Frequently Asked Questions

If you’re wondering what are mini sessions, read my blog post on what to expect.

The very first thing I do is chat to the children to put them at ease and to get a feel for what they are like. Sometimes children take charge straight away and we just follow their lead. Some children are a bit more reserved, in which case I will do more directing during the session. 

Then I take one standard family shot where everyone is looking at the camera (I call it “one for the grandparents”). We do that first before everyone is tired or the children are bored. 

After that, the session is very free flowing. I will encourage you to move, play, dance, read – just have family time. At the same time, I will be directing all the time, asking you to adjust poses slightly and to look at each other. I aim to get a variety of shots: individual children, siblings together, mum with children, dad with children etc. 

Towards the end of the session, when the children start losing focus, I send them off to play and take a few of the parents together and the mum on her own. Sorry, dads, but you are usually well-represented in the family albums, while mum is always behind the camera!

The most difficult task is photographing my own! Other people’s children are usually much more cooperative, I find. I will do my best to keep them engaged. Some little ones like to have a go at taking a picture, some like to see how the photos come out, some like to direct the session – whatever works. Some just want to do their thing and that is absolutely fine. We will work around their needs and their mood. I am comfortable working with people with additional needs too.

However, in the very unlikely event that a child absolutely refuses to take part, it will be necessary to reschedule. Unfortunately, I will not be able to refund your session fee. I will try and make use of the time you paid for working with the rest of the family. 

I aim to have your preview gallery ready within a week. An hour shoot may result in as many as 700 photos. It takes time to look through them all and select the good ones. I apply minimal edits at this stage. What you will see in your preview gallery is exactly that – previews. So do not get discouraged by some of them not looking like what you see on my website. At this stage you should look for content, not quality: face expressions, poses, and most of all – emotions. 

After you have chosen your package and your favourites, I aim to finish editing within 2 weeks for 5-10 photographs, or up to 4 weeks for more. Please note, these are only guidelines and will depend on how long my editing queue is. Also, I have two young children and mainly work while they are at school, hence your photographs might take slightly longer during school holidays or if my girls are unwell. Rest assured, I will do my best to deliver your images as quickly as possible. 

Editing involves adjusting contrast, brightness, colours etc to make the photographs look and feel like what I saw and felt on the day. I apply very delicate retouching to the skin to keep it natural, but to get rid of any temporary imperfections (e.g. blemishes, redness, or a sneaky smear of chocolate on a toddlers face) or signs of tiredness (e.g. shadows under the eyes). I want you to look good, but still human with skin texture, stray hair, and a twinkle in your eye.    

Once you have paid the session fee, your booking is secured. If you cancel less than 3 weeks in advance for any reason, the session fee is non-refundable, but we can find another date that will suit you. If you cancel more than 3 weeks in advance, I will refund your session fee.