The Portraits are taken in a relaxed and fun atmosphere to put everyone at ease. Please don’t worry too much about your children misbehaving – I like a bit of character! The first bit of advice is to relax and enjoy the experience. Before the sitting please have a look around your home for wall space that you think would be an ideal position for your portrait. You will then have a good idea of colours that would suit the room better or feel black and white, or a warmer sepia tone would look good. It will also help when deciding on a size and style of frame. Can’t decide on outfits? Don’t worry just bring a selection and I will choose for you.

Baby portraits nearly always look better in the nude or with very little clothing. Wrapped in your favourite shawl or blanket looks so much better than an outfit that covers them up. If you have any teddy bears that are special to you and your baby, feel free to bring these along. If you do want your baby photographed in an outfit please choose a simple light design that your baby feels comfortable in. If you would like to be included in the baby portraits white looks lovely and soft or black for a more dramatic effect.

Please feel free to call me on 01772 334076 for advice – it is very important to me that you are thrilled with the final results so I am here to help in any way I can.

Lighter clothing i.e. summer styles look better in the studio. For girls, floaty dresses work better than short skirts with tights. Jeans and a pretty blouse in pink or lemon or a T-shirt look lovely. For boys, jeans and short-sleeved shirts or T-shirts in pale blue, white, or lemon work well, and waistcoats can be added for extra detail. Patterns on tops, check designs, etc are great. Shoes are usually taken off unless this would unbalance the shot. If you have any interesting hats please bring these along or anything that you feel would add to the personalisation of the portrait. Your children need to feel comfortable in the clothing so nothing too fancy or fussy, especially if they are in a group and their clothes would constantly need to be rearranged. Our pet hate for older girls is a short skirt, black tights, and ugg boots!

We sometimes get family groups arriving with one member in a suit and tie and others in jeans and T-shirts and the two do not look good together! Similarly, some people in jumpers and some in T-shirts do not work. So all decide if the portrait is going to be a formal posed shot or a more relaxed style and then dress accordingly. We may prefer no shoes so take this into account. Pastel shades or bright colours? Either is fine as long as everyone is on the same theme – so four people in white and then one in red would be a no.

Ladies are especially critical of themselves so please make sure you feel really comfortable but confident in the clothes you decide on. If you do not like your arms, for instance, why not choose an outfit with a short-sleeved cardigan or blouse? Keep in mind that you may be sat down for some of the poses so short skirts do not usually work. I am professionally trained to pose people in ways to bring out the best in everyone. If you are worried about any aspect of how you will appear let me know and I will give you relevant advice. And remember the airbrush is a wonderful invention!