Things that might be helpful ...

... if you are tempted to, or planning to, come for a photo shoot

If you are nervous or unsure about posing, don't feel you have to be responsible for how to sit and stand, where to look, place your hands, etc. Once I know what we are trying to achieve I'll guide you, though of course your ideas are important too. It may take a while before you feel relaxed, which is fine.

There might be things about yourself that you'd prefer to enhance or hide. It's true of us all. I have some knowledge to deal with some of these things, and don't forget that any or every photo can be permanently and utterly deleted. Don't be embarrassed, just tell me, discretion assured.

These are some moods and styles that can be achieved in a photo shoot. Pick out as many as you like, and feel free to add your own. We can use different poses, lighting, clothing, and props in different photos, so don't worry about picking more than one style. Bring a list so you don't have to remember on the day.

I sometimes do boudoir shoots, including naked, of men and of women. They are artistic, not pornographic. Understandably many people do not want these to be shared, and there are none on this site. I do have permission to share some (most do not show faces). If you are interested in such a shoot and would like to view some examples, please ask for a link to those. Again - I don't disclose or share anything with other people if you opt to do something like this.

All of the above moods and styles can be achieved in portraits, upper body, or full length. We can do a mix of full body, upper, or portrait, but don't have to. Please say if you have preferences.

Unpatterned clothing tends to work well, especially in black and white photos, though patterns can be dramatic. Colours can say a lot, whether they are bold or subtle. Above all, wear what you feel good in. If you want to achieve different kinds of mood on different shots you might want changes of clothes, hair and make up, and if you want full length shots think head (hats) to toe (shoes). Please feel free to bring your cosmetics, hair brushes, tongs, etc. You can use a private space in my house to get ready and to change.

Be careful if you wear clothing or jewellery that is tight and will leave a mark on your skin, for example a watch strap, which you will remove for some of your photos. Such marks can take a long time to disappear. You can always put things on briefly during the shoot if you want them for some pictures, so it's best to just bring them with you.

Props can be effective in photos, to hold or include in the shot. Are there any things you want to bring, especially ones that help portray your personality?

Black backgrounds are popular and work well, but white can also be effective, or other texture and picture backgrounds. I have some available, but I prefer black as you can probably tell.

Think about what aspects of your personality or looks you'd like to bring out. Don't be afraid or embarrassed to say what you'd like. Why not mix it up? Professional, demur, bold, sassy ... Everything about your shoot will be confidential, and nobody else will see your photos unless you give me explicit permission to add particular ones to my portfolio.

If between now and then you come across photos you like (online or printed), send them to me or bring them along. I also have lots of images we can look at for ideas and inspiration.

You can have full quality file copies of all the pictures you'd like, and you can ask me to delete any you are unhappy with. I may not be able to give you your copies on the day as I will need to import them onto my laptop and change them from the camera's 'raw' file format to a more common file format (usually JPEG), and often I will want to crop or change the photos in some way (enhance contrast, go black and white, etc). I usually share photos soon after your shoot via OneDrive as a private link that only you can access. If you don't know what that means, don't worry, I'll explain.

I'm not a lover of PhotoShop to alter the way people look, but you can ask me if there is something you'd like changing. However if it suits the style there arty and dramatic things we can do with PhotoShop if you want me to explore that.

There is no smoking in my home.