Ancestry and the National Portrait Gallery are collaborating to create a Nations Family Album – the first ever holistic visual representation of the British population in photographic form. So they are inviting the British Public (all ages, backgrounds, cultures) to submit photos of family members (old, recent, together, separate). The winning entries will not only feature in this online Nations Family Album gallery, but also in an exhibition in the National Portrait Gallery when it reopens early next year.
I am honoured to say that I’ve been elected as one of the four judges on the panel of experts, along with the baritone singer Peter Brathwaite, renowned for his series of photographs on Rediscovering Black Portraiture, the National Portrait Gallery’s Chief Curator, Dr Alison Smith and Simon Pearce from Ancestry.
Themes for the photos are: legacy, belonging, connection and identity – all of which reflect the emotions experienced when looking through old family photos or starting a journey on your family history. You can submit up to 3 photographs per person. And the deadline is 11.59pm on 30th June. For more information, visit the Ancestry website.
I’m really looking forward to seeing all your entries.
Finally, two households are allowed to mix again. Hooray! I have been counting down the days to this moment. This means that I’m officially now allowed out to capture some spring family photoshoots. My goodness I have missed photographing children and family photoshoots. Bookings are flying in again now. I still have a few spaces this Easter holidays but am almost fully booked in the summer half term (with just one slot left). In fact, July is also already looking pretty busy. So please get in touch soon if you’re thinking of booking a shoot. Be it to commemorate lockdown hairstyles, celebrate a birthday, or capture the whole family together again after months of isolation.
To see more examples of my children photography, please visit the portrait section on my website. Or if you’d like to discuss in more detail, please email me at [email protected] or call me on 07815 750 141.
I started out as a wedding and children portrait photographer in 2000, when I was living in London. Most of my children shoots in those days were in my studio in Wandsworth – the rage then was for clean white backdrops. But I quickly found that these were not so appealing for those living in the country, where understandably parents were wanting the photoshoots at home and in their garden. I have therefore spent the last 12 years, traveling all over the south west photography children in their home environment. Although this is more time consuming for me, I can honestly say that I haven’t looked back.
This not only makes each shoot unique and personal, but it’s also where the children are most at ease, enabling me to capture the best images of your children. I capture them at play inside and outside in their garden, in their favourite places, doing what they love most.
This is an old favourite from a lovely family photoshoot in Hampshire. I love the movement in her skirt and hair, the way she is looking down but flying high, in a world of her own. A timeless moment of childhood bliss on a favourite swing in her garden. It’s full of emotion and energy, and makes me smile every time I look at it. I hope you like it too.
If you are interested in booking a family or children photoshoot, please do get in touch. I’m based in Dorset but happy to travel all over the country – I’m regularly in Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Hampshire, Berkshire, London, Wiltshire, Somerset, Devon and Cornwall. Do also look at some more examples of my children and family photography to give you a more extensive feel of my style of portrait photography.
With online digital presence becoming increasingly prevalent, first impressions are often made from your profile image – be this on Linkedin, social media or your own website – is all the more important. A successful portrait will endorse your ‘brand image’ and encourage your prospective client to read on. A weak one may do the reverse.
The brief for this corporate profile was to create an impactful and contemporary portrait which portrayed his wealth of experience and confidence with his cutting edge and innovative approach. Before I even picked up my camera, we researched other portraits – what we felt worked and didn’t work and why, suitable backdrops, poses, clothing and expressions, so that when we went into my studio, we had a clear idea of what we wanted to achieve. The backdrop & lighting created impact, the ‘no tie’ and the relaxed pose on the stool were contemporary, whilst the formality of the suit and expression exuded confidence and experience.
Please contact me if you’re interested in a commercial headshot or profile portrait. With 20 years of experience as a portrait photographer, combined with 10 years as an Account Director in a branding agency, I understand how to achieve unique and impactful profile images, that reflect your ‘brand image’ and help you stand out from your competitors. As a leading portrait photographer the South West, I travel regularly to London, Hampshire, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Devon and Cornwall and happy to travel further afield. Or you can visit my spacious studio near Sherborne, Dorset.
Having a strong profile portrait for your business is essential. The first thing you look at on a website is the picture and then the text. If you like what you see in the profile portrait, you are much more likely to read the accompanying text. Your profile portrait is your brand. I undertake a lot of corporate style portraits in my studio in Dorset, or I can come to you. Where possible I like portraits to reflect the nature of your work. So studio portraits may suit some, whilst location portraits, or vocational portraits may suit others. Either way, it’s about a striking image that shows you to be top of your game, confident, professional and approachable.
Hannah Shergold is one of those enviable people who is brilliant at everything she applies herself to. A Cambridge graduate in pre-clinical Veterinary Medicine, bronze sculptor, ex Lynx helicopter commander, award-winning wildlife & portrait artist, are but a few of her skills. And what’s more, she is as lovely as she is beautiful.
She’s raised over £65,000 for the Born Free Foundation in 2019, £50,000 for the Invictus Games, and is now raising money for Tusk. Do visit her website to see more of her work. Portraits include Prince Harry (although I’m not sure we can still call him that) and David Beckham.
This portrait of Hannah is from a collection of images I took of her in the famous dining room at St Giles House in Dorset. I love the juxtaposition of history and modernity.
Please do explore my gallery of photos to see examples of some of my corporate. If you are interested in discussing further about how you would like the perfect profile portrait for your business, website, social media, please do get in touch.
In celebration of the much anticipated arrival of Meghan and Harry’s baby, I have teamed up with my favourite frame supplier, Addison Ross, to run a prize draw in which you can win £250 of your own choice of Addison Ross frames AND 20% off a weekday children or family portrait shoot with me within 2 hours of my home near Sherborne, in Dorset.
To enter, visit the following link to Addison Ross website.
I was very sad to hear of the recent passing away of the legendary boating pioneer Robert Braithwaite, founder of Sunseeker super yacht boats. I had the pleasure of meeting and photographing him in October 2012 for my book Great Faces of Dorset.
Sadly his parents died early so together with his brother John, who was still at school, he started the business in the 1960s – a business which went on to become a leading superyacht powerhouse. His boats were featured in four consecutive James Bond films, one of which (Quantum of Solace) was actually driven by Robert himself.
Robert was an undeniably talented entrepreneur, full of humility, kindness and charm. He will be missed by many. My condolences to his family and friends. May he R.I.P.
How old are we when we stop skipping down the road, or jumping on street walls? Some may say never, but in essence there is definitely a time when we become too self conscious, when we are suddenly too grown up, too rushed, too stressed… One of the many joys of photographing children is that they remind me to stop and enjoy the little things again, hold hands, skip down the street, even try a bit of jumping. And wow, the thrill comes straight back – along with a few strange looks admittedly!
When I moved out of London over 10 years ago, I craved rural backdrops for portraiture, but I fear I was simply unaware of quite how fantastic urban backdrops are for children portraiture – especially in black and white. Every street offers something unique, graphic, dynamic, quirky, but equally, every street invites the imagination of a child by offering games, adventures, magic, fun, play…
This image captures Ben enjoying a little alley way just around the corner from his home – he apparently does this wall jumping each time they walk along there. I hope one day that this image will remind him of a whole chapter of his childhood.
Capturing the spirit of school life and providing schools with compelling images to use for advertising, prospectus, website, PR and social media is one of the areas of my work that I most enjoy. Indeed I photograph regularly for schools across South West England, from Perrott Hill School (as per the above image) in Somerset, Sandroyd & Pinewood in Wiltshire, Leweston, Hanford and Castle Court School in Dorset, Cheam and Twyford in Hampshire, Horris Hill in Berkshire and the Westminster Choir School in central London.
I love the colours, light and composition in this image, but it’s the way that the boy is looking cheekily up at the little girl that brings the image to life – reflecting the most important qualities we, as parents, look for in a school – the happiness factor – and the same reason that Country Life Magazine chose this for the front cover of their annual supplement School Life.
This portrait of Trudie Styler for Country Life Magazine’s feature on Irish Wolfhounds, was taken at Trudie and Sting’s residence in Wiltshire on a filthy winter’s day in December.
Portrait photography in the rain is always a challenge. Standing in a fast running river with water flowing in over the brim of my wellies, Lucy precariously holding my lighting in strong gusts of wind, 6 irish wolfounds on a bridge eyeing up potential fun in the water below, all whilst being overlooked by Sting – made it all the more exciting! Trudie also had her hands full with these enormous hounds so I’m not sure who was more relieved when all the elements came together within a few minutes and we captured the shot without any of the wolfhounds joining Lucy and I for a splash!
