Casting agents want photographs of actors that are honest. When you book a headshot session, the ambition is simple: images that look like you. When you walk into an audition, you should look like the person in the photograph — no surprises, no misdirection.

A portrait session allows us to play around a whole lot more, working alongside one another to capture something deeper and more soulful than a headshot. Everything is in play: lighting, mood, atmosphere, makeup, costume, props, and performance. With a fair wind — and a little thought — we can create some beautiful photography together, and while we’re at it, strike a blow for the art of photography in this new age of AI ‘image creation’.

The studio space has a 12ft wide x 7ft high west-facing window, and across the street an old brick building acts as a giant reflector, bouncing the sunlight back inside the room. The light is soft and creamy. I often augment the natural light with some of my own, shaping how it falls on and around the subject.

Sessions are unhurried. I only book two a day, leaving room for us to focus without pressure. A typical shoot lasts around three hours, with at least two devoted to photography. We’ll begin with a conversation about what you’d like to leave with, I’ll take some test shots, and then we’ll be off and running. You’re free to change outfits, and we can work with more than one background depending on what you’re wearing.

I use a Hasselblad X2D Mark II — a beautiful camera that captures gorgeously detailed images. Skin tone, shadow detail, gentle natural colours — I love the images it makes. I’m not the kind of photographer who takes hundreds of shots in a session; I believe in quality over quantity. Great portraits come from good judgement, an eye for composition, and a feel for light and how it falls. Get those things right, and even the most nervous sitter will leave with some beautiful images.

After the shoot, I’ll send you an online gallery within a day or two. Choose six images and I’ll do some very light retouching — just enough so you look like healthy and rested.

If you’d like to book — or simply talk through what you need — send me an email. I hope to hear from you soon.

Jaimie