From Brief to Gallery

Most enquiries come through the contact form or WhatsApp. Either works well. A brief message explaining what type of photography you need, the scale of the project, and a rough timeframe is enough to start.

I aim to reply the same day. If you contact me on a weekend or bank holiday, I will get back to you on the next working day.

If you are not yet sure exactly what you need, that is fine. A general description of the project and how you intend to use the images is a good starting point. We can work out the specifics in the next conversation.

This is the most important part of the process. The quality of a commercial shoot depends largely on how clearly defined the brief is before we arrive on location or in the studio. A call at this stage is usually the most efficient way to work through the details.

I will ask about:

• What the images are for: website, printed material, social media, press, internal use, or a combination
• Who or what will appear in them: staff, products, working environment, events
• What you want the images to communicate about your business or brand
• Whether you have brand guidelines, colour palettes, or a tone of voice you want to work within
• Any reference images you have seen and liked, or images you want to move away from
• Practical logistics: location, timing, how many people need to be involved

After this conversation I can tell you whether the project is a good fit, what I would recommend, and give you an accurate quote. There is no obligation at that point.

Once the brief is agreed and the booking is confirmed, I put together a shot list. This is a working document that sets out what we are photographing during the session, in what order, and with what background, lighting, and styling approach for each setup. It keeps the day running smoothly and makes sure nothing gets missed.

If we are working on location, I will ask about access, parking, and any practical restrictions. For product photography, I will ask you to confirm the required angles, backgrounds, and the intended use of each image before the day.

For portrait and people photography, I send preparation notes ahead of the session covering clothing, what to bring, and what to expect. Most clients find this helpful. It removes the uncertainty about what to wear and means we can move through setups without delay.

If your shoot involves a location I have not worked at before, I may ask for photographs in advance or arrange a brief site visit, depending on the complexity of the project.

I work alone. You get my full attention for the whole session, focused on your brief.

I work through the shot list at a steady pace. If something is not working, I will say so and we will work out why. Where it is useful, I show images on the laptop during the shoot so that both of us can confirm the brief is being met before moving to the next setup.

Sessions are booked in hourly blocks, from a minimum of two hours up to a full day. The length you need depends on the number of setups, the number of people involved, and the complexity of the brief. I will advise on this during the planning stage.

I have worked across a range of commercial subjects: corporate and environmental portraits, product photography, food and hospitality, industrial and commercial environments, and close-up and macro work for detailed or intricate pieces. If you have something that does not fit neatly into a category, get in touch and I can tell you whether it is something I have experience with.

Editing is included in every commercial booking. I work through the best frames from the session, applying colour correction, exposure adjustment, and cropping to standard. I do not deliver unedited files as the final product.

For portrait and people photography, I apply careful retouching to a commercial standard. For most business clients, that means a clean, professional finish without visible over-processing. If you have a specific preference, let me know when we discuss the brief.

For product photography, colour accuracy is a priority. I edit to match the product as closely as possible and supply images in formats suitable for both web use and print.

If you need more extensive work, such as background removal, complex compositing, or retouching beyond commercial standard, I will quote for this separately.

I aim to deliver within 5 to 10 working days from the date full payment is received. For smaller projects, turnaround is often quicker. That window gives me the time to do the job properly when other work is running at the same time.

Final images are delivered via a private online gallery. The link is sent directly to you, and you can share it with your team, creative agency, or marketing department. The gallery allows you to browse, download individual files, flag favourites, and download the full set.

Files are delivered as high-resolution JPEG in the sRGB colour profile, suitable for both web and print use. If you need an alternative format such as TIFF or PNG, let me know during the planning stage and I will include it.

For some commercial projects, particularly where multiple people are selecting from the same gallery, I can hold a gallery review session to help you work through the selection. This can be useful when there are several decision-makers involved or when the brief requires a specific number of final images.