Yea, I do portrait sessions too.
Lots of couples like to have an engagement session before they hit the big day. They're a really great way of getting to know your photographer better and getting used to being in front of a camera. Plus how many *really* nice photos of the two of you do you have? If you're like me and you hate having your photo taken I'd be willing to bet it's not many. Much to my wife's dismay the only decent photos we have of just us are the ones from our wedding almost a decade ago.
Much like my approach to weddings, sessions with me are documentary based which leaves you with the memory of the time you spent together and a set of beautiful images to match. They capture genuine moments of natural character and personality with absolutely no posing. Sessions aren't restricted to just the two of you either. Many couples who choose me already have families of their own (plus one of the nice things about photographing weddings is that your clients tend to go off and start new families). My approach works perfectly for both couples and families so I'm really happy to incorporate kids or even your dogs into the session.
Why me?
If you can't think of anything worse than posing in front of a camera with your socks and shoes off in front of a white backdrop then you should hire me.
There's loads of photographers in Suffolk so it's not easy to work out why you should pick one person over the other. You just want really good pictures, right? Preferably within budget. A lot of photographers say that their approach is very 'relaxed', however unlike me very very few work without posing people or getting you to whisper your favourite vegetable into each other's ears (not joking - genuine popular photography trick). If you're as introverted as me or you really hate having your photo taken, then there's a huge difference between being 'relaxed' and 'unposed'.
I do not pose people and as a general rule, where possible I don't set shots up either. All the photos you can see on this website have been taken in this candid approach (yep, even the ones that look a bit posed). At the very most, I occasionally suggest holding hands or standing/walking in a particular place but that's pretty much it, no posing, no "put your hand here/stand like this". I go out of my way to stay as far back as possible so that people can just be themselves without having to worry about how to stand, what to do or where to look leaving you to just enjoy your time together and forget that it's a photo session. There's an arguable trade-off with photo perfection, but I think it's well worth it when in return you get super relaxed photos of real life memories, not stuff your photographer made you do that didn't feel natural.
Cost
From £200Your session fee covers approximately one hour of relaxed, unposed time for a couple or family at a location of your choice.
You keep the full gallery of final edits afterwards.
Most 1hr sessions produce between 20 - 50 images.
Travel over 30mins from Framlingham may incur additional costs.
FAQ
Can you recommend a location?
Yep, I've got a few favourites I can suggest based on where you live. I generally recommend going for somewhere that's special to you with a bit of variety in scenery. For example in Framlingham we have urban ares, a castle, fields, woodland areas and a lake all together within a few minutes walking distance. Pick a wood and you get 30 pictures of you with trees in the background. Not a bad thing as such, but places like Fram give you better value for money in my opinion. Bonus points if you schedule it to start one hour before sunset. 😍🤌🏻
What happens?
Whatever you like. It's all about you, not what I've told you to do. Some families choose to go for a walk, some play games together, some bake. One family even watched a film in their lounge. I don't do posing or making people do stuff that isn't natural. Occasionally I might have a suggestion on an activity or a location but for the most part, you just enjoy each other's company whilst I document what happened.
How long does it take?
Most sessions last about an hour but the main indicator for me is whether I feel I've got enough photos to tell your story in the way you want it told.
Do we have to pose?
No. Absolutely not. You don't even have to look at the camera or acknowledge my presence. In fact, this approach works best when you ignore me as much as possible. I mostly use longer range lenses so that I can photograph from a distance to help with this. Some families have even told that they've completely forgotten I was there at times.
What should we wear?
Wear whatever makes you feel great. If you feel great, you'll look fantastic, even if it's a tatty old top that your better half wants you to throw out.
I have a particular shirt that when combined with a nice pair of jeans and my favourite jumper makes me feel like I'm maybe not quite so unattractive as I often think I am.
How and when do we get our photos?
All your lovely photos will be available to view and download in full resolution for three months on an online password protected gallery which you can share with friends and family. I aim to get this out to you within one week.
Can we buy prints?
You'll get unrestricted printing rights which means you can get your photos printed and framed wherever, whenever and however you like.
Alternatively, premium quality prints and frames are available to purchase directly from your personal online gallery and delivered straight to your door.
How many photos will we get?
This can vary a little depending on what happens during the day and how large the group size is but typically ranges from 20-40.
Ready to book?
Hit the button below to find a date that works for you and request a session, if you have a venue in mind, please pop it in the message box when you fill out the request form. Once I get your booking request, I'll double check that I'm able to shoot on that date and location (if you've put one) and invite you to complete the booking. In most cases I can check this for you the same day. Protip: aim to schedule the session start one hour before sunset (google sunset that day if you're not sure when that is). You absolutely will not regret how much it improves the light and backgrounds. 😍
If you still have questions, you can fill out the form below to send me a message, or pop over to my contact page for other options.