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Copyright is often misunderstood. Legally the Copyright remains with the photographer. This doesn’t mean that they have permission to show or sell your images, unless they have written consent from you. When you purchase digital files from me, you are purchasing the right to reproduce the images, without limitations, for your own personal use only. So you can print them as many time as you like, and as big as you like.
Therefore, you don’t need Copyright, unless you are planning to sell them or use them for monetary gain. If you want to use them for Commercial purposes, please state this at the time of booking, as commercial rates apply. Commercial usage would be classed as you using images for your business, rather than personal purposes. The Copyright still remains with the photographer, but as mentioned before this doesn’t mean that they can use the images in any way, without first having your permission to do so. If you are absolutely certain you would like Copyright, we can of course discuss this - as a guideline you would expect to pay 3 x usual rates.
CAN I GET COPYRIGHT OF THE IMAGES?
Do you ever offer model shoots?
Absolutely. Bespoke pricing applies, please enquire for details.
DO YOU SHOOT OVERSEAS?
Sure, you can bring it - but please don’t use it! I really don’t mind you taking a couple of iPhone pictures of me shooting and working with your newborn, but that’s it. Yo will not be able to photograph the set ups and take pictures over my shoulder as this jeopardises the result you get from me. It's also extremely distracting - so it's always best you leave the camera at home.
CAN I BRING MY CAMERA TO THE SESSION?
Each session is treated individually for ordering purposes and packages cannot be combined across multiple sessions. Your newborn proofs will only be prepared once you have completed your Maternity session order.
CAN I COMBINE PACKAGES ACROSS THE MATERNITY & NEWBORN SESSION?
It is in your interest to place your order during the 1 week ordering window. There is no way to extend the gallery - but I can reload it. As it takes an hour to do, there is a charge of £25 to do so (you can pay this or it can be deducted from the deposit we hold on file for you). The gallery then stays online for another week. If you need it reloaded again, the reload charge will be payable again.
WHAT HAPPENS IF I DON'T PLACE MY ORDER IN THE WEEK THAT THE GALLERY IS OPEN? CAN YOU EXTEND THE GALLERY FOR ME?
Sure, there is an express service available for a one off payment of £250.
I charge a deposit as I only want to book clients that are committed to the process, who have a full understanding on how I work and are comfortable with it. As I now take on very limited sessions, this is extremely important to me.
The deposit is payable at the same time as the session fee. The deposit (not the session fee) is fully redeemable against your final order.
The deposit for studio shoots is £250, and for home shoots it's £500.
Having the above policies in place ensures that the clients who book me are very clear on how I work, and orders are placed in a timely manner.
I take on a very limited number of shoots and having those policies in places means I can effectively run my business.
Please make sure that you are happy with all of the above before you book me, as a contract will need to be signed to confirm your booking.
Please check out the INFO section which gives you a Step by Step walk through of the process.
I DON'T WANT TO WAIT 3 WEEKS TO SEE MY PROOFS - CAN YOU DO IT ANY FASTER?
HOW DOES IT ALL WORK? WHEN CAN I SEE MY IMAGES?
WHY DO YOU CHARGE A DEPOSIT?
95% of my clients opt for digital files, which are supplied on USB. If you are looking to blow images up, make copies for family members and generally use the images for printing to your hearts content, then the digital images are the more cost effective way to go.
However, I do appreciate the fact that not everyone will actually do anything with the images once they receive their USB. If you are one of those people, it’s always best to opt for products as it saves you going through the ordering process yourself. With every USB, I will give you a suppliers list - so tried and tested suppliers where you can get all sorts of wall products at trade prices.
DO I HAVE TO ORDER DIGITAL FILES, OR DO YOU OFFER PRODUCTS AS WELL?
In an ideal world, whoever is being photographed would be in similar tones. So not necessarily the same colours, but complimenting each other. Personally I prefer to avoid a situation where one family member is dressed in black and another in white, or anything with heavy patterns, big logos or transfers. Some of my clients prefer skin on skin shots, which is also absolutely fine.
Please check out my Pinterest boards for some inspiration!
Sometimes I offer shoots which are on a TPF basis - this means Time for Pictures. This means that there would be no charge for the shoot or the images. You would need to sign a commercial release that allows me to recoup my costs and use the session images for various projects.
This would include being able to use them on websites, for educational purposes (like workshops) & in my shop. On some occasions this would also include the images being sold via a stock library (this is only by agreement and not all model sessions require this).
Please note that with those types of sessions, you will not have any creative input - they are normally for a specific project, and therefore I need to ensure that I achieve the desired result for my purpose.
If you are interested in being considered for any future model calls, please complete the Contact form and state that in the notes section.
You would need to be able to travel to my studio. Please note the commercial release you are required to sign includes provision for withdrawal - this means you can ask for me to stop using your images at any point in time subject to your payment for whatever package you have received.
The exception to this is situations where we are shooting for the purpose of stock or an ad campaign, as it would be impossible for me to withdraw images from circulation once they are sold.
WHAT SHOULD WE WEAR?
WHY DO YOU CHARGE FEES UPRONT and don't "PENCIL IN" appointments?
While I am flexible with rescheduling dates, any last minute reschedules will be at your own risk - I will not be able to guarantee that I can offer you a suitable date within the time frame required. Its normally not an issue with Maternity shots, but because with newborns we have a small window of opportunity to achieve the styled shots there is no guarantee that any other dates within that specific period will be free.
If you or your baby are unwell, please do ensure you do reschedule, as you will be unlikely to get the results you are looking for. I will do my best to accommodate you at the next available date. Please give me as much notice as you can of course.
I choose to work in this way, as I receive many enquiries & "maybe's" that do not result in bookings. If I pencilled everyone in, my diary would be impossible to manage. Therefore, I can only book you in if you definitely want to go ahead with the session, and are happy to commit to the relevant fees. I believe in 100% transparency and I ask you to sign a contract when you book that outlines everything and also confirms you have reviewed all of my information, including pricing. This avoids any misunderstandings at a later date.
Once you have decided that you do want to book, and the appropriate fees are settled, we will book in a provisional date that will be adjusted if needed, depending on your newborns arrival date.
I do offer a 30 day unconditional refund- so if you book me a long time ahead and then change your mind (for any reason), both your session fee & deposit will be refunded in full. If your shoot is less than 30 days away then the fees are TRANSFERABLE but non refundable. This means you can defer a session to a different date in the future if you wish, and you will not lose what you paid. The only time I would refund your fees if you choose to cancel in less than 30 days before the session, is if I manage to rebook your original booked date at short notice.
I HAVE A SHOOT Booked BUT SOMETHING HAS COME UP - CAN I RESCHEDULE?
There aren’t any images included in your session fee. You will be sent a full price list, to enable you to choose your package, and the cost of images is always in addition to your session fee. In regards to how many images you will get to choose from this generally varies on the type of session - a single baby will be different to a session where parents and siblings are involved.
As a rough guideline, you will be able to make your choices from anything between 40-100 images.
The kind of session you choose will depend on your taste, desired outcome and your overall budget. It really makes sense to give some thought to what you would like to achieve from the session & what you are planning to do with your images.
Please ensure that you have a good look through my galleries to get a feel for different styles, and if you are still unsure I am more than happy to chat. Many of my clients have a unique vision for their own images, so if you have any specific ideas I am more than happy to discuss those with you.
HOW MANY IMAGES DO I GET INCLUDED?
HOW DO I CHOOSE THE TYPE OF SESSION I WOULD LIKE?
I am based in a beautiful village called North Waltham, in Hampshire, which is easily accessible from London via the M3.
For those of you living in London, the car journey is about 1 hour. If you are in Essex, you are looking at about 90 minutes. With easy access via the M25 and the M3 or a 50 minute train commute from Waterloo, the studio is easily accessed from most areas. Th studio is approximately 12 minutes away from Basingstoke station by cab, and about 15 minutes from the beautiful City of Winchester. And if you feel the drive is too much for you, why not make it an overnight stay - there are plenty of lovely B&B’s & Country pubs to enjoy locally. I do offer home sessions, as well sessions on location. In fact 80% of my clients are based in London. Please check out our location on the map HERE.
I offer both styled or natural sessions, or a mixture of both. This applies to both newborn and maternity photography.
A Styled shoot is a shoot where we will shoot a full selection of images, so posed shots, natural shots and full usage of props. These sessions are longer as they do require your baby to fall into a deep sleep. There is a 5 hour limit on all Styled sessions. A styled shoot automatically includes Lifestyle images.
A Lifestyle shoot is one where we are not relying on your baby being asleep. It does not include posing the baby into the specific newborn poses. Most shots are either cuddled by parents, or baby in natural poses, without or with every limited props. There is a 2 hour limit on all Lifestyle sessions.
Mini maternity shoots are studio based & require you to choose a set amount of poses that we will be specifically looking to achieve. If you wish to have a Mini Maternity shoot at home I am happy to travel to London if at least 2 shoots are taking place one after another ( so it could be organised with friends) please enquire for details.
A full Maternity shoot is where we work more organically, work through various sets and outfit changes, and also play with different backdrops, lighting & effects. Most of my clients do still choose some faves to give me an idea of what they love , and we take it from there. There is no set script - these are a lot of fun!
I am now also offering Mini newborn shots. They take place at the studio and take 1 hour maximum. They do not include props and the baby does not need to be asleep. Mini shoots are baby only (maybe 1-2 with parents) but they do not include sibling or family shots. A lot of the shots will be close ups, shots using parents hands , and your in a simple wrap or clothing of your choice. Please enquire for home availability.
WHERE ARE YOU LOCATED AND DO YOU OFFER SESSIONS AT HOME?
WHAT KIND OF SESSIONS ARE AVAiLABLE TO ME & HOW DO THEY DIFFER?
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO HAVE MY NEWBORN BABY PHOTOGRAPHED?
The best time to have your newborn photographed is between 5-14 days. However, if your baby is particularly early or particularly late this is a little more flexible. This also varies if you are having twins as they tend to be delivered before reaching full term, and therefore that period is extended.
For a full term baby, the absolutely optimum time is between day 7 and day 12. The cord usually falls off by day 8, which means we have more flexibility, and by that time a good feeding routine is normally established. This is the best time for a session if you like those curled up sleepy newborn shots and the cute little poses (a styled shoot).
Unless the baby was super early, I do not offer styled ( ie posed) shoots for babies between 3-12 weeks old. I am happy to recommend photographers who offer styled newborn shoots for older babies - I simply choose not to.
I do offer lifestyle newborn shoots for any age range, where the images are natural, and none of the newborn poses are required.
Please note all my sessions are baby led. I will not force any poses the baby does not want to do, and your baby's wellbeing is the most important thing. Please don't worry though - it is rare that we don't achieve what the parents require. Lots of patience is whats needed, and I have plenty.
If you have missed the time for newborn images, the next best stage to have your baby photographed is 12 weeks onward. You can check out the older baby galleries on my other website if you click HERE.
Please bear in mind that the link will take you off to my other website!
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME FOR A MATERNITY SHOOT?
The best time to have your bump photographed is normally between 28-36 weeks. However this really does vary - some ladies barely show at 28 weeks. In a ideal world your bump should be nice and round , but before you feel uncomfortable.
