible then I am not the photographer for you. It takes decades of experience to gain the skills I bring with me to a session. Full insurances and beautifully crafted images along with handmade framing all ensure a quality finish. This quality is really important. If you are looking for an original work of art of your children or dogs that will hang on the walls of your home for the rest of your life and be passed down to your children and your childrens children then what your really looking at is an investment. So say you spend £500 with me and the images or frames stay with you and your family for the next 50 years, what you have actually spent is just 2.5p two and a half pee a day!
My dog always looks like a black blob in pictures!
This is a really common problem that owners of black dogs have. And I regularly have people contacting me because their dog is black. Black hair absorbs light so you really need to know your lighting to get it right. As with many things in photography light is the most important factor and knowing how to work with black dogs and how to find the right light for them is key to a successful session. However Black dogs are not the most technically challenging to get right. Dogs that are both Black & white are the ones that provide the biggest challenge, especially if they are black around the eyes. Black and white are at opposite ends of the spectrum so ensuring detail in both areas again requires high levels of lighting skill. My own dog Lola is just like this so I am well practised and always enjoy the challenge so bring them on!