Portrait Photographer in England

Kinds of portrait session

"Portrait" covers a lot of ground. The purpose shapes everything else, including the location, the clothing, how many looks you need and the crop of the final images, so it helps to be clear about what you are after.

• Lifestyle portraits: relaxed pictures of you in places you like, such as your neighbourhood, a café or a park, for yourself or to share.
• Editorial portraits: more considered and styled, with strong light and composition, the kind of image that sits alongside an interview or on a book jacket.
• Travel portraits: you in a place you are visiting. See our tourist photographer page for how this works around landmarks.
• Actors' and creatives' portraits: headshots and portfolio images for actors, musicians, writers and artists. Casting platforms and agencies often have their own requirements for crop, colour and retouching, so bring any specifications with you.
• Dating-profile portraits: natural, recent pictures that look like you, not like a studio. Each app has its own rules on photos, so check what yours allows.

If the portraits are for your business, including your website, LinkedIn or marketing, personal branding photography, from £300, is designed for that use. For simple, consistent work headshots, see corporate headshots, from £150.

What makes a good portrait session

Time to relax

Nobody looks relaxed in the first five minutes. A good photographer will keep talking, give you something to do with your hands and your feet, and only start expecting the good frames once you have forgotten about the camera.

The right light

Soft, directional light flatters almost everyone: open shade, a north-facing window or the hour before sunset. Hard midday sun is harder work. Your photographer will plan the time and place around it.

A place that says something

A plain background keeps the focus on your face. A setting with character tells a story. Most sessions use both.

• London: the brick and street art of Shoreditch, the concrete and river of the South Bank, and the white stucco of Kensington. See portrait sessions in London.
• Beyond London: the industrial canals and red brick of Manchester, the harbourside and colourful terraces of Bristol and the seafront in Brighton.

Variety

Two or three outfits, a few different backgrounds, and a mix of close and wider framing give you a set you can actually use. Plan outfit changes around places where you can change, such as a café or a car.

How to prepare

• Decide where the pictures will be used and tell your photographer. A dating profile, a theatre programme and a book cover need different things.
• Bring clothes you already feel good in. Solid colours usually work better than busy patterns or large logos.
• Get a good night's sleep, drink water and avoid a brand-new haircut the day before.
• If you are nervous, say so. It changes how your photographer works, for the better.
• Look at a few portraits you like and share them, noting what you like about each one.

What you receive

Professionally edited images in a private online gallery. The number of images and the turnaround depend on the photographer and the session, and both are confirmed in your quote. Our guide on how many photos you receive explains what shapes that number. If you need pictures quickly, rush delivery starts from £100.

Price and how to enquire

A solo portrait photoshoot starts from £200. Extra time is from £100 per hour, and travel or location fees are quoted separately. See pricing and how it works, then send us your request with what the portraits are for and the place you have in mind.